Hannes and the Order of Phoenix Well, Harry isn't the only special boy with the initials "HP" in the world, you know. There's one very special HP sleeping about 5 ft from me and my computer. Not sure what kind of magic he possesses, but I know he wraps people around his finger just like that.
We're on our vacation in Hannes's other home country, Sweden, and there are many aunts and uncles and grandma's and grandpa's to meet - and in Hannes's case, charm.
We've been away for a little over a week, and this much has happened in Hannes's World:
1) There are two more teeth pushing through his pink gums.
2) He totally gets up and stands against a sofa on his own.
3) He went from eating half a banana to eating a whole banana today (which means that he can hang out with me all day).
4) He can crawl both forward and backwards, instead of just backwards.
5) Not everybody agrees with this, but according to Jessica's brother, Hannes can say, "Jocke."
Hannes learns something new every day. And so do we. What a blast!
Streets of Helsinki Ever since Hannes was born, I have been looking at celebrities and thinking, "I bet his Mom and Dad couldn't see this one coming!" (Unless you're Mrs. Spears).
Jessica and I saw Bruce Springsteen in Helsinki this Tuesday, and somewhere in the middle of the "well, I got this guitar and I learnt how to make it talk"-solo I got the same feeling all over me again. I bet little Brucey's parents couldn't tell their son would grow up to be a megastar. And I decided, right there and then, with the sun setting over Helsinki, that I will always give Hannes whatever support he needs to pursue his dreams, whether he wants to become a rock star, a hockey player, a painter or a bus driver. Not because I would try to make him a star, but because while looking at 53-year-old Brucey goof around the stage, I was convinced that you're happierst when you get to do the things you want to do.
Aunt's world It's been six months since I wrote about Aunt Jenny. Well, not my Aunt Jenny, but Hannes's. The reason for that is that Jenny has been in Chile for the past six months and even if we have got awesome reports from her, she hasn't been here.
Until yesterday.
Last time Hannes saw Jenny, she was just a ... heh, you know what I mean: Last time Hannes saw Jenny, he could hardly see. Both their lives have changed in the past six months (I haven't heard 1% of the things she has seen or done in Chile) and Hannes has gone from being a cute baby to being a cute bigger baby.
It's good to see them together. Hannes needs to learn to respect the Godmother, right? Right.
Just do it Days just flash by, and there are many stories I should remember to tell you about, but haven't.
Hannes is doing great. Jessica and I were talking about it today that actually, human child becomes a real person and a member of his community really fast. The first three months are a blur, but now Hannes is a member of our team just like we are.
Anyway, the big news is that Jessica ... no, she's not pregant...
The big news is that Jessica is launching a Web site aimed at Swedish speaking parents in Finland. Cool, eh?
I love you tooth, two The first one isn't completely up yet, but Hannes's second tooth is already showing. That means twice the amount of saliva, and twice the amount of chewing stuff.
The boys are back in town Last night was Girls' Night Out - which automatically means that it was Guys' Night Watching TV. Jessica went out for the first time since Hannes was born, and she somehow talked herself into leaving Hannes for more than two hours. I think the record stood at two hours and 12 minutes. That was the longest Jessica had been away from Hannes. But, as all records, that one was meant to be broken.
So, Jessica left at 7.30. Hannes fell asleep at 8.20. At 8.35, I lifted Hannes into his trolley and we walked down to the restaurant Jessica was at. Basically, if Mom is eating out, so is Hannes. I waited by the Trivial Pursuit machine (entered the top 10 at #7). It was the girls' night out, after all.
Then Hannes and I walked home (you know what I mean) and watched Superman II for a while. Hannes got bored pretty soon (the opening flashback IS way too long) so I got to do my Elvis impersonation again. Opened with a medley: Don't Be Cruel - Heartbreak Hotel - Teddy Bear - All Shook Up. Closed with a medley: Don't Be Cruel - Heartbreak Hotel - Teddy Bear - All Shook Up. Encore: Finnish folk song.
Gently laid Hannes in his bed.
Watched Superman II some more.
Woke up and went to bed all male bonded for the night. Woke up to Jessica coming home, setting the new record at 4 hours.
To dive for I guess it was bound to happen. I mean, no matter how hard or much we try to protect Hannes, or how much we hold him in our arms, this day was going to come. I'd rather it hadn't happened, but then again, maybe it's good for him.
He fell today.
Or, "fell" is actually a wrong word. He basically just tipped over. On his face. Lip first. Not even his ultracute cheeks could dampen the blow. And it may all seem funny in a few years, a few months even, but right now Jessica and I feel like crap. If somebody rang at the door now, we would probably expect it to be the authorities that take Hannes away from us.
Oh, the despair.
How could we let him get hurt like that? Shouldn't it have been obvious to us that he could get hurt sitting on the floor? Yes. Absolutely. Maybe that's why we had the pillow behind him...
June 3: Hannes placed on the inury reserve. Swollen lip. Day-to-Day.
Tooth and nail So, there we were, all three of us. I held Hannes on my knees, and sat on the toilet seat. Jessica stood in front of us, between the seat and the mirror.
It was time to brush the tooth. For the first time.
Obviously, the brushing did some good because Hannes wouldn't let go of the tooth brush. I don't think he really cared about his dental hygiene that much, but maybe the brushing brought some instant relief to his itching little gums. And now the tooth shines whiter than ever, every time Hannes smiles.
