Boomer @ 4 1/2 months

It's amazing how quickly infants grow and develop. My little guy is now 4 1/2 months old, and has more than doubled his birth weight. When last I wrote, he was still sleeping on my lap all night; at two months old, he went from that to sleeping in a battery-powered swing all night! That was a big improvement, as it gave me freedom to move around and do whatever I wanted at night, but did have the downside of not being particularly portable. Then, two weeks ago, we finally managed to make the transition to getting him to sleep in a crib. He now usually wakes up once or twice a night, but he's easy to get back to sleep. In the grand scheme of things, getting him to sleep on his own may not seem like much--but for The Wife and me, it feels like a major accomplishment!

Two things make Boomer happier than a clam and fill him with smiles the whole time. One is his Jolly Jumper, a contraption that dangles him from a metal frame on his tip-toes so he can jump and bounce around at his own leisure. The other is solid food. We read all about how many babies how be picky or reject solid food, but not this kid: he's devoured every bowl of rice cereal we've put in front of him, grinning like Christmas morning each time.

Speaking of which, The Wife has already bought him a Christmas present! Boomer will surely be a spoiled kid, but I can't really complain as I buy him books all the time. He's just so adorable, and as proof positive I offer this picture of him in what will be his Halloween costume (assuming it still fits in a few weeks).