Does it appear to anyone else that I merely photoshopped a yellow diaper that weird green color? I promise I did not. I took this photo yesterday.

In month four, Kostya

– Quit his day job at the school, so he can spend more time with his Auntie M.,
– Finally experienced the joy that is nakey-butt time (it’s been too cold!),
– During said time in the aforementioned item, rolled over with a little bit of assistance,
– Went on his first road trip to visit his Grandparents down South,

– Stayed in a hotel for the first time,
– Made Grandma laugh so hard she almost peed her pants due to his insane chortling when she zerberted his feet,
– Talks…a lot, drools…a lot, and giggles…a lot…especially when you tickle (or zerbert) him,
– Had his first yoga lesson,
– Rode in his snazy stroller,
– Continued the tradition of being photographed with stuff on his head,

– Got his first cold, gained half a pound, and outgrew some of his 3-6 month clothes and the first level of his bed,
– Slept through the night a few times,
– Went to his first grown-up party,

– Discovered those things at the end of his legs are FUN,
– Finally got his Superman outfit back from the tailor (where is that picture??)
– Tried to pull my cheek off my face with his superhuman strength (see above), and
– Got Mama a little payback by twisting his fingers into Anya’s hair and pulling!

Anya visited the Great Wall of China, said “something” a lot less when reading, flew a helicopter, took her first voluntary shower, read to Kostya, taught Gramma and Kostya some yoga, learned to play poker, and added to her vocabulary great sayings and words like: “What the huh?,” “Sheeeeeesh,” “Uh—yuh!,” and “Morlon” (as in Mama, you are a morlon!).

Carol knitted half a sock, stared longingly at craft books (and really books in general), tried to do some scrapbooking at home when she wasn’t able to make a crop and realized it just wasn’t much fun alone, and was reunited with her Little People toys.

Andy got a hair cut, watched the baby alone for three whole hours, and went to a LOT of meetings.

I checked and double checked, and this is indeed Kostya’s three month picture. I promise I didn’t just re-use his two month picture. From now on, I will try to put him in a different colored diaper each month to avoid suspicion.

It’s a bit hard to write this third month list of tricks since his fourth month just wrapped up. What a bad scrapbook-type I am for getting a month behind. (On the other hand, being behind is pretty typical of the scrapbook type, so perhaps I am merely sticking true to form?)

In month three, Kostya

– Became the master of his own noggin,
– Spoke his first words (according to Anya): hi, Carol, and I,
– Broke all our family diaper records with a score of five poo diapers in one day,
– Performed in his first musical, appearing as the Giggling Penquin,

– Celebrated every occasion with the bubbly (drool that is),
– Expanded up to 11.5 pounds,
– Began waking up less during the night,
– Became indoctrinated into the scrapbook cult (is baby snot an archival-quality adhesive?),

– Got his first job as the office pet as his sister’s school,
– Discovered the joy that is sucking on his hand and fingers,
– Began grabbing things like his blanket and pink kitty and my clothes and hair (ow),
– Found the perfect hair style: the cupie doll hair curl, and
– Performed in his second theatrical production: Monster Baby Is Going to Eat You.

Anya saw Frozen, learned finger how to finger knit, forgot how to finger knit, started reading chapter books (filling in words she couldn’t read with “something” — “Jack and Annie something the something and something something cat!”), decided her favorite thing to say to her parents was “No Excuses!,” and finally got enough snow to use her Christmas sled.

Carol went back to work, got a minivan, knitted and crocheted a wee bit, went to a crafty day, played in the snow, and late one night dumped a bowl of water in the middle of the bathroom floor because her brain didn’t think it was necessary to tell her hand to move the bowl over the sink first.

Andy still needs a hair cut, said goodbye to his VW, raked gravel, shoveled snow, and turned our driveway into a luge run.

Up next… Four — It’s just like three, but bigger!