Aksel's Got a Brand New Friend!

Annika and I have some dear friends, Jay and Betsy. They're cool and hip, and we have an ubergood time when we're all together. Luckily for us, they must not get tired of us because in the baseball off-season (mostly winter), we get together all the time. Maybe they get sick of me, but I still have a great time with them.

Nearly two years ago, Jay and Betsy had a son, Mathis. Now with all due respect to Jay and Betsy, Mathis is one cool guy. He and I have many of the same interests- dogs, soccer, and food! I watch over him from time to time when Betsy and Annika are off and Jay is busy, and we have good times together.

Mathis and Aksel got to interact a little bit this past weekend, and Mathis acted like a mature little guy- he was gentle, intrigued, and eager to hold Aksel. We can only hope we can rear such a bundle of fun!

Grandma and Grandpa Come for a Visit!

Aksel, Annika, and I were pleased to welcome Grandma and Grandpa McKnight for a visit on the weekend. Grandma Kris was here the week before, but this was Grandpa Scot's first time seeing Aksel.

Aksel enjoyed reading stories with Grandma, Scot and Kris enjoyed walks around town, and we all enjoyed the family time together!

In another month, Aksel will make his first trip out to Chicago for Thanksgiving/Festivus, and he'll have the chance to see his Grandparents McKnight (and some anxious aunts, uncles, and cousins!) again.

Clean Baby!

Speaking of milestones, we had another the other day, and this a little more signifcant than his gaze catching mine.







Aksel lost the remnants of his umbilical cord!







We could think of no other way to celebrate than to finally get the chance to bathe him (or at least wipe him off with some soapy water). He seemed to enjoy it greatly, but I'd attribute that largely to the tender hand of his mother.





Also, Meriam wanted to tell everyone that, as always, she had a paw in the process.

Well...

There's not much that goes on in the life of a newborn, so we tend to get excited about (very) small milestones. We've been excited to see Aksel look at us for extended periods of time, grab onto our fingers, and watch him lift his head and turn it from side to side (which we think is very advanced; of course, I think we might be very biased).

And today marked an even more significant milestone- he lost the remnants of his umbilical cord! Oh goodness, we're exciting!

One Week Old!

Aksel's a week old today, though we all feel he's been here longer than that. He's settling into his home, and is getting used to all sorts of commotion that his dog-brother and sister like to stir up.

A Picture of Aksel to Kick Things Off...

Here he is! He's had enough pictures taken thus far to last a year.