Eight months old and already talented!

My boy now has a new talent! My son has learned how to: knock over some sort of toy/bucket/etc. in his playpen, stand on top of his toy/bucket/etc., put his chin over the rail, and spit his pacifier about 4 to 5 feet away. If one decides that the pacifier accidentally made its way onto the middle of the living room floor, washes the pacifier, and returns it to the playpen, my son has the solution. The pacifier offends with its mere presence, so he calmly and patiently repeats the process again. ("Away, damned binky!")

As an educator, I understand that children are egocentric. However, I think my son takes it to a new high. When I go out for any reason, my son gives me the look that says, "Oh yeah, it's time for you to take me out so my fans can adore me." Then what happens? Every other person decides they should stop and admire Mark. I can't even stereotype and say that it is mostly grandmas, because they aren't. It's the huge bodybuilder that stops me to coo at Mark on my way to the gym daycare, the little kid in the grocery line, and the Naval officer behind me at the library. Don't get me wrong-- I'm happy that Mark is interacting with a variety of people in our community. What gives me pause is that in public, he turns on 'the perfect baby' persona. (He doesn't feel the need to use that persona at home. Every night, we get the red-faced, teary baby that immediately calms once we pick him up.)

As my friend says, Mark is rotten. As in spoiled rotten.