All wrapped up and tied with a bow

From my mom's birthday gathering at the Space Needle last weekend, here's some too-cute pix of Soren playing with a ribbon from a present.


If you're not plugged into Soren's blog as well as this one, read about his take on the trip to Outer Space here. He's well on his way to wanting to be an astronaut when he grows up!

Have tooth, must eat

Soren's first tooth broke through on Sunday morning, two days after he turned six months old. After two months of heavy drooling, the lower right front tooth popped out anticlimactically. He slept even better than usual the night before! But ever since he has been gnawing frantically on whatever's at hand, and he has also figured out how to squeak his rubber spoon against the new bit of enamel. No, he hasn't bitten me yet while nursing, but I'll let him know that's NOT OK when he does.
These photos were actually taken on Feb. 17, when we tried feeding Soren solid food for the first time. It was pureed steamed carrot, and it didn't really count as his "first solid food," because I don't think any of it made it down his throat! He did enjoy playing with the spoon, however.

This is his newly acquired highchair, a "hand-me-round" from Zia and the Peters girls before that. It has wheels on all four legs and Soren likes to sit in it and be wheeled around the main floor while he plays with toys on the tray. Recently he has been fascinated with dumping objects out of a container and putting them back in, only to repeat the procedure again and again.

This week, on March 4, Soren did eat his first "meal" -- about a teaspoon of mashed ripe banana. He licked small portions off my finger and smiled and wanted more. We kept it up until he got bored and started gumming the highchair tray. Maybe the new tooth helped.
And then I just had to share these photos (from Feb. 9) of Soren in his new bathtub. He graduated from the infant tub, which kept him in a reclining position, to the inflatable duck, which allows him to sit up.
Sore enjoys bathtime so much it has become a part of our nightly routine. We parents enjoy it for the chance to admire our baby's bare bum! Doesn't he look like Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes) from the back?!
Click here to view a C&H cartoon and see what I mean!

Our first visit to Anacortes

Believe it or not, Soren didn't make a trip to my hometown of Anacortes until he was nearly six months old! Papaw Bill and Grannie Annie have made lots of trips to Port Townsend to see us, but this was our first time traveling north. (One excuse we can trot out is that there was no car ferry service for the month of January.)

We visited lots of friends, including my high school friend Amber (above). We are holding each other's babies! Her little girl Avelyn is two days younger than Soren.
And here is the family of Nat, my friend from way back in elementary school! He just moved back to the area and it was good to meet his new son Timmy (far left) as well as reconnect with his older boy Frank (whom we had not seen since he was first born) and his wife Diane (holding Soren).
Our friend Barb brought Soren a Rubbermaid container, labeled on the lid as "Soren's Toy Box." But we soon realized it could be used for all sorts of fun games!
Of course, the real attractions in Anacortes are the grandparents. Here's Soren with Grannie and Papaw on his six-month birthday. I was worried about two aspects of our trip: 1) that Soren would be fussy on the 45-minute car ride, and 2) that he wouldn't sleep well away from home.

Well, my first worry was just unfounded. He napped all the way there and only whined part of the way back. My second worry was alleviated by the fact that we brought with us his hammock, his blanket, his stuffed animal, his humidifier, his radiator, and even the inflatable bathtub in which he bathes right before bed. So he must have felt pretty much at home, because he slept better than he usually does! I hadn't slept in the same room with him since he was three months old, and was surprised at how little noise he makes. I slept soundly, too. And then my parents played the role of Jeff (who was back in PT working) and took over at 6:30 a.m. when Soren was wide awake so I could get a little more sleep.
A really fun thing was an "open house" my parents organized to introduce Soren to some of their friends. About a dozen people came, and it was quite the party. Soren was a cheery lad and allowed himself to be handed around and generally charmed all present. As you can perhaps see in this photo, it snowed that afternoon (a bit unseasonably for the Northwest), and by the end of the day, four inches had piled up!

As my mom exclaimed, "Soren, if we'd known what a fun houseguest you would be, we would have had you over much sooner!" Agreed.

Too big for his bouncy chair

Upon meeting Soren for the first time yesterday, a family friend said, "What an unusually thoughtful baby." Well, the above face might make you think so. But the corresponding smiles reveal a very social personality -- and he gives them away freely.

On another topic, the vibrating bouncy chair is soon to be a relic of Soren's infant past and soon to be passed on to another PT Baby in the cosmic hand-me-round game.

This is how we knew Soren had outgrown the chair!

Yes, the vibrating frame feels good to gum...

Happy Valentine's!

"Aww, Mom, no kissing in public!" Sheesh, it IS Valentine's weekend, I just can't help it.
Thanks to Auntie Nora for mailing us this cute "LoveBug" shirt for the holiday. Alas, it's already so small I don't think he'll be wearing it again.
As you can see, Soren is now sitting up well enough on his own that we feel confident perching him on the edge of the picnic table and stepping away (although hovering close by!).
Love to all from Soren, and check out the video to see our little man in action this past week. Can anyone elucidate us as to why he's champing his mouth the way he is?

A slingin' update from The Roost

A quick status report from The Roost: Soren is feeling all better after his bout with diarrhea last week. He was under the weather for maybe four days. Jeff overlapped this with getting the bad cold that's going around town. I stayed healthy -- I'm attributing it to my mommy-boosted immune system.

But speaking of the boys, Jeff has been wearing Soren in a ring sling -- mostly in the mornings when I'm catching my last shut-eye and he has care of Soren to himself. Don't they make a sweet pair?

We recently purchased an Ergo carrier to supplement our stash of baby carriers, and I appreciate the hip strap that keeps most weight off my shoulders. Soren now weighs 17 pounds, 10 ounces, and that's hefty! The Ergo is supposed to be great for carrying baby on your back after six months of age -- we haven't tried that yet, but I'm getting anxious to.

I am taking a small-group class on "Mindful Parenting" and enjoying the discussions about how to take care of yourself (always a challenge for a new parent) and to be emotionally present for your child. Today we talked about children forming secure attachments with their caregivers, and I am confident we are providing that for Soren, helping him to view the world as a safe, trustworthy place that will soon be his to explore. The only drawback is that the class is that it is held from 4-6 p.m., a really rotten time for a breast-feeding infant who has to be without his mom right before bedtime (currently 7 p.m.). And I have fallen behind on pumping milk and today there was none stockpiled and he wailed with hunger as Jeff tried to soothe him. It was a rough transition for me to return from the feel-good class to a frazzled husband and frantic infant.

We are looking forward to visits from both sets of grandparents this month. Will report on those visits as they occur.

Soren's new favorite "chew toy" is a wooden spoon from the kitchen. The handle is just the right diameter for gumming. No teeth yet! He also has a sippy cup with double handles that he is learning to drink a little water from. To his credit, Jeff did think of giving Soren water this evening when he cried for milk, and it helped a little, he reported.

I'll sign off with this photo that caught a funny expression on Soren's face. You know how babies can make fleeting faces that give you a glimpse of what they will look like when they're older? Note also that his hair is coming in, although it's so white-blond it's hard to see. Isn't he a cutie, though? He makes us laugh. In fact, Jeff likes to get him all giggly and then come wake me up in the mornings with Soren chuckles. Hee, hee!

Tasty toes and torso torsion -- check!

OK, here's the proof that Soren can do what most of us have to practice a lot of yoga to accomplish...
Ah, the flexibility of a five-month-old!
The "sitting up" pictures below were taken on Soren's five-month birthday (Jan. 27), as the official baby book portrait for that month's page. About a week before this milestone, he just "got it." His torso muscles figured out how to make minute adjustments for balance, and that was that. We can sit him down and leave him, and he's quite happy--for at least a few minutes, until he tires. But his stamina for sitting up is growing more and more each day.

Also noted in last month's "accomplishments" were A) going a whole night without a diaper change thanks to Huggies Overnight Diapers, B) starting to enjoy the game "peek-a-boo," C) entertaining himself with his carseat toybar on the floor of the bathroom so that Mom can shower without another adult at home to mind the baby (!), D) getting a drool rash on his chin, and E) going 72 hours without pooping.

Speaking of (E), this past weekend Soren experienced the opposite extreme: diarrhea, which is defined more by frequency than by liquidity in infants. Poor little guy, it was just squirting out of him, and still is, although he's getting better. He doesn't have a fever, nor is he vomiting, and his appetite is if anything increased. We are watching for signs of dehydration, but so far so that seems stable. He's just fussy and tired.

This is the first time he's been "sick," which of course is of concern to his parents, and not much fun for any of us. All this just might be a symptom of teething, so we are watching to see if a tooth erupts. We'll let you know when it does!