I think Pooky’s development has suddenly accelerated. As I wrote a little bit ago, she just started learning to crawl. She hasn’t quite mastered it yet, but she’s making progress. Now, suddenly, she’s learned three new tricks, all involving the hands. The first, which we’ve been practicing for months, is the bye bye wave. It caught us totally by surprise when she waved goodbye to her aunt after a visit. I guess we finally waved her hand for her enough times that something clicked. Now she does it all the time. The second trick is the hand clap. This is a fun one, as we usually chant “Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap your hands! Clap! Clap!” then scream “Yaaaay!!!” as she mashes her hands together and laughs. Lastly, she’s learned to give me five. I’ll say “Gimme five! Give! Daddy! Five!” and she’ll slap my hand and grin. We love that one.

At this point, probably more than any other, having a kid is like having a pet. There’s nothing better than when they learn a new trick. Letterman should have a segment called “Stupid Baby Tricks,” if he doesn’t already. I can’t wait to see what Pooky’s next trick will be.