celebrating the little things...

Dear Augosto.

I've written a lot about your sleep habits. How you like to sleep whenever you feel like it. And how you prefer anything but the crib. Stuff like that.

Now, I want to mention a few words about "waking up."

One would assume that when a baby wakes up from a long nap, he/she would cry to let the parents know "Hey you people who feed me and clothe me, I'm up!"

This is not particularly your style.

When you wake up, you GRUNT(I don't know a better word how to describe it but that's exactly what you do.). And you don't do it once or twice. You do it a lot.

First, it starts out tiny. Like a small cough. Then, it increases volume. Like you're trying to clear your throat. It continues to get louder and more elaborate until it sounds like your trying to lift a car with those chunky legs you have.

Your mother has compared what you do to the main character in the movie SLINGBLADE. He grunts too. But he's not 2 months old. And he's usually awake.

The funny part about this is that your eyes usually remain closed the whole time you're doing this.

I am convinced that you are not grunting because you want us to know you are awake. You are doing it because you want us to be aware of what you accomplished.

If it were a conversation, it would go like this.

AUGOSTO-- "GRUNT" = "Hey, mom. Dad. Look, I'm awake."
ME--"Great. Do you want to read a book now?"
AUGOSTO-- "GRUNT" = "No. You're not paying attention. I'm awake. Look."
ME-- "I am looking."
AUGOSTO-- "GRUNT" = "Isn't that cool? or what?"
ME-- "Yes, it is cool."
AUGOSTO-- "GRUNT" -- "I am awake! I am awake! I AM AWAKE!"

If this was a musical, this is the part where dancers and singers and mariachis would come out and celebrate, "He is awake!"

As I think about all this, it makes me realize how the smallest things seem so trivial to someone like me. Waking up. Breathing. Walking. Using two hands.

And yet to you, someone who is still new to the game of life, it is the biggest deal in the world.

So, grunt away young man and I'll grunt with you.

Sleep well.

Love.

Dad.