The Slew Slain, or The Perils of Too Much Travel

This is what I know: when you have a small child, you will spend more time traveling with, preparing to travel with, thinking about traveling with and finishing traveling with said child than doing anything else in younnr entire life. My friend Jeanmarie likes to say that we live in CA, and just visit Seattle. Which makes our apartment a crazy expensive vacation rental, but at least it's full of stuff we like. I offer this observation as an explanation for the radio silence.
To address some common questions: No, he's not walking yet and no, he doesn't seem interested which is fine by us. I don't think it means he's not going to go to college. Yes, he continues to eat with giddy abandon-- including avocado. He's moved on to chicken and occasional shots of ground beef. Cheese is still preferred. Still has only 7 teeth (4 on top, 3 lower-- a fact which never ceases to amuse me) but has grown considerably. I would post his data from the one year exam, but I think it's outdated now. He's a nice, round 25 lbs, but I swear he's grown an inch in the past week. Enjoy these pictures-- from here on out, he looks like a little boy.

Dylan, Sam and Ryan examining Sam's new noisy toy.
6.26.09

Ryan and Mike (I suspect photographed by Dylan, but who knows)

Auntie Cait and Uncle Mike (photo by Ryan/Dylan)
I know, I know-- these are not pictures of Sam. But these are the wonderful and long suffering folks who hosted us and Sam's birthday in Clovis.

Grandad Jim, holding Sam who is looking at Great Grandpa Fred

Grandad and Sam making noise on Dodi's floor (Great Grandma Dolores).

July 14, 2009 video of Mama making Sam laugh. Yes, I'm making bizzare noises, but I love the little bugger.