5 Months: New Trick

Here's a new trick. Standing up on own, balancing self with help of favorite jungle gym.







I'm pretty sure he'd have been capable of this for a long time now. He's always been strong.

5 Months: News Flash

News Flash: "Fun Daddy" No Longer Fun




Is Now Big Yawn

5 Months: Cutest... Baby... EVER!

Take a look at this video. August now makes this hilarious face and accompanying weird pig-like noise. Several times a day.

5 Months: Father's Day

It had never occurred to me to think about Father's Day with me in the role of father. Obviously, to me, it's always been about remembering somebody else... not that I was ever terribly diligent as the son in the Father's Day equation. So now that my own father is gone, I expected Father's Day to pass quietly and unrecognized.

Mary has been very cute about recognizing the day, and me as a father. Delicious egg breakfast! But now that I am the father, I finally realize what Father's Day is all about. It's not about fathers getting recognition, it's about teaching children to think about others, to take a moment to think about what their parents mean to them.

So I don't expect anything on Father's Day, but I'm happy to use the day as an excuse to post another father-son picture:

5 Months: Photo

Photo from a few days back:

5 Months: New Progress

A few notable changes recently... perhaps on the subtle side, but both Mary and I have noticed the boy making progress in the past week. A wider range of vocalizations, and some very weird buzzing and puffing experimentation with noise too. Also, today we had the first really successful feeding session with solid foods (a lovely rice cereal, we're told it was delicious). I won't burden you with video or photos of this evening's feeding session, which was not quite as successful. Suffice it to say that, at best, carrots will be an acquired taste. At worst, he doesn't like 'em, and he lets everyone know, including the carrots. I predict he'll love them soon enough.

And then there's the sitting up. He's much stronger now and is able to sit up on his own for brief moments. He's getting better balance, stronger all the way 'round. During "tummy time" he acts like he'd love to go ahead and crawl if only his arms would cooperate.

It feels like we're on an upswing of progress again recently. Fun. Scary! Soon he'll be six months, and after he starts crawling, our apartment is going to have to change. Or probably before he starts crawling.

5 Months: Company

As I mentioned before, Auntie Andrea recently visited all the way from Germany, with Klaus and young Louie. Here she is with Louis and August (photo by Klaus):



And a bunch of really awesome photos by Andrea. First, Louis checking-in on August's nap:



And two where August looks cute and shows appreciation for one of the many toys his new German friends brought for him: