Can You Sign Love?

I realize that we are overdue for some Leo pictures, but first, let me tell you what is making me happy today.

Well actually, there are a couple things.

First, scroll down and take a peep at the hit counter on this blog. 96, 587??!!! Really? REALLY?! I can't tell you how this makes me feel. Ok, you've convinced me. I'll try to share. The fact that over the last almost two years of Leo's life you have faithfully read this blog, emailed it to friends, and mentioned his name in your prayers, breaks my heart. In a very good way, but there you have it. It breaks my heart to know that over 96 thousand times someone has thought of our boy and read my, very frequently, rambling and badly composed words. I'm so happy that Leo's story holds so much that you are still clicking back to this blog. Why would that make me happy? Because in some way, perhaps that is one of the reasons all this happened in the first place.  No baby is born without purpose and no baby dies without purpose either. Perhaps somewhere, somehow, Leo's story will give someone hope, and I can't imagine a better purpose then that.
All I can say, though trite, is nevertheless, said with the whole heart: THANK YOU!!

The second is that today, Leo officially has communicated his first word. And it seems to fit the theme of this post in some way. Although he has been making sounds like Mama for a while, today he signed the word "baby" at me. After a month of 'Baby Signing Time class," at the local library I wasn't sure if I should write it off as a waste of time since he didn't seem to be catching on. However, today, when Leo was playing with a baby doll which promptly got lost in a corner he turned to me, and very empathically, made the sign for "baby." He was surprised when instead of fetching it for him, his mama started bawling swooped him into a huge and embarrassing bear hug...  Sheesh mum, get a grip!

Ok, baby, I don't promise anything, but you keep using these chubby fingers for signing instead of grabbing and pulling my hair or other parts of my anatomy and I will try to keep the tears of joy from overpowering me too often..

Trying to relax on the new deck. Leo isn't sold yet on the whole new house experience.

 But bouncing around on the bed with big sister is fun anywhere!! These pics taken by said big sis after Leo performed his gymnastics of standing up for a couple second on his own and then free falling backwards. So hilarious, but slighty nerve wracking for the supervising grownup..