Kellan 1 Year Old

This past Wednesday was Kellan's first birthday.  I could write about how Kellan is such a joy to be around, and how these days he's much needier, has started taking one nap a day, loves grownup food, etc...  but for me, what's really important to mention is the milestone that is Lisa's achievement.

If the first is carrying a baby to term and recovering from the wound of having that baby cut from your body, the second is surely caring for and raising the baby from an infant to a toddler.  The tenacity of this woman is astounding.  I've never seen anyone with more dedication to the craft.  Books are stacked by her bed that provides late-night study material.  Her skills as a researcher would align with most PhD's.  Late nights of nursing.  Going for walks.  Having him strapped to her for the better part of a day.  Sickness...  health...  all of it.

It seems fit, on this occasion, to praise the individual who has worked the most to get us here, and that undoubtedly is Lisa.  Thanks to her we have a wonderful little boy who is cared for, nurtured, loved, healthy, growing, and well on his way.  I am extremely thankful for her dedication.  So thank you, Lisa, for all your hard work.

Apparently, he woke up in a really good mood that day.

Easter Weekend Update

This past weekend was wonderful.  I had Friday off work so I got a nice three-day weekend with everyone.  Friday was Finn's birthday.  He's eight years old now and is just such a wonderful boy to be around.  Grandma Sue (Schaefer) sent a space suit that Finn asked for, and he wore it basically all weekend.  When we went to our relative's house for Easter he made sure we wouldn't mention that Finn was with us, only that we happened to bring an astronaut with instead.

Saturday we went to Stillwater in the morning.  Family trips are my favorite.  I don't think it gets a whole lot better than a day trip with Lisa and the kids.

After our trip to Stillwater, we came home and spent time in our yard.  -Actually, we did that basically all weekend.  It's going to be another summer spent in our backyard, which I'm fine with.  It took Kellan a while to move from the patio to the grass, but he got there.

This is Kellan all the time now.  He slowly crawls over to you, grabs your pants, lifts himself up, slowly looks up and says "Ummmm...  I think we both know what needs to happen here."

We also realized that he doesn't hate being put on the trampoline, which is a perfect place to zip him up and leave him.

Here we are on Easter Sunday.

Kellan was happy to hang out with Uncle Dan most of the day on Sunday...

The return of winter.

Every year when the weather turns nice, the snow has melted, and the family is outside enjoying spring, Lisa emerges from her temple like a sage or an oracle and declares that we are all celebrating too early and that winter will once again show it's unwelcome face.

This year she was right.

Okay so she's right most years, and the ones when she is not we tend to forget.  It happened this year on April 10th, so yesterday I stayed home to once again snow-blow and hang out with the family. 

Of course, we needed to have a fire...

All the inside pictures involve someone holding Kellan.  Finn needed to go outside just to make sure it was REALLY bad.  Here is him asking if he can go outside.  We originally said no while he was doing school, but eventually, we gave in.  

And yes, it was really bad.  Here is him trying to walk against the wind.

Eleven-ish Months for Kellan

Kellan is growing by the day, and he is loving every minute of it, except when he can't do everything that everyone else is doing -he hates that.  So far he's shaping out to be the boy version of Cora.  He wants to eat what you eat.  He wants to drink what you're drinking.  He wants to go outside ALL the time -going outside fixes pretty much anything.  He wants to go upstairs and see what the big kids are up to... 

Some of his favorite past-times are looking out the picture window, getting mad when Papa comes in the door and won't immediately pick him up, getting mad at Mama when she's trying to cook on the stovetop and he can't see what she's doing, and being carried around by his siblings.  Also taking a bath.

Here are some pictures: