Rock the Vote

Truman went with us to his first primary election today. We walked down to the old train depot and partook in what we've learned is a pretty important event. For those that don't know, Joe lost a primary election for county attorney by 6 votes. It feels good to expose him to something so important.

Plus, I always say you can't complain if you don't vote. So I guess I can complain now ;).

Highchairs? They Should Call Them Lowchairs

Truman's view from the highchairs at Roma's Macaroni Grill:



Truman sat in a highchair for the first time on his uncle Tim's Birthday a few weeks ago. I'd said no to highchairs so many times that when we met Tim, Pam, Pat, Elizabeth and Josh for lunch I would have said no again but before I got the chance the waitress brought one over. So I figured we might as well try it and it worked. The next day he started sitting unassisted.

As it turns out, though, highchairs give Truman a very low view of the table. I don't think they're made for 4-month-olds. Consequently, we should consider changing their name.








At Los Gables in Fountain:








And one more from Roma's:

Truman Scoots!

The last few weeks have been leading up to a giant movement toward, well, movement that occured today. He's been traveling in circles and pushing himself backwards and able to scoot himself to a place so slowly we couldn't decipher how he got where he ended up. But today he scooted in fast-paced motions compared to what he's done before.

We have a mobile child. Joe put him down on a blanket while I edited this video and soon said to me, "the days of putting him down on a blanket are over" as he wrangled him out from under a chair.

Here he is, scooting at 5 days shy of 5 months:

Snap Shots from Nana's Visit

It looks like all we do is eat, but I assure you we did other things while my mom visited. We even saved a turtle.

Budding Photographer

He takes after me, as well.

I Wonder Where He Gets it From?

Down on the Farm

Truman sat unassisted for the first time (for an extended period of time) down on the farm Aug. 16. We also had fun in the garden.

Joe stabbed his first potato:

Does Whatever a SpiderBaby Does

Which, apparently, is this:










T's crime fighting face:

A New View of the World

Truman started sitting unassisted when we were down at the farm last Saturday. I put him down in the grass and he was sitting up pretty well so I let go. There he was, doing it all by himself. I'm sure many of his milestones will be just like that. We'll help him and then one day bam, he'll be doing it on his own and he'll be a whole new kid as he is a whole new baby now.

Cloverfield

Cuter than the movie and less likely to induce sea sickness:

Western Days

Truman enjoyed his first Western Days (the yearly festival near Joe's hometown) in style on a lovely blanket spread out at our friend Pat's parent's house.











Joe kicking butt, if I remember correctly:




The three of us:

4 months: Hands, Meet the World

World, meet my hands.




This month Truman went from being an observer of this world to an interactor with it. Grabbing, discovering and shoving anything he can reach in his mouth. It began with the quiet discovery that he could remove his pacifier. Then he began trying to replace it. Now he watches intently when others place things in their mouths, in preparation for mastery of this hand-to-mouth thing he has going.

Today he weighs 16 pounds and 5 ounces and is 27 inches tall with a 42 cm. His height is literally off the growth chart lines, which means he's taller than more than 95% of babies his age. Don't ask me where he gets his height from; it probably isn't me.

This kid is curious, and he's made it clear that he's ready to explore taking scoots closer to full-blown mobility. He easily turns himself in circles and has started scooting backward. He seems to get all the pieces of moving forward — lifting his chest and belly off the ground, bunching up his knees and pushing them out, and even moving his arms — but can't perform them in concert.

So baby-proofing will begin.

Watch out world, here comes Truman.

First bath at home at one week:



And in the big tub at 15 weeks: