Art’s Popsterooni is out of town. Poor Poppa! Poor Art!!! They NEED to play together. I’m doing the best I can at filling the void. This morning Art wanted to practice holding himself up so we did that together. Later we went for a walk, but I had to jerry-rig a bigger sun shade on his stroller because he won’t wear his hat. (It’s made of a Hawaiian receiving blanket and an Aerobie.) Then we came back and played in the T.V. room while I watched Oprah. Now he’s taking a nap. We miss you, Ben! We wish you could be playing with us.

Lately I feel like I’m not just taking care of Art but that I’m hanging out with him, like he’s a companion. Sure, I still have to do lots of baby care stuff like change his diaper and put him down for a nap and feed him, but he shows so much personality nowadays and gives back so much that it feels like more than babycare. Whoo hoo!

Here’s my mom, Adria, with Art at her work. Ben and I stopped by the other day while we were on errands. My mom deals with x-ray films in outpatient surgery and all the people in her department know about Art and how proud she is of her grandson! Can’t you just see the pride?

This wild contraption is called an ExerSaucer. It’s the modern answer to a walker. Anyway, the seat in the middle spins around so he can get to the different toys and the whole thing bounces and sways when he kicks his feet around. He actually stands up in it, which is great because he loves to stand! We figure it will be about a month or so before he’s bored with it.

No crying wolf anymore! Art’s tooth has arrived! I wish I could post a picture of it, but it’s nearly impossible to get a look at it in the first place since he’s always moving his tongue around around and opening and closing his mouth. But it’s in there – the very top of a tiny, clearish-white looking tooth peaking up from his bottom gums. Wow!

A fellow pioneer press photographer/friend Brandi, who’s from Louisiana, had a craw fish boil Sunday at her home in St. Paul (this is a photo of Brandi’s cousin holding Art). Man it was yummy, thanks Brandi! Art seemed to have a good time, too, although he had trouble chewing the pinchers.

p.s. Jess took this awesome photo!

The last couple days Art has been very clingy and a little on the crabby side. Not his usually smiley self. Maybe it’s been the shots he got at the doctor’s on Wednesday (one of them was Tetanus, and we all know that one makes you sore!) or maybe it’s elusive teeth coming in. Anyway, I took this picture during a rare spell of contentedness while played with feet on the couch. Hope to see my happy baby again soon!

Another check-up today. Six months! Art weighs…. (drumroll…) 19 lbs!!! NINE-TEEN! And he is 27 and 3/4 inches long. Apparently that is only 75th percentile, so he’s doing just great. Everything else looked good, and tasted good. He ate the stethascope, the kleenex box, the blanket, and tried to eat the ear thing. Happy half-birthday, Art!

Here is Art busy as a bee, spinning the wheel on that busy box. He worked very hard on that project for some time. Right now, as I type, he’s in his high chair swatting at his toy piano keys, and babbling now and then. Busy busy busy!

Click this link for a video of Art babbling for the first time. A babbling baby.
http://www.bengarvin.com/babblingbaby.wmv