Agoo

I'll start this post off with a sight we often see but rarely think to capture. Madeline tends not to be fond of waking up in the morning even though it's a process she instigates herself; hence, the following:

But that grumpy a.m. phase disappears in an instant, as her shock at being awake gives way to interest in the world around her. This particular morning she saw Nathan and Brenna again. All these people are certainly interesting. And, for our part, we were able to make it to brunch at Olga's Cup + Saucer.

Madeline was awake for the ride over, but once there seemed to say, "This is too much!" and therefore promptly fell asleep.

After a while, though, she woke up. She still appeared overwhelmed, but her mama is good at making everything better.

Back at home, a simpler place, she recuperated from her overwhelmedness with a good nap on her mama ...

... followed by a good nap on grandma.

All this napping would seem to suggest that Madeline's most recent growth spurt has passed. Naps aren't the only sign: she's eating a bit less frequently and seeming to focus more on other sorts of development, examining her surroundings more closely and expanding her range of coos and gurgles. Or, as she'd say, "Agoo." And, finally, tears are beginning to appear in her eyes when she cries, but they haven't yet begun to stream, thank goodness.

Returning to the narrative: to top off the day, we had a low-light photo shoot with a happy grandpa.

Tomorrow the grandparents return to Oregon, and the day-to-day cast of supporting characters in Madeline's life will again be reduced to two. It's probably too much to ask of a six-week-old (well, soon to be seven), but perhaps Madeline will be able to expand her babbling repertoire a step beyond "agoo" and muster a "goodbye" or, even better, "see you again soon!"