We feel like celebrating...

Because it's D's Birthday!! Happy Birthday to a person whom we love very much and greatly appreciate! Hope that you have a fantastic day!Love,
Lisa, Dalen and Westin

Home Alone!

Well, at least for one more day. This week has been super busy, but I have managed to take some pictures.
First and foremost...the B.O.B weather shield rocks! As Copper would agree, all are kept happy (content and sleeping, really) when going for a walk in rainy, cold weather. Thankfully, the weather turned and there was no need for the weather shield for the rest of the week...it was so warm today, we went (well the one of us in the B.O.B) sockless!

We had more adventures with rice cereal. Tuesday night went alot like Monday night.Then, Wednesday night found us enjoying rice cereal with such gusto that we even wanted to eat the bowl. Yum. Yum.

Daycare has gone really well. West is making friends and the other little kids love him. West is still a little overwhelmed by all of the activity at daycare. There is a little girl the same age as West, and they are learning to get along. They do not like tummy time facing each other. Tummy time is trying enough without looking at another little person that does not look like you, but is the same size. We are just getting used to our own images in the mirror for crying out loud! Apparently, Kirsten, the little baby girl, was bold enough to touch young West on the arm. This prompted West to have a complete meltdown. Luckily it was right before lunch, so I came and nursed him and he conked out for the next couple of hours and woke up mostly unscarred. The babies must have entered into some sort of peace treaty because there were no more incidences this week.

We are nearing bedtime, so I must wrap this up. I am so looking forward to Dalen being home. It has been great to have this time with West and I really hope that Dalen had fun on his trip. But, Mama is tired and looking forward to having her wing man back!

Special birthday wishes to Miss Madison Watson! This fine young lady turns the big 8 today!!

Adventures with Rice Cereal

Today we started West on some 'semi-solid' food....which means yummy rice cereal! Originally we were going to wait until after Dalen got back from Casper, Wyoming (Dalen abandons leaves us tomorrow morning). But events of this weekend made us push up the start date. What events? Well, the cutting of a second tooth. That's right..our little monkey has teeth. I have no idea what the little Bean will want for Christmas, but he has his two front lower teeth under control. Needless to say, little West was much happier today because his second tooth had broken the surface of the gum line..he was a total cranky monkey this past weekend, and you really can't blame the little guy. Two new teeth in just a week, and I thought that I had been busy. I will try really really hard this week to get pictures of the new teeth, but with all of the drooling and chewing it may be kind of hard. To gear up for rice cereal, we have been reading the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I don't know if it helped.....It is hard to say if he liked eating the rice cereal or if he just like chewing on the rubber spoon...and just like that, the novelty wore off and he was ready to be done with it. I am convinced that we got more food on him than in him.....He didn't stay sad for long...not with Daddy and Willis on the case!Hopefully, the rice cereal will go down much easier tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Rasta Beans

Last night we met our friend Dennis McIntyre (a retired Guide whose flies always produce fish and whose knowledge about the River and Life we rely upon) at the Brewery to enjoy fly tying night, and because Denny told us that he had a present for Beans. When we were on our way to Vermillion, Dennis and his wife Carlotta (who is running for her second term as County Commissioner; Go Carlotta!) were on the same plane to Minneapolis. Their final destination: sunny beautiful Florida. Denny loves Beans and always makes him laugh. In fact we think that it is because of Denny that West loves men with beards. In any case you can guess what Denny brought back from Florida for West.It is a true spring in the Bitterroot..wet, cold and wet. Did I mention wet? On our way home from daycare, we got caught in a 'snow storm'. Well not really, but it was a lot of snow for April. We got about half an inch in the yard in about an hour. The best thing about spring snow is that it all melts when it hits concrete..no shoveling! We need this moisture for a great summer, so lets hope that it keeps coming! The weather guard for our B.O.B came in today..there's nothing stopping us now! However, I would like to put in a request for warmer weather. There is a point during every Spring, in every northern dwelling individual (well most of us anyway), when you are just sick and tired of feeling cold all of the time. Well that time for me is almost here! Seriously. I see you bulbs peaking out of the ground, you chives coming up out of the earth, you lilac with your fresh green growth...I'm pulling for ya!

West's first day at daycare....

And we all survived! It was a tough day, especially for Dalen, but we have started West in daycare. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, West goes to Kid Country and hangs out with Ms. Susie. Susie runs the daycare out of her home and has an early education degree. Most of our friends's babies go to her, so we know that she is great, but that doesn't stop the worry and feeling weird about dropping your little Bean off for the day. Above is the picture at the end of the day. I came home early, so that Dalen and I could pick him up together. Our little monkey only cried once--when another baby cried. Other than that, he had a great day! He apparently was a little giggle box and jabbered a lot as well. With West in daycare, Dalen gets a chance to get ready for the season, whether it is scouting stretches of river or outfitting his boat. West is a cool little guy to hang with, and I know that no amount of guiding will make missing his little guy any easier.

Below is a picture of me and West before the WVU/Duke game on Saturday night..notice the happy, carefree faces. Clearly, this was before Duke stole our hopes and dreams. We were pulling for you last night, Butler! West's first words very well might be, "Puke on Duke!", but I digress.

The house that Westin will grow up in....

Well here it is! Our dream home in Vermillion, 230 N. Yale St.. We started the offer process yesterday at 11:15 am MDT, and by 1:30 pm MDT we had a price and conditions where everyone was happy! We do not close until August, so that gives us plenty of time to sell our house. Keep your fingers crossed for us! In the meantime, Dalen and I are already strategizing and dreaming what we want done before we move in. I already am thinking about Christmases, July 4th pool parties, yummy Thanksgivings, watching Westin learn how to ride his bike in front of the house. Oh, it makes my toes tickle!!

Westin is still taking his morning nap (he stayed asleep during a trip to the post office to mail our earnest money-typically there are NO running errands during nap time, but I felt this was a good exception.), so there are no pictures from today yet.
I will continue something that my friend Jenny started on her blog: Seven Random Truths about Me (I know this is totally NOT as good as pictures of West, but hopefully somewhat entertaining):

1). I am a huge Jane Austen fan, yet I have never been able to finish her novel Persuasion. I have started it at least 6 times and never make it past midway through chapter 3. In contrast, I have read Pride and Prejudice at least 16 times and always manage to feel nervous about whether or not Elizabeth Bennett will get together with Mr. Darcy.
2). I secretly want to retire on the coast outside of Charleston, SC and become a turtle lady. There are these ladies that when the sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, they help protect the habitat and count eggs to keep track of all the baby turtles.
3). For the most part, I am deathly afraid of riding bicycles, but Dalen got me a cruiser bicycle for my birthday a couple of years ago and I LOVE it! I do wear a helmet, just in case...
4). If I weren't a scientist, I would love to be a football analyst. I would have to watch football all the time and get to know the coaches and players. It would be so much fun!
5). West Virginia was one of my favorite places to live. Not only is it where I met my husband, but I have so many fond memories of the cute house that we lived in and driving up to Ohiopyle, PA to whitewater kayak. Those times were so care free and happy!
6). I am tired of the Tea Party people. Really tired of the Tea Party people. I want to make my own sign at their next rally that says: "Not every piece of legislation is trying to take away your guns! You idiots!". They (at least the Bitterroot Valley chapter) have somehow managed to turn the Health Care Bill into an example of how the government wants to take their guns. Now, I don't care if you are for or against the Bill, but I don't remember gun rights being one of the sticking points in getting the bill passed. Just sayin'
7). My favorite present for high school graduation came from my cousins Jack Cumbee and Judy Collins..they sent me some dried wild flowers from the Cumbee family farm in southeastern Alabama and one of Aunt Hilda's old salt shakers to act as a vase for the flowers. They sent me these things to remind me where I came from. To this day, I still treasure these items.

Happy weekend everyone!

We love going to the Doctor!

APRIL FOOLS!

West did really well today considering that he got three shots and has a tooth coming in--no, not April Fool's this time. A actual tooth bud that is doctor certified. I guess all those rosy cheeks, poor sleeping habits and needy moments are for a reason! It perhaps does not bode well for me that he already has a tooth coming in, but nevertheless, we are proud of West's achievements! Today he weighs 15 lbs, 7 oz and is 24.5 inches long; "short and squaty" according to our wonderful nurse, but all well within the normal limits of growth curves. We also have been given the green light to start rice cereal over the next few weeks. This is huge! Because he was having issues when I was eating dairy,the doctor thought we might have to hold back on the solids, but now he is not as sensitive to dairy (although, I admit, I don't just willy nilly drink glasses of milk; i just eat normal bread and sometimes have cheese on my sandwich). He is a very healthy baby boy, who likes to grab things..like the camara...just for example.
Don't worry about the Band aids, they are just from the vaccines....