Conservation

So I just finished my Hunter Safety course and it was a very worthwhile endeavor. I think that if everyone were to go through a course on firearm safety and habitat conservation like the one that the DOW offers, we would see a tremendous drop in accidents involving firearms and an increase in funding for the environment. (Hunters provide an overwhelming majority of the funding for increasing wildlife habitat.) I am looking forward to someday share this knowlege and love of the outdoors with my son Zach! I value the times that my father has taken me shooting and I think it has given me a resonsible respect for not only firearms but for the wildlife that share our space.

Sooooooooooo big...

Zach is now going on 6 1/2 months old! I can't believe he's been here that long and yet I can't remember life without him (nor do I want to)! He went in for his 6 month pictures on Sunday, very cute indeed. If you'd like to see them, send me an email and I'll forward you the link to the Sears website. We took Zach to a pumpkin farm today to find the great pumpkin. Apparently we waited too long and there really weren't any good ones left. Aaron managed to find one that worked and wasn't too squishy or over 50% green. Maybe it was the weather this fall? Who knows, but tomorrow we've got a pumpkin to carve. :) We're almost ready for Halloween now!

Roly-Poly

Not counting the Roly-Poly lab I had my 7th graders do a few weeks ago, we've been seeing a lot of roly-polying around our house... Zach's rolled over! He went from his back to his tummy. It's kind of funny, though, because once he makes it over he doesn't like being on his tummy much. We've started sitting him in his high chair while we're eating and are debating starting cereal soon. It's crazy to think he's already 5 months old. In some ways it feels like he's always been with us, in other ways it feels like time has flown by and he's only been here for a few days. It's hard to explain, and I think it's another one of those situations that only parents can understand. I had a meeting with a student's parents this morning and were discussing how the student talks badly of/to her parents at home. I wanted to pipe up and help the student understand how much work and love her parents had invested in her throughout her life and that she shouldn't be disrespectful to them like that. But then I realized she's a 12 year old and figured she wouldn't understand anyway. To anyone who doesn't have kids, you have no idea what your parents went through to keep you alive and happy when you were young. It's so worth it, but it definately wasn't easy. Thanks Mom and Dad for all you've done for me!!! I love you!!!

The Tank

It's so amazing how much Zachary changes in such little time. We were sitting at dinner tonight talking about how it's still hard to believe (at times) that he is ours! What a miracle to think that he was knit together by God, inside his mommy (me), and is now experiencing the world around him. I can't even remember life without him, what that felt like, and yet he's only been here for 5 months. It makes me wonder what I did with myself before he was here. I have to say... even though I have next to no me or free time anymore, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I still get really excited for friends when I hear they're pregnant because I am excited for them that they will soon get to experience the enormous amount of emotions we've been able to experience. Looking back at pictures of Zach when he was only a week or two old it's hard to remember what it felt like to hold such a tiny baby. Although we didn't want him to grow up, we're now so glad he's getting to the point where he is interacting more (giggling, babbling, playing, watching, etc.). I can't wait to see what a fun little boy he'll be. I just hope it doesn't go too fast! The world seems like a whole new place now that we get to experience it through Zach's eyes.

Routines

Well, Zach had his 4 month check-up today and second set of vaccines. He weighed in at 18 lbs, 2 oz and is a healthy, happy little guy (we knew that though)! He took his shots pretty well and is sound asleep as we speak (write, I guess). He actually slept through the night for the first time on Monday, Aug. 19th... he must have known Nicole had to teach the next morning. :) He's growing so much, he looks more like a little boy every day. The doctor said he'd be a handful in a few months and in a way, I guess we prayed for that. We wanted him to be an active, talkative little guy and I think that's exactly what we got. God bless our little angel!

Outdoor Man

Zachary successfully survived his first camping trip! He's also now been to the mountains and experienced his first s'more (through mom of course). What a trooper he was, despite the continuous rain. Aaron and I have decided he was born to be outdoors, which is really great since we love it as well. We're hoping to go on many more camping trips with the little guy, and someday hope to take him on some snowshoe trips as well.

All Alone

The most obnoxious feeling in the world is to sit alone in a movie theatre. Fair amounts of folks go to the movies alone right... Nope. Just one last night - Me. I realized that although the movies are not a place to take someone you want to get to know, they are one of the worst places to take absolutely no one. Nicole wasn't there to talk with during the stupid slide show they show at the beginning and Zach wasn't there to urge me to pause the movie so mama could feed him (giving me the opportunity to grab a fudge-sicle from the freezer), so I sat there very awkwardly doing nothing but answering the movie trivia in my head. I watched the Dark Knight, which I thoroughly enjoyed, (a brilliant movie that I will see many more times - hopefully with someone this time) and then had to call Nicole to tell her how good it was without being able to say much because she wasn't there to see it. It was at that time that I realized that anything I would have the opportunity to do in Steamboat would be diminished by the fact that my other half isn't here. So I do very little.
To add to it I am missing a week of my son's life. This may not sound like much, but when you are 3 months and about 2 weeks, this ends up being roughly 1/14 of your life. He will be just fine, but I miss the little guy!
Things aren't all meloncholy here. I am enjoying doing something different (leak survey as opposed to reading meters) in some incredible surroundings. Today I walked along the tracks next to the Yampa river with a beautiful view of the green (and red - due to pine beetles) ski slopes. The weather is amazing and the work is good. Speaking of which, I need to try and get some sleep so I can start fresh tomorrow. I haven't been sleeping well - I blame it on the lack of static from the baby monitor. So until I return home...