Dancing in the Market (Nana's May '11 visit, part 1)

Elliott's Nana (Dan's mother) visited this weekend.

On Sunday, we all went to the Ballard Sunday Farmers Market -- as we do most weeks. As her interest was more in quality time with Elliott, over shopping, she took him off our hands for him to walk around. She says he kept going back to a flower stand, and while she offered to buy one, the flower vendor just trimmed and gave him one. He was happy with it, until it made it happier to destroy it. I checked in with her just in time to capture this picture: Elliott, wandering independently through the sunny-spring-day crowd, flower in hand, dancing

Elliott walks for water

In this long delayed video, Elliott demonstrates two of the tricks he learned in a very productive week between April 16th (start of walking) and April 23rd (video taken): he walks, and he drinks from straws.

The walking thing was a bit remarkable. April 4th he took 4 consecutive steps (into a fall), which was unexpected. I was trying to leave for work, and put him down under protest. Something about the way he was meant that he stayed standing, which was not unusual, but he had a funny look on his face. I took a few steps away, and he stepped toward me.

With the exception of the occasional lunge up to 6 steps, that was all for the next 12 days. Then, after a long nap, I read a book and, as is our custom, I put him down to pick out and retrieve the next book he wanted. I put him down into a stand, and told him to just walk over to his books (across the room). And he did. I brought him downstairs a few minutes later, and Tessa did not believe me. So he stood up and walked across the room to me, and then proceeded to traverse the length of our house.

A week later, the video above shows how comfortable he looked after the first day, although he was still majority crawling. Three weeks later, he's spends about 80% of his time walking. It is an amazing transition.

Driving already?!

Elliott started walking two weeks ago, suddenly (video coming later today). Apparently, today he decided to start driving the family tractor. I knew it would feel soon when he asked for the keys, but two weeks seems just too brief.

Elliott's First Birthday party - Bubbles!

 The theme of Elliott's first birthday party was "bubbles". Balloons and a bubble machine, with bubble tea served. It was a relatively small affair, and he worked the crowd well in spite a sudden nasal drip. Uncle Donovan posted some great pictures from the event.

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Elliott flies home in time for his birthday

Yesterday, Elliott flew home from his third transcontinental excursion - passport stamped, Caribbean sea and sand sampled. Spent his first night in his fifth US state (Texas). He's sampled First Class offerings of both Delta and Continental. Little guy won the travel lottery.
 
A year ago, at this time, Elliott had just entered the world. This blog has been running that long now, too. While we have slowed substantially in our posted picture stream, the visual archive of his life continues. Parenthood has been a major adjustment - he still hasn't slept more than 4 hours at a shot more than 5 or so times - and a major joy. While his weight gain has slowed, as he is within ounces of his December weight, his growth has not. We have started discarding 18 month outfits. Neither has his teething, as teeth 11-14 (canines) broke through in the past weeks. He stands, and convinced his relatives that he'll walk any day now.

While many pictures of him were taken on vacation, few were taken by us; his aunt will have to add some here.

Look at Tessa's unforced grin in the second picture. Don't believe her complaints - we both love this little man more than either of us believed possible.

Go Steelers!

Mommy says that even though my great-grandfather played professional football in Pittsburgh (and still on the record books at Pitt), and that I have to wear 2yr old clothing at 11 months, I shall have no chance at football myself.

However, being a first generation Pittsburgh emmigrant, I have no choice in allegience.

A Serious Post about Mustaches

Taking a break from the cuteness for a brief Elliott inspired discussion. With colleagues at work, I participated in Movember through the month of November.  This is a fun little movement to promote awareness and concern about male forms of cancer.

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st  clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.  Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days. 


I did not fund raise this year; if you'd like to donate, I encourage you to donate at Tim Sehn's movember page.  Instead, I used it as a means of awareness raising. 

Following the popular meme associated with my generation, I will indulge in a little over-disclosure.  23andMe tells me that I have the wrong versions of SNPs rs6983267, rs4430796, rs1512268 and others. Combined, their estimate is that I have a 1.9x increased odds.

As the cutting edge of medicine stands today, one in six men will develop prostate cancer before the age of 80.  With my genetic make-up, the statistic rises to 33.9%.  Elliott's genetic profile is still pending, but there is a pretty good chance his makeup is similar.  Fortunately, prostate cancer is not terminal for most of the men who develop it; unfortunately, a small percent of one in six means that it is still the second most common terminal cancer.

Wouldn't it be great if Elliott never had to worry about prostate cancer?  Or testicular cancer?  Cancer in general?  If not Elliott's generation, his children?

For putting up with this somber message, we end with yet another cute baby picture. Elliott and I took a parting shot of our successful Mo's.