I think it only fair to warn you that this post will be excruciatingly dull. It will consist of five photos, all of the same baby in roughly the same position doing roughly the same thing, which is to say, nothing. The post will contain neither narrative arc nor satisfying resolution. It is merely a platform for sharing a handful of unmemorable photos that nonetheless fill my heart with a kind of knee-buckling warmth.

Now that you have been warned, I will continue with the visual monotony.

August is two weeks old today. He still sleeps most of the time, but he has a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening when he is shockingly alert.

The kid likes to lounge.

We took him to the doctor on Thursday and learned that he is growing at a satisfying clip. At 12 days of age he had not only regained his birth weight, but exceeded it by six ounces. Which is to say, failure to thrive is probably not in his future. We might just have a big boy on our hands.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

For now, all I know is that it’s is Christmas eve, and all of us are here together enjoying the glow of the tree. Robbi is making cookies. Alden is eying the presents with all the restraint she can muster.

It’s our first Christmas Eve as a family of five. Here’s to many more to come.