Toes! Toys! Teeth?

Jolyon has found his feet. He now tries to bend over as far as possible so he can put them in his mouth.

We are trying to stimulate our baby with a playgym. However, we don't like the all-in-one mat things that every other parent seems to have, so we improvised with a blanket, some dangly wooden toys, a piece of string, clothespins, and two chairs. Easily disassembles into dining room furniture for compact storage! I was inspired by a photo of baby Jenny with a very similar setup. Jolyon enjoys grabbing at the toys, but the real benefit is that it keeps him happy while we leave him on the floor by himself for a bit (as opposed to dangling toys in front of him ourselves). I am convinced that all the companies that market their playgyms/exersaucers/etc try to convince parents that their babies need them for brain stimulation and development, but really they just say that because parents buy way more of them that way than if they're advertised as "a place to put your baby while you wash the dishes." I used to think I'd be the type of parent who wore my baby in a wrap while doing stuff, but Jolyon usually seems happier on the floor.

Also, we think he is teething - we have copious drool, crankiness, and a desire to chew on everything in sight. Rubbing his gums seems to help.