What's Tickling Avery's Funny Bone?

What the HELL is Avery laughing at?
That’s the question gnawing at me because so many of the photos of the lad look as if he’s laughing his butt off, even while sleeping. What’s so FUNNY, to a 7-week-old who doesn’t have much to remember to laugh about, unless it’s the days not so long ago when he lived in a one-womb apartment and he could kick his mom mischievously at random to wake her up or if he didn’t like whatever she had for lunch?
Can’t be sugar plums dancing in his head, because he’s never even SEEN sugar plums.
Could it be he’s dreaming of becoming like hometown Minnesota hero Joe Mauer some day, making a bazillion dollars and becoming the American League’s MVP? Not likely, plus, by the time he’s Mauer’s age, the Twins probably will have abandoned their new outdoor stadium, which opened just a few weeks ago. Already, Avery’s older than the aging stadium, and you know how sports franchises abandon and/or implode stadiums with abandon.
Maybe it’s the fact that he finally got to meet ME? Also highly unlikely, as that would be more likely to scare the crap out of him. (Not that he needs any trouble evacuating, so to speak, from what I hear. Thank goodness, I haven’t witnessed any of his diplosions.)
Oh, well, I’ll have to be satisfied with the fact that it’s just another of life’s mysteries, like why anybody would want to bungee jump, f’rinstance.
Maybe he’s just happy about meeting new people, especially cousins, which he did in glorious faction during the boys’ recent trip to see snow (the Florida four, unfortunately, were frustrated in not being able to fulfill that goal) and a foray to California, where he met his only female cousin.


Avery's mom, Erica, introduces him to cousin Amelia.














Amelia's parents,
Kevin and Annie, get some
face time with the cousins.

On Easter morn, the moms and kids connect.


At the airport, Avery gives a Minnesota Nice welcome to the Florida cousins, who came in search of snow. Although Patrick appears to have jet lag, the others are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: Jack, Luke and Vincent.

Boys night out in Minnesota.


Soooooooo, plenty of stuff to smile about, meeting all these cousins. Wears a guy out so much he needs a nap. After all, despite the Easter Bunny hat, he's not the Energizer Bunny:

Of course, this just gets us back to the beginning: What the HELL is Avery smiling about, even in his sleep? Maybe he IS dreaming of sugar plums, although that's a Christmas deal, not Easter.

Oh, WAIT! I know! He’s got gas. Laughing gas — sure. Why didn’t I think of that before? It's natural. Gas. (Not that it runs in the family.)