Every morning I drive Logan over to the daycare. All winter long I've been driving in the dark, but just recently I've been driving in the pre-dawn twilight. It's been less cloudy the past week, which allows the glow of the rising sun to spread over the horizon. Without the cloud cover the mornings have been cold and frosty - I've had to scrape the car windows and let the heater run every morning this week. I strap Logan into his car seat, tuck a blanket around him and put his giraffe toy in his lap, and then I start scraping as quickly as I can. On the drive to the daycare I can hear Logan playing with his giraffe - the legs and neck click, click, click as he moves them.
Last night Logan moved slowly around on his own power as he held himself upright with his arms. He's getting the idea that he can move himself by moving his feet. He's "walking" very well when you hold his hands.
I feel pretty relieved and happy when I see Logan start to walk. I've been worried about Logan's lack of interest in crawling and moving around. He seems so curious about the world, I couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to move.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
1/24/07
Last night I went to my first Avalanche Safety Class. I've been thinking about attending a class in avalanche safety for years, but I guess it took having a kid to give me the final push to put down money ($160) and spend the time to attend.
The class was at REI, in the big conference room upstairs. I had to walk pretty fast to get there in time. When I arrived there was a large crowd of people milling around outside of the conference room. People were waiting in line to sign a liability waiver for the field trip. I waited, signed my waver and got my avalanche awareness booklet.
The room was packed, and I had no time to get any food before the class started. Fortunately, the lecture was pretty interesting. The person teaching the class is named Gary Brill. He had a nice multimedia presentation with absolutely gorgeous photos.
After the class was over at 9:00 I had to find my own way home. I walked over to the #16 bus line through the eerily deserted south lake union neighborhood. The bus took me almost all the way back to home, but the bus driver didn't turn on Meridian street from 45th Street. Instead, he turned onto a side street and got stuck at a roundabout. I walked the rest of the way home and got there at 10:00.
It's always a little sad when I can't see Logan during the day. Tonight I didn't get to see him awake. It's funny that I can miss seeing the little guy so much.
So, the other day I was really worried about Logan's lack of mobility. I kept thinking "why isn't he crawling? Is he just uninterested? Is there something wrong?" Today I'm feeling better. He tried to stand up on his own last night (didn't succeed for more than three seconds) and he's pulling himself up from sitting when he can. I just wonder - am I going to be worrying constantly from now on?
The class was at REI, in the big conference room upstairs. I had to walk pretty fast to get there in time. When I arrived there was a large crowd of people milling around outside of the conference room. People were waiting in line to sign a liability waiver for the field trip. I waited, signed my waver and got my avalanche awareness booklet.
The room was packed, and I had no time to get any food before the class started. Fortunately, the lecture was pretty interesting. The person teaching the class is named Gary Brill. He had a nice multimedia presentation with absolutely gorgeous photos.
After the class was over at 9:00 I had to find my own way home. I walked over to the #16 bus line through the eerily deserted south lake union neighborhood. The bus took me almost all the way back to home, but the bus driver didn't turn on Meridian street from 45th Street. Instead, he turned onto a side street and got stuck at a roundabout. I walked the rest of the way home and got there at 10:00.
It's always a little sad when I can't see Logan during the day. Tonight I didn't get to see him awake. It's funny that I can miss seeing the little guy so much.
So, the other day I was really worried about Logan's lack of mobility. I kept thinking "why isn't he crawling? Is he just uninterested? Is there something wrong?" Today I'm feeling better. He tried to stand up on his own last night (didn't succeed for more than three seconds) and he's pulling himself up from sitting when he can. I just wonder - am I going to be worrying constantly from now on?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
1/21/07
Today I went backcountry skiing with my friend Chris Nelson. We climbed up and then skied down Kendall Peak. The mountain is just to the north of I-90 at Snoqualmie pass.
For me, the hard part about the backcountry skiing is climbing the mountain. Skiing down is the fun, easy part. To climb, you need skis with Rondenee bindings (bindings that let you take a normal step) and "skins." Skins are thick strips of fabric with adhesives on one side to stick to the skis and bristles that point one direction on the other side. The bristles get traction on the snow, and prevent you from sliding backwards down the hill - in theory. If you try to go up too steeply you can still slide down. That was my big problem - sliding backwards while going uphill. Turning corners can be tricky. You have to keep one ski firmly down on the ground, pick up your other ski and put it down in the new direction. Then you are usually facing uphill, with your skis in a V shape. At this point I was always worried about sliding backwards. Most of the time I was able to quickly pick up the other ski and bring it around, but a few times I started sliding backwards.
Eventually we made it all the way to the top. I was panting so hard I could barely drink water without gasping for breath. The view was impressive - we could look across the freeway to the ski area, and to the east we could see a large frozen lake. It took almost two and a half hours to get up, but only thirty minutes to get down again. The top half of the mountain was free of large trees, but halfway down we entered a forest of 50-year-old fir trees. It was pretty fun.
When I got back to Seattle I went to meet Logan and Heidi at the Aquarium. Logan was tired by the time I got there. Even though he was very excited to see me he got cranky pretty quickly.
We brush Logan's teeth every night. We have a little toothbrush for him, and he has special baby toothpaste. It must taste good, because he likes it. Usually after I brush his teeth I give him the toothbrush to play with. Tonight, he took the toothbrush, looked at me and started to hit my mouth with the brush. I realized he wanted to brush MY teeth! I let him, and he brushed away for about five minutes. He thought it was funny.
For me, the hard part about the backcountry skiing is climbing the mountain. Skiing down is the fun, easy part. To climb, you need skis with Rondenee bindings (bindings that let you take a normal step) and "skins." Skins are thick strips of fabric with adhesives on one side to stick to the skis and bristles that point one direction on the other side. The bristles get traction on the snow, and prevent you from sliding backwards down the hill - in theory. If you try to go up too steeply you can still slide down. That was my big problem - sliding backwards while going uphill. Turning corners can be tricky. You have to keep one ski firmly down on the ground, pick up your other ski and put it down in the new direction. Then you are usually facing uphill, with your skis in a V shape. At this point I was always worried about sliding backwards. Most of the time I was able to quickly pick up the other ski and bring it around, but a few times I started sliding backwards.
Eventually we made it all the way to the top. I was panting so hard I could barely drink water without gasping for breath. The view was impressive - we could look across the freeway to the ski area, and to the east we could see a large frozen lake. It took almost two and a half hours to get up, but only thirty minutes to get down again. The top half of the mountain was free of large trees, but halfway down we entered a forest of 50-year-old fir trees. It was pretty fun.
When I got back to Seattle I went to meet Logan and Heidi at the Aquarium. Logan was tired by the time I got there. Even though he was very excited to see me he got cranky pretty quickly.
We brush Logan's teeth every night. We have a little toothbrush for him, and he has special baby toothpaste. It must taste good, because he likes it. Usually after I brush his teeth I give him the toothbrush to play with. Tonight, he took the toothbrush, looked at me and started to hit my mouth with the brush. I realized he wanted to brush MY teeth! I let him, and he brushed away for about five minutes. He thought it was funny.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
1/19/07
Logan is now 9 months old!!! His birthday was April 18th 2006, and he just passed the 9-month mark. We took him to his 9-month checkup today. Logan's pediatrician is Doctor Mar. His office is in a rambling sixties office building near Greenlake. I had to take the bus up to the office, since the appointment was at 2:30.
Logan was a bit tired and a bit hungry, but he was relatively cheerful for the whole appointment - until he got a vaccination at the end. He's 30 inches long, 21.5 pounds and his head is 17 inches in diameter. That puts him in the 90th percentile for head size and length, and the 50 - 75th percentile for weight. I guess he has to eat more!
Otherwise, Doctor Mar said Logan seemed very healthy. I think he used the word "solid" to describe him. I held Logan on my lap while Dr. Mar looked in his ears, snapped his fingers to watch Logan track sounds, and listened to his chest. Logan went along with this pretty well. He tried to grab the Doctor's glasses, and pointed at his nose.
The Thursday night before the appointment Logan and Heidi had their first swim lesson at the Greenlake Community Center pool. Heidi said that Logan loved the class, and seemed much happier than any of the other kids. I went night skiing that night. It was a strange evening - it was 26 degrees and drizzling. The rain fell on the snow and turned into an icy crust. Needless to say, we didn't stay out all night. Eventually it just started to feel dangerous to ski any more - we felt like we could twist a knee falling in the gloopy, icy slush.
Logan was a bit tired and a bit hungry, but he was relatively cheerful for the whole appointment - until he got a vaccination at the end. He's 30 inches long, 21.5 pounds and his head is 17 inches in diameter. That puts him in the 90th percentile for head size and length, and the 50 - 75th percentile for weight. I guess he has to eat more!
Otherwise, Doctor Mar said Logan seemed very healthy. I think he used the word "solid" to describe him. I held Logan on my lap while Dr. Mar looked in his ears, snapped his fingers to watch Logan track sounds, and listened to his chest. Logan went along with this pretty well. He tried to grab the Doctor's glasses, and pointed at his nose.
The Thursday night before the appointment Logan and Heidi had their first swim lesson at the Greenlake Community Center pool. Heidi said that Logan loved the class, and seemed much happier than any of the other kids. I went night skiing that night. It was a strange evening - it was 26 degrees and drizzling. The rain fell on the snow and turned into an icy crust. Needless to say, we didn't stay out all night. Eventually it just started to feel dangerous to ski any more - we felt like we could twist a knee falling in the gloopy, icy slush.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
1/17/06
Logan’s had a couple of big days.
Tonight Logan and I played catch! It all began when Logan was sitting on the couch, holding one of Chazz’s balls. He held it in one hand and let it go. It rolled and fell down into my lap. I picked it back up and put it onto the couch. He grabbed it with one hand and waived it around in the air before dropping it back down. We repeated this over and over, maybe twenty times. Eventually Logan was throwing the ball forward so it would bounce off the couch and right onto my lap. He loved the game! Of course, he didn’t catch the ball. We’ll work on that later.
Logan also got to try cut up pieces of green beans for the first time. He’s eating green beans, peas, watermelon and cheerios as finger food. He’s also holding up and drinking his own juice. He does well with food.
Last night Logan pulled himself nearly upright from a sitting position. He was sitting next to the coffee table when he did it. He wanted to look into the coffee table’s drawer, so he grabbed the edge and hauled himself up. He didn’t quite get his feet under him, though. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt thought. He was feeling run down yesterday. He had a head cold with quite a bit of sneezing and coughing. He seems to have recovered from it today.
Tonight Logan and I played catch! It all began when Logan was sitting on the couch, holding one of Chazz’s balls. He held it in one hand and let it go. It rolled and fell down into my lap. I picked it back up and put it onto the couch. He grabbed it with one hand and waived it around in the air before dropping it back down. We repeated this over and over, maybe twenty times. Eventually Logan was throwing the ball forward so it would bounce off the couch and right onto my lap. He loved the game! Of course, he didn’t catch the ball. We’ll work on that later.
Logan also got to try cut up pieces of green beans for the first time. He’s eating green beans, peas, watermelon and cheerios as finger food. He’s also holding up and drinking his own juice. He does well with food.
Last night Logan pulled himself nearly upright from a sitting position. He was sitting next to the coffee table when he did it. He wanted to look into the coffee table’s drawer, so he grabbed the edge and hauled himself up. He didn’t quite get his feet under him, though. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt thought. He was feeling run down yesterday. He had a head cold with quite a bit of sneezing and coughing. He seems to have recovered from it today.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
1/16/07
Last night - for the second night in a row - Logan didn't want to sleep in his crib. When I tried to move him into his crib from our bed he started to wake up and fuss. Normally he sleeps pretty soundly - even if he wakes up in his crib he goes back to sleep fairly easily. Not last night, though. He was somewhat congested, and had trouble nursing earlier. That's usually a sign that he'll have trouble sleeping. Anyway, we let him sleep between us in bed. He takes up a lot of space for a little baby - he sleeps with his hands stretched out. I think he feels for us with his little hands while he's in our bed, just to make sure we're still there. It's pretty cramped sleeping with him.
This morning when we woke up snow was falling and blanketing the streets and sidewalks. Seattle public schools cancelled classes for the fifth time this year. When we took Chazz and Logan for the morning walk the streets were completely empty, and the stroller wheels picked up clumps of snow.
Logan was born in a year of extreme weather. We've already had torrential rain, an enormous windstorm and many days of sub-freezing weather. If I remember correctly our summer was very hot as well.
This morning when we woke up snow was falling and blanketing the streets and sidewalks. Seattle public schools cancelled classes for the fifth time this year. When we took Chazz and Logan for the morning walk the streets were completely empty, and the stroller wheels picked up clumps of snow.
Logan was born in a year of extreme weather. We've already had torrential rain, an enormous windstorm and many days of sub-freezing weather. If I remember correctly our summer was very hot as well.
Monday, January 15, 2007
1/15/07
I got sick yesterday.
Heidi, Logan, Chazz and I spent the day near Snoqualmie pass. We snowshoed up the commonwealth basin trail. The trail was pretty difficult - steep and winding. And the day was very cold - about 20 degrees. However, it was clear and sunny. The scenery was beautiful - it is one of the best trails I've seen for snowshoeing. Heidi and I agred we could only go out an hour before we turned back. We were worried Logan would get too cold. We used the rain cover for one of his strollers to rigg up a cover for the backpack that would keep him warmer. As it turned out, Chazz was the one who seemed to have the most problems with the hike - his paws were bothering him.
We had lunch at the ski area in the basement "brown bag" room. I had a burrito with sour cream.
After that we went to look at the cabin I had seen for sale online. It was about 20 minutes from the end of the plowed road in a small cluster of other cabins. Sadly, it was right next to the freeway. Not exactly wilderness living.
On the way home I started to feel tired and a little nausious. By the time we got home I was feeling very bad. I went upstairs and climbed into bed, shivering. Heidi brought up Logan and asked me to watch him while she searched for her diabetes stuff in the car - it was all I could do to keep him from falling off the bed! Moments after Heidi came back upstairs I threw up - repetedly - into our garbage can.
I had some hope that this was food poisioning, but later I learned that Heidi's parents were also sick. Now I'm hoping Logan had this first.
Heidi, Logan, Chazz and I spent the day near Snoqualmie pass. We snowshoed up the commonwealth basin trail. The trail was pretty difficult - steep and winding. And the day was very cold - about 20 degrees. However, it was clear and sunny. The scenery was beautiful - it is one of the best trails I've seen for snowshoeing. Heidi and I agred we could only go out an hour before we turned back. We were worried Logan would get too cold. We used the rain cover for one of his strollers to rigg up a cover for the backpack that would keep him warmer. As it turned out, Chazz was the one who seemed to have the most problems with the hike - his paws were bothering him.
We had lunch at the ski area in the basement "brown bag" room. I had a burrito with sour cream.
After that we went to look at the cabin I had seen for sale online. It was about 20 minutes from the end of the plowed road in a small cluster of other cabins. Sadly, it was right next to the freeway. Not exactly wilderness living.
On the way home I started to feel tired and a little nausious. By the time we got home I was feeling very bad. I went upstairs and climbed into bed, shivering. Heidi brought up Logan and asked me to watch him while she searched for her diabetes stuff in the car - it was all I could do to keep him from falling off the bed! Moments after Heidi came back upstairs I threw up - repetedly - into our garbage can.
I had some hope that this was food poisioning, but later I learned that Heidi's parents were also sick. Now I'm hoping Logan had this first.
1/12/07
Last night Logan threw up in his sleep. When I got him out of the crib I noticed that his head was wet, but it was the pre-dawn dark and I didn't realize it was vomit. Heidi saw it later on the mattress of the crib.
Two nights ago it had snowed, and this morning school started two hours late. Heidi took Logan over to Bellevue for Carol to baby sit. Our daycare was closed for parent teacher conferences - which ultimately got cancelled due to the weather.
That night Heidi and I went out to Bellevue to go to Friday night Services at Temple De Hirsh and have dinner with Brian and Carol. I took the bus out to the EAstgate park and ride and then walked there. It was amazingly cold for Seattle. The sky was mostly clear, with some low clouds to the west. Sadly, the clouds hid the comet that I heard would be visible near sunset.
Two nights ago it had snowed, and this morning school started two hours late. Heidi took Logan over to Bellevue for Carol to baby sit. Our daycare was closed for parent teacher conferences - which ultimately got cancelled due to the weather.
That night Heidi and I went out to Bellevue to go to Friday night Services at Temple De Hirsh and have dinner with Brian and Carol. I took the bus out to the EAstgate park and ride and then walked there. It was amazingly cold for Seattle. The sky was mostly clear, with some low clouds to the west. Sadly, the clouds hid the comet that I heard would be visible near sunset.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
1/9/07
This weekend I had a pair of ill-fated trips to Snoqalmie pass.
On Saturday I went up to Snoqualmie pass to ski. Brandon came by at 8:00 in the morning to pick me up. We drove up the freeway expecting pretty good snow for a morning of skiing, and when we got off the freeway at exit 47 we were fighting heavy traffic. On the road over to Alpental Brandon began to notice cars coming the other way, and said that it seemed suspicious. When we got to the parking lot we told the bad news by the parking lot attendants - the storm had knocked out the power, and the ski lifts weren't running. We had to turn around and go home.
On Sunday I went back to Snoqualmie pass with Heidi, Chazz and Logan to cross country ski. We rented a Pulk sled for Logan at Marmot Mountain Works. The Pulk sled is a sled towed by a cross country skier. You attach it to a belt around your waist with two long, thin metal poles. You can use it to tow food, supplies or - in our case - babies. I was excited to take Logan on his first ski trip. However, first we had to actually get to the trail. On the way up to the pass we hit a big roadblock. The Washington State Department of Transportation was towing away cars that had spun out on the way up to the pass. We hat to wait about an hour for them to be moved. We slowly drove up the pass, drove over the summit and down towards the cross country trail. Then we hit a second roadblock. There had been an avalanche that blocked our lane. We sat in the car for a long time, maybe two more hours. We had to get Logan out of his seat and feed him. He wanted to play - he had been in the seat for at least four hours by then. I was getting very frustrated, while Heidi was taking our setbacks in stride. Finally, at around 2:30 the avalanche was cleared and we could continue. We got to the parking lot and rushed to get started. We could only ski for about an hour before it got dark. We made the most of it, skiing along a very nice, smooth and flat trail. The sled felt easy to tow, but it must have taken more energy than I thought - later that evening I felt weak and sick from exhaustion.
We wanted to take some time while we were up at the pass to look at a cabin that I found online while looking for a cross country trail. The cabin is probably located close to the freeway, and it seems to not have electricity. However, it's the type of cabin Heidi and I have been dreaming about - rustic, but not too rustic. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to look.
On Saturday I went up to Snoqualmie pass to ski. Brandon came by at 8:00 in the morning to pick me up. We drove up the freeway expecting pretty good snow for a morning of skiing, and when we got off the freeway at exit 47 we were fighting heavy traffic. On the road over to Alpental Brandon began to notice cars coming the other way, and said that it seemed suspicious. When we got to the parking lot we told the bad news by the parking lot attendants - the storm had knocked out the power, and the ski lifts weren't running. We had to turn around and go home.
On Sunday I went back to Snoqualmie pass with Heidi, Chazz and Logan to cross country ski. We rented a Pulk sled for Logan at Marmot Mountain Works. The Pulk sled is a sled towed by a cross country skier. You attach it to a belt around your waist with two long, thin metal poles. You can use it to tow food, supplies or - in our case - babies. I was excited to take Logan on his first ski trip. However, first we had to actually get to the trail. On the way up to the pass we hit a big roadblock. The Washington State Department of Transportation was towing away cars that had spun out on the way up to the pass. We hat to wait about an hour for them to be moved. We slowly drove up the pass, drove over the summit and down towards the cross country trail. Then we hit a second roadblock. There had been an avalanche that blocked our lane. We sat in the car for a long time, maybe two more hours. We had to get Logan out of his seat and feed him. He wanted to play - he had been in the seat for at least four hours by then. I was getting very frustrated, while Heidi was taking our setbacks in stride. Finally, at around 2:30 the avalanche was cleared and we could continue. We got to the parking lot and rushed to get started. We could only ski for about an hour before it got dark. We made the most of it, skiing along a very nice, smooth and flat trail. The sled felt easy to tow, but it must have taken more energy than I thought - later that evening I felt weak and sick from exhaustion.
We wanted to take some time while we were up at the pass to look at a cabin that I found online while looking for a cross country trail. The cabin is probably located close to the freeway, and it seems to not have electricity. However, it's the type of cabin Heidi and I have been dreaming about - rustic, but not too rustic. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to look.
Friday, January 5, 2007
1/5/07
Last night I went night skiing with Greg, Roy and Greg's son Russel. When I started skiing with Greg seven years ago Russel was in grade school. Now he can ski better than I can. It's amazing that he's nearly an adult now.
It was a good night of skiing - there was some new snow at Alpental. In fact, there is now a surprising amount of snow in the mountains for January. I had my first serious wipe out of the ski season, losing both skis when I crashed while travelling on the high traverse from the right side of the ski lift. As usual, we left Alpental at around 10:30 and rolled into Seattle around midnight.
It looks like there will be much more snow in the mountains tomorrow morning. A cold, blustery storm system moved in on Seattle today, rattling the windows in my office with wind and rain. I had to go and visit a new site for a cleint this afternoon. It was freezing out, and I got soaked just walking around the block.
At lunch I saw a cabin on the Windermere real estate site while I was looking for cross country trails near Snoqualmie Pass. The cabin is also near Snoqualmie, and only costs $80,000.00. Sort of tempting, really, but I have a feeling I couldn't bring myslef to part with that much money.
It was a good night of skiing - there was some new snow at Alpental. In fact, there is now a surprising amount of snow in the mountains for January. I had my first serious wipe out of the ski season, losing both skis when I crashed while travelling on the high traverse from the right side of the ski lift. As usual, we left Alpental at around 10:30 and rolled into Seattle around midnight.
It looks like there will be much more snow in the mountains tomorrow morning. A cold, blustery storm system moved in on Seattle today, rattling the windows in my office with wind and rain. I had to go and visit a new site for a cleint this afternoon. It was freezing out, and I got soaked just walking around the block.
At lunch I saw a cabin on the Windermere real estate site while I was looking for cross country trails near Snoqualmie Pass. The cabin is also near Snoqualmie, and only costs $80,000.00. Sort of tempting, really, but I have a feeling I couldn't bring myslef to part with that much money.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
1/3/06
Today Logan finally got his fourth tooth! It's been pushing up through his gums for about a weekjust and today it just barely broke through his gums. Maybe that was the reason he was in as good a mood as I've seen him in a week or so.
I spent the night putting reflective tape on every backpack and stroller I own. Hopefully this makes us a bit more visible - the whole family takes at least two walks a day in total darkness this time of year!
I spent the night putting reflective tape on every backpack and stroller I own. Hopefully this makes us a bit more visible - the whole family takes at least two walks a day in total darkness this time of year!
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
1/2/07
Today was Logan's first day back at daycare after the long winter break. This morning we tried our brave new routine for the first time: we gave Logan some solid food before he left for daycare. Cheerios and yogurt. It's strange that we're so focused on serving him breakfast foods for breakfast. It's not like he knows the difference.
Logan was tired in the morning, and he was tired in the evening when I got back. And he was really, really hungry. He was melting down while Heidi struggled to finish dinner for us. He got his first real meal - mac and cheese run through a blender. He loved it, and at a huge amount. He was also quite thirsty.
A pineapple express passed through western Washington today - warm rain, and lots of it. We had flooding across the city again. We had a record high temperature, and a lot of melting water in the mountains. It's shocking to hear about the erosion and landslides that are occurring in the hills.
Logan was tired in the morning, and he was tired in the evening when I got back. And he was really, really hungry. He was melting down while Heidi struggled to finish dinner for us. He got his first real meal - mac and cheese run through a blender. He loved it, and at a huge amount. He was also quite thirsty.
A pineapple express passed through western Washington today - warm rain, and lots of it. We had flooding across the city again. We had a record high temperature, and a lot of melting water in the mountains. It's shocking to hear about the erosion and landslides that are occurring in the hills.
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