Amazing hands

The other night, as I was singing Primary songs to Ethan during part of his bedtime ritual, he discovered something very odd: his hand.

It's not like he hasn't been using his hands for the past few months. On the contrary, one of his favorite things to do with his hands is stuff them in his mouth. He's also beginning to grab things that are placed by his hands. And, when he's sitting in his stroller or relaxed in the swing or on my lap he just plops his hands down on his thighs and sticks them there. He loves to watch my hands as they move about, tickling him or motioning to songs.

But I'm not sure he had ever realized that his hands were actually there - or actually his - until the other night as I was finishing up the second verse of "I am a Child of God." He pulled his hand up to stick it in his mouth (of course) but about halfway there, that right hand just stopped. And he just stared. It turned to the right. And then to the left. It opened. It closed. It captured his attention.

Now, every once in a while, he'll reach for something but stop right before his tiny fingers get there. And he'll just stare in awe of those hands.