First Step Towards Mobility!

On Monday Ben rolled over for the first time after many futile attempts. So, after 15 weeks the days of placing the baby down, being able to walk around to do something and return to find him in the same position are over for the Martin family! Now we will place him down on a blanket or his activity gym and immediately he turns on his side and rolls over. We've also gone into his bedroom after a bout of frantic crying to find Benjamin on his back - he usually sleeps on his tummy - and completely out of sorts because he doesn't quite know how to get back to where he started. Only a few times he's done a complete 360 degree roll; he usually stops after 180 degrees at this point but we expect his rolling technique to only get faster before he takes the next step and crawls.

Here are some photos of Ben on his activity mat and also on the couch rolling over. First, he bends his legs and rolls onto one side. Here, he is going after that hanging monkey, hoping to put as much of him as possible into his mouth (like just about anything lately!):

Using the monkey as leverage this time, although he also can roll entirely on his own as well:Almost...there...just needs to get that last arm out from underneath himself:

Ta-da!:

Next we moved to the couch and when I placed him down, that was his immediate cue to roll over again!

Of course I can never resist taking an irrelevant photo or two of Barney and Ben together, so here are the latest. In the first one, Barney is surrepticiously coveting Ben's plastic keys and has slowly inched closer and closer to them in hopes of stealing them unnoticed. He has even stooped so low as to lick Ben's hands and nuzzle up against him in his efforts!!

Finally, a photo of the two "brothers" after Barney was reprimanded for trying to steal the baby's toys. Don't let the glum face fool you; he's smarter than he appears and will surely attempt this again very soon!