Six Months of Love

Stats:  Weight: 17lbs 4oz--50%--Noggin': 44cm--Height: 27.5in

Crazy how time flies!  Edmund has gone from being a cuddly little smiley boy, to a loud crazy, non-stop smiling little man.  I asked Cory today if he could remember how different our lives six months ago were, he jokingly said he was cooler...I think him being a super daddy makes him even cooler.

 

Every day Edmund is growing and changing (or as we say for fun-evolving).  Thankfully he still lights up when I walk in the room and at least in this stage in the game with the option of scooting to his daddy or me, he chooses his mommy (I hope this lasts).  It makes me feel good that when he gets fussy I can hold him and make him happy and when he bumps his head I can kiss the boo-boo and make it better.  I am holding on dearly to these moments because I know at sometime in his life he is suppose to be too cool for me, so when that time comes I'll come back and read these posts.

Mundo is doing lots of fun things these days.  The first is he is starting to eat like a big boy.  About three weeks ago we started giving him rice cereal in hopes that he'd sleep better--though it didn't help the sleeping he did enjoy it.  Once we got back from vacation I really jumped in with both feet (as I use to say, 'go big or go home').  Thus far he has enjoyed dining on avocado's, bananas and sweet potatoes.  Next up I think will be some carrots.   I love making his food and am excited to continue experimenting with fun concoctions.  There is a story about the messy state of this child to come, for now just enjoy the sweet potatoes.

As posted before he is scooting like a champ and he is scooting all over the house.  We have baby proofed as best we can--I'm sure we'll do more once he actually starts crawling, but for now there are no little objects within reach that can end up in his belly.  Sometimes he needs to use his head as a tri-pod for support.  Its hard being a baby.

 

Good news--he is SLEEPING (for the most part)!  Praise the Lord and let all the earth rejoice!!!  Last week I slept through the night three times.  I don't remember the last time that happened.  He isn't 100% yet, and we are still working on getting him to nap in the crib, but I can deal with that not happening yet if I get a great night of sleep.  Ahh, sweet sleep--I'll take it where I can get it.

Here are Edmund's other favorite activities--playing with his shape 'toolbox' (thanks Finley!) and standing!  Last night in the bathtub he pulled himself up to standing on his own...uh oh.  

He's a super kid and I love every moment we get to hang together.  He spurts out mama sounds often and it makes me smile.  Its been a wonderful six months and I am excited for the six more and so on to come!

The Littlest Mountaineer

It was in the back of our minds when we bought our plane tickets, that maybe, just maybe we could hike a big mountain with Edmund.  We spent time thinking about what would be best (read easiest for me) to hike up and then we found that the access point to that mountain made it obnoxious.  So then we decided that a hike up Quandary Peak which is just outside of Breckenridge.  The hike was sure to be a good journey--summit or not it would be fun (but we really wanted to summit).

One chilly chilly morning when Edmund did his normal 4am wake up I promptly fed him and then we loaded him up in the car in hopes of venturing up all 14, 265 ft. of Quandary Peak.  We hit the trail at 5:30 am.  He quickly fell asleep on Cory's back in the backpack carrier (thanks ma and pa).  About two hours into the hike we stopped for a diaper change and some high altitude feeding and then continued onward and upward.  It was colder than we expected and when the wind picked up Edmund got a little cranky.  So we stopped and built a little coat cave for me to feed him in and warm him up in--once he was happy again he went back into the pack and Cory rigged up a wind protector around the pack and he was once again asleep.  We were not sure if it would work or if he would last and we were contemplating just heading back.  For some reason we remembered there being a false summit so we thought the part that looked like the summit was an evil false summit.  Then this awesome old man told us the top was right there, a whole 200 feet up from where we were standing.  So we figured if nothing else we could top out and then come back down real quick to get out of the wind.

Almost four hours after we started we made it to the top and found a nice spot out of the wind to park Edmund so we could take some pictures.  It was awesome!  Here is the really cool sentimental part.  Quandary Peak was the first 14er I climbed (on February 17, 2002) and it was the first peak Cory and I climbed together.  So now, Quandary is the first peak we have climbed as a family.  Pretty sweet huh?  

I was so proud to have summited and we got so many comments from what seemed like the hundreds of people we passed on the way down saying how awesome it was that we hauled a five month old up the mountain.

We made it down safely and then had some time to sit and relax and enjoy our own special moment.  It is so fun to make amazing memories with Edmund--Cory and I have our memories together which are special, but it is so neat to include your own child in the memory making, I guess it makes the memories that much sweeter.  I look forward to the day when Edmund can hike Quandary with us on his own.    

Here are some pictures to help you get a better picture of our adventure

bright and early (please notice the socks on Edmund's hands as makeshift gloves)

 

fast asleep and missing the views

high altitude feeding

 

asleep in the pack with his makeshift wind cover at the top!

cool fact: the real pointy peak way off to the left is where Cory asked me to marry him

one proud daddy

and mama

a sleepy Edmund (see the pointy peak again?)

the haul down (it was a long haul down!) with a look back up

at the bottom, enjoying being out of the pack (and having the pack off his back)

        

Colorado Getaway Part Deux

If you missed part one, scroll down a few posts.

So we left Gunnison and headed to the wonderful town of Breckenridge.  I LOVE Breckenridge.  This is where my love for Colorado came from and therefore where Edmund's middle name is from.  This is where I first went hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and rafting (remember that trip dad?).  I cannot thank my grandmother enough for purchasing the condo so many years ago nor can I thank my aunt and uncle for buying it from her to keep it in the family.  This is the place my mind wanders to when I long for better weather or stress free days.  There is nothing like sitting on the back porch, looking at the flowers, watching people and cars go by.  It relaxes me just thinking about it.

Breckenridge was great because we were once again surrounded by people who loved loving on and playing with Edmund, which gave mommy and daddy some rest.  As always, we spent time shopping at the outlet mall, walking around the town, eating great food, and gardening (though I did no gardening, I have a black thumb).  Edmund loved getting to hang out with grandma and "the la-la ladies" and he REALLY enjoyed the gondola ride up the mountain (and wearing sunglasses and a hat like is daddy).

Edmund and the La La Ladies

  

EB loves his g-grandma & aunt B!

 

Riding on the gondola

   

getting some love from grandma

At the top of the gondola/the base of peak 8 enjoying the views (one more year we'll hit the alpine slide!)

        

Breckenridge was awesome.  I will go back any day, any time.  Its so neat that I have so many memories there from my childhood and hopefully this is just the first of many memories of Edmund's life in Breckenridge.

Stay tuned for one more post about our Colorado getaway--its a good one, I promise

Moving Along

We officially have a mover on our hands.  He is scooting himself all over our living room and then bumping his head into most everything.  I guess its time to baby proof.

Here is a video if Edmund scooting his way towards Aslan.

Colorado Getaway

If you know us then you know our attachment to the great state of Colorado.  My one goal for this summer was to spend time back in the wonderful mountains that I fell in love with at an early age and that solidified my love for my wonderful husband.  There was one hitch, a boy named Edmund.  We've never been great planners and we said that we would probably need to become better planners with having a child, but we've yet to become better planners (we're all a work in progress).  We just didn't know how Edmund would do traveling and therefore if we should fly or drive, and then there was the question of sleep and who was going to get how much.  We decided to take the plunge this time and fly and le petit-prince did a marvelous job flying.  So good in fact that he slept in my arms on all four legs of the flight (as seen here).

The first few days of our trip were spent in Kansas where Edmund got the chance to play with his buddy Harper at the most awesome pool in the world!  Then we were off to the promise-land, Colorado. 

Stop 1: Gunnison

A big reason for going to Gunnison was to see the crazy kids pictured below and hopefully meet one of Edmund's potential future spouses, but she decided she liked mommy's belly a little too much.

 

Dear little Sophia, this is the awesomeness you have to look forward to in five months.  Ma & Pa Patrick, this is the awesomeness you have to look forward to in five months!

It was so great to go back to our beloved alma-mater that is slowly becoming unrecognizable.  It was also awesome to go hiking at one of our favorite spots, the Castles at Mill Creek.  

I think this was from our sophomore year of college when we were young (and Cory was less facial hair covered) on one of our many snowshoeing adventures at Mill Creek.  

Flash forward eight years to a life better than our earliest thoughts.

 

Since no trip to Gunnison would be complete without a trip up to Crested Butte to walk amongst some superb hippies.  It was great to journey around the streets of the small town we love so much, and where we had our first official date.  Much debate was made over this trip about the ultimate place to buy our "second home" and I think its been decided that once we make our millions we will own a place in Crested Butte.

Protecting Edmund from the elements.

Needless to say Edmund got a lot of smiles because of how awesome his outfit is.  Yea, he's pretty awesomely cute.  I think this kid was made for the mountains.  

Come back soon, because more on this awesome getaway is to come!

5 Months of Love

A long overdue post, but for memory's sake I need to post this.

He is bigger, stronger and heavier (sorry I don't have exact sizes).  

His sleeping habits became erratic and went from being decent to almost horrible.  Thankfully he has become a much more efficient eater and has even started having rice cereal.  

New tricks include rolling over from his back to tummy like a champ and even push himself up.  We are still working on bending the hips so that his knees can come up under him and then he can start doing more than spinning in circles.    He can also sit alone for a couple of minutes before toppling over!  Month five also included a trip to the Museum of Natural History where he faced off with his nemesis Mr. Owl and his first plane ride in which he did awesome!

He loves to swim and still loves standing and flying with daddy!

Playing with his buddy blah-blah

 

The face off with Mr. Owl at the museum.  Edmund told him who's boss

Thumbs Up!

Adventures in Eating

I have A LOT of things to catch you up on, but here is something to tide you over.

This isn't the first cereal experience, but it is the first at our house in his new chair.  He did awesome.

RV DESIGNS ROCKS!

Like blogs and cool stuff? Like the way my blog looks and are jealous?  Then go check out RV DESIGNS  http://www.rvdesigns.com/

Not Quitting

I know I've been gone a while-I'm not quitting, just on vacation. Post will happen just not often because I only have the droid.  Do not fret my six loyal fans, I will be back in full force soon.