next trip and new skills

In case I don't find time tomorrow morning to post, I wanted to let you all know that we're traveling for most of this week. E and "Grandma" and I are leaving on an early afternoon flight, going to my Association for Managers of Innovation meeting in Death Valley National Park, California. We fly into and out of Las Vegas, will spend a night there on either end. I am trying to finish packing tonight, but I just hate doing it. I have E's cold too, which is draining my energy. I'm looking forward to the trip though. We'll be back Thursday night, 19th.

Today Emma was practicing a new movement I call "bopping". Looks like she's dancing in her chair, her shoulders and head bouncing up and down. I first saw it in the grocery cart, then during lunch in her high chair, listening to old-school R&B on the radio. She smiles when she does it, like she knows a secret, and waits for me to bop along with her. (It was easier to dance to R&B music than to bop along to Garrison Keillor's storytelling, which is what was on during dinner.)

I do believe she's saying "cat". It's not a clear 'c' sound, more gutteral, but she says it for dogs, cartoon pictures, and out of the blue when I guess she's just thinking about cats. I heard her say "bye-bye" too, but only once. Sounded more like "blah blah". I thought Baby's First Word would be more of a distinct, dramatic event!