We're on a roll!: new developments in the world of liam

We arrived in Nashville last night safe and sound. The kiddo took to the car trip like a champ, although he didnt get the road naps I was hoping for. Turns out he's stubborn on napping whether on the road or in the crib.

He's developed a host of new little things. Each of them seems to be a variation on more rudamentary things before, yet to our eyes they seem so exciting and distinct.

He has been batting at the animals that hang from his play mat for a while now, and with increasing intentionality. Now it is quite clear that he has good aim and strength, for when he bats at them he can now swing them up and over the bar they hang from.

A little while ago Terry saw him switch his rattle from one hand to the next. We all cooed over his achievement, but he didn't immediately repeat it. Well for the last two days or so he has had an explosion of two hand play. If given a rattle or toy into one hand, he immediately takes it into both hands and plays with it, sometimes together, sometimes switching back and forth between hands.

He's also become a super drooly kid in the last week or two (I call him Drooly McGee when this happens, though I don't know where I got the name). Sometimes he makes little bubbles with the drool, and for the first time today I saw him use his little tongue to wipe the drool up. Goofy, but cute.

On friday I was invited by Ian and Sian to join them for a Cubs game, which Terry missed because he was sick (Liam's second, pictures forthcoming). In addition to being way more alert than at his last cubs game, on the way out of the stadium he surprised us all by actually laughing at Ian, which he then continued to do for a good 5 minutes. The next morning at brunch he showed off his new found sound by laughing for Dave and Natasha and Terry. He had been making joyful "gooo!" sounds for a while, but this was the first distinct laughter.

In the 24 hours before we left for Nashville, he developed another new sound. This one sounds to me for all the world exactly the way I imagine a peridactyl. "ruuuuaaact!" Terry calls it "the devil cat got my son" sound. (Terry wants me to make a note that for all those of you who've seen "The Grudge" its like the sound the kid makes in that. I'm not sure what that means but I bet I wouldnt like it if I did). Apparently this is one of his new favorites, because once he got it going, it has become a frequent one in his little repertoire.

This morning I was playing around with him on the bed in the hotel room while Terry sat on the couch looking up more places for us to check out. I had Liam doing some tummy time, but instead of pushing up on his hands like he usually does, he was digging in with his feet, getting his butt a good 6 inches off the bed. I kept telling Terry to check him out, so Terry came over and laid on the other side of him. Liam kept doing his version of a face-plant down dog baby yoga move. It reminded me a lot of what he used to do when he was on his tummy in the NICU and his little butt would rise up and shake around before settling back down. I used to call it his bumble bee butt because it reminded me of those videos where bees communicate complex directions to honey by shaking their hinie.

So as Terry and I are laying there watching this yoga/bee type move Liam starts pushing with one of his arms and PRESTO he rolls himself over from belly onto his back. Woo Hoo! Terry and I start cheering for him and giving each other high fives and praising him. He clearly thinks we're nuts.

So then we roll him back onto his belly to see if he can do it again. He immediately starts digging in with his legs and raising his butt up and he gets so close several times, but he doesnt quite get to the coordination to flop himself the rest of the way over, so after a number of tries where we just vocally cheer him on, he seems to be getting frustrated, so Terry helps give him a tiny nudge.

So we have on unassisted belly to back roll, but no repeat performance. Still pretty darn exciting day for a little guy.