Return to the Land of the Milestone

I had kind of forgotten what a big emphasis is placed on newborn milestones. (This may be partially due to the fact that some days it seems like Jack's next big milestone will be passing his drivers test.) We took Sam in for his 2 month check-up last week and they had a long list of milestones that he is supposed to have reached by this time. We answered in the affirmative to all of them, feeling so good about the little guy's progress. But then we got home and started to wonder, are those weird little noises he makes really considered coos? Does it count as a smile if I'm pretty certain that it is really the result of gas and not a reaction to me? Sure he lifts his head up but I really have no idea if it is a 45 degree angle or not. Of course with the second kid these doubts and questions are far less distressing than they were with Jack. Not that I'm lax about Sam's milestones, but I'm just much more willing to trust my instincts and assume that because he looks like he is on the right track to me that he is most likely progressing just fine. I would still feel better though if he would genuinely smile at me rather than smile then immediately fart or spit-up.

In Dog We Trust

Otis hasn't seemed all that interested in Sam. He gives the baby the occasional lick in passing, enjoys sniffing the diaper, and gives us a concerned look when Sam cries but that other than that he completely ignores the little guy. So you can imagine my surprise the other day when Otis showed his true colors. We were showing the man from the moving company (the story behind this is a whole other posting) around while Sam was sleeping on the couch. As the man approached the couch Otis got up from his spot under the table and very pointedly put himself between the man and the couch. He didn't threaten him, just lay down between Sam and the stranger and didn't move until the man left. Now besides viciously barking at just about any thing, imagined or real, that approaches the house,Otis has never really shown any chops as a guard dog. However, after his performance yesterday I am ready to give the old goof a little more credit. I guess that sweet pup loves my boys, for which I love him even more.