what a week it was...

Soren celebrated his three month birthday on the 18th by weighing in at exactly three times his birthweight, just a half ounce under 11 pounds. He seems so huge to us. I was faced with the mostly fun yet sentimental task of reorganizing his dresser drawers, putting away the small stuff to make room for the 3-6 month size clothes. Gosh those newborn shirts seem tiny. It really wasn't long ago that they were so loose on him. I've begged him to stop growing for a little while, just so I can get used to how big he is already, but that approach hasn't worked yet.

then.

now.

After several days of threateningly misty eyes during crying spells, the inevitable happened... his first real tear! Poor sweet kiddo! I haven't caught it on camera yet, but Soren has an amazingly convincing pouty lower lip face. It's enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. I'd better start toughening up a bit now that we have this new tear development and all. I swear that a vegetarian mom even more health conscious than I would be tempted to give in to the pleas for Easy Mac with hotdogs with the lip and tears in combination...

Sweet Sophie and Milo have been living it up for a week now at their new home. Keeping them out of the bedroom left them with just very little space to roam, and the demands of caring for Soren left them with much less attention than they deserved. I'm sure they'll soon be comfortable and happy on their 100+ acre farm, where the squirrels and birds might actually be chased and not just threatened from behind the window.

Here is Soren's last picture with the cats. Notice his dashing cap! If only we had a pair of suspenders and aminiature bag of newspapers for him to pretend to sell.

Well, at this point I might as well throw in a few more recent pictures. That's what you came for, right?

"Union on strike! Read all about it... only 10 cents! Get your papers here, folks!"

Soren enjoys starting his mornings with a cup of tea and a good book.

He prefers rooibos, but will settle for a lovely jasmine green if that's all that's available.

Two weeks ago my wonderful grandfather died in California at the ripe old age of 95. He was the most loving man you could know, and made a positive impact on the lives of countless people around the world. He will be dearly loved and missed by all of us. I wish Soren could have known him. I flew to the Bay Area last Saturday for his memorial, baby in tow. I was nervous about the 8 hours of travel time, probably almost as nervous as those poor passangers eyeing me suspiciously as I walked down the ailse, baby sling and all. Soren is a super champ though, and just slept and ate the whole time. No crying. He was a huge hit in California, where he got to spend more time with his grandma and auntie Lauren, and saw my dad for the first time. I am certain he would have loved his first trip to the ocean and to SF had he not slept right through it in his sling. He was really on his best behavior the whole 4 days, so now no one will ever believe me again when I tell them I was up all night with him. He really does do this! Really!

Soren is really a happy little guy. This week he magically discovered the captivating world around him. We used to get an occasional smile here or there, but now he interacts with us most of the time he's awake. It's so fun to have him respond to our voices and our touch with his darling sloppy smiles. We've gotten a few preliminary coos out of him too, and look forward to hearing more of those. You can see the determination and focus in his eyes as he stares at the dangling toys of his bouncy seat... he wants them, badly, and is trying to figure out exactly what one must do to reach an arm out and grab them. In time, little bean. You'll figure it out. Soon nothing will be safe from your tiny hands.