Four months

Lincoln -

How is it that a third of a year has passed since we met you for the first time?! It seems like your personality is really starting to shine this month, especially this weekend since we've figured out your "new" schedule.

On Tuesday, June 25, you rolled over from your tummy to your back for the first time. Since, you do it selectively, sometimes going a whole week without it. You also roll from your back onto your side, but you can't get any farther than that - your arm is always in the way.

You've started to really notice Jazzy and love to look and smile at her. She occasionally licks you, which makes you laugh. Mostly, though, she ignores you.

This month, you got to experience your first wheat harvest and your first trip to the cabin. Both were big hits, and we're looking forward to sharing these experiences with you again and again as you grow up. Your first Royals game was not your favorite, though.

You have really good control over your hands and arms, and you're starting to figure out the feet thing. You're starting to really play with toys - shaking, moving, and, of course, chewing. Your favorites are your taggy and dog blankets, an owl with crinkly wings, your oball rattle, and your play mat. In the last week you've started to move the ball in a throwing motion and once or twice have been able to let go and actually "throw" it, but I think it's more of a fluke than a purposeful motion. Usually your fingers are too entwined with it to let go. You definitely favor your left hand so far.

You chew and suck on everything you can get into your mouth. You also drool a lot and show all the "classic signs" of teething. Even though that's been going on for several weeks, nothing has poked through.

There are a few surefire ways to get you to smile:

• blow on your tummy (not raspberries, just air). You gasp, then grin.
• give you big kisses with a "muah" sound effect.
• have you give big kisses with a "muah" sound effect. You usually stick out your tongue and lick us, too.

Daddy also has a couple games he plays with you, like when he sniffs your toes, then says "smelly feet, smelly feet, smelly feet" while shaking your legs. This is hysterical to you. You smile a lot and laugh great big gaspy laughs.You also have a little shriek-laugh that we call your "pterodactyl" noise.

We started rice cereal a couple of days ago. At first you weren't too sure what to do with it, but you're starting to figure out that it's to swallow. You really love to suck and chew on the spoon (surprise, surprise) and try to help us put it in your mouth.

At your four month check up, you weighed 13 lbs., 12 oz. and were 25 inches long. (I think you're actually longer. You were screaming pretty hysterically so she didn't really get your leg straight. I'll probably measure you myself sometime this week.) You wear your diapers on the smallest snaps but I think we need to let the rise out one snap. You are in 3-6 month and 6 month clothes. Some of your 3 month things kind of fit, but I went ahead and packed them up.

We love you, Lincoln!