Brendan Dure: November 2003 (2 months and beyond)

King of the Road.

Brendan has put in many, many miles in his car seat this month. His first night away from home was spent in Pennsylvania, where we visited some law school friends and went to a wedding. (We're dressed to celebrate at right. Additional photo: Brendan meets someone only a couple of months older.)

That was the warm-up. Next came a 1,200-mile, 3.5-day trip to North Carolina and Georgia. We visited the places we used to live and made it to Athens so he could meet the grandparents who don't live in Northern Virginia. (Traveling tip: If you're taking I-85 into Georgia, stop at the welcome center a few miles in. It's a first-rate facility, particularly if you're traveling with a baby or a dog.)

He's a good car traveler, sleeping through everything in his car seat. His lack of awake time tends to make him fussy after a while, which is why we were glad the trip wasn't any longer than it was. But he made a good impression on everyone he met.

We've been luck to have weather that makes us forget it's November. We had a beautiful day in Pennsylvania and strolled through downtown Athens in T-shirts. Even today (the 21st), we've been able to strut around with Brendan as if it's late May. The poor kid's going to get spoiled, thinking this is the way it's supposed to be this time of year.

Still, he's starting to have his first days under the weather. He's had a few sniffles, and that might be contributing to the occasional screaming fit he has. Or vice versa. I can't believe it's good for the health to let fly like he's AC/DC's lead singer or something.

We'll get more photos up as head into the holidays. Brendan still looks roughly the same, with two major developments: He's significantly bigger (fatter, to be honest), and he's shed his Richard Gephardt look by growing eyebrows.