Clap, Wave, High Five, Repeat.

Noah is growing not slowly, but in leaps and bounds. I guess that is a given--even a cliche that you always hear but never realize it's literal truth until you have a child of your own.

His current most favorite activities of the day are those that involve the two incredibly complex and wiggly things at the ends of his arms. His hands provide endless hours of fascination for him. He stares at them intently as he holds them close to the tip of his nose and jiggles his fingers and open and closes his fists--open and shut, open and shut.

"Golly gee, that's cool" I can hear his little voice repeating over and over in his head with each concentrated clinch.

It isn't surprising then, that he has discovered some great new things to occupy his little hands with. He claps, waves goodbye and attempts the high five every chance he gets--that is, with the exception of when I try to get him to do it when someone is watching or worse yet, waiting. Usually he's most proficient after the person leaving has just turned their back to walk away or closed the door after salutations. And he claps best after the joke has long turned stale and left the room along with the teller.

Nevertheless, Dean and I know he can do it. Jeesh, he does it in his sleep. He whops me in the nose each time he does.

And, "Golly gee, that's cool" I can hear a little voice repeating over and over in my head with each of those dreamy clinched fists in my face.