Per helps out with the chores

All aboard!

Per rides in his caravan around town - he's hoping his harem will grow with his power.

Per goes to the Michigan State Fair

No longer a zero

Per turned one today - successfully completing his first lap around the sun. Anxious for FCI photos (full cake immersion), we got the most brightly colored cake we could find. Things looked promising: Per was ready to go...

Grandparents were present via Skype...

The neighborhood crowd was assembled...

Per shows interest (FCI imminent)...

First sign that things are going awry...

Per makes a break for it...

FCI fail.

Regroup. Move to new location. Distract subject with present opening.

Roll out the cake again...

This time bait cake with familiar food...

Cake rejected, foiled again!

Per settles for ice cream instead...

Minor sugar high achieved. Party not a total failure.

Upon being asked how big he is (now that he is one), Per exaggerates.

He gets away with it because it's his special day.

That's why I wish again...

A few weeks ago, Grandma Jane and Aunt Kari visited, and we all packed off to Lake Michigan for some requisite summer-time fun in the sun and sand.

The beach was perfect for a crawling kid with ample stores of energy:

Expanses of packed sand...

Lolling waves...

Curious seagulls...

Swim lessons, courtesy of Pops...

Beach snacks, courtesy of mom...

Buried feet in the sand...

First excavations with pail and shovel...

(who said that sand and thumb-sucking couldn't mix?)

And, gobs of time to reflect on 11 well-lived months so far.

NSFW

Ever since Per learned to crawl, he's had to spend a lot more time in the tub (see grubby mitt in previous post). In the first installment of our bathtub series, here is Per standing up at the tub. A note to our younger readers, Per is a professional. Please do not attempt these stunts at home.

Orange Per

He might be orange on the outside, but he's all Per on the inside.

Ethiopian Journal

Per has just returned from the cradle of humankind. He met with the natives, stalked wild animals, discovered the source of the Nile, had to avoid fire from AK47s, and was forced to slaughter his own meat to stave off starvation. He now knows what true suffering feels like. Needless to say, he is happy to be back in his safe, soft, crib - complete with padded bumper.

Here is Per's travelogue...

All packed!

Anticipating the 16-hour flight to Addis Ababa...

The next leg of the flight.

Per, pleased with himself, asks whether they serve food on Ethiopian Airlines.

His mother informs him how old that joke is.

Helping pack the tarp for the big drive to the park.

Per finds lake Tana, the source of the Nile after a mere 8 months on the planet. 

Suck on that, Dr. Livingstone.

Per digs his new quarters...

Checks out the wildlife...

And, takes the 4x4 for a spin.

Bachelor males, just hanging out.

Per decides he wants a pet monkey.

Settles for a sheep instead. Names him "Scrappy".

Watches in disbelief as Scrappy is slaughtered and roasted over the fire.

Refuses to eat Scrappy

Up close and personal with an AK47

Per (second from left) making more friends.

Per tries to explain to his caretaker that there ARE indeed starving kids in Ethiopia (him).

It works.

Out for a stroll.

Per and Rahel

Conducting more fieldwork.

Won't look at the cow - afraid he'll become the next Scrappy.

Tired out after a long field season.

Job done--time for drinks back at the Hilton.

Per says a final farewell to everybody.

Bouncing around the room

Per gets to 0.5 base

We set Per up with the cute girl that lives across the street. Here is how it went:

The introduction. Per agrees with Pops - she's cute.

Per tries to impress her with his rabbit toy...

Our boy makes his move...

Score! Hands are held.

 

Woo - hoo!

Sorry lady, but the rabbit stays with me...

Disgusting

It's not possible to use this snowsuit and keep a straight face. It goes beyond cute, into that gooey sticky realm. Sort of like eating too much sweets and feeling a bit nauseated afterwards...

Child torture by loving aunts

Christmas photo dump

Christmas in Minnesota with Grandma Jane and Kari -

Visit to the Motherland

We decided to get Per in touch with his roots. People say its easier to travel with kids when they are young and we decided there is no time like the present. So we went for it. And Per really seemed to enjoy it. He mostly slept on the trip over, although he got a little fussy on the way back. We tried Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam. We weren't there long so we didn't find any lefsa. People there are so nice and everyone loved Per. Sadly, none of the people we met were long lost relatives. Jacinta hates touristy photos, but I managed to sneak one in:

Thanks-giving; Picture-taking

Using Per as bait, we once again were able to lure relatives to our lair.

Lionel couldn't come. 

We thought we'd include a recent photo of him so he wouldn't feel left out...

Halloween Hell

Do other folks torture their 7-week old kids like this?

Speaking of not letting your kid watch TV...

Sometimes we want to watch TV while watching Per, but we don't want him to watch the TV. We came up with a good solution - 

Per thinks we are watching him, he can't see the TV, and everybody is happy. You just have to be smarter than your kid...

More fool-proof parenting tips to follow.

Glimpse from the present - TODAY!

I know that we've not quite kept to our new year's resolution, which was to get you all caught up to the present, so you can see how Per is doing each day. In fact, we are quite behind, as you surely have noticed. Take, for example, the last post dated January 25th, 2009, yet clearly displaying green grass and leaves in the background. Alas, that photo was taken in October. We are months behind. So, here is a glimpse from the present to keep your appetite whetted. And to show you how Per likes to keep occupied each morning. It's said that television is not good for kids under 2 years, but how about the wash?

The BergMen

So, Per's the only son, of an only son, of an only son, of an only son. Let's hope it stays that way...

It's all relatives

The cake says it all

Cake lady: "Welcome, Per?"

Sonali: "Yes, that's right"

Cake lady: "And how do you spell Per?"

Sonali: "P-e-r"

Cake lady (as she writes in icing): "P-e-r..."

- Long pause -

Cake lady: "And then what?"

Sonali: "That's it."

Cake lady: "That's it?"

Sonali: "Yes, that's all there is."

Pronouncing his name

So, to hear how Per's name should be pronounced, click here. 

But we are going to let everyone (including us) get away with the Americanized version - pronounced basically like "pear", or better "pehr" - since mispronounced Scandinavian names are a family tradition.

Pair of Pers

Per is named after his great, great, great, great (I think that's how great he was) grandfather Per Holsten. I think it is safe to say that Per Bergman's life is a little bit easier than Per Holsten's life. With his own hands, Per H. built a stone and sod house out on the prairie in South Dakota. I don't think South Dakota is any warmer than Minnesota in the wintertime, and all they had was a small woodstove in the house to keep them warm. South Dakota is not known for its vast forests, so I can't even imagine how they collected or chopped enough wood to tide them through the long winter months. And here, his great, great, great, great grandson, more than 100 years later has never felt more than a chill in his life. I wonder how he would feel about the life his descendants are leading and whether our technical but comfy lives are better or worse than his simple yet difficult existence?

Primate origins

Per's ancestry: part Scandinavian, part Irish, part German, part Syrian, part French, and part Tarsier.

The early days

September 9, 2008

First day home

September 8, 2008

What a day. After 9 months of anticipation it finally becomes reality. You know its coming but nothing can prepare you for what it is really like. Its just one of those things you never forget. The other dads out there probably know what I am talking about... 

Season opener. Monday Night Football. Vikings-Packers. 

Of course the outcome wasn't what I had hoped. The Vikings squandered the game. And in hindsight it was fairly telling of how the season would go--some good moments but mostly the usual Viking disappointment. Oh well. Only 9 months of waiting for it to start up again.   

Despite the loss the Vikings did pick up a fan that day:

Per Yohannis Bergman was born at 2:18 AM. 7 lb. 14 oz., 20.5 inches.

Dulce de leche league

The way I figure it, probably 95% of the molecules in Per's body originated as ice cream. Not just any ice cream - but pints and pints of dulce de leche. The only craving I had during pregnancy (and movie theatre popcorn).

The Early Months

Okay, this is as far back as we'll go for Per. Here he is exactly 1 month and 4 days before he was born. Looks a bit like his pops, no? 

New Year's Resolution

We've been feeling intimidated by our nephew Jack's professional blog. But the pressure from the relatives is too great. So, as one of our new year's resolutions, we vowed to start Per's blog and keep up with it. So, here goes...We'll start at the beginning and try to catch up to the present. In the meantime, we'll give you a glimpse of the present. Here's how Per started his new year's eve. We'll hold off on publishing the photos from later in the evening. It doesn't seem fair to jeopardize his political career before it even starts. Suffice it to say that it's a good thing he won't remember much.