pictures, email, festival, cute cute cute

Wow, I have a lot to post about. I know that it has only been a couple of days since the last post, but in internet time, that’s, like, three weeks.

First off--PICTURES! That's right folks, pictures as promised! Step on over to Buzznet in the right column and see cuteness in action. We have baby shots, nature shots, even sports shots.

Secondly, we don't have your email address any more. Our computer ate poison and we had to have its stomach pumped and your email address is in a bio-waste bag behind Best Buy now. So please send an email to the address in the right column (just above the PICTURES!) so that we can get your email address back into our address books. Thanks.

David has been a developmental steam-roller this past week. He spent most of last week with his left arm extended in front of him with his fist clinched. It looked like a little "Black Power" salute--except it must have been a "Baby Power" salute (“We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, we spit up on Plymouth Rock”). Then, for his finale, at the end of the week, he bent that arm and brought his fist directly to his mouth, where it has been ever since. I noticed today that he has started saluting with his right hand, so we'll see if he makes it to the mouth.

I had him on my lap yesterday and was holding a toy in front of him. He swung his right arm forward and hit the toy so that it made a noise. Then he started swinging his arm over and over, hitting the toy. I didn't know if it was random or deliberate, so I took the toy away and counted how many times he swung. In thirty seconds, he swung three distinct times. I returned the toy and waited for the next swing. It came and I began timing again, he swung 13 times in the thirty seconds thereafter. I was impressed. Really, that has become pretty standard. He is honestly responding to all kinds of things. He will smile at any new face (I call it the "don't eat me" smile), and I can get him to smile by smiling really big at him. Nevertheless, every new reaction is a joy.

The greatest joy comes at the noises. He is becoming very vocal--cooing and laughing and squealing. His face contorts like he really trying to talk, really he is, but he just can't figure out actual words. I think he is getting eyebrow control, though. Jaime and I are both eyebrow talkers. We use a flick of the eyebrow to punctuate just about any statement. I'm doing it right now. See how it adds depth and texture to the blog? Anyway, he has started with the eyebrows. He moves them around in the cutest little expressions. His newfound ability to grab includes grabbing one hand with the other in front of him. This, combined with the eyebrow, pretty much has us convinced that he is planning to overthrow the world.

We spent Friday and Saturday in Salina with Grandpa Brice and Uncle Cory. This was the weekend of the Smoky Hill River Festival, an annual arts and music festival in Salina which we always attend. It was David's first trip of that length and his first out-door event. He got to wear his little sun hat and ride around in a little front-pack baby-carrier thing, which he enjoyed. He looked darn cute. We didn't take any pictures, so you will have to take my word. It was also his first stay in a hotel. Between his barfing and his vivid, Technicolor farts, I really feel for the cleaning staff. He also went to his first baseball game where he got to see uncle Cory hit the ball, but not get a "hit." You can read all about it at the new blog that Grandpa Brice has set up to keep us up-to-date about baseball and other less-important life events.

In spite of the weather forecast, Jaime and I drove home on Saturday night through storms that killed several other people. It was bad judgment and ranks as the first time that we endangered our son's life. But it is probably not the last.

I think that makes for a pretty long post, so I will sign off now. Don't forget to send me an email and look at the new photos.

later, fanatics.