In Like a Lion

We celebrated Leo's first week-i-versary yesterday with an official renaming of the blog. Although we've become quite attached to The Miles Files, our name since February 2007, we'd have some explaining to do to little Leo someday if we didn't find room for him on the marquee. So we are henceforth to be known as The Miles Files & Leo Log, or the MFLL for short.


Little Leo is settling in to his new home outside the womb. He has already established himself as an excellent sleeper... during the day.

Nighttime is a different story. So far, our little friend has the circadian rhythm of a raver. Like Wilson Pickett, he waits for the midnight hour. Then his love begins to shine.


With Miles' non-stop diurnal activity, and Leo's nocturnal restlessless, we really have our bases covered, 24/7. Why waste hours on sleep when you can be having quality time with your kids?

Fortunately, Lisa has been making progress in negotiating Leo's late night demands.

Daddy, however, is still waiting for the milk to come in on his pinky.

We felt some trepidation about how Miles would react to the arrival of his new brother and the resulting division of parental attention. So far, so good. Miles is showing a real interest in Leo and a touching concern for his well-being.

Now, whenever we're getting Miles ready to go outside, he asks, "Leo, too?"

Over the weekend we went shopping for Leo gear and took the new double stroller out for its inaugural spin.

The handling was a bit SUV-like, but Miles was pleased with his elaborate cup and snack holders, as well as his first-born position on the new family ride.

Of course, Miles' sanguine attitude may have been encouraged in part by all the big brother gifts he received from well wishers. Here he fends off an attack by a raccoon from Aunt Wendy.

Miles continues to amaze us with the growth of his vocabulary and the increasing complexity of his expressions--not to mention the resulting specificity of his demands. For example, he now asks to visit particular playgrounds by name, and pity the poor parent who tries to take him to one whose sandbox facilities do not measure up to those offered by Ravenna Park (above).

He recently showed off his conversational skills by inviting President Obama to join him for dinner.

Miles has also started to get some highly listenable results from his harmonica.

Miles has not been above taking advantage of his exhausted parents to extract a slight loosening of TV and YouTube restrictions.

So, despite all the changes afoot, Miles has found a way to stay in the driver's seat.