I know we're overdue in putting up more pictures. They'll be coming soon.
Jem has progressed over the last week in two major ways. First, she is SMILING now. Woo! At first I wasn't sure whether it was for real or just gas. Then, when she turned six weeks on Thursday, there was an avalanche of smiles in response to us. We knew then for sure. Oh it's pure sweetness, but I've yet to be able to capture one to share here. I'll keep trying.
The second major progression is that Jem is now talking. TALKING! And she's not even seven weeks old yet! It's been such a wonderful change from the constant angry kitty spitting and howling. At first it came by way of some coos, whines and sighs, but now she's starting to build her vocabulary. Want to know what her first word was? "Hoo!"
What? You think "Hoo!" isn't a word? Let me quote from Websters Revised Unabridged (see www.dictionary.com):
Ho \Ho\, Hoa \Hoa\ (h[=o]), interj. [Cf. F. & G. ho.] 1. Halloo! attend! -- a call to excite attention, or to give notice of approach. ``What noise there, ho?'' --Shak. ``Ho! who's within?'' --Shak.
2. [Perhaps corrupted fr. hold; but cf. F. hau stop! and E. whoa.] Stop! stand still! hold! -- a word now used by teamsters, but formerly to order the cessation of anything. [Written also whoa, and, formerly, hoo.]
The duke . . . pulled out his sword and cried ``Hoo!'' --Chaucer.
An herald on a scaffold made an hoo. --Chaucer.
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\Hoo\, interj. 1. See Ho. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. Hurrah! -- an exclamation of triumphant joy. --Shak.
Leave it to a little bug to not only choose an interjection as her first word, but to quote Shakespeare and Chaucer as well.
Bug was sitting next to us when this gem uttered forth. We had fun hoo'ing till Bug's bedtime.
