4 month stats

Yes, boys and girls, our Little Man is already four months old! As usual he is very busy doing New Things. Lately those Things include rolling over occasionally, sucking on his fingers/pointing to where his teeth are coming in, standing whenever possible (including in his new activity center), and every morning when he wakes up he tells the ceiling fan a joke and laughs.
Now for the stats:
His weight is 15 lbs, 1 oz which puts him in the 56th percentile for his age.

His length is 23.25 inches...
which puts him in the 6th percentile! Mama has nicknamed him SquattyBody.

Here's the dumpling in his new activity center, in which his feet almost touch the ground.

Fairly Useless Trivia

I wish I could take credit for this, but it came to my inbox courtesy of http://www.paperbackswap.com/. I found it entertaining, though not baby related, and wanted to pass it on. Enjoy!

Little-known fact about August: it is a thief! The months used to alternate between 30 and 31 days all through the calendar, but when the Romans decided to give Caesar Augustus a month, they didn't want to annoy him (= they did not want to be beheaded) by giving him a shorter month than Julius Caesar's month that fell before his. So, poor February shuffled up and sacrificed a day to prevent an Imperial Tantrum. And September had a day wrested away from her too, so there would not be four "long" months in a row. The Romans were all about symmetry. And um, not getting beheaded.
In modern times, August is the Dog Days of Summer, the last gasp before Back-to-School. It boasts National Wiggle-Your-Toes Day and National Blame-Someone-Else Day and National Book Lovers' Day! Not to mention Sneak-Some-Zucchini-Onto-Your-Neighbor's-Porch Night, which is always a rollicking good time.

Mama's Onto Something

I like her gear for bathtime. Charlie had a great time splashing her while I mowed the back yard.

Here's what Champ has been up to since the last post:

• one l-o-n-g car trip to PA to play with cousins (waiting on permission to post pics/video)
• one short car trip to F-ville to play with Shug and Violet
• first time in an exersaucer
• soothing himself to sleep
• holding his bottle when I put it in his hands
• telling jokes and laughing at them, he's very vocal these days
• baby Pilates- he loves backbends, situps, and standing and stomping his foot
• more hair loss
• rolling back to tummy a few times
• more teething- they are so close to breaking through!

His "I'm so excited you're going to pick me up" face

He loves the Jump Up but has to get his Detroit Lean on...

3 months!

Charlie turned 3 months old this week. He's been very busy being a big boy. In addition to the teeth he's working on, he's been:

testing the "Charlie Jump Up." He keeps one toe on the floor at all times.

sitting in the BebePod and showing off his muscles. He likes to watch me in the kitchen.

going to open knit night. He modeled his new ribby wrap and a few others.

losing his hair.

and hanging out at Big Daddy's company picnic. All the kids were a hit at the picnic. Charlie was all smiles before the Z monster got him. Violet was practicing acrobatics, Max discovered the chocolate cookies, and Gatlin made a friend from Mexico.

Here are the blueberries I made before. Don't they look yummy? Shug (that's Kerry) brought over a ton of pears and we made some more food for the babies. The Magic Bullet was awesome. We even made figs that came out a wonderful texture for little ones. The freezer is now stocked with bluberries, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and figs. Hopefully we can stash some veggies this week before we head north for the weekend. Ranier cherries are in season now, too. I don't know if I can make baby food with them, though, because I would probably eat them all while pitting them.

We got news this week that Uncle Duder is moving back to PA. We're really looking forward to having him in the same time zone. He's already promised to teach Charlie the things that he shouldn't learn from us.

Adventures in Making Things

Again, I don't have the photos uploaded yet, but I do have a minute to update.

I've been working on some new projects and surprisingly have found time to do them. I've made these adorable Warm Heart Woolies wraps using buttons from Mama's collection. Get the pattern for free at www.warmheartwoolies.com. I've been using Cascade 220 Superwash Wool for them.

Then, I decided to branch out in my knitting. So, I'm getting the hang of knitting in the round and have the waistband of the Hybrid Ribby Wrap from www.littleturtleknits.com completed. I'm also branching out with different fibers that are suitable for diaper covers.

I fell in love with Berrocco Comfort yarn. It's hypoallergenic, soft as silk, and machine washable. The nylon is waterproof and the acrylic has the same absorption/nonwicking qualities as wool, though it is one use per wash since it is not antimicrobial. Anyway, because it is such gorgeous yarn, I've started the Super Easy Diagonal Blanket from www.fabulousyarn.com. It calls for a bulky weight, but worsted is coming along just fine. The detail on the edges is just closer to the edge. Also, if you are going to make this blanket, here's my advice... don't bother counting stitches after the YO because you can just measure the edges until it is the size you want. You don't have to keep track of the diagonal length. This is a really easy and quick pattern for anyone wanting to try knitting.

And, the latest venture is in the kitchen. I tested out the new pressure cooker on some gorgeous local blueberries. The whipped up very easily. I couldn't believe how quickly the were done. I did add about an ounce of mommy-milk to thin the puree. Fear not, blueberries are not one of the berries to avoid in the first year. I can already vouch for how delicious this food is and can't wait to try them mixed with some banana.
I'm also looking forward to getting in the kitchen with Shug and her new Magic Bullet blender. We'll be whipping up batches of food for our babies in less time than it takes to drive to WalMart and stock up on the pre-packaged stuff. I found great information on making baby food at www.missvickie.com and www.wholesomebabyfood.com.

Photorama

Sometimes I just am beside myself with how cute this kid is!

Baptism (in a third generation handmade gown) Looks like he's been watching Zoolander. Check out his Blue Steel.

See? He does like bathtime now.
All tuckered out

Quick! While He's Sleeping...

The new medicine is working wonders. Charlie's reflux is now under control. So, he decided to start teething yesterday. He does not care for teething tablets until they kick in- then he loves them.

We had him baptised on Sunday and lots of wonderful people joined in the celebration. We are so blessed to have so many people shower us, especially Little Man, with so much love- family, friends, neighbors, and a congregation of 1500 families!

And speaking of baptism- a special congratulations to our California family is due! Cousin Jennifer was also baptised on Sunday in a small ceremony. The pictures are beautiful. We're so happy the kids have this special day to share.

Ted went to work this week. While we are sad he isn't here with us, we keep him nearby in many ways. I tried talking Charlie into not growing until Daddy returns, but I don't think he was listening. We're already looking forward to a trip to pick him up soon.

Finally, a blast from the past blew through town this week. The world famous Mr. Wagner (my neighbor in college) stopped by for a visit on his way to the beach. He updated me on all our old pals, entertained and enlightened with Chicago Public School stories, and gave Charlie his first lesson about whiskey- only drink the good stuff. It was a nice visit and we hope to see him again soon.

Now I must sleep. I have pictures to upload, however Auntie is doing her fancy tricks to make some of them even better (hopefully to post on her blog), so I need to do some playing.