Santa's Little Helper

A small boy visited me today, riding on his mother's hip and leaning out over all he surveyed with twinkling interest in his blue-gray eyes.

Our little grand-nephew Gabriel the New is almost five months old.  His hat proclaims him Santa's Little Helper, but all he can do is wriggle.  In his jaunty red snap-closed jumper, he rolled and squeaked on the floor while the giant adults all around him watched, delighted.

Nothing quite compares to a cute baby in a good mood.  This one, of course, is our current favorite and barely has to move to set everybody within shouting distance rushing to his aid, which he loves.  In truth, his expression says he is somewhat amused by what goes on around him, but show him a cell phone or other small gadget and his attention is riveted.  His feet kick, his body bucks and bounces and his hands reach slowly toward the dazzling gizmo.  His eyes lock onto it and his mouth forms an O.  I hope teachers in his future can get that kind of response to what they need to teach him.

All 15 pounds of Gabriel are healthy and will increase to 16 pounds soon and beyond.  He is well loved and has oodles of confidence and basks in the secure comfort of total affection, a lucky boy, captain of his ship and master of a tiny universe.  There is no cringe or ducking shyness in this little one.  No, he will be a handful when he gets his feet under himself.  Until then, every last member of the family and friends everywhere adore him and love is innocent immobility for now.  I kissed him for luck and hope I see him again soon.

Cute Babies and Insect Feet

It's an odd thing to be looking at insect feet and wondering how they hold on to slick surfaces that are vertical, especially when everyone else is watching a cute baby gurgling and smiling.

I like cute babies, but, you know, they just cannot walk on walls or ceilings.

I don't know where to go with that thought, but there it is.

I'm glad babies don't have insect feet, because mothers would never want to nurse them up close to themselves.  You can imagine the screaming and edginess, can't you.  I hope genetic engineering never gets to that point.  Babies need to be cute so that parents won't really notice how much diapers cost.  Speaking of diapers, mothers who nurse need little porta potties to tie around their waists so babies nursing can just get potty trained at the same time.  In one end, out the other.  One stop shopping, so to speak.

I am thinking I am ready to go visit Gabriel The New again soon.  He is about a month and a half old, has gained weight steadily and is charming every visitor for miles.  His uber super mother, has finally finished her masters degree in sport psychology.

I guess, too, I could check out the insects' feet if I see any while I'm there.  Don't you think it's like Star Wars that insects can walk on water, rest upside down on ceilings, migrate hundreds and hundreds of miles?  Not one single insect looks capable of doing anything, really, but they do all sorts of bizarre things.  I mean, you aeronautical engineers, what are the chances a bee can actually fly?  I'm pretty sure no jets are patterned after them.

Babies, on the other hand, grow like mad when you aren't looking.  They get really stout, then they fall asleep solid as a little rock and grow taller all at once.  I heard that some babies have actually been measured after a 24-hour growth spurt two inches longer.  That's equal to insect feats. Or their feet.  

It's all mind-boggling, no matter which creature you choose to admire.  What can you say except it's all much stranger than fiction.  You can't make that stuff up.