On the Perils of Learning Sign Language

Well, I am very very excited because -- after a brief two weeks of his clapping in order to get food from us back when he was 9 months old, and not another bit of sign language since -- the Bug has officially learned the hand sign for "more." He got it down pat 2 weeks ago, and now signs it at me mostly when he wants food, but sometimes for an encore reading of a book as well.

It doesn't always mean things are easier, however. When I was driving along a few days ago, every time I turned around to check on him, he lifted up his hands and signed "more" and I basically just kept throwing Cookie Monster cookies back at him for the whole drive. This morning, I made the mistake of eating some left over Pad Thai and feeding him some of it. Afterwards, he kept spotting the takeout carton in the trash, lifting it up, handing it to me, and signing "more" at me. I kept having to open the carton and show him that there wasn't any left.

This went on for 3 hours.

But there are advantages to his actually communicating his needs, right? No matter how, well, needy they seem to be. . .

More photos soon!

I promise! Later this week.

David Foster Wallace & Us

Yes, it's been quite awhile since we posted anything. Lots been going on (when is it not?) around here this past month. But one thing we did want to note is the sad, sad loss of one of our favorite and important writers. Important not only for his unique style, wit, and astounding wordplay - but also because, as many of you may know, David Foster Wallace brought us together in a tangential, footnote-laden way. The story is long and sordid; I think it may be in a post further down.

We do have a taped voicemail of him congratulating us on our wedding. I believe he may have actually used the word "horrified." But that makes it all the more precious because who (else) would use that word to describe a wedding? We really need to go find that tape and digitize it.

There's not much that can be said here that hasn't been said in the rest of the mediaverse. So I'll just thank you, David, for the finite impossibility of Infinite Jest, for cracking me up , and for helping us find each other.