Small talk

Keaton, the Skipper, our cute little ball of flesh, has googly eyeballs.

He likes to sit in our arms and stare at us, as if there's something hanging from our noses and he's too polite to say anything, but not polite enough not to stare.

This is the sign of a curious young mind; an observer of the world, taking it all in through wide-eyed stares.

Just a week shy of being two months old, he's not expected to say much. He's not expected to say anything, really, which explains my surprise when one day, out from his pursed little mouth, came this noise:

"Coo."

So he cooed, in an ever-so faint way that made you think twice before you realized he wasn't passing gas.

A "coo" is baby talk, so technically we can't consider that his first word. But it was certainly his first noise other than crying, so it's worth documenting in the annals of time.

Cap'n Quinn, by contrast, is a verbal jukebox filled with coins.

What did you do today Quinn?

"Went to the park and saw the kid... then the purple guy and the shark ... and, and .... the pirate and the pirate and the blue guy ... and chicken and fries and then ... (spinning in circles) whoa! whoa!"

As bright and articulate as a nearly three-year-old can be, he still has more in his brain than his little mouth can handle at once.

The doctors say Quinn has mono, a virus which typically makes you lethargic and miserable. Quinn is ebullient and generally cheerful. I wish everybody had his kind of mono.

Certainly, he's worth staring at with googly eyes.

A spot of mono

Nobody likes to be sick.

And nobody likes to be sick with lymph glands swollen to the size of grapes, a 100-plus degree fever, massive flaming tonsils, chapped lips and a faceful of spots.

Quinn, however, doesn't seem to mind. It's 9:15 p.m. on Saturday -- way past bed time -- and the Cap'n is spinning in circles, looking to play with his bubbles and finishing a movie. I'd enforce some kind of curfew if I wasn't so pleased that he isn't miserable.

Because yesterday afternoon, I was worried.

Constant complaints about a sore mouth and a sore belly, coupled with the high fever, precipitated our second visit to the doctor in a week. Initially, the doctor was visibly worried -- the massive size of his lymph nodes led her to fear the worst. But a favorable blood test showed he is more likely fighting off a virus, and he has the symptoms of mononucleosis.

Our hope, naturally, is that this mono (or whatever it is) runs its course quickly, rather than the months-long lethargy that can come with the illness. So far, our fears are subsiding. Despite difficulty sleeping and periodic fevers, the good Cap'n Quinn has been his normal ebullient self, albeit spotted and bored from being stuck indoors.

Perhaps the most challenging part has been keeping him away from his little brother.

Keaton continues to fill out nicely. The little Skipper loves to look around at the world, his big eyes wandering at whatever moves, no matter the hour.

Naturally, we'd prefer he stick to eating, sleeping and pooping in regular intervals, but a little human curiosity isn't something to discourage.

Makin' progress

We're past the three week mark in the young Skipper's life and, not surprisingly, he's getting cuter by the day.

With every bottle of milk our wee little man fills out even more. What was once a tiny little sprite with scrawny little frog legs is already showing signs of becoming a big strong boy. Along with that comes a growing curiosity to see the world, to look around a bit. Unfortunately for us, he seems to like the time around 2 a.m. best.

The adventures continued this weekend, as Keaton and his big brother, Cap'n Quinn, ventured to the Washinton County Fair. After visiting the regular collection of farm animals, and after a few nibbles of a corn dog, Quinn took his first crack at carnival rides. Depite Daddy's initial apprehension, he proved yet again that he's no longer a baby boy. He rode a helicopter ride with his Grandma Smith, and motorcycle, alligator, space ship, and construction truck rides all by himself.

Seeing that, Daddy realized his little guy is growing up -- even if he still tries to fit in Keaton's infant carrier.