The news is brighter, and I'm presented with an opportunity for hilarity: baby passport pictures!

Yesterday Jason's dad woke up. He's not completely alert and responsive -- I don't think he's talking much, and he still needs to stay in the hospital because the doctors still don't know exactly what's wrong with him -- but he's awake and responding to some stimuli and is stable. So that's good.

Jason's going to try to go to Australia to see him at some point over the next few weeks, assuming we can get a decent fare. I think he's going to take Zeke with him. I'll miss Zeke, but I think it's good for him to go meet his grandfather and his other relatives Down Under.

Of course, this means that Zeke needs to get a passport. My mom's colleagues in the Honolulu passport office have graciously agreed to let me come in at my convenience and they'll expedite the process for me, so I should be able to get everything taken care of by early next week. I've got all the paperwork lined up, now I just need to get passport pictures taken.

When Jason last got his passport renewed, the pictures he initially brought in were rejected because he was smiling. Apparently, the rule is, "no teeth." I'm hoping this isn't a problem for Zeke, given that he's only got two of them. Now I just need to figure out how to keep him from smiling; a tough task, because when he's not eating or sleeping, pretty much all he does is smile, giggle and clap his hands. Maybe the powers that be are more lenient when the subject is only 7 months old.