Sunday, June 22, 2008


Sam passed his hearing test in Laramie. Again, he was an excellent patient. He had to be asleep during the test, not difficult for Sam. However, if someone were pressing electrodes to my forehead and clipping them to my earlobes I wouldn't be able to sleep. The test took almost two hours and as my Dad said, "Now he is perfect in every way". We will probably retest when Sam is six months old, as is recommended by the audiologist.

Yesterday Steve went climbing at the North Country and Sam and I went along. I have not been cleared to go climbing yet, but I can belay. Sam's first day climbing was a success. I was a bit neurotic about keeping him covered so no sun or bugs could get to him. He still seems a bit fragile.

Today is Sunday. Steve and the dogs just left for a morning of climbing. The house is very quiet. Sam is sleeping in his swing so I have time to write. Steve has been incredible at night. He gets up and changes Sam's diaper 95% of the time and then brings him to me to nurse. I don't have to leave the bed! Tom and Linda gave us a little crib that was Aunt Diane's, Tom's, Leslie's, Steve's and Jeff's. It is great. We placed it right beside the bed so I can get to it, again, without getting out of bed.

Sam does seem stronger now. He is moving his head around often and with a bit of control. His arms and legs are always moving if he is awake. His eyes seem to be changing from the newborn dark blue/black to lighter blue. I think his eyes will be blue. We'll know for sure in a few months. Sam is experiencing a common newborn affliction. Dry skin is covering his entire body. Not much to do but watch. Lotion just makes a mess and it seems to only last a couple of days per body area. Baby acne is next!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

SAM'S FIRST DAY CLIMBING


Today was Sam's first day at the crag. It was a nice, warm day, and we spent it in the cool shade. Sam slept most of the time, and handled the hike well. The cliffs of the North Country are covered with tiny pockets that we call "monos". This is because most full-grown climbers can fit only one finger in the holes. What I realized today is that if Sam gets rolling in the next few weeks, he'll be able to fit all four fingers in each hole!

We carried Sam in a front-pack, and it worked well with the normal climbing pack.

Also of note is that the little one slept four hours straight last night. We know this isn't the new normal, but it's a welcome relief from the 1.5 hour grind.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Sam's umbilical cord fell off yesterday. Yahoo! He is fully healed from the birth now. He is doing well and back to a bit of a routine?, aka he is waking every two to three hours during the night to eat. After a night of regular feedings I feel like I could do anything until about 1:00 pm then it is nap time. We are looking forward to a hike with Steve and the dogs this morning in Sinks. As the weather heats up the river rises. Yesterday, I took a short walk along it in town and it is high and moving fast. We'll see how it is in the canyon today.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

When does night become morning?


Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, it becomes easier to get dressed and make coffee than to go back to bed. This morning that happened to be about 4:00.

The last few nights have been full of opportunities for personal growth for all three of us. We spent the weekend in Casper visiting grandparents and celebrating my parents' 45th anniversary. Sam spent the weekend being adored, held, and admired. He also slept nearly every daylight hour.

Which left him with plenty of energy at night.

On Saturday, we received a baby-spa device that plays soothing sounds like rainfall, the ocean, and such. We plugged it in that night and it promptly put Ellen and I to sleep, at least until the baby noises got loud enough to bring us back around.

Sunday was Father's Day. I'd have liked to sleep all day, but made the mistake of getting out of bed. So it was another day of visiting, yawning, and finally driving back across the beautiful plains to Lander, with just one small "snack break" at Beaver Rim.

Last night was another one for the books. Sam slept very little, was pretty gassy, and spent most of the night upset. I, myself, like having gas, but to each his own. So the night crawled along until El had had enough and I took over walking Sam through the dark house. We listened for the paperboy's ATV, for the sounds of the birds, for the beginning of the morning traffic on the street. And as the sun started to warm the dark sky, Sam's eyelids closed for another day's sleep.

Thursday, June 12, 2008


On Wednesday of last week, Sam visited the doctor for the first time. He was an excellent patient. His weight went from 6# 5oz at release from the hospital to 6# 13oz on Wednesday. He also grew taller, around 1/4 to a 1/2 inch, now reaching 19 3/4 inches tall, a giant of a boy. We will visit an audiologist in Laramie this Friday to determine what, if anything, is wrong with his left ear. In case I have not mentioned this to you, his left ear did not pass initial hearing tests in the hospital so off we go to visit Grandma.
Our trip to Casper this weekend was full of activity for everyone. Sam did a lot of lounging and enjoyed being admired. Sleep was hard to come by for Steve and I but through the haze of fatigue I couldn't help but smile at Sam in the morning. However, I am grateful there are three Starbuck's in Casper to keep us fueled and functioning! I wonder if people realize the state we are in and smile knowingly, shaking their heads or maybe they assume we are less than average on any given day. Whatever they think Sam is a beautiful baby with a perfectly shaped head (everyone says so...); one of the benefits of having a c-section birth. I wouldn't trade him for 4 straight hours of sleep, maybe a Venti Latte...
Ellen

The Bucket

It's amazing how little Sam is. He sleeps in a small Rubbermaid (TM) bin with a foam pad in the bottom. It's really easy to carry, light, and best of all, free! Last night Ellen sent me to the guest room to sleep...I'd been getting behind and apparently it showed in my demeanor. So, 8.5 hours later, I'm a new man. And now she is sleeping...

I love the craziness of this new life. As tiring or strange or inconvenient as it might be, the little man is worth all the effort.

It's so great to be a family. To be Daddy and Mommy (though after almost two weeks of life Sam still has trouble with enunciation). This is the greatest of all things. It gives me hope. It makes everything just a little bit better.

And all the free food our friends keep bringing over is great, too.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Tummy Time


At least one of us is getting some exercise. Everyday Sam spends some time on his tummy, strengthening his arms and back. His legs are moving more than any other part of his body. He is bicycling in the sky.
We are looking forward to our first road trip. Next weekend we will head to Casper to celebrate Steve's first Father's Day and Tom and Linda's 45th wedding anniversary, two very big events.
Packing for Sam will be an interesting challenge, having never done it before. I am sure we will bring too much. How can someone so small require so much gear? We will report back on our trip next week.
Ellen

Saturday, June 7, 2008

First Day Out


Sam is ten days old. We thought it was high time he made it outside. We took a family hike at Sinks Canyon in the cool June afternoon. Most years it's in the high 80s or 90s by now, but it's been pleasantly cool all spring.

The wildflowers were great, the river high, and the dogs were full of energy after being stuck inside for over a week. We still aren't sure whether the yellow flowers in the picture are Arrow-Leaf Balsam Root or Mule's Ears...

Sam, he is.


It's funny to have a baby. It's obvious that things change dramatically, but what is really interesting is that we know what to do. I think we are really lucky with Sam, he is good at sleeping and is starting to figure out when to do it, too.

This morning, Sam and I got up at six and went out to the living room to read on the couch. El had been up many times during the night feeding him and needed the sleep. As luck would have it, he slept again until Ellen was awake about 8, giving her two hours of uninterrupted sleep - the equivalent of 8 hours for a nursing mother.

As usual, things are running smoothly. We are so lucky. I sometimes catch myself thinking about when he can walk or talk or how he will be sometime down the road. This morning, though, I am content in today. It is wonderful to have him now, squirming and cooing and pursing his little lips, learning to be a baby.

Steve

Friday, June 6, 2008

We survived!


We made it through another night. Last night was the first night that Steve was allowed to return to the bed since Sam came home. Three in the bed proved much too stressful so we took Sam out. Who would have thought? Being next to the bed with both his parents and noisy dogs in the room must have lulled him to sleep. Cross your fingers for tonight.
Love,
Ellen

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Sam's all alone with Mom and Dad


Tonight is the first night Sam is stuck with just the parents. Grandma Rebecca has gone home after a week of taking care of the three of us. The dogs, Bug and Olive are adapting well, and are both curious and caring when it comes to the little guy.

Dark comes tonight with a sense of dread and the question, "How did we give birth to a nocturnal son?"

Monday, June 2, 2008

Sam was born at 8:14am on May 29, 2008. Wahoo.