walks

ever since she figured out this walking thing... it's like a rocket ship that's taken off. there's just no stopping it.
since the weather has been nice and warm and with daylight savings giving us that extra hour of light after i get home from work, we've been venturing out a bit and taking some walks. we go the usual route - the one i used to take her on when i was home for 12 weeks and she would just sleep the whole way. but now she gets tired of the stroller and wants to be on her own two feet, making her own way. and so, for the last little while of our journey, we all walk and it's great! progress toward our goal of home is usually very slow and often diverted by little miss who loves to run the opposite direction of the way we're going. and i call to her, "beth, we're going this way" and i wave my arm and start to walk; she begins to follow for a step or two before turning the other way, laughing and b-lining it for somewhere else. little teaser... independent, that girl is. remind you of anyone mom?

and marley, who is 50 yards ahead of us most of the time, gets tired of waiting and lays down in the grass as we slowly catch up to her. and sometimes it prompts beth to sit down for a little rest, and i am caught between the two, as though in stale mate. the whole scene is really quite comical.
but i love that we are getting out. i love that she wants to explore and run and play and be on her own two feet. it makes for a handful at times (besides walks like these), but as her personality develops and manifests itself, i can see that she is going to be a strong and funny little girl. and i can't wait for what lies ahead. (i know, i say that now...)

and today friends, i am sitting in my little condo in the mountains. the snow is falling outside, beth is napping in her pack n play (FINALLY - you have no idea), and i am waiting my turn to hit the slopes on this beautiful fresh snow. we've come up with some friends and are taking turns at the mountain, which, i will add, we have practically all to ourselves. they closed the pass not long after we made it over, so anyone who was planning on driving in today cannot and only those who came in last night are the lucky ones who get to enjoy this amazing powder. did i mention how stoked i am?! it's been a couple years, and i am so super excited to ride the mountain again. hank is giving his best and remembering how to ski (it's been a few years, like 20. literally), and we're hoping that at some point we'll be able to get out together for a couple runs. i think we've arranged that. so it should be awesome. snow all day today, and sun tomorrow. so tomorrow will be even better and i am even more anxious for that. anyone jealous yet? :) despite getting virtually no sleep last night - thank you screaming child, you're the best - today, my life is awesome. wish you all were here. no, for reals.

opening day

the last couple of weeks i've been fairly sick. beth and i both have been fighting nasty colds. but last weekend i got some much needed vitamin D and have felt much better this week. the turning point? definitely saturday. what i like to call: opening day.

saturday afternoon my friend sarah and i commenced with opening day of mountain biking season. on a beautiful sunny afternoon, in the peak of 65 degree weather, we headed out into the hills on our dusty bikes and out of shape muscles. (it's been a couple of years....)

and man, it felt good to get back out. the trail wasn't all that hard, though it kind of felt like it at times, and it was the perfect way to start the summer. and by summer, i really mean spring. it is only march after all.

but i guess that's part of the beauty of it. it's only march and we were out there. in our short sleeved shirts and shorts, beads of sweat being dried up by the wind as we cruised the trail...

it. was. awesome.

the weather has been so good to us - we probably could have gone on several rides this month. i am hoping it is indicative of a true and warm spring without a late snow storm that seems to inevitably hit the front range in april.

either way, i am so glad we took that glorious day to open it up. it was so healing and therapeutic for me. and we've got big plans for more baby.

summer 2011, you better watch out. morgan and van orden headed straight your way. and we plan to take full advantage of everything you got.

(i am in that bottom right picture, i promise. can you find me????)

good times, morgan, good times. next stop: hall's ranch?

over n out.

the problem...

....is not that don't have anything to post, or even that i don't have time. the problem is that i take all these pictures and then do not upload them to my computer so that i can include them with my posts. and let's be honest... the pictures are really what people want to see.

so.

i am in the process of transferring quite a few (like 100 or so) from my camera and phone over to the computer, where i can then upload them into my web albums and post them on my blog. it's taking me a while. sorry friends. i realize that i have been terrrible about posting regularly, particularly this month. i've not forgotten about you. i promise you a few good posts in the very near future. i am dying to do it, i promise.

hang in there.....

on this day in history

after going to bed late on monday night, i woke up at 1am with some fairly strong and persistent pain. i laid in bed for a while trying to decide what to do, and at 1:32am it happened.

hank... hank... i think my water just broke.

within 20 seconds i was sure of it. and out the door we went. contractions were just 2 or 3 minutes apart, but i was feeling pretty good and super anxious. we arrived at the hospital, and i was taken to a room where they checked my progress. at 4cm and with consistent contractions one of the nurses announced to me, "oh good, you get to stay!"

i get to stay?! of course i get to stay. i'm labor lady!

turns out they end up sending about 50% of people back home because they've jumped the gun on going to the hospital. who knew?

from there things moved pretty rapidly; by 6am i was at 8cm and on meds, which i had decided to get after throwing up several times due to the pain. i was nervous about it. i was afraid of giving up total control of my body. thankfully i could still move my own legs, still feel every contraction, and even bear some weight on them. we were in good shape.

well then i got stuck. or should i say we got stuck. we didn't move from 8cm for the next 9 hours. after unsuccessful attempts at progression with some strong doses of pitocin, the doctor recommended a c-section. this tiny little human just wasn't quite tiny enough to fit through the natural passage way to make her entrance into the world. so after the doc's talk at 3pm, we were in the OR and i was under the knife within 20 minutes. it happened so fast and the nurses and doctors were moving so quickly that i almost started to panic that something was wrong. of course, nothing was. these people do this for a living. they're good at it. they're fast at it. almost too fast.

i remember lying on the table starving to death and the doctors kept talking about their lunch and going to burger king. so badly i wanted to say, will you please stop talking about food???

hank was next to me the whole time, looking over the sheet occasionally, his finger on the shutter button of the camera. and then it happened. she was here.

at 3:30pm on March 9, 2010 our little Beth was born. pulled right from my stomach and with that first cry immediately enriched our lives. hank and i both shed tears of joy as we held her close between us for the first time. it was unreal. one of the most amazing moments of my life. hands down.





and here we, one year later and now she seems like a little girl and no longer a baby. man, time flies. fa-lies. but she still makes us just as happy as she did on day one. she's also learning how to make us crazy at times, but we love her just the same. she bring us so much love and joy.

so here's to you little missy. we sure love you. more than you'll ever know. and can't wait to see what this next year brings.

happy birthday beth van orden.

(photos taken just last night - getting ready for the big day)

ode to bunny

dear bunny,

oh how you are loved little bunny. with those long floppy ears and little nose... yes, you are loved. you are carried everywhere. taken about as though you were an added appendage to that little body. you are even sucked on at times, but this is purely the sweet affection of a little one. please do not take it the wrong way.






oh bunny, how you have saved us from major meltdowns and tantrums. you must whisper calming secrets only little ears can hear. i don't mind one bit, as long as you keep whispering them.






you are the best sleeping companion there ever was. with your white fur so soft. i worry you will lose the fur on those glorious ears someday with all the stroking of them by little hands when the light goes out and tired eyes close. held so close so as to hear those calming secrets once again, you are so loved the most when sleep must be had. you must bring some really sweet dreams to that tiny little mind. i don't mind one bit, as long as you keep bringing them.






you are missed when you're not near, and little eyes often look for you when you're away. and when you're found, a clinging hug is always in order from the one who loves you most of all. you are then drug around by your floppy hear or dangling arm. and you don't seem to mind, as long as she keeps clinging to you.







i'm sorry i've had to wash you a time or two. i'm sure those aren't your favorite days. but bunny, trust me when i say, you needed it. with dirt, and food, and drool, and all kinds of love stuck in that beautiful fur, you've deserved a good clean or two. i hate that it's taken away that original softness you once arrived with, but she doesn't seem to mind, as long as your near.





yes bunny, you are loved. and not just by little hearts, but by big hearts too as we've watched you make our little one smile and squeal, laugh and be giddy. thank you for being her friend, for calming her, for giving her the last gentle kiss good night, and taking the beating that you do. and i don't mind that sometimes she needs you more than she needs me, as long as you always love her the way i would.






yep, you're a good one bunny. i hope you're in it for the long haul. because if you fail to perform just as well when she's 16, well, we're kicking you out.










(i would have killed to have had these ones turn out crystal clear, but alas, my camera is just not quite fast enough to capture this little girl in action in not-so-great light. someday i'll get that 7D... someday....)