rattle rattle rattle

New toy heaven! rattle rattle rattle
Jonathan is keeping busy rattle rattle rattle
in a fabulous new toy rattle rattle rattle
that Mommy got him. RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE

Why, yes, that is kind of annoying, isn't it? But the delight our little rattling angel gets from his new Exersaucer is worth it. I have been eagerly awaiting the twice-annual Lollipop Shop for months. It's a local children's consignment shop that's only open for one week. I stopped by when I was eight months pregnant and picked up all sorts of goodies. This past weekend I was there on opening day. I got a lot of clothes (new outfits coming soon in the next crop of pictures!) but best of all was the Exersaucer! Walkers are tres passe, you know - too much falling down stairs and all that.

Jonathan stands in the middle of this saucer (with some help from a seat with leg holes in it) and he can bounce himself and rotate around. Ahhh, freedom of movement at last! There are all sorts of toys on the outer ring of the saucer with which he can amuse himself. Jonathan divides these toys into three categories: things that RATTLE, things to chew on, and not-worth-my-time.

Woe to the lowly atomic rattle, last week such a favorite. Now Jonathan has a clear plastic cylinder filled with beads. He's quite good at spinning it around and around on its axle. What an unholy cacophony it makes, too. He hits it and hits it and grins at the noise, and just when you think your ears are going to get a break - he hits it again!

There's a tray on the Exersaucer, now designated home to things to chew on. He likes the soft blocks he got as a present last month. We put them on the tray and he lurches forward as far as his seat will allow and face-plants onto the block. Sometimes he picks it up with both hands and brings it to his mouth. When he really gets going, he looks like he's in a corn-on-the-cob speed-eating contest. Eventually the soaking-wet block makes a break for it and falls off the saucer. For now, at least, it's forgotten as soon as it's gone. But I foresee that putting the blocks back on the saucer will be my major occupation in the months to come.

Rattle rattle rattle.