Atticus Favorite of All Things -- Standing Up!?

For those of you who've been asking for more about Atticus, here's a little new-sie compendium of Atticus at 3 1/2 months old:
I don't know why -- but Atticus just adores standing up -- and likes to try "walking" across the floor or the couch or our laps. He doesn't seem too interested in getting the "basics" down for month four -- like pushing up on his arms while on his tummy (Brad says, 'Don't worry, he'll get it sometime or another -- Every baby develops differently -- He's ahead on some things and behind on others so it all balances out.' -- and other infuriatingly reasonable assessments and proclamations. As an aside, I think firstborns are just insufferably didactic.) And when he's put on his back he'll turn onto his side to grab something but looks at me quizzically when I try to get him to roll over (He has done this a couple times but almost "by accident") like, "Why would I do that, Mom? I don't particularly like being on my tummy -- I can't see as much, and I don't like working my arm muscles so I can be developmentally "on schedule" according to your baby books.) He is getting better at balancing while he's sitting but ends up at some crazy angle careening forward at such a sharp angle that he keeps spitting up. The couch, his bouncy seat, or the crook of my bent leg work better for him.

Just in the last couple weeks he has started staying awake for our whole 40-minute daily walk. He just loves trees -- light through tree leaves. This week we went down to 50th, parked, and walked for an hour on the Minnehaha trail along the creek. We stopped at the bridges, and I lifted him up to watch the sunlight on the water. He was fascinated -- intently watching it for 10 minutes.

He's also getting into his mouth -- actually everything else is getting into his mouth too: His blanket, his bear, my hand, my shoulder....

We are finally enjoying him finding a somewhat regular schedule for sleeping and being awake. He wakes around 6 am -- when we rise for the day -- and stays awake for an hour or so and then takes two shortish naps during the morning. Then in the afternoon he'll take one longer nap and a little snoozy 10-15 minute thingy later. We've been getting him down to bed around 8 o'clock and having him sleep until 2:30 ish (with one or two feedings in between there) when he has a bit of a problem with going back to sleep but eventually does so until morning (with another feeding in there). So finally Brad and I are having some time to ourselves and with each other in the evenings. This has been so good for us. We love Atticus beyond beyond, but we were "fragging out" mentally for awhile -- "stretched" as Bilbo Baggins says "like too little butter on too much toast".

I've finally decided to find a pediatrician rather than continuing on with the group of general practitioners we've been using since I was first pregnant with Atticus. For those of you who pray, please ask that God would guide us to the right group of doctors. I just haven't jived with any of the ones we've had so far, and the whole process of finding one overwhelms me. Atticus has his next set of immunizations in another couple weeks so I am going try to get this sorted out by then.

And, that is that. Atticus is just a delightful little person. He continues to be cheerful and patient, but not passive, really -- just a very content fellow. He does have a "thing" about not wanting to be left out of things. If Brad and I are talking or there is a group of grown-ups in discussion at the dinner table -- Atticus loves to "chatter" loud hoping someone (usually his mommy) will hear him and talk with him. And he just hates being left in a room without being able to see what I'm doing. In the last few weeks he's decided he just really digs his mommy. I love having him wrap his arm around my neck or have his entire jolly being light up with a dimpled grin when I smile and talk to him. If he wasn't so real, if being his mommy wasn't so grounded in dirty diapers and tired mornings and bits of over-tired "cry outs" -- I would think this whole thing was just too victorian sentimental. Unbelievable how hard your heart is pulled into joy and worry and anticipation and affection and sadness and weariness and restlessness and devotion and tenderness.

So this is the person of Atticus Robert Johannsen in his fourth month of life.