Keep on Rockin' in the free world . . .

This past weekend, Emily and I proved that 30 is the new 22 and braved the heat and hipsters back in our old stomping grounds at Lollapalooza 2007. With Dan as our accomplice, we saw some amazing music, including My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys, and Minnesota natives Tapes 'n Tapes and The Hold Steady. But the real highlight was on Sunday night. Surrounded by 200,000 plus, we sang along as Pearl Jam ripped through classics like State of Love and Trust and Corduroy, and a surreal cover of Neil Young's Keep On Rockin' In the Free World that featured Ben Harper, Dennis Rodman, and (Emily swears) Bill Clinton. A view of the action is below:

Copyright Chicago Tribune, E. Jason Wambsgans.

The only bad thing about our Windy City-redux was the absence of the Gus Man. We thought that the sun and fun might be a little too much stimulation for our little 3 month old, so he stayed back in Minneapolis with Grandma and Grandpa Adriaens. (Other parents did not agree -- we saw plenty of strollers, and a guy with a baby on his shoulders that didn't look too much older than Gus rocking out to The Hold Steady).

But our time away only proved that distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Once back in Minneapolis we were falling all over ourselves clamoring to be the first to hoist the little man in the air and give him a squeeze. I literally jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop and ran up the front porch so that I could be first. The little man is nobody's fool. He didn't go immediately ga-ga for papa (or, for that matter mama), but he eventually warmed up and seemed genuinely excited to have us back.

In other Gus news, I am excited to report that he is now regularly sleeping through the night. In his crib. We've given into the dark side and started sleeping the little man on his stomach. He now goes down anywhere from 7:30pm to 8:30pm, and doesn't wake up until around 6:30am. Amazing. The middle picture below is a shot of Gus napping (that isn't his crib -- it's our bed. Gus still likes to nap with mom), and as you can kind of tell, Gus sticks his little booty in the air. While sleeping he kicks his legs from time to time, which scoots the little guy forward a little. Over the course of the night, he can travel a length longer than his own body. Crawling can't be too far away. On to the pictures:

As you can see, the little man has taken a real liking to his burp cloths, and likes to hold them close like little blankets.
Scooter taking a nap.

The Prince on his throne.