first day!

I'm learning how to upload videos....YAY! Here's an oldie but goodie.

Laughter!

5 Months!

Dear Siler,

WOW!  Today you are five months old.  I can't believe it.  You are currently in the ergo carrier on my chest fussing on and off because you are tired but fighting sleep.  That is about the only time you fuss.  Sometimes when the dogs bark and scare you, but mostly, when you are tired.  Once you find your thumb or finger you will stop crying until you jerk it out of your mouth.  This will go on for a few minutes then you are out.....why don't you just keep sucking your thumb?  Most days I have been putting you in the crib and you cry for a minute or two then fall asleep but today I have you in the ergo carrier because we have to go hang out laundry in just a minute and then walk the dogs.

You are still a smiley, happy baby.  You smile at everyone who talks to you and you smile with your whole body!  In the morning we will hear you "talking" and playing with rattles in your crib.  You often do that for 30 minutes or so.  I used to get you up as soon as I heard you but now I wait until you fuss a little then either you dad or I will come to your bed to get you.  If you are awake when we get up we have to  tiptoe around so you don't see us.  Sometimes I can get a shower in before you get up!  You smile as soon as you see us and wiggle and it's the best way to start a day.  It's amazing to have someone so happy to see you first thing in the morning, I love it!

We lay you down on blankets on the floor a lot now.  You love to play with toys on the floor and you are pretty content on your back or your belly.  If Calvin or Jahnimous comes into the room you love to watch them.  And even though we fuss when they lick you too much, you don't seem to mind.  You are so strong now.  When you play on your belly you can reach toys and put them in your mouth and when you are in your play gym you reach for and pull the toys that hang.  The goal is always to get the toy in your mouth.  Or your toes, or your fingers.....

You can roll from your belly to you back and you are really working on rolling from your back to your belly.  The other day you tried so hard.  You got the idea of using the momentum of your leg and would get almost over.....it will be soon.

I feel like the luckiest mama in the world.  You are so sweet and loving and happy.  You have made this not so hard for us and you make us laugh every day.  We are so lucky that you chose us to be your parents.  We joke that your serious, contemplative face is me and your smiley laid-back face is your dad.  We love you so much and love having you on all of our adventures now.  You make them so much more fun!

Love you so much, 

Mama

Last leg.....

of the trip we took a few weeks ago....After Kat and Chris' wedding in Heber, Utah we drove to Moab, Utah where our friends Mat and Mel live.  We met them in Green River, on the Green River because they had been at a hippie festival there all weekend and didn't want to leave - I don't blame them.  They gave us directions back into this canyon - driving around this area of Utah is always mind-blowing ....the photos never do it justice, but we try.....

 

In Moab we spent the two days there going to National Parks (Arches and Canyonlands) so we could get Siler's National Park passport stamped and so we could see some beautiful scenery with her before she is old enough to complain about how boring it is......We did not do a whole lot of walking, more viewing from the car - the sun in the desert is intense folks.....I was also still a little sick and we kept waking Siler up to wander around and after a little while she got annoyed with that.  It was still so fun to go to the parks.  I don't think I had ever been to Canyonlands and it had been a long time since either Parrish or I had been to Arches so that was really cool. Mat and Mel both had to work during the day so we'd catch up with them at night.  Wish that happened more often.

We have really got to work on our family portraits, so far most of them look like they should be on the bad family photos website......they mostly just make me laugh and then I laugh harder when I think of Siler looking back on these one day.

View of the La Sals in Arches National Park

Balance Rock!

If you look closely you can see Parrish and Siler being risky and standing under balance rock.

How to walk in the desert with a baby....

Double arch

On to Canyonlands National Park

We only went to the "Island in the Sky" section of Canyonlands but its like a mini Grand Canyon.  Who knew? Amazing.

Just hanging out in a tree - she's already a climber!

Getting better....

You can see a dirt road that goes about 100 miles.  It's a two day trip through the desert in a jeep.  Sounds pretty cool.  We didn't see any jeeps on the road while we were there....

 This is where I start getting tired of photos.....

"Woman, beer and a baby by the Green River at sunset"

 Siler and Finnegan, Mel and Mats dog.

 Got to the airport in plenty of time to make the flight home....it was a little nerve racking since we left from Moab at 7 am, returned the car in Salt Lake City then went to the airport, but we did it!

Blue!

I did not enhance these photos on photoshop (or the mac equivalent of that), her eyes are just that blue.

I'll finish the out west trip soon.  Stay tuned......

4 Months Old!

Dear Siler,

You are now 4 months old.  You spent your 4 mo. birthday in Arches National Park.  It was a great day.  It is Saturday and we just got back from a 10 day trip out west on Wednesday at midnight.  I unpacked a little on thursday and then worked in the evening.  Friday I unpacked some and took a nap with you ( I think I have a little of the cold that you had), then today, Saturday, I worked most of the day.   You do a lot of cool stuff and you are super cute and we love you a lot.  I will try to do a better letter next month.

Love,

Mama

Way out West

We're home but here are some more photos.   She was the best traveller ever!

Here we are in Boise.  It's a super cute city and full of fun outdoor stuff to do.  All the bikers are super dorky and ring their bells and say "on your left" as they pass you.  It was awesome.  We'd be OK living there.

These were taken on a hill above the city.  It was a great view though a little smoggy.

This is my favorite nursing stop in Idaho.  It's a truck stop but has this lovely "garden of Eden" in the middle of the store.  We stopped here on the way to Boise and the way back.  It's not very crowed at 10 pm but hopping at lunch time.....We took the photos on the night stop,  it was very crowded at lunch and I felt like we should just act like we did this all the time.

  Next to the wedding. It was beautiful and so much fun to see so many great people!  It was really chilly at night and pretty exciting to wear some winter stuff.  We stayed in a house with a bunch of 5-holers and babies and, as expected, it was the party house too!  heehee.  Lots of "simming go" as Norah would say, swimming in the hot tub,  chasing babies,  decorating for the wedding, eating bacon.....fun stuff.

  

 Parrish hangin' with the mammas.

 

 Isabelle totally knows how to work it for the
cameras!  I love the look on Desmonds face.....

The ceremony site - beautiful!  The giant candles are actually from the house we stayed in but they cut

the wicks so we couldn't light them.  After looking at our house (it was full of cool and dangerous for kids decor) Kat wondered why she had worked so hard on making all of those twine balls but she had a great vision and everything was beautiful.  

 T-ma and Norah Jul

               

 Ummmm, I thought we
were having a good time......

Well, Siler and I are at least having fun.....

Dress up!  This room was LOTS of fun!

Love from Kat and Tash

That is A LOT of saran wrap.....

Hey!  That's MY Mamma!

Fun times in the hot tub

We'll cover the rest of Utah later......