Ask Anna

Hi Anna, 

I’m hoping you can help me with some guidance on how to keep my baby safe in the summer sun. I read online that I can’t use sunscreen until she is six months old but I am not sure what else I can use to keep her from getting a sunburn. 

- Joey in Lexington KY

Hi Joey, 

This is a wonderful question and I’m so glad you asked it! Your internet sleuthing is absolutely correct. Sunscreen should not be used on infants less than six months of age because their skin is so sensitive. Due to this sensitivity, they are also at a much higher risk of sunburn so you need to work a little harder to keep them out of the direct sun. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics gives us some wonderful suggestions on how to help protect our littlest ones from the harmful rays of the sun. 

• Clothes and hats can protect skin – whenever possible, dress yourself and your children in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, such as lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats.
• Select clothes made with a tight weave; they protect better than clothes with a looser weave. If you’re not sure how tight a fabric’s weave is, hold it up to see how much light shines through. The less light, the better. Or you can look for protective clothing labeled with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) such as this one, this one, and this one. 
• Wear a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears, and back of the neck. There are some great infant hats with neck guards that  we highly recommend, such as this one, this one, and this one. 
• Try to limit your sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm when UV rays are strongest.
• Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection. Look for youth-sized sunglasses with UV protection for your child.
• Seek shade for your activities whenever you can.
• Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Find shade under a tree, an umbrella, or the stroller canopy. If it’s not possible to find shade, sunscreen may be applied to babies younger than 6 months to small areas of skin that are not covered by clothing and hats – this is because we don’t want babies to sunburn.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows how to protect their skin and eyes. Remember to set a good example by practicing sun safety yourself.

Have more questions? Reach out to our team at any time! Email info@yourvillageky.comor send us a message on facebook or Instagram @yourvillageky. 

Ask Anna

Hi Anna, my two month old really struggles with reflux, especially after drinking a bottle, so I’ve been using a sleeping wedge in her crib to help keep her from spitting up at night. I recently saw an article that said this wasn’t a good idea and could be dangerous. Can you help me figure out how to balance out her reflux while also keeping her safe at night? 

~Ruth in Lexington, KY

This is a great question and I am so glad you asked it! Reflux is something is incredibly common in infants and can be endlessly frustrating for parents to try and get a handle on. Let’s start by looking at some statistics and definitions:

What is reflux? 

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is defined as “the involuntary retrograde passage of gastric contents into the esophagus with or without regurgitation or vomiting.” This is sometimes known as “silent reflux” because there aren’t always visible outward signs. It usually happens a few times a day, mostly after baby drinks a bottle or breastfeeds. These babies are called “happy spitters” because they don’t seem bothered by the spitting up. 

GER turns into GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) when the reflux begins to affect baby’s quality of life or causes pathologic complications, like failure to thrive, feeding or sleeping problems, respiratory issues, or apparent life-threatening events. 

70-85% of infants have reflux within the first two months of their lives and it resolves without intervention 95% of the time by their first birthday. 

Typically lifestyle changes and parent education are the best way to treat GER in infants, although if it gets severe enough there are some medications that your pediatrician can prescribe that may help. 

How to handle GER/D to ensure safe sleep?

The very best thing you can do for your infant is place them on their back to sleep in a crib or pack n play. It might seem counterintuitive to an adult, but baby has built in reflexes that help them swallow or expel their spit up. This is part of the reason that they have such an active gag reflex. It helps keep them safe! Putting baby on their side or their stomach increases the likelihood that they will choke on their spit up and aspirate it into their lungs, as well as increases the potential of SIDS. 

We see a lot of companies that sell wedges or positioning devices that are designed to keep baby inclined to prevent reflux and on the surface it is easy to see the merit in them and I totally understand the urge to purchase them. However, none of these devices are approved by the AAP and have no safety standards that they are required to meet. Remember when the Rock N’ Plays were all recalled a few years ago? Before that they were lauded as this amazing device that keeps baby inclined and resulted in miracle sleep, however they were not regulated or safe, and were recalled because of multiple infant deaths due to positional asphyxiation. I’m ashamed to admit that once upon a time before I was a sleep coach and knew better I used positioners and even recommended them to parents. Now that I know better I realize how bad my advice was and make sure to discuss with parents the safety issues that come with positioners. 

A crib wedge or similar positioning device is designed to incline one end of a crib with the goal that baby’s head stays above their belly, helping their stomach contents to stay down. However, what usually happens is that as baby squirms around at night they end up snoodled down at the foot of their crib, all squashed up and not safely on their backs. Positional asphyxiation is a real danger here, which is why the AAP says absolutely nothing in or under their crib mattresses. 

So on to your question Ruth:

If you can’t use a wedge in your baby’s crib how can you help alleviate their reflux symptoms while they sleep? 

The first thing to remember is that reflux is something that your baby will most likely grow out of, so make sure to view this as a short-term problem that won’t last forever. It isn’t easy or fun while you’re right in the middle of it, but it will come to a natural end. 

The second thing to do is talk to your pediatrician. They may recommend dietary changes if you’re breastfeeding or adjusting the formula if baby is bottle fed. Medication for mild to moderate reflux in infants isn’t proven to be helpful, so don’t be surprised if your pediatrician doesn’t recommend it. 

The easiest changes you can make to help with discomfort and sleep is to hold your baby for up to 30 minutes following a feed to allow their milk to fully settle into their little bellies. This is definitely more difficult at nighttime, because at 3am all you want to do is pop them back into their crib so you can get back to sleep, but giving them some time for milk to settle before placing them on their backs can really make a difference. 

Having a baby who has reflux can be really difficult but it is really important that you remember that even though positioning devices may be marketed as miracle cures for reflux, they aren’t considered safe by the AAP and baby has no business sleeping in them. 

With that being said, reflux can make things painful for baby and really hard for parents so make sure that you are tracking your own mental health and taking care of your own needs as well. Having a baby who spends a lot of time crying from reflux pain can really run you down and it’s important that you lean on your support system and allow your village to help you through a difficult time. 

Your Village believes in using scientific-backed research from well-credentialed sources for our information. If you're curious where our info came from for this question pop on over here and here. 

Have more questions? Reach out to our team at any time! Email info@yourvillageky.comor send us a message on facebook or Instagram @yourvillageky. 

Hey Anna, I have an 18 month old who loves being in the water. How can I keep her safe this summer?

- Emily L. in Indianapolis

This is a great question and a really important one because drowning is a leading cause of death for kids age 1-14. Water play can be one of the most exciting things you can do with your child this summer as long as you are taking precautions and keeping your eyes open. 

My number one recommendation is to put a coastguard-approved life jacket on your child anytime they are near the water, even if they aren't actively swimming. One of my favorite flotation devices for children over 30lbs is  a Puddle Pal, Puddle Jumper, or a Little Dipper, which are all Coast Guard approved and work pretty much the same way. My person preference is the Puddle Pal because I like that it has fabric that goes over the shoulders as opposed to the Puddle Jumper which just goes around a child's chest. My preferred infant life jacket for kiddos under 30 lbs is this Full Throttle Infant Baby-Safe Vest. 

If you are looking for guidance as you choose a floatation device for yourself or your child the US Coast Guard has this handy PDF filled with lots of additional information. 

My next recommendation is to avoid swimsuits and life jackets that are blue. You want to be able to easily see your child when they are in the water and a blue suit or life jacket can easily blend in the lining of a pool. It might not be as cute or fashionable, but there is a reason that life jackets come in neon green and bright orange. When your child is in the water every second counts and you want to be able to spot them immediately. 

You also want to make sure that you are ALWAYS watching! It only takes seconds for a child to slip under the water. No matter how much you trust your child's ability to swim or think that they know the pool rules about staying away from the edge, you need to have your eyes on them every single minute. I find it to be much more enjoyable when I go to the pool or lake with a second adult who can help me keep an eye out. This way I can look away for a few minutes and know that my son is safe. 

Talk with them frequently about the rules for being in the water and make sure to repeat them before you go to the pool each and every time. Even young toddlers can learn water safety rules! If you need some help with teaching your kids water safety the Red Cross has a great website for helping you create rules and for helping your children learn them. 

Playing in the pool, lake, or at the beach is a quintessential part of childhood and, as long as the grownup in charge is ensuring safety, can be a great way to keep cool in the summer!

Hey Anna, I have a two year old sensory seeker who gets into everything and has run away a couple times. How do I keep him safe this summer? He also hits, bites, and head butts me when he gets upset or overwhelmed. Do you have any suggestions to help minimize his physical aggression towards me? -Cara, New York

This is a great question and one that I answer over and over because so many parents and caregivers find themselves in a similar situation. 

Before I dive in to this answer, let me give a quick explanation of what a sensory seeker is so that we are all on the same page.  Many children have difficulty processing the sensory input that they get from the world around them and as a result they are constantly moving, talking, shouting, or jumping as their bodies and brains try to handle all of the stimulation they are getting (or not getting, if they are understimulated). The reason they seem to never slow down is because their little bodies are telling them that they need to keep moving, even if they are in a place where that movement is dangerous or not allowed. Kids who have difficulties with sensory processing may also have decreased awareness of vestibular and/or proprioceptive input. They often have poor balance and coordination and struggle with awareness of how their body is oriented in space. To help compensate for this, they will often engage in sensory seeking behaviors which helps give more input to their body systems. Sensory seeking behaviors include jumping, spinning, crashing, running, yelling, throwing things, swinging, biting, head banging, etc.  

I like to use the environment for behavior modification when possible, so that you as a parent or caregiver don’t have to spend every single second watching your child and telling them “no”. If you set up the environment in a way that allows as much freedom and independence as possible while keeping the child safe, then you can let your brain rest and don’t have to constantly be on high alert. Using the environment as another adult (like in the Reggio Emilia philosophy with the Third Teacher) allows you to give your child freedom to explore SAFELY, which lets you focus on spending happy time together playing and enjoying each other’s company. You have a thousand things to worry about and watch for, and if preparing your environment specifically for your little seeker allows you to set one burden down then it is worth the time and money invested. Not only does this apply to safety, but also to sensory needs. You can help ensure that your child’s sensory needs are being met by very carefully curating your physical space. It might not meet your needs as an adult, but you aren’t the priority here, they are. You might not be able to have that perfect Pinterest-worthy home that we all want, but instead you could be able to coexist peacefully with your kids and not worry about getting head butted in the face due to constant overstimulation.

Safety is going to be your number one priority when it comes to a child who is a sensory seeker. Different kids have different levels of safety awareness and it is important to make sure that you don’t leave anything up to chance because you never know when a new interest or impulse may lead to a dangerous situation. 

• If he is consistently attempting to elope then you need to make sure that he always has some kind of ID on him. There are many different options, depending on what your child can tolerate. Necklaces, anklets, bracelets, GPS trackers, tags that attach to a shoelace, etc. Whatever option you choose needs to be safely attached so that the child cannot take it off themselves and chew on it/lose it. If you choose a necklace make sure that your child is old enough to wear it safely without any concerns about strangulation. 
• You also need to make sure that you meet all your neighbors. If there is any chance that he might elope then you want to make sure that your neighbors all know who he belongs to. When you have a child who elopes you don’t have the luxury of being an introvert and not getting to know your neighbors. You need to keep his face and name in the front of their minds, so intentionally interact with them often. Bake cookies at Christmas and have him help deliver them. At Halloween you can “Boo” the neighbors and drops off little treat bags on their porches. In the summer grow little seedlings of flower plants and deliver them door to door, along with a little card. Make sure to play in the front yard and go for walks because it’s important that everyone on your street knows who you are and where you live.
• Get yourself a good leash and attach it to a backpack that has a chest and waist buckle. It’s also important that you develop a thick skin and learn how to ignore what people think and say about your child being on a leash or behaving in a way that they find fault with. You’ll feel all kinds of self conscious but all that matters is that your child is safe. 
• Teach him how to say “Hi, I’m …...” Just being able to tell someone what his name is can help to keep him safe. If possible, expand that into “Hi, I’m ……. My mom is …... My address is…..” (or your phone number, whichever is easier for him)
• Your backyard needs to be fenced in with a fence that is high enough that it can’t easily be climbed over. The gates should have latches that are at the top and on the outside so the only way that they can be opened is if an adult reaches over the top to release the latch on the other side. 
• The toys in your backyard are a whole other safety issue. He won’t play with/on them like a typical child might, so it’s important that you take the steps you can to assure his physical safety while still allowing him to have fun, take risks, and get the input that he is seeking. If you have a climbing structure make sure that you put an extra thick layer of mulch underneath. If you really want to double down, use the rubber mulch because its extra soft. Put down a good 8-10 inch thick layer of mulch so that when (when, not if) he falls from somewhere high he has a soft place to land. 
• Regularly check for screws, nails, sharp things sticking out because he may not have the same safety/danger awareness and might not recognize that a sharp screw can cause a lot of damage. He might not have the same pain sensitivity and can become injured without realizing it. 
• Accept that he’s going to get hurt. It’s just going to happen. Risk taking is an important part of childhood, especially for seekers, and it’s important that he learn the limits of his body. What might seem to us to be really dangerous could be perfectly safe for him, depending on his ability. 
• Adjust the toys/activities outside to meet him where he is developmentally. For example, say he was diagnosed with Pica at a young age and would eat sand like it was candy. So rather than have a sandbox you have a rock pit. He still gets that proprioceptive input from digging but it was adjusted it to meet his developmental needs. He can  lay in it and getting some full body input, but you don’t have to worry about him pooping out a sandcastle 6 hours later. 
• Inside the house you should make sure that all doors and windows that lead to the outside are outfitted with safety locks and/or alarms. You can get really simple and cheap alarms from Lowes/Amazon that just stick on and make either a single chime when the door/window is opened or have an alarm option and will go off repeatedly until you turn them off. 
• If there are rooms that could potentially be dangerous or that you don’t want him in unattended, then you can attach a latch or chain as high up as you can reach to keep him out of that room unless you unlock it. 
• The kitchen can be difficult because there are just so many potential spots for disaster! Here is what one of our content contributors writes about how she manages the kitchen: Mikey is four and a half and I still have baby locks on all of my kitchen cabinets. I no longer keep anything on the counter that would be potentially dangerous for him and moved all the important things that are usually kept on a counter or in a junk drawer (pens, scissors, bucket of loose change, etc) to the tallest shelf in my corner cabinet. The baby locks don’t necessarily serve the purpose of keeping him safe. (with the exception of the one under the sink, where I keep all the cleaning supplies) Instead they keep him from taking things out and dumping them all over the floor. I don’t need yet another thing to clean up and having the baby locks on the cabinets helps with my sanity. (That’s another example of using the environment to help with behavior modification.) I know that he can take his stool and open all of the up high cabinets where I keep the plates/bowls/cooking spices/etc so I rearranged every cabinet to make it so that if he gets into them it won’t cause any major issue/danger. I replaced all of my ceramic dishes with melamine. It looks just as nice but is lighter, won’t shatter and get sharp shards everywhere, and can handle being tossed about. (the downside is that it can’t be microwaved for more than a few seconds, so I use my glass pyrex for heating leftovers. I’m happy with this tradeoff though) I also went waaaaay minimalist and got rid of a lot of duplicates of things and just make sure to do the dishes a little more often. Our dishes only serve four people (only two of us live here, so that works well), I donated 2/3 of my coffee mug collection, cut down the random sippy cups/to-go cups/thermoses so that everything could all fit in one large cabinet. This way if he does get into that cabinet and throws it all on the floor it is less to clean up. (You will find that visual minimalism is the easiest way to handle having a seeker! You can keep all the stuff in storage and rotate it or access as needed, but the less you have available for them to get into the less you have to clean up/the less visually overstimulated they are) The things that are breakable/not kid friendly are on the tippy top shelves and above the microwave where he can’t reach, even on his stool. This isn’t always convenient for me, since I am not very tall, but like with everything else in my house, my convenience is not the priority here. I know that eventually my home with become an adult space but now is not that time, and I have made my peace with that. 
• All medications and first aid supplies should be inaccessible 100% of the time. Keep all medications, first aid supplies, beauty supplies, lotion/baby oil, bath items, etc locked up. If you don’t have a location that is always child-free then you can purchase a cheap tackle box and stick a combination lock on it.

Okay, moving past safety and on to meeting his sensory needs.

• The first thing you need to do is, once again, adjust the physical space. You want to find a way to establish a baseline for him that allows him to be well regulated, and not constantly over-stimulated. One of the things that is really confusing about sensory processing is that you can be simultaneously over- and under- stimulated, and the result is a disaster. So making your physical space as neutral as possible allows him a chance to breathe and regulate, and then you can add in things according to his needs that minute/day/week. The more work he has to do to regulate due to the visual environment the harder it is for him to compensate in other areas. Kids only have so many mental energy for regulation and ensuring they get the right kind of input, and if he’s using all his focus just to exist in a visually overwhelming space then he won’t have any left for any other input. 
• Paint colors throughout his living space that are neutral and boring. Every room he will exist in should be the same boring grey/beige/white/light brown.
• Minimal art on the walls, and the art that is up should maintain the boring neutral-ness. Your goal is to be boring. You might not be a boring person and enjoy things colorful and bright, but try to limit that to your bedroom and make the family spaces enjoyable for the whole family. 
• Toy storage that keeps things out of sight and minimal toys available. I’m not saying no toys, but if all he is doing with certain toys is dumping them out then he doesn’t need unimpeded access to those toys. Sometimes kids can get so overstimulated by all the toys and choices that they dump them all out and ignore them all. It’s a sign of boredom and being over- and under-stimulated all at once. Rotate toys in and out of the play space according to what your kiddo is interested in and keep the things that are out of rotation in storage. 
• Book shelves that aren’t crowded with tons of books or tchotchkes. If the purpose of your book shelves is to store adult books, move them to your bedroom, office, or storage. If the purpose of your shelves is to hold picture frames and little odds and ends then anticipate they will be broken, thrown, and destroyed. Your living spaces are now dedicated to keeping your little one well regulated and content. Adult books and stuff have no place there. 
• A bedroom that isn’t crowded with toys, a bedspread that is solid colors, etc. A boring space encourages sleep and gives him a safe space to go when he needs to reset his brain and body. 
• Keep all rooms clean and tidy, especially kitchen counters, dining table, and living room floor. When the space is crowded and cluttered kids tend to be less regulated, crankier, and have less control over little bodies and big emotions. Once again, we see how we can use the environment to help with behavior modification. 

After you have your physical space boring, empty, and neutral you can start to work on helping him get the sensory input that he needs. It’s important to remember that kids this young don’t really know what’s going on with their bodies and their behavior might look aggressive, violent, or downright mean, but we need to remember to look for the need behind the behavior. All behavior is communication and your child is communicating with you, not trying to hurt you just for fun (even though sometimes it feels like it). He’s not giving you a hard time, he’s having a hard time. When a behavior happens I want you to take a deep breath and pause before you respond. I know how easy it is to get angry and yell but all that does is cause him to feel ashamed of the way he is feeling. He doesn’t have control over his body and your job as a parent is to help him regain that control, not make him feel shameful or embarrassed or scared. Talk about what you’re feeling as concretely as possible when things happen and eventually he will start to pick up on that. “When you hit me with your hand it hurt my body. I feel angry when you hurt my body. When you hit me I don’t want to sit next to you. My body is going to sit over here on the chair  instead of next to you on the couch.” It’s hard, really really hard, to help him understand that what his body feels isn’t what everyone else’s body feels but talking about how your body feels will eventually get him there. 

Some specific things you can do to help him meet his sensory threshold and get as much input as his body is looking for:

• Start each day off with a regular routine that includes at least one gross motor activity before you ask anything of him. Don’t make him get dressed, change a diaper, eat food, whatever, until you give him a chance to start his day off right. Maybe it’s jumping on his bed 12 times before you get him up to go down to the kitchen. (Giving him a specific amount of times to jump helps it become a structured activity with a definite start and stop point, so he doesn’t jump and jump and jump and end up dysregulating himself) Maybe it’s bumping down the stairs on his bottom, taking a short bath, army crawling his way down the hallway, pushing a full laundry basket down the hall, setting up a sensory swing in his bedroom and swinging for five minutes, or putting on a compression vest to wear while he begins his day. Whatever activity works for him and for you will allow him to start the day feeling regulated. Doing the same routine every day (even when you’re tired and miserable and just want to stumble downstairs for coffee while you plunk him down in front of the tv) will help him begin each day feeling regulated, and if you start the day off on the right foot you’re more likely to have the rest of the day go well. 
• Get outside every day. Sunshine and the ability to move his body however he wants to make a big difference!
• Set up a spot in your home for a swing and let him have free access to it. 
• Create an obstacle course he can do independently. Climbing over the couch, under the coffee table, around the chair, hopping from spot to spot, rolling down the hallway, etc. These are all gross motor activities that give him vestibular and proprioceptive input. Let him know that he can do that obstacle course anytime he needs to, even if it isn’t playtime. If his body needs heavy input then he should listen to it. 
• Sensory bins filled with stuff. Pinterest is full of these. Accept that it will get messy and do them on the porch. 
• Joint compressions, Hand Hugs, and deep pressure. Do them All. The. Time. Like, constantly. Squeeze that kid like he’s an almost empty tube of toothpaste and you’re trying to avoid buying more. 
• Learn to recognize the suuuuper subtle cues that let you know when he needs more input vs he is getting overstimulated. It isn’t that big smack to the face that inevitably comes. It’s in his posture, the tension of his muscles, the twitching of his fingers, the tilt of his head, the tone and volume of his voice. Being able to intervene before it gets so big that it consumes him will allow you to help him recognize it. Talk about what you’re seeing in him too. “Your body looks really excited and your voice is really loud. This is how it feels when you are overwhelmed. Lets take a couple deep breaths together.” 
• Teach him how to self regulate. Teach him deep breathing, do yoga, show him how to take some quiet time, read a book to calm down, get in a swing, sing a song, etc. It will take him months/years before he can do this independently, but if you give him the tools now it will help him get there. Talk about these things all the time, and point out when you or other people are doing them so he sees it happening. “Mommy is feeling really frustrated right now. I’m going to take some quiet time in my room.” “Daddy looks angry. He is taking a deep breath to help calm his body down.” “Brother feels sad today so he is going to sit on the couch and read a book to cheer himself up”. “Your body looks out of control. Let’s go sit in a swing together and sing a song while we swing”. 
• You can find page after page of sensory activities on google, but what you want to look for are ones that are open ended, have minimal structure, and allow him to personalize it to his specific needs. 
• Get him in OT, if he isn’t already. Make sure that your OT is well educated and experienced in neurodiversity and doesn’t rely on behaviorism to help manage behaviors. Using rewards to teach your child how to self regulate and control his behavior isn’t going to help him actually learn how to do it. He will learn how to perform for a reward, but will lack the intrinsic motivation that is essential for real learning, so looking for an OT who will teach him (and you!) how to give his body what it is seeking rather than bribing him to ignore what he needs is really important. 
• Be prepared to adjust your plans with minimal notice. Being flexible is SO essential for a kid with sensory needs. You never know which thing will be too much and he will get so overwhelmed that you need to leave wherever you are. Or maybe he finds something that hits all of his happy little input buttons and you end up spending much more time there than anticipated. 

My last bit of advice is to find a babysitter who is experienced with kids who have sensory challenges and use them. Give yourself a break! Parenting in general is hard, and parenting a child who is a sensory seeker is on a whole other level. Leaving him with your husband while you run errands doesn’t count. Find someone you trust and give yourself a mental break where you can focus on something fun just for you. I know this is easier said than done and finding a baby sitter like this is can sometimes feel like finding a unicorn in a forest, but they are out there! Reach out to your local university’s department of education and see if they have a place where you can post your help wanted ad that will be seen by all those bubbly 20 year old education students who have the energy to keep up with your little tornado. 

Our online content contributor has a four year old who is Autistic and a sensory seeker and this is how she summarizes what it is like to raise a non-stop seeker: everything he does is bigger, louder, and faster. He runs faster, he talks louder, and he finds the biggest thing in the room so he can climb to the very top. His brain moves faster than mine, his opinions are louder than mine, and his emotions are definitely bigger than mine. His heart is bigger, he tells me he loves me at the top of his voice, and he falls in love with people faster than anyone I know.  It is easy to look at him and at our life and see the difficulties and the challenges of life with a non-stop seeker, but if you look a little harder you will see that the joy is multiplied in everything he does. He doesn’t just like someone, he LOVES them. He doesn’t just have a favorite toy that he prefers to play with, he has toys that he holds while he eats, sleeps, and breathes. He doesn’t just smile with his mouth, he smiles with his entire body. His joy is transcendent and his laughter is infectious. The same energy that causes him to jump on the couch non-stop and be unable to sit completely still also motivates him to explore new things as he tries to figure out the world around him. He is a human tornado and you can track his movements by the path he leaves behind but it’s not a path of destruction, it’s a path of excitement, curiosity, and exploration.