Oliver pulled up into a standing position on the couch yesterday. He's still not crawling per se, but scuttles his body across the floor like a fat crab. His physical progress is what strikes me with him, while at this point in Cora's infancy it seemed I could already hear her brain pulsating eagerly in her skull. It was about this time that Cora started responding to words and saying "oof oof" when we asked her what a puppy says. Oliver, on the other hand, doesn't seem drawn to intellectual pursuits just yet. He is intent on the tactile world, moving his body around, sticking stuff in his mouth. He eats like a horse already; Cora didn't really start solid food until she was a year old. When we wave and say good-bye to Oliver he just looks at us blankly, then at our hands, then back to our faces, as if he's thinking "there they go again flailing their arms around." He doesn't seem to think about doing it himself. Maybe he's relieved he doesn't share our arm-flapping affliction.