Steven: OK: the bottom picture is very similar to the one I posted in December, but you can clearly see the improved posture, trunk control, core body strength, and impending uber-cuteness. Our child has transformed from a mostly inanimate blob to a roly-poly bundle of giggles, squawks, and coos. His hair is this soft brown chaotic mass that curls up tight when wet, but I think will be eminently more manageable than that of his more nappy-headed brother (can I say that??).

Both are (knock on wood) blessedly sleeping through the night which has allowed us to return to a semblance of sanity in our lives. The winter has been harsh, so venturing outside has been a less common that I would like, but Kofi, at least, has gotten to play in the snow. We spend most of our weekends indoors, though still make it to Flour for coffee most Saturday mornings. Somehow our nanny is able to maneuver the two kids into their winter clothes and out the door in the double stroller with a facility and grace that eludes me. With Rob helping, we are able to do it fairly well; how she manages on her own is a mystery, but we are ever grateful to her reliable and nurturing presence in the kids' lives.

Gil is now 6 months old and is eligible to be legally adopted. I still haven't heard from our lawyers to see if they have filed the paperwork with the Commonwealth; it usually takes 3 months to get a court date, so we are eager to get the ball rolling. Once I adopt Gil, then it's a simple matter of getting married, filing for second parent adoptions, adding "Hair" to Kofi's name (before the Ralston, no hyphen), opening two 529c accounts (in case the football scholarships don't come through), and then our family life can move forward. It's not clear that Texas will reprint birth certificates with both our names on them which is more frustrating and insulting than legally important.

Tonight, we all played on the bed before bath time: Kofi jumping around and squealing with delight, Gil following his every movement, rapt with fraternal wonder, his mouth open with wide smile, occasionally emitting a satisfied and approving whoop, eep, or self-satisfied raspberry.