From My Mother’s Journal, July 6, 1984

I’m terrible at winking. I look kind of spastic, like there is something wrong with my eye, a twitch or something. Now I know that I have my Aunt Leslie to blame…

(Also, Bo was a black poodle we had. Not the prissy kind. The fun, lovable, tear-up-your-curtains-when-you’re-gone kind.)

July 6, 1984 (a little over a year old)

I haven’t written in a couple of months. Everything is sort of chaotic around here. Your Aunt Leslie has come to live with us.

You have learned all kinds of things in the last two months: you are pulling toys, running very well, can say no, Bo, e(gg), an “n” sound for drink or eat, you’re pointing to what you want, can point to your head, eyes, nose, knees, belly, ear.

You love Bo and Sugar, a German Shepherd that we’ve adopted. You play and scream when both of them are playing in the house.

You will hand Mommy something you’re playing with if I ask for it.

Guess what? You’re sleeping all night now. Instead of going to you if you woke up, after bedtime, we’d let you cry. You only cried 6 minutes 1^st night, then about a minute a couple of times during the night. Then, you just started sleeping all night. If I nursed you and you didn’t go to sleep, you would only cry a minute.

Last 2 days, you’ve felt real bad. You threw up twice at 6:30 am, then slept until 8:00 am. Feverish, crying a little.

You learned to wink today. Aunt Leslie showed you how. You can also blow a kiss, and while you are blowing the kiss, you say “Bo.” Real cute.

You are very good company now. Much fun to be with. You can really climb well, too. You can even climb up in your high chair if the tray is off.