This week Tanner turned 5 months old. It still amazes me how fast the time has gone by and how quickly he has grown. People always are shocked when I tell them he's only 5 months...most people guess 7-8 months. He is just so tall, strong, and chubby!
Tanner trying desperately to roll over from his back to his tummy. He can easily roll over the from his belly, but this direction is a little bit tricky. As you can see, his body is practically in a U-shape. He get's to about this point and gets so frustrated that he'll start to cry for help. He knows how to rollover, but he doesn't scoot around much. He's figured out that if he pulls on the blanket, he can get the toys with in grabbing distance so he doesn't have to move. So smart!
Tanner grabs and reaches for anything in site - including my hair, cell phone, or cup of water. The other day, Tanner grabbed my nose and managed to get one finger on the inside. When he pulled away a second later - his sharp little finger nail scratched the inside and he gave me a bloody nose! Even when my hair is in a pony tail, he manages to grab the little baby hairs at the back and pull hard on them. It hurts!
Tanner is a very strong little boy - and is close to sitting up on his own. When he's saying still, I can get him to sit up for 10 seconds or so. Most of the time he's constantly moving so he doesn't last more than a few seconds. If I have him propped next to the boppy pillow with minimal support, he can last over a minute so any day now I think he'll be sitting up. But not matter where I set him - in his car seat, stroller, laying down on floor, sitting on couch, laying in bathtub - he keeps on trying to lean forward and sit up on his own.
Tanner also found his feet. When he wakes up early in the morning - usually around 6:30 - I'll have him come in play in my bed for a few minutes while I gradually wake-up (I'm still not a morning person). When I sit him up on my belly, he'll go straigt for his toes and grab them.
Tanner is quite the chibber-chabber too. He makes all sorts of baby sounds - and sometimes I've convinced he must be trying to tell me something. At the same time, he's also found his vocal chords. And while he's usually a very mild mannered little boy...but he'll let you know when he's not happy and start to grunt or scream.
And every other kid who sees Tanner's toys, no matter how old they are, want to play with them or in some cases, try them out - as demonstrated by Avery in Tanner's Exersaucer. And other 2 and 3 years have tried it out - she's not the first. I'm just shocked at how much kids of all ages still love simple baby toys. It's like they never outgrow them!
But the best part of all, in that Tanner can now full on laugh and giggle when you play with him. Anthony was the first to get him to laugh when he would attack him with the towel after his bath...but he also does it when you nibble on his neck where he's ticklish or throw him up in the air. I keep thinking he's too young or fragile to be playing so rough, but when you hear him laugh, it's contageous and you keep wanting him to do it again and again. We tried to get Tanner to laugh here, and we weren't very successful. I'll have to try again sometime! It's soooooooo cute!!
jeremy on drums
collin on guitar
anthony on drums (see, i'm not the only one who sticks out my tongue when concentrating!)
katie on vocals
Ave & Britt were inspired to create their own music and were beating on their "drums." These two were always up to something together and giggling the entire day. So cute!! 
PS - This is why I love older neighborhoods - we have trees that cover the sidewalks and streets.
