Smile, dammit!
November 29, 2006Liz and I are VERY eager to see Phil smile. It’s not that he’s developmentally delayed in this respect; according to our handy “Baby Milestones” chart, most kids don’t smile until they’re close to two months old. It’s just that we think we deserve some positive feedback to compensate for all the crying — some indication that he doesn’t hate us.
For now, though, Phil is resolutely maintaining a front of antagonism and indifference. I occasionally tell him how annoying this is; I figure that as long as my demeanor is gentle, I can say whatever I want. When he interferes with my attempts to search and apply for jobs, for example, I say, “Look, if you don’t stop crying, Daddy will be unemployed next year, and then we’ll be out on the street, and we’ll starve, and we’ll die. Is that really what you want?”
Yes, it’s a pretty silly way to vent my frustration. I hope to come up with a better one soon.
My Track Record 
Would you settle for one of those smiles that they say are just gas?
Beyond being verbal… looking frequently at infants very close up (as close as 4-5 inches) will speed along the smiling process… remember professor Crowther, they can't focus yet 🙂 …