Happy Fourteen-Month Birthday (...tomorrow)

As is the norm these days, we had a busy, stressful week (writing introductions is hard) and a busy, relaxing weekend. New words emerged--"clock" and "bib"--along with a third lower tooth. At least we made time to bathe our offspring.

Get thee to a water park

"Again!"

Duckie enacts his dual functions as a temperature gauge and a veil of modesty

Tor's frequently found zipping around the downstairs on his Pewi "bike" from Oma and Opa: 

Once both feet can touch down fully, we're in for it

Last Sunday was so nice out that we accompanied our friends Lindsay, Dave, and Baby Owen on a long walk after lunch at their house. The frozen lake needed some walking on, but we let the menfolk handle that while Tor ran around on the dead winter grass.

Dave, Lars, Lindsay, and our yuppie strollers containing our smug children

Rocket bib? Check. Rattle? Check. Let's start this revolution

Tor continued to hone his spooning skills and chill in the high chair after meals.

Huge miscalculation in yogurt removal timing

The sun is the only piece he can actually put in. Yes, because it's round.

Finally, the boy is clearly developing a sense of self-privilege. (Spoiler alert: he's human!)

Sharing his swing with the monkey, but desire is kindling in his breast

"Perhaps you'd be happier over here"

"Eat my bib, simian!"

Viddy well, my droogs

Here are the latest uploads from our trusty FlipCam. First up, we've got Tor with the toy alligator from Madeline (mid-January). He's enamored of the word "alligator": he says something like "aaah-day-uh" whenever he encounters one and then points to this little guy. (As to how often Tor might encounter alligators, there's one in the Dr. Seuss ABC book, one on his plate, one in a jungle puzzle, one stuffed toy...very popular with children, alligators seem to be.)

When Tor finishes a meal, he often prefers to chill in his high chair and play with a few toys rather than get up right away (late January). It probably aids digestion, so we're fine with it--especially because it keeps him contained for a bit longer.

The lad has been practicing animal noises like it's his job (early February). He's hit or miss on the performance, but his competencies include the sounds of a monkey, dog, horse, bird, fish ("blublublub"), elephant, and train. New words this month are "guitar," "uh-oh," and "up." He also says "yeah" to indicate an affirmative response.

And he still loves his bath friends (mid February). And the music of Queen.

Happy Valentine's Day

Tor was a pretty adorable Valentine last year. (Remember when we weren't dressing him in anything but sleepers? How far we've come!)

"Did you love me more before I could move, Mama?"

But this year, he can give kisses. They're pretty sweet, even though they're basically open-mouthed glomming onto your face. And he's learning how to blow them. Tor's Valentine at day care, incidentally, was a little man who drives a truck when you press his head. They spent half an hour together, which is approximately a thousand years in baby time.

Those hydraulics have brought Tomy nothing but grief

Tor also consumed a vast amount of fruit, demonstrating a new-found enjoyment of papaya.

He eats one fruit at a time, widdershins

"YOU feed me these! And fan me with a palm!"

Tor's First Haircut

Well, the forces of a throat culture, blood work-up, and chest x-ray combined to tell us that Tor just had a virus--no pneumonia or strep or anything for which we could actually give him medicine. So he sucked down a bottle of Tylenol and slept it off. By Friday he was back at day care, and this weekend his appetite returned. This last development pleased us no end, since the doctor's visit also revealed that Mr. T had actually lost four ounces since his twelve-month visit. Lars pointed out that in the meantime, the kid has learned to "run" (read: toddle manically), so that's burning more calories than his pre-twelve-month sedentary lifestyle did.

This picture is not of Tor, but if you've never seen a baby chest x-ray, you may be as shocked as I was. It's a plexiglass tube with a face hole on a rotating dais. You have to hold the baby's arms up as he perches on a bicycle seat with legs a-dangle. Half the time the baby moves so you have to redo the x-ray. Tor was in good spirits going into the tube, but the novelty wore off in about three seconds and then he screamed for the duration. It probably didn't help that he'd just had a finger poke and a throat culture...they really saved the best for last. Poor little dude.

The face of infant torture

Having a few extra days at home caused Tor to seriously investigate our shoe rack for the first time. He's become keen on "helping" with chores--e.g., pulling laundry out of the basket while I fold it, putting books back on shelves--and now he'll take all the shoes off the shelves and proceed to put a few back on. These flip flops are thus being returned.

The best is when he tries to cram a boot in there

On Sunday, we took Bangs-in-My-Eyes Hansen to get his first haircut! (Note that as of Feb. 3, his car seat now faces front, a switch instrumental in forestalling tantrums on every outing.)

Enjoying his last moments of invulnerability
to the Philistine hordes

Tor played with an Elmo cell phone and watched Sesame Street while his stylist did the deed.

The bangs in profile

The first cut is the deepest

"Hey Elmo! Twins!!"

A sticker, certificate, and lock of hair rounded out the experience. He colored briefly before heading out to unveil his mature new look to the world. And melancholy mama reflected on the paradox of "aching Pleasure."

Home Sick

Tor has been running a fever since Sunday night (Super Bowl excitement did him in?), and either Lars or I has been home with him for two full days. Going on the three today. Although he has a terrible, gagging cough, a very runny nose, and no appetite and obviously just hurts, he has a much better attitude than I do when I'm sick. We're headed to the doctor in an hour but I thought I'd post briefly now. I've got some old videos followed by new pictures.

Eskimo kisses (take that, political correctness)

Helping Tor use the spoon

Even utensilar autonomy didn't sell him on the oatmeal

An absorbent bib is de rigueur for the leaky lad

Practicing life skills that combine Ziplocs with animal parts