"4 months" is going by so quickly

Tuesday I put Calvin on his back on some blankets on the floor and I stepped into the kitchen to put some vegetables in the soup. When I stepped back into the living room Calvin was on his tummy, going after the toy I'd left him.

We have to get this house ready. No more mouse holes for a start. No more extension cords. I caught him looking at an electrical outlet over my shoulder the other day. He's growing up so fast this month. I think this has been the month of most change. His personality is blossoming (to use a hackneyed phrase - I don't do thinking and words well these days; it's just how it is).

He's beautiful. The other evening I lay down next to him on his blankets on the floor and read him a story, and he wrapped his little arm around my arm and looked into my eyes. He'd look up at the book and then back into my face. His eyes were so big and blue and he had a slight, open-mouthed smile on his face.
He just looked at me. He is so in the moment of his little world, and it makes him happy and content to look at me when I'm reading. It makes me feel like I'm free-falling.

Other things he's been doing this month:

Grabbing. It started a while back with my hair, Mindy's hair, and his duck. Now it is papers I am carrying or pens I am writing with. And he has the strongest little hands. My papers were torn he was holding them so firmly. Must get this house ready. 

He's also been grabbing his feet, which is so precious. On Monday he was starting to wake up from a nap and before he had opened his eyes, even the tiniest bit, he was grabbing his feet and "talking". It was so funny. I watched him for quite a while, got out my phone and took pictures, before he was really awake. 

He's been in his Johnny Jump Up more. He is really too tall, or our doorway it too short, for the one we prefer. I put him in the other and he put his arms down into it and looked so funny hanging there with just his little legs and head sticking out. He hasn't taken to jumping yet. He just twirls around or tries to eat the hippo toy that hangs there. He's been teething on everything, poor thing, and sucking his lips in and making loud "bah" sounds. At night if he's getting worked up about it I take him into the bath and he kicks and floats over my legs and forgets all about it. Grandma says Tom loved baths as a baby too.

Yesterday we went to a class downtown and we rode the bus for the first time. He looked all around - at the people, out the window, at the big EMX - with such big eyes and keen interest. During the class he sat quietly on my lap and would look quickly over if he heard the sounds of other children. I think he's becoming really interested in other kids and that I'll have to become more social and get him some friends. 

Amelia and the girls visited the last weekend of August and he loved it. He loved Scarlet in particular, and her antics. He seemed to think everything she did was interesting and funny. We went to the park then but at that point he wasn't as interested in other children and I had my sister, so who needs friends?

I was sick one day this week and he let me watch old movies and lay around all afternoon. He's a really easy baby.

Other things on the calendar for "4 Months":

"grabbed my nose then grabbed his nose: connection?" ;)

"library/reading with Daddy"

"teething"

"Dr. Bradley" - Deemed "perfect" again (What a great doctor!) and still off-the-charts tall. I was a little worried he might be constipated but he's been pooping every few seconds since then to ease my worried mind.

"grabbing his thumb a lot - figuring out his hand" - My favorite was when he grabbed his thumb with his other hand and then sucked on his free thumb. Chain thumb-sucking.

"Amelia and girls/Addi's and fountain/cousins and market"

"market and laughing at everything Scarlet does"

"park and bath with cousins" - I was in there with them. It was a full house.

"Tom home long walk by the river with Maxy" - During which Cal slept until we got to the trees and then he woke up and looked up into them and out on to the river. 

"teething but such a sweetie/smiling for mom. laughing at dad. sitting up with help"

"been grabbing his feet a lot for a little while now"

"has been crossing his ankles lately and still cracks up at Daddy's kisses"

"played his uke w/ mom. and dad. loved it. loves music still."

"Lane!" - They get along great.

"hair swirl showed up/cracking mom and dad up and smiling about it"

"hike!/"come look at this amazing baby" - Something a man said to his wife on the trail, which I loved.

"sucks mommy's face a lot. laughs @ daddy a lot (kisses/tickles) laughed hard @ mommy today (yay!)"

"grabbing his feet and "talking" b/4 he opened his eyes after nap"

"rolled from back to front on his own! watching me reading/linking arms"

"Made the "d" sound" - A long, drawn out "doooooooy". 

"rolled from back to front!" - And was straddling the connecting chain of his baby gym before I noticed.

"cracking mommy up w/ crazy open-mouth face and sound"

Today is the last day for any more four-monthing. Gee, I wonder what he'll do? So far he woke me up with the sound of his swaddled legs beating the crib like a seal tail (this is often how he get's our attention from his crib). When I went to get him he was lying on his Nosefrida, which we've always kept in his crib for convenience. He used to always wake up with a stuffy nose. I guess between grabbing and moving now I'll find another spot for it. And for EVERYTHING ELSE. 

Right now he's in bed with Daddy. Looking like an angel. (I think he probably is one.)

Oh! And he always breaks out of his swaddle now and he loves to sleep on his side, which makes him look like such a big boy. 

And when I have him outside without his diaper, airing out, and he pees on himself he makes a quiet, worried little "eeeeehhhhh" noise - which is the exact baby equivalent to "Uuuuhh, Mom..." and it's really cute and funny.

He doesn't "talk" into the phone anymore, he just holds the phone up to his ear (really well, actually) and intently listens. He hasn't been "talking" much - his endless rambling - much at all anymore. He's more physically interactive so I don't lay him down under his fish as much. He's kind of just taking everything in at this point. 

His laugh is low and fleeting.

His eyes are red when he's tired (he gets that from his Dad).

He's been peeing again when we change him. He's been peeing all the time. He peed 3 separate pees during one changing. It was incredible! I think he has 3 bladders. 

He's also been waking up occasionally in the night. I think that must be teething. It's very random - there is no schedule to it.

He eats a lot less frequently which makes going places much easier. I actually don't know how he's getting enough food to be so huge - but then, when he eats he gulps it down.

Uh. I want to be a good mommy. 

Lord, help me.