Happy First Birthday, Sweet Soren!

On the afternoon of May 16, two days before Soren's first birthday, we had a big party for him at our place. About 20 of his favorite people came to celebrate with us. Soren was a bundle of energy, wooing the attendees with his bright smile, insatiable appetite, and soulful dancing. Here are a few of the many highlights of the day:

little blonde sweetie.

a monkey cake for a monkey boy

he was a little unsure what to do with such a big piece of food at first...

but, being a smart one, soon figured out that sugar = joy

mmm, banana cake and chocolate buttercream...

looking a little unwell... I didn't imagine he'd eat that whole piece so quickly!

Soren received lots of fun presents!

but, there's still something so intriguing about the crinkly paper that comes with them.

resting after a fun, busy day (and no afternoon nap, yikes!)

well-rested and ready to go sunday morning. notice all seven teeth!

happy, dancing bear.

The Culinary Delights of an 11-Month old Palate

"Mommy, what do babies eat?"

Soren has become quite the avid connoisseur of "real people" food. 'Twas not always so.... after spending 6 weeks in a NICU with nurses sticking tubes up noses and down throats, one can understandably be less enthusiastic than the average kid at having a person of the parent variety sticking rubber-coated spoons of goo in and around one's mouth.

The first feeding attempts in January (applesauce) were met with puckered lips and an intriguing expression that somehow melded looks of surprise, curiosity, and mild annoyance. Being, perhaps, over-enthusiastic about this new milestone I went a little crazy making up batches of all sorts of fresh organic purees; sweet potato, peas, black beans, carrots, squash, pears, you name it. Soren would, on a good day, take a timid bite (I assume to humor me), then refuse to eat any more. (By the way, if anyone is in the market for a few freezer bags full of perfectly proportioned, 1/2-oz servings of mashed veggies, please let me know...)







BUT! To Soren's amazement (and to ours!) he began mastering the whole opposable thumb trick, making it possible to take a Cheerio, previously considered best-suited for flinging off table tops in one dramatic sweep of the arm, and put it in his mouth with at least 30% accuracy. Since that day his coordination has vastly improved, and he is more than eager to try any and every type of food, so long as he can feed himself.






While the standard fare of bananas, avocados, and yogurt rank high on the favorite foods list, Soren seems to have a taste for strong foods. Hummus, the most garlicky and spicy varieties included, is a huge hit. I once gave him the smallest taste of a really spicy pasta I made, and he just about went nuts grabbing at my hand, the bowl, the fork, anything to get another bite. Though he's had just 2 or 3 tastes of sweets, he clearly takes after his mama's love for them. I gave him his first (very small!) taste of ice cream at the zoo, and he actually had a mini-toddler meltdown when I wouldn't let him eat it all himself.


But, I suppose I shouldn't be too quick to brag about his refined palate. I should admit that it wasn't long ago I was chopping vegetables for dinner, when I saw him diligently licking the kitchen floor. When he, laughing hysterically, finally let me get my finger in his mouth, I found a wad of chopped raw broccoli tucked away in his cheek, like a chipmunk. And I suppose I should mention that within a week of that I caught him savoring a piece of dried cat food like a delicious hard candy. We haven't had cats since August. I can't imagine where he found it.



Plucky old Soren is making a wonderful new discovery: The Water Bottle. This might not sound very astounding to the Dasini Generation (From Coca Cola, with love-- bottled tap water!), but think back into your murky past and you, too, might discover a dark time when your muscles could not sufficiently coordinate to swallow the delicious cool beverage.

However, those days are nearly behind our sweetie. When I hold his water bottle up to his mouth, he makes a cautious advance with an open mouth, and his eyes dart from left to right. As he takes a drink, more or less letting his mouth passively fill up with water, he bursts into laughter, spurting water all over his (and my) shirt. He swallows some, but he seems as surprised as he is delighted.

What I wouldn't give to get that much pleasure from drinking Cincinnati's tap water.





Who knew that having a 22 pound person sitting at the dinner table with could add such an exciting, humorous dimension to the every-day task of eating? What a funny life. What a great kid.

Easter Sunday Madness

Rev. Bill checks to see how much hair is under the cap!

Oh, hello there! We didn't see you sneaking up on us.

Oh, what's that? You'd like to see Easter pictures of Soren? Well, why didn't you say so.

You see, this was his first Easter, and for the folks at Richwood Presbyterian, this was a big event. Soren was perhaps the least dressed for the occasion, even with his dashing new outfit! Of course, one can't quite expect an 11-month old to wear a tie for the occasion, so we still think that he qualifies for the best-dressed.

But don't let us convince you. Judge for yourself!

Something about this one reminds me of a 50's ad, perhaps for socks or kidney medicine.

He loved his little golfing outfit!

And yes, he is crawling now.

Someone really intelligent had the insight to buy Soren a family pass to the Cincinnati Zoo, so we have been taking him as the weather has been nicer. We're not sure how much he likes it, really, but he does respond to the hundreds of other kids. And he likes the goats. The peacocks scare him, and the manatees don't really register on his radar. But sooner or later, he might catch on.

He loves tulips. He loves to eat tulips!

He seems to prefer plants to animals, so who knows. Perhaps he'll be a botanist. Is there money in botany?

Thank you for the letters and presents in the mail. Soren is glad to have a college fund, and he's already planning which school to attend (and which career to persue). We're also accepting marriage proposals, and will mail you a PDF application on request.

We have 6 weeks left of school, and are counting down the days.

Naked baby!

Spring!! And Spring Break!!!

We pulled it off-- Winter is on its way out. The days are slowly warming, the sun seems a bit braver, and the entire town is cheering up. I had no concept of Winter before i moved out here, and now i see why people cherish and dread it in equal measures. It's beautiful, dreary, bitterly cold, and isolating. It really takes a toll on your spirit, especially when there is a 10 month old baby and higher education vying for your time. But we made it. One step closer.

Soren's has been as chipper as ever. Even more so, perhaps, since he's learning how to get around on his own. His crawling has progressed to slight forward locomotion, though he still prefers to just roll around sideways until he gets to his destination. He loves playing Lisa's bongos (above) and is experimenting with the idea of being a modern composer. We've played some beautiful duets (below), but only when he is inspired.

Feast your ears on this Improvisation For Two Pianists, 2009. He's been listening to a lot of Shostakovich lately.

He's also been to a few art galleries and now has his own fan club. UC has two galleries that Soren has been to, and the moment he walks in the room (being carried by me), he is like a disco ball. He's the life of the entire event, and makes a good impression on everyone. I think that he has seen more art, before the age of 1, than i had seen before i was 15. He's off to a good start.

Here, my buddy Erin was showing him off in his tiger jacket. She is expecting a daughter soon, so Soren may have another potential friend. We will probably wait until he's at least 2 before we start exploring our planned marriage options. We'll be taking applications at that point.

As always, he's just a happy guy. Even though our life is really crazy, we couldn't have asked for a better addition. He's a great family member, and great person in general.

Lisa was outside a Sears in Kentucky months back, sitting on a bench outside with Soren. An elderly gentleman struck up a conversation, observed our boy, smiled, and pronounced, "He's going to have a good life."

We sure think so.

Winter update: Just let it be over, please.

There is little that's fun about Winters in Cincinnati. The trees get naked and sad, the snow is dirty and piled, the wind whips hard and bitter, and the sun falls fast. It's March. We probably have another month before it starts to warm up a bit. We get stuck inside and grow restless. We've been occupied with school, conferences, work, and forced outings. Now we just hope for sun. Thanks, Winter. Good times. See you later. No really, we insist.

The smallest member of the Dexfield family is pretty happy, though. Sure, he's a little restless too, but he's eating different foods, rolling around like a snake, and (gasp!) trying to crawl! I thought he was going to go straight to walking, since he likes to walk around with me if i hold his arms. He's the happiest, healthiest, and best dressed person in the household.

Some mornings, he drives us crazy. But the same afternoon, he'll get really cuddly and sweet. Lisa keeps pointing out that it's Nature's way of making us love these completely dependent, sometimes obnoxious creatures that can't even communicate with us-- make them cute, disproportionate, and full of joy. That'll keep 'em around.

We sure love him. He's probably the best part about this season.

It's THIS cold out. Actually, this was a warm day. You know how you can tell? Because we're smiling.

Lucky us! He likes avocado. Sort of.

Can you believe it? You can almost hear him grunt with effort.

Somehow, he always poses for these.

See?

Soren is curious to try ice cream on a random sunny day. Don't call CPS- we don't usually let him. I love how cautious he looks.

He spends a lot of time in the Krohn Plant Conservatory. Guarenteed warm, 365 days a year.

This is the one i'll show to his romantic interest who seems a little too obsessed with herself.

He always gets ONE rosy cheek.

But he'll still be a banker by day.

The Holidays

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True to form, it is only in the last days of January, on a snow day, when we're finally able to sit down to chronicle a very dense two weeks that took place in Northern California over a month ago. We now have icicles on our phone lines, and the snow is so deep that you can't tell the road from the sidewalk. After dark mornings and cold days, as well as dry and bitter nights, it's about time we got something out of this Winter weather-- snow!! Our apologies to those few people who have been waiting with baited breath for the next post from the Hackberry Hooligans.




We spent a good chunk of time in California, diving our time between the Bay Area and Tuolumne County. Our friend Chad had a friend who was going to be out of town, and we happily volunteered to housesit, since we needed a place to stay. We happily watched over this beautiful house and took care of a supposedly 16 year old cat named Yoda (who was very healthy. We have serious doubts about the age).

Lisa's favorite sister Lauren drove all the way from the colony of Walnut Creek to visit us, braving tunnels and persistent traffic cops all to hang out with her favorite nephew Soren. Lauren is a great gal who owns 75 pairs of shoes (!!!) and is having a great time working for Virgin Airlines. Even though she has had a bad experience with Thai food, she braved the Albany strip to venture into the world of Southeast Asian food. We're happy to say that this time, it was a success. Soren is especially fond of Aunt Lauren's long hair (as are the single men! Watch out!)

Our Christmas in Tuolumne was a serious event! For one thing, Lisa met my Grandpa Stu and Grandma Kay for the first time, and they met Soren! They're both pretty lucky-- Soren is their 5th great-grandchild. Can you believe it?

And of course, they loved both Lisa and Soren. What's not to love, right? Both of my grandparents are into their late 80's and have battled health problems of varying degrees for the past decade. They're both huge troopers, and some of the most loving, accepting people I have ever met. I love them to death.

My cousin Erin (above) drove my grandparents down with her son Forrest and daughter Elsbeth. Erin is was the first granddaughter on the Exstrom side of the family, and she still feels like the Matriarch of sorts. She had white hair as a kid-- a Super-Swede! Forrest has recently fallen in love with playing piano, and Elsbeth has recently fallen in love with Soren.

Here you can see Mr. S indulging in his new favorite pastime: Eating Paper. This is a fortunate hobby, since it's really easy to find an endless supply of this free item!

Before heading up the hill, though, we got to spend my 30th birthday party with some of my friends from CSU Hayward. I'm glad to have kept in touch with so many of these guys, even after we moved out to the middle of nowhere. My friend Darren set the whole thing up, in about half a day, and i treated myself to a Chinese Birthday Cake from Oakland China Town, which i have wanted for years! It was a Honeydew fruit cake. Highly recommended, especially with Zachary's Pizza, which Darren also brought.

Jess, Keiko, Rob, Darren, Yukie, and Liz all met Lisa and Soren for the first time. Yukie and Keiko both agree: especially in his sleep, Soren is "kawai"-- cuuuute!

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During Christmas of 2008, the happiest people in the entire world, without exaggeration, were my parents. They had met Soren one time earlier, and were besides themsevles at the prospect of spending five days with him. They kept suggesting that Lisa and I go somewhere for a date, so that they could selflessly stay home with him and babysit. Soren is their first and favorite grandkid, and from the moment he woke us up in the morning, their fingers would start twitching with excitement.


My dad took a special affinity towards Soren, and read Curious George Rides a Bike to Soren, who acted was very interested. (My dad may have been using special voices, because Soren is not quite as interested to hear me read this story to him).

We came home one night after a date at Sonora's one local brewery to this scene: my dad reading Curious George aloud, with Soren and my mom both listening with eyes closed. This just about broke my heart-- talk about an experience you could never even imagine.

Soren in a sun bath!


It looks like my Grandma just proposed a difficult riddle to Soren...

We spent a day in Yosemite for a potential wedding site. So beautiful and snowy!

My dad's oldest brother, Dave, loved his new Great Nephew.

Eeeee! Our little monk!


Soren with his Aunt Lisa (one of two)