On the Move

The days of setting the kid on the floor and walking away are over! He's been rolling over all day long. Very exciting and also a bit terrifying! Hope you all enjoy this milestone.

Sunny Sunday

Just a beautiful sunny Sunday here in Telluride. We had a very relaxed weekend, even getting outside for a few walks in the warm (50 degree) weather.

a visit from the jays

It has been a while since we have seen our dear friends the Jay's. We were fortunate that they came back to Telluride for a visit...too bad we didn't capture any photos of anyone but Harper. It turns out that kiddos are more fun to take photos of than adults. Here's a good one of Harper, The Si man and uncle Snoop.
On Friday we had a pot luck dinner at the house so that they could catch up with some friends. In this photo are Dennis Lankis and Henry and Ashley Deppen. Yes Henry is looking fierce in his bib!
Dennis' daughter Jordan.


Turns out it is difficult to get a 4 and 5 month old to both look at the camera at the same time.
Harper and Jordan.

Now that all of our guests have gone home it truly feels like the holiday season has come to an end. Guess we have to settle back into the regular routine for 2009. This includes Mommy Day on Mondays, 3 days of daycare and Daddy day on Friday. Simon had his 4 month check up on the 7th and he is doing really well. He weighed in at 14 lbs. 4 oz. and was 26" tall. Developmentally he is right on track, and also got his next round of shots which he handled very well. Hope you all have had a good start to your new year, and look forward to seeing you in 2009!

Happy New Year

We spent the first day of the new year hanging around the house and relaxing. Simon enjoyed his favorite Christmas present, his new swing...it may actually be Mom and Dad's favorite present, but he seems to like it too.

We have also started using a few of our other great Christmas presents. The new high chair, thanks to Mimi and Papa, and the feeding bowls and utensils, thanks to Steph, Skip, Heidi and Jeff. Simon has seemed still hungry after our last feeding of the evening, before he goes to bed so we decided that a snack after his last nap might help. We started feeding him some rice cereal, very thinned down, along with a bit of milk to help wash it down. He is doing really well grasping the concept of eating from the spoon. Last night, the first night we tried this, he was opening his mouth very well for the spoon, and seemed to be moving some of the food to the back of his mouth with his tongue. Of course a lot of the food ran down his chin, but I was happy with the amount that seemed to stay in the mouth. Tonight he did even better! We have such a quick learner. It has seemed to help with the last feeding as well, as he appears full and not cranky for more food when I put him down for bed. Good Boy Simon! Hope you all had a good New Year's Eve.

sorry to see you go

To all of those Jordans making it home tonight...We enjoyed our Christmas, and thanks to Nana and Pop Pop who got us this cool new camera. Now we can post Video...Lookout!

Another new baby Cousin-Zachary Stanley Pankewich

Simon has another new baby cousin. Zachary Stanley Pankewich was born to my older brother Skip and his wife Steph on Dec. 27th. Although we weren't expecting Zach for almost another 2 months we are glad that he made it here and is doing remarkably well for as early as he came. Mama and Baby keep giving us good reports every day and it sounds like they are even getting to spend some time together in the NICU. Steph got to hold him a bit yesterday and big sis Emerald, Daddy, Aunt Heidi and Uncle Jeff have also visited him. My mom has been helping with the kiddos at home while Skip and Steph spend as much time at the hospital with Zach as they can. We are keeping the whole family in our thoughts and prayers as they adjust to this new little being in thier lives. Emerald has still not given up on calling him by her preferred name for him (Lobster) which makes you realize that things are still a bit normal as this seems to be a typical 4 yr old reaction!

A Griswald...I mean Jordan...Christmas

We had an exciting first this week, people actually came to see us for Christmas, making Simon's first Christmas, one at home. Shane's immediate family came from Oklahoma and Kansas all the way to Telluride to share a great weekend in Telluride. We were joking before they got here that the gathering may resemble the Griswald chirstmas vacation, but I think in the end we all had a great time and things went fairly smoothly. After a bit of a scary weather forecast (a prediction of a nearly untravelable blizzard conditions) on Friday when most of the group got in, the rest of the trip was filled with blue sky sunny days.

Simon and his cousin Matthew

On Friday we went to Norwood, about 45 minutes away, to go on a horse drawn sleigh ride. There was a fresh blanket of deep snow and the setting was breathtaking. In the middle of the ride the sleigh got stuck and everyone (about 12 people total) except Laura and Simon had to get off of the sleigh in about 2 feet of snow so that Rowdy (the driver) could get the sleigh turned back around and on track. While he was turning the sleigh it nearly tipped over causing all of the spectakers to take a deep breath as they watched mamma hold her baby tight and fight the tip of the sleigh. Later Simon told me that he really like it :) Really he slept very soundly nearly the whole ride, to wake up just as we got back to the barn for some hot cocoa, where he enjoyed looking at the hundreds of photos that Rowdy had stapled to the ceiling of the office at the barn. Shane, Laura and Simon (in the blanket) on the Sleigh ride

Grace, Aunt Jamie and Matthew on the Sleigh ride

the whole group with the lead horses

Simon and Aunt Jamie at the Lone Cone for lunch after the sleigh ride

Simon really liked having fun with his cousins Matthew and Grace

On Sunday most of the group headed for Town Park to Firecracker Hill for some good old fasion sledding. Kids never grow up sometimes. Jamie and Adam are in the photo above.

Shane and Matthew

Shane showing his balancing skills

Matthew, Adam and Grace

After sledding they rode up to Mountain Village where Matthew got to jump on the trampoline bungee thing.

Matthew getting some air

Cousins

We spent a lot of time in the living room on the couch. Good thing we just got a new large couch this year!

Mimi, Papa and the Grandkids

making cookies with Grandma

Matthew on the Kids Hill

Monday we headed for the slopes where we fought the crowds on the busiest day of the ski season. Boy can we tell our age after a few runs...we sure were sore that night.

Adam and Matthew

Shane and Laura

Sweet Smiley Simon

Simon and Gracie spent the day with Grandma while the rest of the group was on the mountain

Simon and Papa

Simon and Matthew

Simon and Mimi

Simon and Adam

Simon and Grandma

We have an icredibly tolerant baby boy and he did great meeting all of these new people, still taking naps and sleeping well and letting everyone play with and hold him. He was even really patient during the photo session on Monday night. We sure hope our guests had as much fun as we did and that someday they may actually want to come back!