roll over, Beethoven!

Proud papa can't believe how casually maman said, "Of course, you have turned over 2 times during tummy time -- almost three, but the third time you just lay wailing on your side."

C'mon! My boy turned himself over again before he was 6 weeks old!

(Which, by the way, he is today: 6 weeks, 18 hours, and some number of minutes ago, Benjamin entered the world.)

Let me repeat:

The Textbook baby... reaches all the milestones right on schedule -- sleeps through the night by three months, rolls over by five [months!], sits up by six....

- Secrets of the Baby Whisperer

So one time at 17 days might have been a fluke. But twice before he's 1½ months seems far less fluky.

And a day or two later, he almost did it a third time. He was on his side, trying to get over onto his back, and each time he started to sort of tumble over, he'd kick his leg in frustration and swing himself back up to side-lying position.

Then he gave up, lay on his side and screamed bloody murder. Only at this point did his father's sympathy overcome his vicarious ambition -- and I picked him up and comforted him and rewarded him with his favorite activity: a nice warm bath.

- papa