Rollie Pollie Olie

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned that my little Jdog is not all that little. At his recent 4 month appointment he weighed 18lbs and 4oz and was 271/2 inches from stem to stern. And this little chubby bubby is learning to roll his pudgy 95^th percentile proportions around. And it couldn’t be cuter.

He begins lying down on his back. In this position Jdog’s belly looks like a bull-frog’s: thick, soft, squishy and perfectly round. Then he gets a good grip on his feet, latches tightly to his toes, and tips them up to his lips for a taste test. They must taste pretty darn good, because he likes sucking on his toes much more than any of the binkis I’ve bought him. Once his toes are firmly planted in his mouth, he tips over to his side. Soon, something from his new side view snatches up his attention, so he kicks his leg, arches his back and digs his head into the floor. And slowly, but surely—like a patient, pudgy little puppy, baby J makes his way from his back to his belly. Then he tilts his heavy head to the side, and the rest of his body follows suit, returning him to his back.

I’m sure most babies roll their way around in similar fashion. It’s Jdog’s sweet, patient temperament he has had while learning this new skill that has me amazed. He usually doesn’t get frustrated when his arms get stuck. Today while eating dinner at the in-laws he just slowly, quietly rolled his way around the living room while we all stuffed our faces. Every time I looked over my shoulder to check on my little man, he had completed another 360 toward this or that toy. And when I call his name, he looks my way with his hound dog cheeks drooping. Oh how I love my rollie pollie baby.