Crawling is for babies...

... but Tallis prefers to FLY! Ever since mid-December he turns any tummy time mat into a runway for take-off. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you think of it!), he doesn't go very far. It's not for lack of trying, though! He really gets into it - flying is definitely a full-body experience, with everything from his tongue to his toes fully involved in his propulsion efforts. Incredibly cute. Ever since we got his photos taken in December we've had comment after comment about the adorable "flying" portrait. Here's what it looks like, in case you haven't seen it:

I recently did a little home-made photo shoot of his flying practice, since he's still (2 months later) determined to get off the ground someday. As you can partly tell here (no thanks to the cushy blanket), when he really focuses, about the only thing that touches the ground is the bottom of his breastbone. Everything else is in the air - if you touch him, he will pivot and spin almost like a top, he's so balanced on that one point.

Now, this may be very cute, but make no mistake about it - this is very serious work. He sometimes has to land in perilous weather conditions, saving all the passengers aboard. He almost always has a very focused, serious, determined look on his face as he does his expert maneuvers:

But since all hot-shot pilots are just little boys at heart, you can get a happy smile out of him, too!

This definitely deserves more than just still photos, so I turned on the video feature - you get to watch a private screening of "Flight Practice on the Last Frontier"! (Tallis is a bit of a ham in front of a camera.) It's only rated G, but it gets pretty intense:

So, what does all of this mean? Well, I think it means I get to put off baby-proofing the house for a little while longer! Other than occasionally doing some consecutive rolls to get from point A to point B, Tallis is still quite immobile. As long as his limbs go in the air instead of underneath him when he's on his tummy, I think I'm safe from crawling infants for a while. Next to flying, his second-most desired form of mobility is to walk. He LOVES to stand (while held, of course), and I often can't get him to sit because he won't bend! He's definitely a fan of being upright like Mom & Dad, and may be one of those babies who skips crawling all together. That's okay with me! We'll see what he decides....