Lock up your daughters! Soren is six months old!

Soren and Santa!

We have video! Here is Soren laughing and being silly with his Aunt Beth.

Our boy is growing! He's turning into quite a silly boy too! He loves to laugh and make people laugh, "chat" with anyone who will listen, and will make funny faces and blow raspberries for you!

Soren had a great time chatting with gramps when the Albrights came over for a post Thanksgiving dinner.

Five months old! Soren is learning lots of new things! He can roll over from his tummy to his back, is working on sitting up, and eats rice cereal, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes like a champ. He loves going for walks, listening to mom and dad sing silly songs, and "petting" Peanut (which involves Peanut losing large clumps of fur, but she is extremely tolerant of him!)

So close to sitting up! He can do it for about five seconds without toppling over.

Soren had his very first date yesterday with Millie, who is one week older than him. We had coffee (well, the moms did) and then went to Wild Rumpus, the coolest kid's bookstore ever. The babies loved watching all the animals running around the store. Soren felt that the date was going very well, so when we plopped them down for pictures he made his move. Millie was not so sure. Who can blame her, look at that face he's making!!
After having his advances rebuffed Soren played it cool for a few pictures.
But then he thought maybe he would make one more go of it.
Do you see how he's pulling on her shirt!?!? Last night Soren got a little lecture from his daddy about how this is not appropriate, not until the second date at least!!

Soren had his first rice cereal today! He loved it! Although a lot of it ended up on his face, bib, and highchair, he managed to get a lot of it down the hatch too!

As much as Soren might later deny it, this picture was in no way staged or faked. Unfortunately.

Isaac conceded that the Albrights can have Soren be either a Badger OR a Packer fan but not both. Go Bucky!!

Mommy's little pumpkin

Cutest little stinker!

Creeping up on 20lbs!! Soren had his 4 month appointment on Monday and continues to top the charts! He is 18lbs 8 oz, 27 inches long, and his head is 18 inches, which puts him above the 95th percentile in all categories! We think he will end up taking after his uncles, all of whom are well above 6 feet.

We are in the process of packing up to move this weekend! We decided against packing Soren and Peanut in the same box.

Four months old!! This week Isaac started work at McKinsey, and was in Chicago Monday through Thursday. Hug a single mom, because it is not easy! Everyone is happy to have Isaac home again.
Soren got a new contraption to keep him entertained and to develop that big brain of his. He loves it, but hasn't had a ton of energy for it, as this week he got his first cold. There's nothing quite as sad and pathetic as a sick baby!

Nothing like humid 85 degree October days to get you in the mood for an apple orchard and corn maze!

Soren has been working hard at holding up his head, which is quite a feat with such a big noggin!

Soren likes to go shopping with mom and Aunt Beth, except when they put humiliating hats on him, and then insist on buying them. He's hoping for a very warm winter.

Soren loves bouncy horsey rides, and will sometimes even give us a giggle!

Such a handsome boy!

Three months old! Oops, we've been busy and haven't posted in a while. Soren continues to amaze us with all the new things he can do and all the growing he is doing! He's over 16 pounds now!Soren is just beginning to be able to control his hands better, which means that everything is starting to go in his mouth. His favorite is to lay on his playmat, grab his elephant by both ears, and gnaw on his trunk.

Soren is such a strong boy. He can hold his head up really well, and likes to sit in his Bumbo seat.Soren loves to take baths, especially since his hair gets nice and fuzzy afterwards!

Soren also really likes going for walks and chewing on the Baby Bjorn, but he REALLY does not like when mom and dad stop to enjoy the view or catch their breath. He's a boy on the move!

Two months old! (Plus a week, but who's really counting?)

Soren went to the doctor for his two month visit this week. He weighed in at an even 15 pounds, and is 24.5 inches long, which puts him in the 95th percentile for both, as well as for head circumfrence! That's our baby, already toppin' the charts. Hey, at least he's proportional! Soren also had to have his first set of vaccinations. Here's how Isaac described the scene...

It went down like this…

Each nurse grabs a thigh and swabs it off with alcohol. One nurse to the other, “Are you ready?”

The other nurse, “yes”

“Okay, 1, 2, 3”

And WHAM they both nail him with a syringe wrapped fully in their FIST – this was no delicate insertion, but a full whap. Soren was sleeping at the time, but upon the first jabs his eyes bolted open and his mouth flailed. He gasped for air a moment and then let us have it …screaming and screaming. It was quite a scene. Meanwhile…

“1, 2, 3” The second batch of blows came.

Finally, the nurse on the left leg nails him with the fifth and final blow.

I think they had SWAT training in how to give injections. It was hilarious to watch (and perhaps slightly traumatic as Kayt may describe). Kayt quickly picked up Soren after it was over and had him asleep within two minutes…quite a circus but it went smoothly.

Soren is becoming quite the little traveller! We just got back from a week at Bethany Beach, DE. Soren liked dipping his toes in the ocean and in the sand.
In the past couple of weeks Soren has become a real charmer. Not that we didn't love him before, but now that he is interacting with us- staring, cooing, and especially smiling- we're having a blast!

We are back home after a week and a half on the road. We had a great time relaxing up at Fox Lake, despite the heat and bugs. Soren was happy to have a new pair of shades, since he really hates the bright sunlight.
Soren spent most of his days at the cabin relaxing in his swing, which is his favorite place to be.

After a day in Duluth to shower and recoup we headed to Brule for the Albright family Brulympics. This year we were joined by my Aunt Kathy, Uncle Bill, and cousins Catherine and Ellen. Tom and Liz won the most creative team uniform title, mocking the "yuppie" Townsends. Click on this picture to make it bigger. Also there are a ton more pictures on the Snapfish album (link on the top right of this page).
Soren unfortunately wasn't able to participate this year, but spent time with his new cousin, Tom and Liz's "golden child".

I won't go into how we fared in the overall standings, but let's just say that sleep deprivation had profound effects on our competitive level. There's always next year.

Soren loves his daddy. They read books together, they take naps together, and Soren is a very good listener when dad needs someone to bounce business ideas off of.

Tomorrow we are heading up to the Fox Lake cabin. Then it's on to Duluth later in the week, and to the annual Albright Family Brulympics at the Brule cabin. Last year the Townsends took second place in a dramatic final death Trivial Pursuit duel with Tom and Liz, but with an extra team member this year we're confident we'll come out on top.

Last night we went and watched the spectacular Aquatennial fireworks show, and Soren managed to sleep through the whole thing! He sleeps like his dad!

Today Soren was still a sleepy boy and conked out on his changing table!

One month old!!

We took a road trip with Aunt Mary to visit great-grandma Larsen in Iowa! Soren was so well behaved!

The shirt says it all...

BBQing with the Albright kids and their better portions, we missed Beth!!!!!