A Dinosaur Hunt in 3 Acts, by Owen

Act 1. Oh no! There's a dinosaur in my room. Aren't you going to stop it from viciously attacking me?



Act 2. Hmm... it seems like a friendly dinosaur. Maybe I will pet it.



Act 3. Yummy, dinosaurs taste good!

Grandchildren on your knee...

With two of Owen's grandparents turning 64 this summer, we just can't seem to get that darn song out of our heads. So, in honor of Grandpa's birthday and Nana's recent visit, we post some photos of him... on his grandparents' knees.

Hungry, hungry hippo

Owen has started "eating" "solid" food. It's quite an ordeal for all involved. We mix some rice cereal or oatmeal with milk, put him in his bumbo chair (a chair that helps babies sit before they can do it alone) wearing a bib and as little else as possible, and then try to get some of the food in his mouth. For the first several attempts he refused to cooperate, taking the opportunity to close his lips - tight - and blow bubbles. Then, about halfway through the fifth or sixth session, he suddenly "got it" and started opening his mouth wide for each bite and fussing if they didn't come fast enough (which for him was continuously). Now he tries to help, which means that in order to get any food at all to its designated target we have to hold down his arms for each bite. We tried giving him a spoon to hold, but he keeps gagging himself with it.

A few interesting traits have emerged along with this developmental milestone. The first is that we think he is right handed - he almost always uses his right hand to grab the spoon and gag himself, no matter how we present it to him. The other is that he has been showing huge interest in whatever we eat, and especially, drink. I used to almost always drink a glass of water while nursing him (I swear there's something hormonal about it that makes you thirsty) but now I can't, because he gets so jealous.

The Orglet has launched!

When we first found out I was pregnant, we called the baby-to-be "baby Orgey", a clever take on our two last names (don't you think?) But then the friend and faithful bloglet reader known as bowleserised coined the term "Orglet" and we adopted it instantly. A few weeks ago we hosted a welcome party for Owen and called it (what else?) an "Orglet launch" party. Highlights included a beautiful toast from Owen's godparents, Robin and Alan, a dinosaur cake, and a ceremonial event we borrowed from the film "The Namesake". We presented Owen with a tray of objects representing various potential careers, from policeman to political activist, cellular neuroscientist to systems neuroscientist, chess player to gambler... you get the idea. And alas, he chose...

... the BNC cable! (Representing systems neuroscience.) Perhaps not a surprise. But, at least we tried - no one can say we didn't give him a choice!

It was quite a party. Just ask Owen and Meredith:

Great expectations

Believe it or not, we had our first parent-teacher conference last week at Owen's daycare. He did really well on his first report card. They said his special strengths were rolling over, smiling, and grabbing toys. He also babbles a lot and likes to be "cuddle on his teacher arms". He screams louder than any of the other babies. Areas for improvement include holding his own bottle. It's all about setting your expectations, isn't it?

Keep on movin'

Owen has a constant desire to move. The urge is so strong that it keeps him from sleeping. He certainly won't sleep on his back, despite all the evidence that it prevents SIDS. We're lucky if we can get him to stop moving long enough to fall asleep in any position. Even then, most nights we are awakened at least once by a desperate plea to rescue some combination of his limbs from the side of the crib. During the day he is so active that we can no longer put him down and assume that he'll stay where we leave him. He's trying so hard to crawl - pushing and kicking and grunting - but for now he has to settle for rolling over and over and over as his main form of transportation. He has a new alphabet playmat to soften the blow when he throws his head against the floor.

Beach boy

We went to the beach this weekend. Owen had a great time playing with the beach ball, and also his sun hat and swimming trunks. (Mommy and Daddy accidentally left his real toys in the car, but fortunately he's not too picky about that yet.) It was cloudy and chilly, but being half English he didn't seem to mind at all.

Happy 4th of July!

The British are coming! The British are coming!

Bad hair day? What do you mean?

Babies are insane

Behavior that would be considered extremely bizarre in adults is somehow cute in babies. Like, blowing bubbles and saying buh buh buh for hours at a time, just because you can. Or writhing around on the floor with your entire body wrapped around a stuffed inchworm. Or making repeated attempts to roll from your back to your front... only to find yourself on your tummy, which you hate. Or trying to get your entire fist in your mouth, instead of your lunch. Every single time.