Entertain me!

"Why have I been playing with this toy for an ENTIRE MINUTE? Why has Dari stopped moving? Can I please be done looking at this corner with no one talking to me? Why am I in my car seat when we are not leaving RIGHT NOW? Can I try the boppy for a change? I think I will roll over towards the fluffy thing over there..."

This is probably what has been going through Leon's head on most days recently. He has always been letting us know when he is bored but now, in an interesting spin on understanding object permanence, not only does he get that things exist even when he does not see them but that FUN things exist when he can't see them too. That has made life with him easier in some ways and more difficult in others but certainly more fun.

 Lucky for us, Dari is always ready and willing to provide entertainment. Recently he got some reinforcements when our friend Ryan came to visit and play. As you can see Leon is almost sitting on his own and thoroughly enjoying the new perspective. He has also been practicing rolling over to his back and still seems a little surprised but pleased when he manages to do it.

 

Leon also got to try a big-boy swing but he was not moved by it, possibly because he is still accustomed to little-baby swings and bouncy seats (either at home or at daycare) and the one at the park was decidedly "no frills."

The following video shows Leon practicing his piano skills and every time he drops it or when he somehow activates the auto-play music (when you hit that thing enough it is probably likely to happen) he's like: "oh, that's cool, did I do that? what happens if I keep doing the same thing? oh, something new? well that is just so fun!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DERUMaVv0V0

Little does he know about the kinds of fun still awaiting him in the next few months. Stay tuned for first solid foods pictures - he may be ready! His toes have been the favorite meal of late and we may want to diversify his diet a bit :).

And finally, celebrating his 5-month birthday, here is the book size picture. Although Mommy used a different lens this time that makes it seem like he outgrew the book by a lot but in reality they are about the same. So much for a controlled study ;).

Guppy in Chicago

Leon continues to be a smiley, mellow baby, ready for all kinds of new experiences. Perhaps we are just lucky that this appears to be his nature, or, perhaps, this is some evolutionary mechanism that younger siblings are born with to survive the LOVE from bigger brothers (or sisters). Generally, Dari  has been very nice and helpful around Leon, rocking him in his seat, bringing Mommy wipes if we accidentally run out, or as the following picture shows, simply doing what he has learned about bath time, when Leon got to visit in the tub one night.

Leon was a little confused but not upset about the sudden downpour and Dari was very proud of the assistance he provided. Still, let's just say that we will not be repeating that experiment for a little while. Dari also helped to show Leon around on his first day of daycare, which is literally next door from Dari's old and new classrooms. We love knowing all the teachers and they, in turn, are amused at the resemblance between the boys. So the "Hello, I'm new here" shirt may not have been quite accurate after all...

Leon seems to be a big fan of the time he is spending as a "Guppy." He is in the middle, age-wise, among his few friends there and it is appropriate that in the "emotions" wall decoration he was assigned the "happy" slot.

 He is very curious about the other babies and eager to check out all the different toys. It helps, of course, that Dari regularly test drives all of them (and reports any missing batteries and such) at the beginning of each day at drop-off :).

It is not uncommon for Mommy to find Leon asleep when she comes by in the afternoon - he is just in no rush to leave "school." That is a bit of a relief because we were a little nervous he might have trouble sleeping if there is enough background noise. We count this among the advantages of starting daycare at 4.5 months.

Otherwise, however, Leon has been more and more active, enjoying tummy time and the different positions, including supported sitting and hopping in his jumparoo, that we now have him try out.

 He was also down for joining Mommy for his first ever political science conference in Chicago. When not busy presenting work on sustainable development (okay, he slept in at the hotel with a friend while Mommy did that), Leon got to explore the city a little bit. He took a touristy picture at the "bean" in Millennium Park and then, of course, put his own "signature" twist on that. Are you noticing a theme with these diaper changes yet?

Oh, and he found his toes in Chicago :).