baby sal

This year’s Fierro family Christmas was the first for my nephew, Baby Sal, who stole the show. He is remarkably well-tempered for a three month old and, as you can see, adorable. Bobby and Wendy have proven up to the challenge of parenthood, and are ensconced in the zen-like state of changing diapers, feeding, bathing, etc. that a newborn requires. It was an interesting preview of what our lives will soon (4-5 months) be like.

My mother in law spoke incessantly about this woman, who is apparently the talk of the baby world. Whenever baby Sal would cry or fuss, she would try to interpret the sounds. Skepticism and wisecracks aside (of which I supplied plenty), it is pretty fascinating.

By the end of the weekend I had perfected my own baby whispering, having lulled him to sleep not once, but twice, mid-Christmas dinner, while the aunts, uncles and cousins looked on in amazement. Uncle Justin was definitely in the house, even if he did lose $20 in the annual poker game.

There was much talk of the near future, as well as next Christmas, when Baby Sal will get to hang out with his cousin. On that front, Julia has started feeling much baby movement over the past week and we are counting the hours until next Friday, when we will find out the gender of the future offspring, setting off what will probably be the fiercest, most psychologically manipulative baby-naming debate in recorded history.