I’m still adjusting to Art’s new needs and haven’t gotten to much blogging. He’s super active and interested in doing things but still unable to do the things he really wants to do by himself, like standing and sitting and moving to get what he wants. Man, oh man, he’s going to be a little terror when he figures out how to move on his own. I’m just barely keeping afloat with the housework – there’s a mountain of clean laundry that’s been half-folded for a week now. Actually, that’s just lame. I could have folded it. I just didn’t want to badly enough.

Anyway, here’s some pictures. 1) Me and Art with the fancy and super high-quality diaper bag that my friend Lena made. It has all sorts of pockets inside and even a cell phone pocket! Now I need a cell phone! 2) Slouching sisters with high-waisted baby. 3) Mom eating baby on dining room table.

Uncle Josh (Ben’s brother) requested a picture of Art’s gums, since we are pretty sure he is teething. Here it is! And yes, that IS a plush squid tentacle in the foreground. Of course!!

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. Art has upped the ante the last few days and I’m adjusting to his new demands. First of all, he is no longer content just to sit and look at things. He wants to explore things with his hands and put them in his mouth so I need him to be in a safe place with things to explore. When he’s in his high chair he’s pretty happy playing with measuring cups or rattles and toys, but he keeps dropping them on the floor so I have keep putting them back on the tray. The bouncy seat used to be a great place to plop him for a spell but just last night he figured out how to sit up completely in it and how to lean over and get things on either side of it, which is really unsafe because he almost tipped out and fell on his head. And if I try to prop him up next to me on the floor or couch he keeps straightening his legs to stand up! He’s doing it right now! And falling over while he does it. And he’s getting too heavy to just wear all the time so, until he can sit by himself on the floor, it will just be harder for me to get things done. I took a couple pictures yesterday and i’ll try topost before igo to bed.

With temperatures in the 80’s (and up to 90 in places yesterday)–way over the average for this time of year in Minnesota–Jessica and Art and our cat Carma spent time outside doing yard work, eating hands, and burying poop.

Here Art is playing with one our family’s favorite toys – an egg shaped duck that has bells inside. It makes really nice tones while it wobbles and Art likes to push it around. It inevitably falls off the tray so we keep a blanket down below to deafen the crash.

My loving mom has bought nearly all of Art’s clothes. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I have shopped for Art apparel, and that includes outings for socks. Anyway, it’s great for us to never have to worry about keeping up with Art’s rapidly growing body and it’s fun for her because she loves to thrift shop and to dress her grandson. Especially in overalls. She is ga-ga for overalls.

Pictured here are the overalls she has given Art thusfar: Four in denim, one with feet, three cordoroys, two shorts versions, and two twills. Let’s see… that’s…12 total. (Average price = $3.25) An undisclosed number of overalls are still at my mom’s.

Thanks Mom!!

Art had his four month check-up today. 26 inches long and over 16 pounds! I could have sworn that the scale said “16 13.2”, like 13.2 ounces (!) but that sounded crazy! So I asked the nurse, “How much does he way?” She said, “16 pounds”. Maybe it was 16.132 pounds. Anyway, that’s a lot. But he’s not fat. No way. He’s just really strong. All muscle, baby! The doctor even remarked, “Wow, he is strong.” And Art kept doing his Pilates move while he was being weighed and measured. So funny. Then he had shots. Ouch. But he recovered from them quickly and got some cute band-aids out of it. Then Ben, Art and I went to a Frizbee Golf course and played a few holes. It was GORGEOUS outside.

So that was our morning here in Minneapolis. Welcome back, Nan! And hello to all Art lovers! This pic was taken the other day while Art was chillin’ on his changing table.