this will hold ya.

once again i find myself being inspired to write when it is well past my bedtime.
i have a benefits meeting (ala conference call) tommorrow morning that i dont want to miss.
things like that actually mean something to me these days.

these past two days have been great. its sooo neat for akello to get more and more enjoyable with each passing day. his attention span is growing, and its a little easier to figure out what his crys mean.

i have been using my sling more and more. He is just so heavy and Its really taxing my back to hold hime for any length of time (an hour or so). so i use the sling. and i wouldnt say its hands free. but it is definitly easier to hold him.

Heres a picture of tummy time when its going well


and not so well


he is to the point to where he realizes that he has hands. He can bat and grip. we have batting practive once or twice a day by holding something for him within arms reach right above him. Theresa has some good ideas about rigging something from the ceiling. stay tuned for that.


My parents are know for their Collection of Native American art. you'd think some tribal elder died and put them in his will. im serious. while thats not the case, it has in some way rubbed off on myself, and i have a penchant for N.A. art and myth to a degree.

So it was only a matter of time that my parents would buy him something off the rez.
Actually it was at the latest PowWow here in austin.

Since Akello is a little turtle, they picked up this little peice of cedar carved into a feather and then painted with a turtle. it is very fitting for our little guy.



theres a book that i read to akello often called "the leapords drum" a great story about how the little guy outsmarts the big guy. the hero is a turtle! its so funny, because today i was reading it to akello and he was attentive and reading along. when i got to the climax of the story he squealed with delight when the turtle outsmarted the leapord. i was like, "thats right!" and then i got excited.

He does that all the time. he will say something at the weirdest moments that make us think he knows whats going on.

another funny moment today..,
i was holding him in the sling and he was just chilling out. not saying anything, just sucking on his hand, and i pull up my thermos to take a sip of coffee.
i take a sip and pull the thermos away and spy akello looking at me with the blankest of stares. Not moving a muscle.
kinda like as if to say "you told me that we were out of coffee!"

i laughed so hard, but softly and lightly. he then laughed b/c i was laughing. so i laughed even harder! and then he laughed harder. it was definitly one of my fav moments with him to date.



its getting colder, and he's liking his little hat!