(Yes, I know I skipped posting a weekly update on Monday. Sorry! Things got busy as we prepared for Thanksgiving.)
These past few weeks have been about working on motor skills, and Andy is a busy little guy at 4 months as he works on them. He wants to move and be a part of all action. He has rolled over back to front a few times, but he is still mastering this skill. Unlike Matt, who used almost all momentum at first, Andy rolls with strictly muscle strength and willpower. He is pushing up more and more while on his tummy. It'll still be a while before he gets onto hands and knees and then crawls, but we can see him working toward that.
Andy has also been working a lot on grabbing things, both getting his arms to move in the direction he wants and grabbing and then holding onto things once he's there. He's getting more control, although he's still swinging his arms rather stiffly with fists closed, but it's taking him fewer tries to get something he wants (and with big brother around there are plenty of things to want). He can hold onto things for longer and longer, even grab it with both hands or just one. He likes to grab ahold of his pants right now; I suspect grabbing onto his socks and then pulling them off isn't too far off. And he has grabbed Jon's glasses. He likes to hold onto my hair, too.
Andy is able to support himself in a seated position more and more. He hasn't quite gotten the full tripod seated stance yet, but he's close. He will sit upright without having to be supported and can even correct very slight wobbles, although he still will fall all the way over if the weight shift is more than a little bobble.
Andy continues to be very expressive and talkative in his own sort of way. He went through a brief phase recently where he sounded like he was imitating the laugh of Ernie from Sesame Street. But he makes a wide variety of noises and will tell long "stories" to anyone who will listen - although it's hard to ignore him because he likes to speak up. He is still a very smiley baby. And he still loves to stick his tongue out, especially at his brother. He really enjoys getting Matt's attention and having Matt make him laugh. It's very cute and sweet!
