he's back!

And we are all thrilled that he is.

Blake met my aunt and uncle in the city this morning to pick Garrett up. I met them on the stoop as they approached our building. Garrett saw me and came running, his arms flapping happily as he did. He seemed so content to see us both that he gave each of us kisses with hardly any prompting to do so.

Judging by the joyous circles he ran around in once were inside the apartment, I'd say he's happy to be back on his home turf.

I think his little vacation did him as much good as it did me: he's come back to us with a stronger inclination to talk than he had before. I guess spending a few days around people who don't understand all of his non-verbal forms of communication has forced him to try a little harder to use actual words. I'm certainly not complaining.

I am forever grateful to my family for taking my son off my hands for most of this last week as getting the rest I needed would have been impossible with him around. And I'm relieved to have learned that he was a good boy while he was away. But I'm so happy to have him home again.