Happy Dwarf

Apparently, recently Kobe Bryant's daughters have been calling him "grumpy dwarf" since he's been especially intense and irritable during this year's NBA playoffs. If Ryosei, our four and a half month old little guy, were to be assigned a seven dwarf nickname, I think "happy dwarf" would be the best fit. He does cry his head off some of the time but when he's calm and/or being held he's really smiley. Yesterday we took a day-trip--as in ALL DAY--to the U.S. consulate in Osaka, Japan to make his passport. We had to take passport pictures at a nearby photo shop. The photographer squeezed a little squeaky ball and Ryosei delivered a textbook response. He immediately looked in the direction of the ball and smiled. When he's nursing, except for unusual occasions when he's really hungry, he'll gladly detach and smile at anyone willing to engage him in conversation. Even when he's sleeping, he's been known to smile when you talk in a soothing voice to him. To him, his older sister Arielle is the greatest show on earth. Arielle is really the only one that makes him flat-out laugh. We like our happy little man.