8 months old!

These month photos are getting more and more challenging to take -- Kiefer is very aware of his little 'sign', and he very much wants to grab it, crumple it up, and eat it.

Eight months! As always, we can hardly believe it. We've been brainwashed, because we can hardly remember what life was like nine months ago -- it's all about this wiggly, screeching, magical little guy with the big blue eyes.

He has a few new games: one is screaming at the top of his lungs. If he's in your arms when this happens, be prepared for ringing ears. I'd love to know the decibel level of these howls, because they seem VERY loud. And while he can be a pretty independent explorer, there are times where he really wants to be picked up. At first, I was flattered and thought he just wanted to hang out with me, but now I suspect it is because he wants a better view. He crawls up to your feet, and then balances on his tummy while he kicks out his legs and flails his arms and screeches -- this is Kiefer for 'Pick me up, or I'll just hang on to your ankle and cry." It's pretty effective communication. Maybe I'll try it sometime...

We were also lucky enough to have my dad visit us for several days. He has a new building here in Madison (he's an architect), so he gets to come up on business about once a month for the next several months. Lucky us! Grandpa Dave hung out with us for about four days, and then was stuck here an extra day due to snow. Kiefer was enamored with his glasses and big silver watch. They read books, chatted about the weather, and just generally hung out.