Never have so few words said so much!

The other day the Critter was commencing one of his classic crankups for something or another. Usually he’s tired and we’re trying to feed, dress, change or swaddle him. Anyway - loud guttural, prolonged grunt (envision a muscleman trying to lift something like a car, or someone trying to squeeze out the hardest BM ever); screwed up red face; arched back with heels dug in… just the perfect picture of infant indignation. He looks like a baby possessed.

Which we find hysterical.
So we start to laugh.

He gets this surprised look on his face and then busts into this huge grin and chortles along with us. Which makes us laugh all the harder. Somewhere between the tears of hysteria I manage to say in babytalk: “you are SO BUSTED! Yes you are! Who's got your number now? Mommy & Daddy, that's who!! Googiddygoo goo goo!”

I didn’t think infants were capable of such histrionic behavior until they were a little older (and they develop that wonderful puke-on-demand just as Mom & Dad leave for a night out ability) but now I wonder if there might be more goin' on behind those baby blues than I thought!.

Turns out I'm not the only one: Innovative Studies Reveal that Infants' Minds are Much More Emotionally and Intellectually Complex than Previously Believed.

I totally buy the jealousy thing. Duncan and the Dog have this adorable little mutual envy thing goin' on. If we ignore the dog and play with the baby Jinx will bring us every toy she can find in the house and toss it in our lap, hoping to initiate a game with *her*. And if we play with the dog and ignore Duncan, he starts grunting and kicking in frustration, only to smile disarmingly once he wins our attention. The other night, Curt made a big show out of taking Duncan's favorite rattle and pretending to chew on it blissfully. Christ on a cracker you should have seen the sideways LOOK of sheer betrayal he got! And the heartfelt SIGH! And the sad little dramatic closing of the eyes and dramatic look away. If he had more motor control I swear he'd have crossed his arms in a perfect pout.

Damn he's adorable! Yeah, he's so got our number. We're so screwed.