Dean switches it up

Anomaly #1: Amiable Dean

I lamented a while back that Dean seemed to go throughout his days in a monotone, only escalating if he was cranky about something.

Lately, however, he has been a very happy baby! He laughs so much, I'm almost like, "Who are you, child?" Unlike Cary, Dean's laugh is less giggle and more a chuckle (and many times even a maniacal guffaw), but it is still just as gratifying to hear it. It makes my heart majorly swell. I especially love it that no one makes him laugh as much as his Dad, either when he's tickling him or throwing him up in the air, or making a funny noise. The two of them together are super cute!



Anomaly #2: Dean talking

Yesterday, I was pointing to a picture of a ball in a book, and asked "What's this?" Truthfully, I was talking to Cary, because he's the know-it-all in the family. But my Deanie piped up and said, "Bbbbu." So I asked again, just to be sure. "What's this, Dean?" And he said it again, "Bbbbu."

No one but me and Michelle would know that he's saying "ball," but believe me, he is. I love it. All those books that said that my babies would be slow to verbalize because they were 1) twins 2) boys and 3) preemies? Harrumph!

Anomaly #3: Dean's teething (?)

OK I know I've cried tooth before, but this time I swear, I swear, I swear I see the tiniest hint of white poking out from his top gum. A tooth is trying mightily to make its way into this world. I don't know what's taking it so long, but it's trying. Poor little slowpoke tooth.

Anomaly #4: Dean is apparently on a diet

So anyone who knows us knows that Dean has always been a hearty eater. From birth. I've never had trouble with him eating, which is precisely why he is 23+ lbs., with a Buddha belly, and thighs like a stallion's.

But recently, I'd say in the last week or so, he has been rejecting food after three or four spoonfuls. Last night, he barely ate even one spoonful, whining instead for what we had on our dinner plates (they basically had the same thing, just blended more for toothless baby pallets). So we had to give him forkfuls of food off of our plates to get him to eat. Today, even that tactic ran out of steam and we resorted to putting single kernels of corn on the table in front of him (and Cary, for that matter) so he could finger-feed himself.

This is really knocking me off-balance, because -- try as I might -- I can't shake the feeling that he's not getting enough to eat. How did this happen seemingly overnight? And will my child waste away to nothing? Will every dinnertime meal from now on be a fight?

To keep myself from diving into the Worry Pool deep end, here's a heart-meltingly cute video of Dean laughing. (It happens quick at the beginning. If you blink, you'll miss it!)