Baby Elephant Update

Elephants are sacred animals in Thailand. There was a pair of momma and baby elephants at a beach resort we frequented when I was little. We always played with them and considered them friends. Since I saw the video about the baby elephant at Oregon Zoo the other day, I've been glued to its website for the update on the baby. I'm so happy to read that he's doing great and is completely reunited with his mother! Now I'm addicted to the site and can't wait to vote on his name. I know, I should be taking a nap or vacuum the house instead, but I just can't help myself. It's those big yellow eyes and the sad cry. He's like a hungry baby with jaundice. Hmmm....

On to another monkey business, Chase gave me quite a scare yesterday. She started coughing all morning. It sounded dry and she was not at all congested. The first time she did it I just thought she had to clear her throat because that was exactly what it sounded like. Then she kept doing it again and again. So then I was thinking she might be choking on something (air?!?) or have a sudden onset of allergy attack (at this point I was furiously searching for dog hair in her nostrils and mouth while the child gave me a puzzled look). After a couple hours of worrying, I just gave up and realized that it was just a new sound she discovered that she could make. Joy. Later I took her to visit one of our neighboring friends, who also had 2 small children. Her youngest is almost 3 months older than Chase and gave my kid quite a fright with his mobility. He was hopping around in his jumper and banging his rattle against its plastic tray. All that movement and loud noises didn't sit well with Chaster, who kept giving me a grimace and a look her brothers gave me when they just had enough at the park. It was interesting to see her interact with another baby. I wonder if she would be that active in a couple of months.