Four months!

Gabriel is 4 months old today!

People here LOVE him. He's precisely the kind of baby people love anyway - chubby, happy, friendly - but there seems to be a culture of baby-appreciation here that is particularly effusive and demonstrative. Every time we go out, at least one person will stop to admire him and say "Mashalla," a word of blessing. It is not unusual for random people - usually young women - to ask me for permission to kiss his fat little cheek.

Valerie gets attention too - everyone wants to pinch her cheek (you can imagine she loves THAT! Our little agoraphobe/xenophobe/misanthrope...) - but Gabriel elicits shrieks (I'm not exaggerating) of admiration from older women and even indulgent smiles from hip young teens. And he eats it up! He smiles and laughs at everybody, and loves getting passed around at Terry's office.

He really likes sitting up and looking around, and prefers to ride in the Bjorn facing out. I think soon he is going to start rolling over. I don't know if we are giving him enough tummy time - I do it when I remember to.

And in honor of his 4-month mark, we are officially starting sleep training tonight. Wish us luck...!!!