Milestones: The Birth of the Cool

In his second week, Miles has had several exciting events take place.

First, Miles met some more family. From Virginia, Aunt Michaela/Tita visited on Friday, and she made him a Super Baby. She's thrilled to be an aunt, since she can spoil him but not have to deal with the crying at night. Miles also met some New York family when Grandpa Jim and Morai (informal Gaelic for "grandmother," pronounces MO-ree) visited. In their visit, we took Miles for his first extended outing, to downtown Annapolis. Not only did Miles experience his first stroller ride, Mum got to test-drive her huge diaper bag, and Papa introduced Miles to some students, who were thrilled to meet him, even offering to babysit! Miles thoroughly loves his stroller and does not feel pushed away from his parents. Instead, he tends to sleep in it.

Second, Miles went to church for the first time, staying very quiet during the whole service and only sleeping for a tiny bit. We are truly blessed to belong to such a group, who have been praying for us throughout the pregnancy. Miles was generally happy to see everyone there.

Third, we took Miles to see his first movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The couple sitting next to us was skeptical during the obnoxiously loud previews, but Miles proved them wrong by being quieter than the people in front of us. He only made noise with his baby snores at the end of the movie. The theatre-goers complimented Miles on his quietness and attention to the movie. (Miles visibly startled when the inferi grabbed Harry's ankle.) After the movie, we took Miles to my softball game, where the coach tried to recruit him. I think Miles' only valid excuse is his inability to walk. But that'll only last another year, so I expect to see him playing next year.

Fourth, Miles' two-week checkup has him weighing over eight pounds. This is very exciting, since it means that he's regained birth weight (plus five ounces). So, Mum and Papa don't need to set alarms any longer, and Miles will just wake us Mum up when he needs to eat.

Last, Miles' tummy time has begun. He's not thrilled by it, but he can lift his head up some, but not for very long. Tummy time also means that the cats are allowed to become more curious about him, as Grendel (left) demonstrates. They're not hostile, only generally disinterested, as you can see Dragon looking out the window, trying to ignore the existence of a baby.


Grandma and Grandpa got to babysit for a few hours this week and they were thrilled. They even banished the dog for the time.