We've had a busy couple of days.

Miss Julie came on Thursday for PT and she continues to rave about the progress that Big Al is making. He pretty much sits up without assistance for as long as he wants to. And he wants to do for longer and longer stretches of time. One of the new skills that we are working on involves reaching down with both hands outside the knee as he sits. Basically a quarter turn and reaching down to put both hands on the floor and then pushing up and back in to sitting. He'll do it, but it feels weird and he doesn't like it much. It isn't that he can't do it. It is that he's afraid that he won't be able to get back up. We are also working on reaching out for things that are at shoulder level and above, making choices, and learning to put things in containers and take them out. Miss Julie says that Allan works harder than any baby she's got. And she pushes him the whole time that she's here. I didn't realize what he was doing, but, at one point, he turned his head away from her and even though she was calling to him, he wouldn't turn his head. This disturbed me. Can he not hear her? Is this a sign of a cognitive deficit? Nope. He was mad at her. She had been making him work and he was tired out it and so he was pretending that she wasn't there. Would not turn for any thing. After a few minutes of cuddling and telling him what a big, stong boy he was, he was in good spirits with her again and back at work. Allan needs his atta boys.

On Friday, Miss Edie came and she was quite impressed with Allan, too. She brought a button toy -- it had nine or twelve buttons in the shape of different animals, flowers, whatever. When you push the button it makes a sound -- the cat meows, for instance. The sound isn't very loud, though. So Miss Edie had Allan lay on his side and had him kind of reach over to fool with the buttons. She didn't really expect him to do much more than bang them, but he would reach very delicately and push the button with his fingers to make it make sounds. She was totally surpised (in a good way) that he wasn't just banging to hear himself bang (like his brother sometimes does). He was clearly exploring the keys and realized that when he pushed there was a reaction that he liked. He also smiled at Miranda when she came in. (Flora was out on Friday so Miranda came to take care of the boys.) Edie was so pleased -- she said that Allan usually will smile at her after she has been there for awhile, but doesn't smile as soon as she walks in the door, but "that may be a personality issue." Yeah, probably. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. There is a little of his momma's side of the family in ol' Allan, too. Like his cousin Bailey, he really doesn't see much reason to go out of his way to win people over. Really the obligation falls on them. You can come in and act like a clown if you want to. That doesn't mean Allan (or Griffith for that matter) is going to find it amusing.



The weekend was big, too. Daddy had to get up early to go to Louisville for work on Saturday and both of the boys decided they needed to make sure that they saw him before they left. Which meant that by 7:45 every one was up and ready to roll. So we decided to take a big, long run. Momma is trying to teach the fellas to say "go, Mommy, go, Mommy, go" but, so far, Allan falls asleep about 1/2 mile in to it while Griff just takes every thing in. One woman said to me, your baby has slumped over. No, not really. He just likes to chew on the strap. If I straighten him up, he just growls and slumps back over again. I just said, "thanks," it seemed easier.



Cousin Jennifer came over to help in the afternoon. She won't make that mistake any time soon again. Both boys were "on" all afternoon. Griffith pooped on her -- twice. Which was at least once more than she was willing to accomodate. The background is that two of Allan's opthalmologists (and future in-laws) were coming over for dinner along with another of Allan's husband and wife medical team. Since Daddy was gone Mommy needed back up. As long as you are man-to-man you have a fighting chance. Once you are on zone defense, it is all over. Any way, Jennifer did a fabulous job, but about 5:15 or so she said, I think Griff has pooped again. Yeah, sometimes he does that. Rather than change him, though, she waited a few more minutes until Jay came in the house (I was prepping some thing for dinner). Jay walked in and started his usual jack-in-the-box, monkeying around with the boys when Jennifer said (slyly), you might want to check him, he may be dirty. Um, yeah. In fact he was SO dirty that there was no recovery with a diaper wipe. Not even a whole box of them. So, 30 minutes before we have company over for dinner we are stripping the Griffster down and throwing him in the tub. And poor Allan. The blessed, blameless lamb. We stripped him in and threw him in the tub, too. No reason to waste all that warm water and baby lotion.



Jim and Alice arrived (thank God) fashionably late with Miss Ginny Beth who is two whole weeks younger than the boys. The little vixen showed up with her hair in a top-knot She will have a hard time choosing between the boys later on but , fortunately, that day has not yet arrived. To be frank, she's a little advanced for the boys. You know how girls are. Not only was she drinking from one sippy cup, she had two going at the same time. Forward little thing.

Mommy and Daddy had a nice time with (part) of Allan's medical team. Miranda and her husband came over to keep an eye on the guys. Every one made it threw the night smooothly. This sleeping through the night stuff is starting to get to be a habit. Allan had a bit of a stomach ache and was restless through the early a.m. hours. Dad and Griff got up early and read the paper and other books for a while. Mom and the boys went for another long run while
Dad worked on the back deck. Then we all had lunch and took a nap. Dad and Allan racked out on the couch while Mom and Griff went upstairs. Griff woke up and thought it would be good fun to stick his leg through the slats of the crib. Which is was, right up until he got his leg stuck and couldn't get it out. That's what Momma's thighs will get you, baby. So Mom had to hold him while Dad pulled and tugged and stretched. It was almost more than a guy could stand. Especially right after waking up. But all's well that end's well and we didn't have to cut a slat out of the bed.

We also got an opportunity to take a swim this afternoon. Both boys managed to do face plants at different times. Griff apparently took on so much water that he has spit up all over Mom 3 times. Once so much that she had to take a shower while Dad stripped Griff and changed every thing that he owned. If he sleeps through the night it will be a miracle.

Right now they are both asleep upstairs with Dad. He finished shingling the posts on the deck tonight while Thing One and Thing Two and I used the front porch swings and did the Neighborhood Watch. The weather couldn't be any more perfect and, if it weren't for the fact that Griff is going to be up at either 4 or 6 a.m. and wailing like a banshee, I would hang out here in Flora's swing in the backyard forever. As it is, it is bed time. I will try to post a few photos and then hit the hay.