Happy Birthday

Our middle son, Nils, turned 28 yesterday. On the boys' birthdays I like to get out their photo albums and enjoy the good memories. When they were babies I wanted to remember what they smelled like, knowing that would not happen. Still, these photos are as close as I get except in the rare occasions when I am holding a baby. He was a big baby, 9 lb, 9 oz. I say that he was so strong he delivered himself since the whole process only took a few hours. On the chair in the birthing room, in front of that lovely wallpaper, you can see the lace blanket I knit for him.

In the second photo he is sleeping in a walnut crib that has been in my family for over 110 years. Back then we were taught to put babies on their stomachs to sleep. How things change! He's covered with his lace blanket.
I don't think they are supposed to cover babies anymore either.

The blanket he is lying on in this 7

week photo is one of worsted weight wool from Meg Swansen. Someone told me that the American pioneers knit light colored borders on blankets so babies perceived that as an edge and didn't crawl off. I've tested that theory and it didn't work but it is a nice piece of folklore anyway.
It got him used to wool at a young age.

These plastic punkin' seats look like doll toys compared to the sturdy multipurpose seats the young moms have today. This photo of Nils is one of my faves. You can see that his sleeper doesn't snap over his chubby thigh.

At Christmas he was a 4 month old bruiser, but slowed down the growth after than. Thank goodness!

We celebrated his first birthday at my parents' home. That is older brother Torben on the left. The silly things we will do for our kids! Love those hats.