This weekend we took our first family solo camping trip and it was great fun. We drove out of town about 2 hours and did some serious car camping. It was a little tricky trying to set up camp and cook with a baby, but we managed. For the trouble we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of a pine canyon to wake up to, without having to leave our toasty bed. We successfully cooked over the campfire, and the best reward of all was a trip to the hot springs a mere 15 minute walk away. We're still working out the kinks so that my super tall husband can comfortably sleep on the air mattress, but it was the perfect ending tribute to summer and a tender time for family bonding.
For my birthday I got the "garage" attachment for our Hobitat tent. Luke thought it a bit much when we first set it up, but then understood it's beauty as the weekend progressed. I will say that the spot we set up in didn't allow the garage to fully extend, which is why it looks a little weepy in the middle. We were working around trees, you know, nature and all.
Here it's partially opened. As you can see we used it to keep our luggage and as a changing room.
It's fully opened here, on both sides. If we really get into it we can get poles to hold the flaps out and then it creates a shady spot to hang. I love it!
Almost to the hot springs!
Luke recently rafted this part of the Payette river and they came upon the hot springs that we soaked in. He was a good hubby and remembered the name and location so we could camp here.
We had to ford the shallowest part of the river on the left to get to the hot tub, but it was entirely worth it.
Hot spring shower anyone? We shared the "hot tub" with a lovely couple who adored Porter.
The spring had been dammed up and had a sandy bottom. The shower of warm water was a little intense for Porter initially, but it felt SO GOOD!
He came around.
Ready to make the 20 minute hike back to the campsite. Have I mentioned that I LOVE our Deuter Kid Comfort 2 hiking backpack? I DO! It makes experiences like this one possible, and even easy, with an 8 month old. Not only did it carry our child, but we packed in a change of clothes, a towel, water, a sarong, camera, keys, diaper necessities, sunglasses and there was even a little space left. LOVE IT! And love that my baby loves riding in it. Quality family time camping and soaking in hot springs...tender.
My birthday is on September 2nd and that tends to fall right around Labor Day. We've gotten in the habit of celebrating my birthday weekend in Capitola with my parents, and this year was better than the rest because Porter was here to share it with us. I also want to add that 3 of my friends had their babies on my birthday this year and another just 2 days later. They don't call it labor day for nothin'! Congratulations to all my new mommy friends, I'm so glad to have you on this side of motherhood, finally. The more the merrier!
This visit was great because Porter is crawling around and charming as ever. Even though the weather in Capitola was foggy most of the time, us desert dwellers were more than happy to enjoy the cool damp air. My brother Steve and his boyfriend Kumar were visiting too. They're from LA and were also glad recipients of Capitola's cool summer climate. We were also joined for a day by Porter's Granny Alton and aunt Anna, my mom's friend Ginny, neighbor Gwyn and our friends Liam, Cera and their kids. Porter got lots of attention by the neighbors too and was fantastic about everyone and everything. He even started to climb stairs by the last day!
A special moment for Luke and I was when we took Porter up to the place where we first met, UC Santa Cruz at Porter College. It was so nice to see how things have changed there in the last 10 years and to share with Porter our old stomping grounds. The best part is that Porter was absolutely giddy and excited the whole time we were there. He filled the quad with laughter and squeals of delight for no apparent reason. It was awesome. All of it made for a busy weekend, but a wonderful visit and a very happy birthday.
Before we left town Porter got to watch hot air balloons fly through the sky during the Spirit of Boise.
One landed right at the end of our street!
Surf was up at the Capitola beach. We watched surfers all weekend long.
Playing with Ginny and Granny Alton
A very surreal moment when Porter met my old doll, and BFF, Big Baby. I think he felt it necessary to proclaim his authority as the new big baby in town.
Practicing standing and walking skills with Gramma Mikie.
Double bonus, we borrowed some toys from neighbor Mara, which Porter clearly LOVED! Then Raiden and Sephora came over to play which made his day. Porter loves other kids.
Offering Porter to the Porter College Squiggle gods in Lion King fashion.
Today our friends Shaun and Chelsea had a great idea to beat the summer heat. They suggested that we take a quick drive out of town to Shafer Butte, go on a short hike and then have a picnic dinner. It was awesome. The hike was lovely and easy, the food tasty and mother nature didn't disappoint. She regaled us with awesome vistas, perfect temperatures and even a soaring eagle. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends.
On the trail.
Porter still loves hiking.
Even though the flowers were past their prime, the colors and meadows were delightful.
Now almost 3 years old, and rockin' the quint-double pony, Lucy is a seasoned outdoor enthusiast.
Can you see the fairies and magical wee ones? I just know they're there.
Shaun enjoying a moment of solitude.
Taking it all in. I think these boys look alike in this pic.
Lucy got to hitch a ride with her dad, lucky girl.
It's been 7.5 months since my life was turned on it's head when Porter was born. The time has passed so quickly and I've enjoyed every moment, but I certainly haven't been in my right mind for most of that time. The initial hormone ebbs and flows, lack of sleep, no routines and general uncertainty that comes with a new baby makes for a somewhat limited view of the world. Thankfully that's all changing.
In previous posts I've mentioned possibilities on the horizon, and one was my new job with Heart Hugger. The other opportunity came in the way of a possible new home purchase. While walking my neighborhood a few months ago I came upon a lovely house that was for sale and I made an inquiry about it. Once we took the tour, it became a very appealing home for us to potentially raise our family in. It was big, had a pool, and needed just enough updating so that we could make it our own. I even coined it the "barbie dream home." We went through all the steps to get financing and everything else a family needs to consider when buying a new home, but in the end we decided that now isn't the right time for us to make this kind of a commitment.
What did come out of the "barbie dream home" were many conversations and realizations about where we are now and where we're headed in the future. We reevaluated our finances, which was a bit of a shock to my system and had some really difficult discussions about money. In the end our little family came out on top and we're stronger than ever. I also realized that while the "barbie dream home" would have been pretty awesome for us to have, what I really looked forward to was doing something new and different. My mind and body were ready to start getting back into a routine and back in shape.
For my new mommy friends who are reading this, I'm sure there are new mom's who get back into the swing of life much faster than 7 months post-partum, and there are no doubt women who take longer than that too. Even though your life with baby has changed so very much, rest assured that when you're ready, life is right there waiting for you to take the reigns and start getting involved again. When you do, there is such a greater appreciation for what you're capable of, for the moments you have with your own thoughts and for how truly blessed you are, right now in this moment. Here are the ways that I know I'm gettin' my groove back:
I decided that I was ready for ME time. So I joined the Y and started working out 4 times a week while Porter stays home with his dad. Not only has this been great for my mental and physical health, but Luke also really enjoys the time he gets to spend with his son.
Getting a part time job that I can do from home feels wonderful. I'm able to bring in more money for our household, I get to be creative, and it involves legitimate discussions with other adults.
I actually get dressed in the morning, rather than wearing my PJ's all day.
There is food in my fridge and pantry that I'm able to eat at regular times throughout the day. I've never appreciated square meals so much in my life!
Our day starts with something of a routine. This has been a true revelation.
The house gets cleaned regularly. I thought that when I was at home with the baby that it would be easy to be a homemaker and a mommy. I was wrong, very very wrong. My job is to be a mom to my son and that meant housework had to wait. Finally, we decided that on Saturday mornings both Luke and I would clean the whole house and then we could spend the rest of the week living in it. It makes me feel so much more comfortable to know that my home is clean and I'm not constantly fretting over when it's all going to get done.
We made a budget and are actually sticking to it. Thanks to Wells Fargo Online Banking it's easy to see how much money we really spend, right down to the penny. Who knew it would work so well, or how much we actually spend?!
I made plans for the garden and have been getting quotes from landscapers about prepping the yard for fall planting. It's actually going to happen!!
I bathe regularly and even shave my legs, woohoo! For the new mommies: Aunt Flo also came by for a visit 7 months after baby. I would have been happy to be one of those new mommies who didn't see her for 12-14 months, but the break was nice while it lasted. Sorry if that was TMI anyone, but I wish someone had told me to expect a hiatus in that area so I would have looked forward to it rather than freaked out about being broken somehow.
This week I started separating my laundry into colors and whites again. My whites thank me.
Porter started sleeping for 8 hour stretches at night, which has been quite a gift. Thanks to the Ferber method, waiting for the right time for me to let go a little, a bedtime routine, and a husband who was willing to watch the baby monitor while Porter learned how to self soothe. It wasn't pretty, but it was textbook and the crying only lasted for 2-3 nights. So far bedtime has been something of a dream, total pun intended!
A few of my new plans are pretty big projects, but I am always grateful for the small blessings too. I figure if my son is getting his life in order and getting coordinated enough to crawl already, then I'm right there with him. Here's a quick video of his new skill that he picked up this week. He doesn't go very far yet, but he's already getting good at crawling to me and lifting his arms to be picked up. For the moment, it's nice to be loved and wanted by such a cutie baby as he.
Kids may be returning to school this week, but summer is making her presence known in Boise with temperatures in the high 90's and it's predicted to reach 100 degrees later this week. It's HOT! Since we have an old house, there isn't any air conditioning built in. If we were really desperate we could make some window units work, but after many summers in the high desert we've learned how to beat the heat, save some $$$ and lower our carbon footprint just a little. Here's how we do it, so if you're feeling adventurous you can try to stay cool on a budget too:
Shut all the windows and blinds during the day to keep the sun/heat out and any cool air in
Open your windows at night and work those fans to get maximum air flow during the coolest part of the night
Turn off appliances, computers and televisions while they're not it use. I found that our computer and tv monitors put off enough heat to warm your hands in the winter.
During the hottest part of the day be still, like a lizard
Sometimes, it's nicer in the shade of a tree during the hot part of the day and then your body heat isn't heating the house
Get a portable evaporative cooler aka "swamp cooler"
When you really need to beat the heat and get out of the house, take a dip in the kiddie pool.
Cherish the heat while you can (unless you live on the coast and it's not sunny until September!) soon the leaves will be dropping, temperatures chilling and the holidays will be upon us. Happy summer my fellow lizards!
A few posts ago I mentioned that I had some exciting opportunities on the horizon. Well, one of those came through in the form of a new position in my dad's company, Heart Hugger. As of yesterday I am the Director of Social Media Marketing. I'm really excited about this new opportunity for a few reasons: I can do it from home, I've wanted to work with this company for a LONG time, and it's a new and creative challenge. After the realization that I wasn't starting the new school year as a teacher I decided that my brain and schedule are ready for a little more structure and creativity. So, right now you can become a Heart Hugger fan on Facebook, and eventually find us on all the other social media outlets too. The content I post will be interesting, helpful, and pertinent to everyone, so check it out!
In Porter news, I finally captured his two bottom teeth in a picture!
He's totally entertained by the giant bear from his Aunt Katie.
Seven months ago, this week, we brought home a newborn baby boy. Well, he just keeps getting bigger! Here's a smorgasbord of photos from the last week.
To beat the summer heat we spend the late afternoons in our front yard in the shade of our maple tree. I also found the rapid photo button on my camera and caught some interesting faces.
Who needs an African safari when you can watch the cats bask in the front yard?
For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of spending some quality time with Porter, he's a talker and often a yeller.
Thanks to Chelsea's sister, Lissa, for the great bubble idea. Porter was entertained, or at least very curious for at least 20 minutes, and it helped clean off the tray, BONUS! He's sticking out his tongue just like his dad, very focused.
Like I said, a yeller.
Then Olive came along. These day's kitties are always the most interesting thing around.
That's my boy!
He got me.
Red triangle, meet blue star.
Here's a video of Misty getting some serious attention from Porter. She's the only kitty that will come near him these days because his love is so, well, intense. Sorry the video is so dark, had to work with what I had in that moment.
