Reading and Working

For the past week, Shannon and I have been taking every spare minute to read the #5 and #6 books of Harry Potter. It was my bright idea to re-read them before reading #7. We both forgot a lot of what happened; the latest movie actually changed some of the facts and we hardly noticed (what they changed made the movie run smoother I think). So, hopefully, we'll be done with #6 by the end of this week so we can start #7 next week.

In the meantime, I've been working in the ICU and Shannon's been a wonderful mother, taking care of Michael, groceries, the house, etc. We make a pretty good team; we extremely tired though. I think the challenge right now is to carve out quality time for the both of us. It's too easy to watch movies and read books without really connecting, something every marriage must overcome to be truly successful in my opinion.

Shamus has a rough past week. He was kind of fussy! We went to El Centro to beat the heat (my parents have AC) and he just cried and cried when we left him with my parents while we went on a date. But on Sunday, before we left to come back, he seemed to have gotten over the hump because he was a lot more happy, full of more smiles and not crying except for things he needed.

His new trick is to click his tongue and talk all the time. Shannon weighed him yesterday also: 13 lbs 13 oz. What a lucky weight, huh? So he's basically putting on an ounce each day more or less. He's so strong too! If you stand him up against our futon, he can stand by himself as long as you make sure he doesn't fall over like a tree... hehe. ~Mike

Pictures: (above) Michael in his fishy outfit surround by his fishy friends. (below) Michael with Mike's favorite stuffed animal when he was child, Dogdog.

Happy Two Months!

Two months means that we have reached a very rewarding milestone with Michael Shamus. He has discovered how to flash his pink gums in a very fetching grin whenever mommy or daddy's face appear in his line of vision. His body tightens, his eyebrows raise, his eyes get big, and his lips quiver in preparation of what is coming...playtime! The look of sheer delight is difficult to catch with a camera, but I have spent the last week making a valiant attempt. Needless to say, the sleep deprivation and general overwhelming feeling has greatly improved since playtime has been added to the schedule.

In addition to the grin, he has also gained greater control over his vocal cords...enthusiastic cooing ensues at the height of playtime as we converse over everything from the state of his diaper to brainstorming how to set modern day slaves free. And now that his gaze has become more intent, I have introduced some of his more complicated toys...the bouncer seat and the floor gym.
During these times, he sets aside the smile for a more serious look as he observes the behavior of the strange creatures before him. In addition to the smile, the coos and the intent gaze, Michael's neck has grown amazingly strong. From the beginning he has been anxious to be able to look around on his own and now he can finally do that. These are some of the more successful photos of these fun milestones. ~Shannon