Christmas 2007 De-Briefing

Well, we are back in Denver - safe & sound. Christmas this year sure was great fun. It was Kate's first and her best yet! We spent about 9 days in Wisconsin at the "Branch Ranch". The week included many great events & activities. To start the week my folks hosted a Cash Family Christmas Party (including extended relatives from my mom's side of the family). Complete with a White Elephant gift exchange and Kate having the pleasure of meeting her Great Grandmother Cash. We did take the quintessential 4-generation picture:


We went on to celebrate Christmas, in which Santa did make an appearance (see the previous post for a photo of Santa & Kate). The day after Christmas Kristin's boyfriend Mike and Greg's girlfriend, Amanda joined the party to get a taste of the Branches. Both Mike and Amanda were great additions to the trip, including gifts from "The Kingdom of Tonga" (where Amanda is the Deputy Country Director of the Peace Corps) as well as plenty of baby time with Kate from both of them. Mike is particularly fond of babies, which was EXTREMELY well-received by both Kristin and Kate! The day after Mike and Amanda arrived we all participated in a very "Faulker-esc" round of paddle-tennis games. It was tons of fun to get out and play some paddle-tennis outdoors and Jeff really enjoyed it. Matthew and Jeff were "Team Testosterone", complete with an overly aggressive move by Jeff which ended up in an extensive injury to his hands. He wound up with much of the skin on his fingers gone as well as scrapes on his shoulders, knees, and elbows. Here's a shot of his hands, post-injury:




The remainder of the week included plenty of snow, which was great for cross-country skiing and a couple different puzzles. Mike and I became geeky puzzle buddies.







All in all it was a great trip to Wisconsin and we were reminded of why people endure the cold winters in the Mid West - they make for warm fires, plenty of wine and good family time!

Merry Christmas!

We wish a very Merry Christmas to you and your families! Kate LOVED meeting Santa!!

We're gettin' in the spirit!

We've been a bit light on the pictures lately, so I figured we'd better post some up so that everyone doesn't get too bored with our blog. So, the question is what's been going on... hmm... Well - Uncle Matthew came to town which was fun. The best part of that trip (from our standpoint, but probably not from Mateo's) was that at one point Matthew offered to change the next diaper and sure enough Kate did not disappoint - her bowels decided that was the best time for them to completely empty themselves for the day, to the point of which her clothing being completely soaked and dirty for uncle Matthew to change! Matthew thought diaper-changing was no problem, until now!!


What else... We've discovered that Kate has curls - at least when her hair is wet - check out this picture!















Other than that we've just been getting in the spirit of Christmas!!


We hope you all are well!

10 Years for 3 Hours!

Boy what a night! 10 years to the day from our first lip-locked embrace we had an amazing night out full of laughs. Whew - ten years is a long time, most days we say time has flown by and on some we say it's been an eternity!

Anyways, Uncle Matthew's in town, so we decided to take full advantage of his offer to babysit and we went out for a night on the town, or should I say a night out in Aurora. The hilarity of our evening began as we mingled around a shopping center and entered into the oasis of mediocre quality merchandise and cheap prices that only Ross Department Store can offer. Walking through the aisles of Ross was an experience that quite possibly may have led to a serious case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The hoards of people and eclectic group of shoppers in addition to the wild disorganization of the merchandise strewn on the floor very closely resembled what we think a Baghdad bazaar would be like on a Saturday afternoon. As we strolled through the store and got closer to an actual exit strategy, we couldn't help but pick up more and more crap that we didn't need just because it was all so cheap! Ah, the joys of holiday shopping.

A quick stop at a "dollar store" for movie candy opened our eyes to the vast array of junk you can buy for $1. Maybe Ross isn't that cheap after all, Ross does charge more than $1 for quite a few things...

Then we went over to get dinner and a movie at one of those movie theaters that serves food and drinks while you watch a movie. As we jumped into the restroom before the show I coudn't help but to have the thought in my head: if we make it outta here without food poisoning we'll have had a great night. These restrooms left quite a bit to be desired and certainly brought a couple questions up in regards to the quality of location we had decided to spend our evening. Despite the questionable facilities we had a GREAT time and food wasn't half bad - just don't let it touch the table-top before you eat it!!

All-in-all it sure was nice to have a night out with just-the-two-of-us (I love that song, we can make it if we try....). The simple joys of being able to hold hands because neither of us is pushing a stroller and being able to watch the whole movie because we don't have to stop half way to feed Kate or change a diaper, etc. It sure was nice. Thank you, Matthew for the time - we couldn't be more grateful. I can't wait for our next trip to Ross...

First Time Away...

Greetings! Well, I officially survived my first business trip away from Kate. I was away from the house from Tuesday night through Friday night, and it was an interesting experience - it was difficult when I left the house, but once I was gone it really wasn't that bad! Oh, I did enjoy the pleasure of adult conversation, no diapers, caffeine in the mornings, wine in the evenings - what a good time! It wasn't until the plane ride home that I found myself anticipating seeing Kate with huge excitement and impatience. (It probably didn't help that on the plane ride home I read Jenny McCarthy's book about her son having autism, of which the main theme is her dedication to do absolutely anything for her son to help him to get well...)

When I finally pulled up to the house I couldn't get inside soon enough and after a quick hand-washing I held our little bundle of joy and I couldn't have been more pleased to be right there at that moment. The happiness that came over me as we looked into each other's eyes again was emotionally overwhelming - I love her with all my heart and it felt so good to hold her again. And she actually remembered me too! I was worried she wouldn't remember me since she's so young but boy, she was smiling and squirming around in happiness when I was holding her with tears in my eyes. I didn't put her down all night long and even contemplated letting her sleep with us (which was quickly ruled out, as we only have a queen-sized bed and when it is the three of us no one sleeps well...) It sure is good to be home!

Additionally, Jeffers did an amazing job of taking care of Kate while I was away. Kudos and thanks to our good friend, Brian Ross, who came over two different nights to help out and hang out with Jeff and Kate. Rumor has it that Brian had his first bottle-feeding experience (and I don't mean that Jeff fed him a bottle!!)!! Back to Jeff, though - not only was Kate alive and well when I arrived home, but she was recently bathed and happy as a clam in her holiday outfit looking cute as ever and enjoying watching our Christmas tree that Jeff had put up while I was away! I couldn't be more pleased - it really has been amazing to watch Jeff grow into fatherhood, he makes me proud!

Apparently I'm feeling a bit sentimental, but here you have it! I hope everyone is enjoying the magic of the holiday season.

Peace!

Kate at 3 months!

Here's the latest video of Kate. You even get to see both of our dogs in it too!! They're all soooo cute!

Back to Work...

Well, the hard work and flexible time of my maternity leave is officially over. I've actually been back to work for about 3 weeks now. We're pretty lucky, because Jeff is watching Kate during the day and doing his Mountain Organics business on the side. It has been an adjustment for all three of us, but all in all everything is going quite well. We do feel very lucky to have taken 10 weeks of just family time for the three of us - it was an extremely special time.

Kate is doing quite well - officially into her 3-6 months clothes and her 0-3 are in storage. She really is coming along. She smiles all the time and has actually let out a couple bona fide laughs, which was super fun to see. She is also beginning to hold onto toys when she is playing with them.

She is very much looking forward to our trip to Wisconsin for Christmas. That will be our first trip with her in an airplane - wish us luck!
Now that it is winter time she is sporting this Columbia outfit quite a bit as we take walks in our ever-lasting quest to get into shape!!

Sorry we've had a bit of a hiatus on posts - just so busy with work and stuff. And our newest pictures weren't accessible for some reason...

I hope all is well with you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Everyone,
I hope all of you had a GREAT Thanksgiving. We had dinner here with Jeff's family, Lucy, Dean and Andy and also Kim, Colin and Cameron Cash. It was a good time and good food was had by all. The turkey sandwiches and the turkey noodle soup today was a reminder of why the leftovers are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving too!

My crazy folks are currently visiting Bhutan for the Thanksgiving Holiday - they ate Dal Bhat and Yak's milk for dinner! Don't know where Bhutan is? Neither do I! I think it is somewhere close to Nepal...

Kristin is having dinner with her Boyfriend, Mike and meeting his entire extended family in the process. The early word is that they had some sort of "welcome to the family" tradition that was bestowed upon her!

Mateo did Thanksgiving dinner with some friends in Portlant which may or my not have included some Tofurkey.

Gregorio celebrated with some fellow Americans in Panama, which was especially fun because the Packers won!

Today I began to stow away some of the clothes that Kate has outgrown, already! I guess it is to be expected, as she is about a week away from being 3 months old. It is sad to see those tiny clothes go, though!
That's what current with us! Here's a photo too...

Sleepin' on the Job!

We haven't been the best at updating our blog lately. A combination of my getting back to work and our computer being a bit fritzy (is that a word?) has gotten in the way. Here's a quick post to tide you over and we'll post more soon!

The Grandpas Sure Love Kate!

Then again, who wouldn't right?

Bathtime Pics!

Just to give Kate something to be embarrassed about when she is a teenager, here are some bathtime shots! Parenthood is great, isn't it!???! Now I know why my parents got such a "kick" out of embarrassing me when I was a teen!

Kate's Current Favorite Toy Video

Okay, we just recently figured out how to upload our videos to Youtube, so here's a video I took today of Kate on her favorite toy. She's getting pretty fun and smiling more and more!

Vote for your Favorite Halloween Costume!

Well, we had several different options for a costume for Kate, so we decided to put her in each of them throughout the day, which actually worked quite well because she tends to go through that many outfits in one day anyways! Which one is your favorite: The "Baby's First Boo", The Cow or the Monkey?

Happy Birthday to Jeff, Happy Birthday to Jeff!!

Yes, it's true. Jeff is officially as old as I am - 30! Happy Birthday, Jeff - we all love you!

Kate's a Dancer!

Thanks to the Grandmothers for All Your Babysitting!

Grandma Lulu and Nana Karen came to do some sitting lately. Jeff and I've been able to get out and play both tennis and golf! Thank you both so much for the time and for loving Kate so much!

Kate's Two Months Old!

Here's the update:
She's making more and more "cooing" noises
She actually is smiling at us when we interact with her
She is sleeping 6-8 hours in a row at night (now we just have to train her to go down before midnight!)
She's starting to move her arms and legs more with deliberation
She's responding to voices now more than ever
She's figured out where her food comes from!!
She's starting to grow out of her 0-3 clothes (weighing in at almost 12 pounds last week!)
She's just a joy to have around...

Peanuts & Cracker Jacks!

The Rockies made it to the World Series! The Rocks vs. the Sox!!! Kate couldn't be more excited! Go Rockies!!

To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate, That is the Question

Here we are one week away from Kate's Dr.'s appt. where she is supposed to get her first round of vaccination shots. I'm sure you know that this is currently a very hot topic, as vaccines are suspected to be linked more and more to Autism and many autoimmune disorders such as Diabetes & MS, etc.

Did you know that now 1 in every 180 kids has Autism and also that the amount of vaccinations suggested for children by the CDC has hugely increased in the last ten years (I think it has increased by 300%, but I'm not sure on that stat)?

There generally are two sides to this argument: The pro-vaccination medical community oriented people, and the anti-vaccination folks who for the most part believe that their lives or lives of their children have been negatively affected (or is it effected) by vaccinations.

If you happen to have information or an opinion on this matter please feel free to post a comment here, as I am a firm believer that the more information we have, the better.

Kate's First Vacation!

We spent a couple days and went to Steamboat Springs, CO for a taste of vacation with Kate. As you might imagine we learned very quickly that vacationing with a newborn is quite a bit different than vacationing before we were blessed with her presence. We did spend the majority of our time changing diapers and feeding her, but in the mean time we were able to see some great scenery, take a hike by Steamboat Lake and eat a few meals out. All in all it was a nice time, but with every vacation we were glad to get home! Here are some shots of our hike...

Matthew's Domestic Partner Visits Kate!

Justin came to town for work and stayed with us for a night. He loved Kate and she thought he was pretty cool too!

Kate's First Trip Away From Home!

We took some time last week to head up to Buena Vista where Jeff's parents live. The trip was a great time and Jeff's mom was nice enough to watch Kate while Jeff and I both got to go golfing (twice!) with Jeff's dad - Thanks Lulu!

Cassie & Coal Get Some "Alone Time" with Kate...

Everybody loves each other!
Yes, that's Kate in the background...

Kate's first Hike in the Hills!

Well, cabin-fever got the best of us, so we headed up the hills into Pike Nat'l Forest to take our first hike, con bebe. Gotta love the fresh mountain air!

Go Rockies!

The Colorado Rockies are currently playing off to get into the MLB Playoffs. It is currently 5 to 5, the top of the 6th inning. Go Rockies!

4 Week Shot!!

Happy 1 Month Birthday to Kate!!!

Milestones to Celebrate

These are the things parenthood is made of that none of the books warn you about:

1) We have been pooped on.
2) We have been peed on.
3) We have been spit up on.
4) We have both changed up to three diapers in a matter of minutes.
5) Kate sometimes looks at us with the most skeptical of expressions.
6) Dinner time is her favorite time to cry/eat/poop.
7) We love every minute of it (well, almost every minute!).

Thank you, Poppy Harper!

Jeff's father made Kate the most beautiful piece of furniture in our entire home - a baby bassinette! We are so proud to have it and we show it off every chance we get! Kate just loves it too.

1 & 2 Week Pictures!

Kate has quickly become our little "Monkey" (we call her "Monkey" with the utmost of affection). We're taking weekly photos of her with her stuffed monkey friend to show her growth. Here is the one-week shot along with the two-week shot. Sure enough, she's getting bigger!

Bronco Sundays in Denver!

Jeff has a new partner to watch Bronco games with him!

She's Smiling!

Some claim it is a result of gas, but either way - she's starting to smile more and more! We think she's as "cute as a bug's ear"!!

The Branch Family Visits Kate!

We have had several installments of the Branch family here in Denver since Kate's birth (which was only about 10 days ago!).

First Kristin came for Labor Day weekend, 1/2 of which we were in the hospital for. Having Kristin here was great - she did everything from keeping us company in the hospital to bringing us meals while we were there. She also videotaped Kate's first trip home as we left the hospital and helped us get settled in the first day here at our house. Here's a picture of Kristin and Kate!

Then Karen (a.k.a Nana Branch) came to help Jeff, Kate and I get settled in to our new lives. She is going to be here for just over two weeks and we couldn't be more grateful. She has proven to be a complete expert in baby care and quieting a fussy baby as well as laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. She has been such a blessing to have here in this time as we adjust to the demands of a newborn.

Joe (a.k.a Papa Joe) showed up for a day or two later in the week and thoroughly enjoyed holding Kate as she slept and cooed at her grandpa. His claim after being here is that Kate really doesn't cry when he's holding her!

Uncle Matthew then came along (see the post below for his words of wisdom!) to spend time with Kate. Mateo's favorite pasttime while he was here became carrying Kate in the Kelty carrier - he spent much of the weekend wearing Kate whenever she woud fuss or would like to be held. We had a great time hanging out and Matthew was sure a big help - including taking over two late-night feedings & changings so that Jeff and I could sleep more!

That's about it for now, but I'm sure there will be more visits from this social family! Enjoy the pictures!

guest blogger: Uncie Mafflew

10 things I learned upon meeting my neice:

1) Little Katie, although only 10 days old, is already as smart as a three week old.
2) Gentle swaying is much better than violent shaking, but is not as immediately effective
3) Babies generally don't even know how to play tic-tac-toe until much later in life
4) Although really cute, babies aren't ready to ride on the back of dogs until at least the 5th week
5) Katie loves farting so much, its the only thing that she smiles about thus far
6) Babies are made of meat
7) Newborns can't talk, no matter how much chocolate you promise to give them
8) Baby powder does not actually turn babies into powder
9) Babies' livers aren't fully developed and cannot process alcohol like an adult, so NEVER allow a baby to drive after drinking, even after only one beer.
10) The privledge of helping raise a child is a wonderful, fufilling gift. I am truly excited to have little Katie in my life, and am looking forward to being an influence on hers.

For photos, copy and paste into your browser:
http://flickr.com/photos/7123649@N05/sets/72157600232619491/

Poppy and Lulu Harper Visit the Hospital!

Lucy & Dean Harper (aka Grandma & Grampa Harper, aka Poppy & Lulu) as well as Uncle Andy came to the hospital to visit Kate. It was so nice to see them and have them be a part of our birth experience. Here are some pictures of their time with us!

The Big Day at the Hospital!

So, here's the scoop. We ended up having to have a cesarean birth, and the end result was a perfectly healthy little baby girl! Jeff and I both had a great experience at Rose Hospital in Denver and we couldn't have been happier with the whole thing. Here are some picture of how the day went.

Look Out World, Here's Kate!!!

Name: Katherine Nicole Harper
Born: Thursday, August 30th
Weight: 8 Lbs, 1 Oz.
Length: 20.5"
Remarks: Plenty of hair on this newborn!