Nononono! Josephinie!

I know some of you all have been worried about Eenie-Weenie Josephinie. She's almost 16 months old -- but still slides those 9-month-old pants right over her teeny tushie. At 18 lbs. 10 oz., she's clinging to the 3rd percentile on the weight chart for obsessive parents. So small!

Anyhoo, you might think, Poor Josephine! Big Margaret has four-plus pounds on her, plus such a dramatic war-cry... And Dr. Lucy, Esq., not only has the benefit of much greater size (compared to a baby), but a superior intellect. (Lucy's favorite three words these days: "I knooow that!")

Well. You be the judge.



Poor Lucylu! Attacked by a pigeon-toed devil with an aluminum sugar spoon -- and where's her neglectful mother?? (Every time Josephine pauses, it's because I am yelling, "Josephine! Nonononono!!!") Meanwhile, away from the camera's eye, Margaret is flipping open my new cell phone (replaced after Josephine drowned the last one in spit) and yelling, "Hi-yo? Hi-yo?"

Yes, Margaret talks! She says, "Hi-yo!" And she says, "Uh-oh." Josephine says a lot of mamamama, which encourages me to drop everything and shout, "Mama! Yay! That's me! I'm Mama!!!" and then cover her in kisses. But until Josephine actually pats my knee with a Cheerio-dusted palm and -- at the same time -- says, "Mama!" you might as well call me Thomas, because I certainly have my doubts about her vocabulary. (I think it's more likely that she's saying something like "Kitty" in a meaningful way.)

So, there you go. She doesn't talk and she trips around the house like a cross between the wild-haired Gypsies and Ralphie Cifaretto. But she's my cutie-patootie and I am sure that someday she'll use that spoon for eating...