Otso's 14th Month

Summary
We had another bout of sickness this month, but also we have seen Otso walk.

Events
23.11 Helena and Lilja's birthday party
29.11 Thanksgiving dinner (guests Filippo, Amy, Gemma, and Diego)
30.11 Christmas tree lighting in downtown Stavanger
1.12 stood on his own for 3 minutes at barnehage
4.12 took 2 steps before toppling over
5.12 FIRST WALK - a few steps back and forth between isä and äiti
7.12 St. Nicholas celebration with the neighbors
12.12 Lucia day at barnehage
14.12 Baking cookies at Gemma's house
17.12 first Norwegian word "ha det"
19.12 flight to Helsinki

Development
Since the pneumonia last month he hasn't been interested in walking around, either with help or without help. He will happily crawl, but he stays on the floor.
He is making more and more sounds. He sometimes sings along in the car and he can't pronounce the words but he makes the sounds. He also can understand more and more when we talk. 
He is unruly at diaper changes and turns and twists, but he is starting to be somewhat helpful for putting on his clothes. For example, when we tuck his arm into the arm hole of a shirt, he stretches out his arm to push it through the sleeve.
His pincer grasp is often with his middle finger and thumb, and he holds his index finger up. Lately he can both grab and release items like Cheerios.
4.12 he went back and forth from isä to äiti, walking a couple of steps and then falling into the person's arms
5.12 FIRST WALK -- a few steps!
He seems to be spiteful. For example, he will often request to be picked up. But then if I tell him to wait a minute and I do something else first, when I go to him he turns away from my arms and cries, like he is punishing me for making him wait. If he can be distracted by something good and therefore forget his anger, he will accept being picked up, which is what he wanted the whole time.
17.12 says "ha det!" (Goodbye in Norwegian) and waves.

Toys/Games
On 22.11 Hattie gave us some toys (a car garage, a toy helicopter) and they have been a hit with both kids. We put the car garage from his birthday away with the intent to sell it because this one is much more fun. 
He still loves balloons and balls and still doesn't like books. He loves to play with cars.
Both kids are really enjoying playing with the pile of sweet potatoes in the kitchen. They like to pass them back and forth, and sort them, and throw them.

Eating
He won't eat from pouches anymore; I think he associates them with being sick since that's basically all he had during the worst days.
He loves to drink water but refuses cow's milk and juice.
He is breastfeeding 3 or 4 times a day: first thing in the morning, upon arrival home, and before bed. Sometimes there is another feeding in the morning before we leave and sometimes there is a short feed sometime in the evening.
10.12 along with the sleeping issues (see below) he seems to not eat as much right now. We had a brief resumption of his excellent eating habits around the end of November but now we are back to not much. He is also currently only eating a specific kind of bread (PolarBröd) and otherwise only dairy. He will eat breastmilk and yogurt and quark and cheese. Sometimes he will eat a couple of Cheerios too. Apart from those, he will carefully accept what food you offer him and then throw it as hard as he can.
17.12 he has mostly regained his appetite but can be erratic. he is a little obsessed with Mariekjeks (Marie cookies). 

Sleeping
He took some great naps on 22.11 (in the bike trailer) and 23.11 (in the stroller) and the sleep situation has improved at night. It's still not easy to go to bed and he still wakes up crying, but at least it's not every 15 minutes.
From 22.11 to 26.11 (and more?) he has been waking up at 5:00, give or take a few minutes. Every time he has a poop. 
Starting the night of 27.11 we began sleep training, meaning he stays in the crib until 5:00 in the morning. The first night was hard with a lot of crying. But by the third night, he slept a longer stretch than he has in quite a while. Äiti sleeps next to him but not in the crib, sort of sideways on the guest bed. I can put my hand through the crib bars and hold his chest, which seems to relax him.
1.12 last night he woke up at 12:30, and then again at around 4:30 and screamed inconsolably for 45 minutes.  
2.12 last night he needed some help going to sleep and woke up a few times but then slept from 21:00ish until 5:50.
4.12 last night he cried almost the whole night. he had a nap from 4:00-4:30am. äiti nursed him at 5 and then took him out for a walk at 5:20.
10.12 the last few nights have been really difficult. He sleeps a little but will suddenly wake up and start crying loudly. He seems angry. He refuses to be soothed, even crawling away from äiti or isä. He bangs his head against his crib rails when he gets especially mad. When we take him out of the crib and into the guest bed, he rolls away and then bangs his head on the sides. The only thing that can temporarily calm him is nursing and he will stop back-arching if we say "nursing?" to him. But he chews (ouch) and he resumes yelling the minute you take him off the breast. We have gone through the typical culprits:
 - night terrors: no, because he does the same thing when fully awake
 - hunger: no, because immediately after nursing he resumes the yelling. plus he won't eat very much at the table.
 - separation anxiety: no, because he isn't soothed by anyone's presence
 - pain: maybe. he doesn't seem to be helped much by a full dose of pain killer
our current theory is some combination of teething and anxiety about walking. but who knows.
15.12 the worst night yet, trying Pantley stuff like "pull off" technique which seems to enrage him
16.12, 17.12 the nights are just a little better
20.12 won't sleep at night without a breast in the mouth. Since we are sharing a house every night on this trip, äiti has decided to not try to train him to do otherwise until we get home. Hopefully it won't be too hard, because some nights it is really frustrating.

Health
A fever on 25.11
It felt like he was just back to health and now he is vomiting again 3.12. in one evening he threw up on 3 different sleep sacks.
4.12 still vomiting. 
5.12 no vomiting, but still weak and no appetite.

Stats
Clothes: size 86 (18 months) and 92

Teeth: 7 
Weight: ?
Length: 78 cm ?