New experiences!

I have not posted since the first day I went back to work, 4 months ago. Wow, time gets away from you... I am happy to report that Sam now has his own life. He spends two afternoons a week with friends, one with Suzanne Lilygren and one with Deborah Ellis. We feel very lucky to have such great care for him. It also gives Steve and I time to focus without interruption on whatever we want. It is great!
Sam is changing every day. It is so amazing to watch him learn and discover the world around him. His most recent experience is food. He started eating rice cereal this past weekend. It was fun and messy. We are not sure how much he actually swallowed. He is also making more sounds and mimicking our sounds. Sam and I are going to the local child development center on Friday for his 6 month screening. Of course we know already that he is above average but hearing it never gets old. I will report back with the results.
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and eating turkey with family. Uncle Matt will be celebrating his first Thanksgiving in the United States in three years with us. We are all looking forward to his dish!!!
Enjoy the new pictures and Sam's BIG, blue eyes.

Who is that baby?

Sam is growing and learning so much. El and I are so busy, that it seems like we can't even keep up with remembering the landmarks, let alone document them. So far, we have only taken about 5 minutes of video, and all the pictures are waiting to be sorted. One of the wonderful things we see as Sam passes the 5 month mark is his engaging nature and his interest in just about everything.

He giggles when he sees the baby in the mirror. He pets the dogs and pulls mom's hair and when I karate-chop him in the guts (hey...it's never too early to get tough...) he laughs like crazy. We've just started using his new baby backpack and he loves being able to see where we're going.



He is adept at rolling to the left, but prefers to avoid going right. He talks and talks, though I think it's mostly to hear his own voice...just like the rest of us. He has also found the volume controls...and I think he's never going back to coos and sighs. I can't even come up with the words to describe how much we love this little man. He is the best and brightest thing in the world to me.

Waiting on Cousin

Somehow we all got to Kansas City a little bit early. We had planned to get here after the new Patterson baby arrived, but he decided to take the long road. Sam and Mom and Dad spent the past few days in Charlotte NC, at the airport Sheraton. A great place, but not really. Mom worked, Sam and Dad got to know the place.

Now we are on leg two of the trip. Waiting. Annoying Katherine. Eating Matt's cooking.

Sam is the king. He is the world's best traveler. We have got it so good...

4 Months and Counting

There is so much happening every day, it's hard to keep up. Sam is talking and smiling all the time now. He chuckles if something is especially delightful, and he is becoming better and better at communicating every day.

He is a delight for us and he makes every sinlge day priceless. We never imagined it could be so great. What would the world be like without this little guy?

Teeth and other Demons

Sam has developed A) A severe oral fixation, particularly with his fingers, or B) incoming teeth. It bothers him. It makes him cry and slobber and gurgle. It's another milestone. He's also developed the great ability to sit upright with a lot of control, as seen in the accompanying photo. Sam has borrowed a Bumbo chair from his soon-to-be-friend Asa to help him with this. Olive particularly likes this chair because it keeps Sam more accessible.

Olive is laid up right now with a dislocated pinkie toe. Now, in addition to feeding Sam, holding the teething ring, making plum jam, and working on our new winter gym plans, we get to try and keep her toe wrapped up.

The days are hectic and the nights are short, but we have found a wonderful life. We're busier than a string of beads at Mardi Gras, but we are happy and that's worth a few sleepless nights.

Sam in the Wilderness

We got some pretty strange looks as we hiked over Jackass Pass into the Cirque of the Towers last weekend. Sam, in his pink Patagonia snow suit, was strapped to my chest, and Ellen and I both carried large packs up the switchbacks in the trail.

"How's she doing?"
"It's a boy. He's fine. He's doing wonderfully." Assuming it's a girl just because of the color of the clothing. Oh, no. Mom and Dad are just bargain shoppers...

Some of them were obviously horrified that we'd be so irresposible as to bring a little baby to what was obviously the most remote and terrifying place they themselves had ever been. We were pretty comfortable with our margin of safety, though. Other than a little bit of sunburn on his nose, Sam was fine.

We camped two nights in the almost-empty Cirque with some friends from Colorado. Sam slept well each night nestled in Ellen's down jacket. On Saturday, I climbed Wolf's Head and Tiger Tower with our friends, Ellen and Sam stayed warm in the tent.

On Sunday, we raced out of the mountains. We've finally learned to plan extra time for Sam to poop, eat, or cry, and so we gave ourselves plenty of time to get a long walk in. Luckily, Sam was feeling pretty good and allowed us to hike non-stop out to the car, andthen make the short drive back home without any complaints.

Our friend Amy Skinner talks about how glad she is that her kids will never remember their first time camping or climbing or being out in the woods. I am glad Sam can look back years from now and say that his crazy parents took him out into the middle of the Wind Rivers when he was only 100 days old, and he was already tough as a two-dollar steak.

Sand

On Sunday, we took a family trip to recon some climbs out in the desert east of Lander. As always, we were rewarded with the greatest possible amount of unclimbed stone in the lower 48. But what was great about this day were the massive number of sand dunes we found. What a unique playground...can't wait for Sam to be old enough to at least remember going to these wonderful places.

We talked to an old local out there who told us of an old silver mine nearby, complete with old ore carts and rails. Should make for a good adventure later this fall.

Baby Pictures

So much happens so quickly. We fail to record the little things that happen, and then Sam is 12 weeks old. We did make the great decision to have Sam's pictures taken by a professional. You can check out a few at her website:

www.kristycardinalphotography.com


Just for comparison, here are a few of our own...

Hopefully, we can still remember to post things occasionally.

Back to work

Yesterday was my first day back at work. I only had three appointments but they were enough. Sam did very well. He slept through my appointments. We will go back to work this afternoon for a couple more. I am glad to work only half days. It gives me time with Sam and I can also contribute to the business. Gotta make the money. We are already saving for college.
This morning we took the Chariot out for a run. It was fun but difficult. Sam slept and I nearly passed out. I will get better and better at steering and breathing as we go.

One Month and Counting

So hard to believe its been over a month! Sam has begun to sleep more at night, and is very awake and aware most parts of the day. He and Ellen are getting regular walks (almost daily) in his new Chariot.

Last night, we took our first family bike ride across town for dinner at Aunt Leslie and Uncle Scott's house. Sam loved riding behind the bike and only cried when we stopped. Talk about motivation to ride your bike!

Ellen has been released by the doctor to resume full normal activity, and just in time. Starting in a little over a week, she goes back to work.

We are still adjusting to the changed sleep patterns and increased coffee consumption, but overall the jump into family has treated us well.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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?"

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