A, T & Co.

Rumor has it that a few inches of snow fell overnight back in Minneapolis. Even though Fall is overtaking us here in Newport Beach and the skies are overcast for the first time since we arrived, the cold, white stuff seems like a figment of someone's imagination at the moment.

The warm temps here have afforded us a number of beach days and Luca has surprised both himself and his parents by enjoying letting the waves wash over him, sometimes even crying as they retreat. He's grown so comfortable with sand that the other day he took off from our oasis of towels and crawled about 100 yards without looking back. We're fairly sure he would have joined a party that he saw going on at one of the nearby houses if we hadn't intervened.

He's gaining confidence on his feet as well. Since we've been in California, he's figured out how to stand without the help of a furniture prop, and he's discovered that this latest trick gets a big reaction. And though we haven't yet caught any independent steps on video, he's tallied up a dozen or so shuffle steps walking from one of us to the other. The most curious thing about Luca and walking is that if we ask him to walk, he crumples to the floor and cries, so we have to be creative in how we encourage him. Looks like that open-mouthed smile might not be the only trait that he inherited from his parents!