Food Glorious Food!

The summer has just slipped by and Will is closer to 5 months than he is to 4, so I am long over due for an update on the young man. We started his 4th month at the doc with his wellness check-up and more vaccines. He was 14lbs and 14 oz. His length was a whopping 25 inches. He is in the low 50's as far as percentiles go...growing at a very steady and average speed. We had the food talk with the doc and she told us to give it a whirl. He's not ready for food on a stick...maybe we can hit the Great MN Get-Together next year! We closed summer out with visits to family and friends, a Twins game at the Dome, lots of time up at Grandma Nancy's and the 31st Annual White Pine Logging and Threshing Show.

Zach started bear hunting September 1st so we spent the week at the resort for that. Will was all decked out and ready to go...maybe next year Bud!

He looks so big sitting up in his Bumbo chair.

From Bena we headed to McGrath for the annual Swenson get-together where Will rode in his first tractor parade with daddy. He had lots of spectators, Grandma Renee and Grandpa Jim came to watch as well as our friends the Hansens with baby Nolan so he could enjoy the tractors too. So he's not quite ready for the parade wave, but Will didn't seem to mind the bumpy, noisy ride.

Yes I realize he is in a John Deere outfit riding a 1947 Case...but we support all antique tractors! And when the carburetor is cleaned up on the old John Deere B, we'll be good to go! It was so fun watching Will and Nolan as they watched the endless parade of tractors go by. They would look up the road to watch one coming, follow it all the way passed them then look up the road for the next one. Boys and loud machines, it's just in their blood I think.
Will slept in the camper for the first time that weekend and we stayed warm and cozy. He is mesmerized by bon fires and didn't mind the polka music at all...I think we have a true camper and tractor enthusiast on our hands.

I went "back to work" last week after having 24 glorious weeks off. I am very very part time so it kind of doesn't count. I wasn't surprised that at the end of the day I just wanted to get home and hold my baby. He too was so glad to see me come home. He loves being with both of us, so no big deal for him, but Will sure has bright smiles for me when I come home. Next month I am going on a 4 day scrapbooking weekend and I think it may be even harder than the houseboat trip. I will of course be scrapbooking the 8 billion pictures of Will I have taken since Day 1, so I don't think that will help in trying to not miss him. We'll see how that goes.

Fun new tricks Will can do:

• hold his toys
• eat cereal
• put everything in his mouth, including as many fingers as possible
• eat jarred baby foods
• recognize people
• laugh from deep within his gut
• sit in the stroller w/o the infant seat
• go through 5 bibs a day just because of drool

There are still no teeth but man does that kid slobber all over! As far as solid foods, we have really enjoyed watching him figure out the spoon and the whole swallowing thing. He kind of chews his food and it's pretty comical to see him go through the eating process. He has enjoyed apples, sweet potatoes and pears so far. We have only been into food about a week now. He's only eating about 2 tablespoons a day right now.

Trying to eat his cow...looks like he won't be a vegetarian.

Happy with some sweet potatoes in his belly! He is sitting so big in his high chair!

Tonight as Will was in the bathtub he grabbed his toes twice...so I think he is on the verge of discovering new body parts. He is still figuring out his hands and that he can use both of them while holding or reaching for things. He has figured out that if he wants three toys he can have them all with two hands...how clever. Of course once he has those three toys, he's not so sure what to do with them...they can't all fit in his mouth...darn it! Typical kid, he wants everything!