[New Ekkie Mom]

I have had my 4 1/2 month old Eclectus boy for just over a month now. He is very friendly and social, and he will readily step up for me and come to me for attention, but he really doesn't like much physical handling/manipulation. I would love to have a relationship with him where I can lay him on his back in my lap or let him hang upside down from my hand...just generally handle him any which way and have him enjoy it as playtime. CindyQ posted a thread on the macaw forum titled "Update on Harlow & a few ?'s" on 12/4/08. (I apologize for being rather computer illiterate, otherwise I would have attached a link.) This thread got me thinking...should I just be patient and eventually Cyrano will trust me enough to roll over for me, hang upside down, etc. on his own? Or should I be using this time now as a baby to try to train him to allow this kind of handling? I don't want to push him to do things he's not ready for, but I don't want to miss my window of opportunity to get him used to that kind of manipulation. If your birds let you have that kind of interaction with them, is it because you have built up the necessary trust over a long period of time, or is it because they've been handled that way from the get go and are used to it?

Thanks for your help!

Danielle