4 month skills

Seriously, this has been a busy week.

I am supposed to be subbing, but have gotten zero calls.

I could worry about it, but for now I am enjoying it! 

Eli has been developing SO quickly these past few weeks!

Perfect example, here's a video from just a week or two ago of Eli trying to learn to sit.

And then tonight

I mean, that's pretty amazing stuff right there.

He learned how to catch a ball.  (Not like this, that would be mean)

He learned to turn pages…kind of. It is clear that he has learned which way pages turn, and he can bat at them to get them to go, but he can't literally turn them. I just got so excited at his very first little pre-reading skill that I had to document it.

Of course when I went to film it he refused to do it.

Then we went to the library and he did it for my mom immediately. 

So I snuck up and filmed some

 He swang by himself for the first time…and LOVED it

Rico also took him down the slide. It seemed pretty silly to go all the way to the park

(ok, 2 parks because the first one didn't have baby swings) for 3 minutes of swinging and then leave.

Lest you think he actually cared about this slide adventure:

He's developed a new way to communicate a new message. A high scream when he wants something and it has been taken away. It's kind of cool to see him learning to create language for a specific need, even though it isn't words and it isn't a pleasant noise. (It DID save me from losing his taggie on the sidewalk three different times on our run the other day- so there's that) 

He made that noise when he decided that my glorious Bubba Mug (a breast feeding mom's constant sidekick) needed to be his. He seemed to know pretty quickly that the straw was meant to go in his mouth.

I know, I know, EVERYTHING goes in his mouth, but I swear this was purposeful. He didn't try to put the cup in his mouth, he specifically reached for the straw.  

This is what I am choosing to believe.

We also went to his first music class! Obviously he wore his guitar shirt. All the other babies were 10 or 11 months old, but he still giggled and watched intently as I sang and danced over him, under him, and yes, even in a circle around him. I left a little sweaty.

 He almost got stepped on and sat on within 30 seconds. 

No big deal, he's resilient.

That's bound to happen when you play with the big kids.

 We followed that up with our weekly lunch with Rico, this time we went into a restaurant  sandwich bar and the seating was SO crowded that I was too overwhelmed to get a picture. It was yummy, but sensory overload (for me, not Eli, he slept)

Here's what google images has to offer- please note that is not a table for a large party, no, that is where you sit, elbow to elbow with strangers. Obviously it is a dive bar.

After that, Eli and I made a pit stop at the Doughnut Whole, where we picked up some girl scout cookie themed doughnuts (I had made the mistake of looking at their facebook page the night before and then had a craving that wasn't going to go away). 

Eli LOVED looking at all the different kinds of doughnuts. 

Just kidding, Eli loved looking at the fan.

Eli always likes looking at the fan.

I would have spent longer attempting to get him to look at the camera, but I felt a tiny bit bad about having his butt on the table (the FACS teacher in me) AND making annoying "look at me" noises while hipsters studied around me.

I also got to babysit my niece. That's right, 2 kids, 1 adult. 

I was intimidated to say the least.

It actually went WAAAY better than I could have expected.

She'll be a great big sister.

This wasn't when I babysat, it is just to show off how cute she is.

Yes, yes she STILL calls him "baby Alli" instead of Eli. 

I get called "Allison", but Eli may learn to say "Lizzie" before she ever comes around to calling him his real name. 

She threw away diapers, shared toys, and was easily tricked into doing just about anything just by the phrase, "Now show Eli how a BIG GIRL ______" (puts on pajamas, uses the potty, cleans up…you get the picture)

She also hosted Eli's first tea party!

I maaay have encouraged this out of a subconscious feeling of loss that I may never get to play tea party with him. 

Ok, maybe not Subconscious. 

 I was very aware of what I was doing.

"Here you go, here's some cake"….see I told you she was sharing well!

Yes, "Deeee- licious" indeed

Eli also went on his first cold weather run. He wore this hat.

My mom INSISTED that I take a picture because he "looks so cute"

I disagree.

I think he looks like a thug.

A criminal.

A baby ready for a mugshot.

It's not a good look. 

I know it, you know it, I bet Eli even knows it.

But Nana and grandma think he's pretty cute. I believe this is the perfect example of "grandma blinders"

*insert some sort of "love is blind" comment here*

Sorry dude, fitted stocking caps just aren't in your giant headed future.

In emotional development news: he also seems to be developing a nice healthy attachment. Independent enough to try new things, but still looking to me to be re-assured when there is new stimuli.

A lot of my parenting choices revolve around hoping to foster this attachment, so this is a REALLY big  proud mama moment for me.
of note: I cleaned off the toothbrush both before and after

Things Eli is still working on: object permanence. I took this video for the teacher who took over my Child Development classes to show when she teaches it. 

Poor guy. Oh well, it makes peek-a-boo THAT much more fun!

Not that pretty much everything isn't fun. 

I came home tonight and jumped on the bed and it started an hour of giggles. 

Now, he SHOULD have been sleeping that hour, but I should be sleeping right now and I am blogging, so I'll forgive him…and blame Starbucks.