Warm as toast

Well, we are all snuggled in tonight after a cold and snowy day. Pork tenderloin is cooking in the oven. Dad is preparing to boil the life out of some carrots. And then smother them in butter. Why do the British hate vegetables? If it keeps him amused and out of my hair, I guess I shouldn't complain.
The big news is that Allan laughed out loud for the first time today. He smiles and laughs, but, until today, hasn't made a true laughing sound. He has been vocalizing a lot more in the past couple of weeks (so long as doctors and PTs aren't watching). He really seems to hit his stride from about 8 p.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. That's usually when we play rock-a-baby and act like we are going to run, run, run away and play like we are riding a bike. (Our own version of physical therapy.) Today, though, we were watching UK beat Tennesse and playing with some silly Leap Frog caterpillar that sings songs and, for whatever reason, two little butterflies and three little bumblebees struck him as very funny. Next thing I know I see a big, wide smile and hear something that isn't a 'gawk.' I would have thought that I imagined it except that he repeated it several times before it wasn't funny any more. The best part is that he sounds EXACTLY like Griffith when he laughs. Sort of a silly heh, heh, heh kind of chuckle. Very Beavis and Butthead. We hope that Allan decides that life is as funny as his brother finds it because Griff laughs all the time. Except for when he is howling in protest.
Griffith continues to be a whole lot of fun. Yesterday he learned to make a kissy face which amused him greatly. (What doesn't?) His girlfriend Caitlin came to visit and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Flora came to help yesterday because I needed to work in the morning and she is going to be off on Monday. She was so jealous that she wouldn't leave. She just sat and watched Caitlin and Griffith and resisted (just barely) snatching him back from her (who knows what would have happened if I hadn't been here?) The boys and I had a good long walk yesterday afternoon while the sun was out and it was warm. It is a good thing we did, since, by 4, it had turned bitter cold and has stayed that way.
On Friday we met with the lady from First Steps which is a program to coordinate different types of services for little guys like Allan. We are going to have someone come in to consult for speech therapy (because he still isn't very interested in feeding from the bottle) and physical therapy. Griffith was almost beside himself twisting around and trying to get the girl's attention. I am very afraid that we have quite a flirt on our hands.