Tad: Now Not So Tad!

No pics today, but just a wee blurb to say that TAD IS HUGE. I went away for the weekend a while back, and when I returned I suspected someone had Tad-napped the real Tad, because the one swimming under my nose looked so big. However, as it turns out, Tad must have been experiencing a growth spurt as of late. His freaking gills are still there, but I think I spotted him going near the surface of the water in his bowl... which means Baby's breathing real air! Maybe!

Tad's legs now look more like true legs, and no longer so painfully weak and teensy. He swims like an gold-medal Olympian, and he is definitely on his way to newthood. I can't wait to see what Lucy and Hammerhead will do when they finally meet Tad face-to-face, without the damn glass in the way. (The three creatures spend an inordinate amount of time appearing to be interested in one another, but for all I know, they might be completely near-sighted.)

I just pray Tad can handle it when Mom or Dad try to nibble those tadpole limbs.

A Tad Bit More...

Tad is both longer and plumper now. I swear that he changes noticeably every day. His gills are there, to be sure, but he's definitely in transition. This is not a very good analogy, but I can't help but think of transsexuals experiencing their own version of transition. Aren't there similarities? I mean, amphibians and transsexuals, in effect, lose the body in which they were born. They become something other. What an amazing transformation!

Tad swims rapidly about his bowl whenever I walk into the room. His eyes are quite sharp now. He reacts to my presence with more panic than before, which I attribute to his ever-keener eyesight.

I find it challenging to adequately photograph Tad so that I can document his growth. But, believe me, Tad is definitely on his way to newt-hood!

The photo above shows Baby Tad with Lucy. Tad's parental units hang out constantly by his bowl (that is, when they are not hanging out next to the aquarium heater!). If you compare this picture with the first one I published in October, you should notice quite a difference in Tad's overall size. Tad is getting "rounder". He looks less and less like a teensy infant, and more and more like a surly teenager.