Gus-tastic!

Here is my nephew, Gus, age 12 months.

At 1 year old he can sit, squeal, give people "the stink eye" and make friends with other babies and toddlers at restaurants. He's a pretty social little guy.

Some great baby-like things that I love about him are:

• Still bathes in the kitchen sink, but is eating real food now even if fully pureed.
• Enjoys naps in his car sets and doesn't mind the stiff breeze from the Jeep with the doors off -- though I do wonder if baby-seats were really designed for Jeeps!?
• Loves to be upside down and spun around, too!

He's my kind of nephew. Check him out...

I think he'll be a wedding singer someday.

Now for the videos -- prepare yourself for the Cute!

Isn't it cute how he rearranges the magazines and catalogs;

so here's my attempt at 12 seconds of maximal Gus cuteness.

Gus gets distracted by magazines

I have several great Gus photos from the recent trip, but this one is among the best. I tell ya, the kid was *obsessed* with magazines!

He would spread them out all over and flip through the smaller, kid-sized (or probably purse-sized) ones as if he wanted to read or order something. Maybe he'll convince mommy and daddy to buy something nice for themselves? He's such a cutie.

Gus gets distracted by magazines

Family visit to Aaron and Stacey + Nephew GUS in Raleigh

These photos and many more were uploaded to flickr for matthewsunessa today. Feel free to browse the whole photos set "Raleigh Visit 2009" for more photos, witty titles, and so on.

It was really nice to meet Gus -- more photos of him in the next posting -- and to reconnect with Aaron and Stacey. They are wonderful hosts, easy to be around as friends, and a joy to call "family". I enjoy how much they laugh together and how clearly they enjoy their son, home, and garden that they've grown there in Raleigh.

We saddle up to the ice cream bar

Aaron gives the Meredith College campus tour Matthew and Stacey with their gelatos

Sunny and the weeping redwood

We look forward to seeing the campus in full bloom next spring, and to seeing another birthday (many more actually!) for our little Gus-ster. I know he'll be a toddler soon, but what a little chunk he is now!