When Daddy...

I'm back with a new post in the "When Daddy" series.  Those of you that watch the Tour de France know that the hill climbs are scrawled with graffiti urging riders to "venga", "allez", "go"!  For those of you that don't watch, this will give you an idea.  This is from the famed Alpe d'Huez; note all the colorful messages on the climb to the riders. 

So, the other day I came home from the grocery store and when I walked up the front steps, this is what I saw.

Looks like Daddy and Cora were playing a little "Tour de Porch".  One of her current obessions is scrambling up any stairs she sees.

Also, it looks like Daddy is already starting to get the hang of dress up.

 

Cora, you are so lucky to have such a fun and creative Daddy.

Good Tidings of Mountains

First, I would like to recognize the visionary John Muir for the inspiration for the title of this post.  He once said "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings."  These good tidings come not without sweat, grit and effort, but are worth every ounce of energy poured into their seeking.

Rob and I snuck away last week for a fast and furious backpacking trip to bag Blanca Peak in the Sangre de Cristo range.  For a while now we've been longing for some time in the backcountry away from typical social constraints.  We needed to feel small and lost, to truly get away.  Our adventure started northeast of Alamosa, CO on a dusty, rocky road that slowly meandered through scrubby grassland, coniferous forest, alpine tundra, and above the tree line to 14,345 feet.

At 8,000 feet we threw on our packs and set off for Lake Como via Lake Como Road, one of the worst rated four wheel drive roads in the country.  The hike up to our high camp was beautiful but arduous as our feet were constantly looking for stable ground among baby head sized rocks.  We were a bit dismayed when someone coming down the trail told us we still had 3.2 miles until the lake, but step by step we worked our way up the unbearably rocky "road".             

The relief we felt upon our arrival at Lake Como was immense.  Lake Como sits at almost 12,000 feet and as flatlanders, we were certainly feeling the thinner air.  The view from our campsite was extraordinary.  We weren't alone at the lake and met some very nice and interesting people. 

After setting up camp and resting for a bit, I filtered some of the pristine lake water for cooking and drinking and Rob got a fire going.  It was cooler at the lake and the mosquitoes were quite aggressive.  During dinner, this Big Horn Sheep entertained us near our camp for almost half an hour. 

Soon after we dinner we called it a night.  We were both a little wobbly from our hike up and knew that the next day would be tougher.  I think that is the earliest I've ever seen Rob voluntarily go to bed.  It was still light outside!  The next morning we rose at 5 a.m. feeling rested and excited.  We were ready to summit! 

The hike to the top revealed treasure after treasure in the form of crisp lakes, Big Horn Sheep, Marmots, wildflowers, waterfalls, succulents, and the most refreshing, albeit thin, air.  Each step brought us closer to the pending summit and Blanca Peak was looming large in our sights.  Looking up, I began to experience some nervous flutters.  I took more pictures on the way down than on the way up because we wanted to make sure we were off the top before afternoon storms rolled in.   

Once we passed the last lake it was all up and all rocks to the top.  The trail was marked by deliberate rock cairns on top of naturally strewn rocks.  For the most part, we easily found our way, but delineated a few times.  You can see the tip of Blanca Peak in the picture below.

As we approached the ridge where we would complete the last bit of the ascent, I started to doubt my ability to make it to the top.  We drew closer with every step, but mentally it still felt so far.  At one point, I handed the camera to Rob and told him to hit the summit without me.  I just wanted to sit on the ridge and have a snack.  He gently urged me on and assured me that I could do it, and am I glad he did.  The view from the very top was magnificent as was the feeling of accomplishment.  

 

We were so happy to be at the top together; we helped each other each step of the way.  We spent a little time looking around and refueled our bodies for the descent, which would prove to be just as difficult as the ascent.  We weren't alone up there though, we shared the views with this little guy. 

There were no traces of modernity at the top.  The 360 panorama was free from power lines, roads and buildings.  Instead there were lakes, snow, trees, rocks, clouds...pure, natural beauty.  A true feeling of detachment from human invention.  Our time at the top was too short before we felt we needed to come down.  Some gauzy puffs of clouds began to taunt us over the ridges and we didn't want to chance an afternoon thunderstorm above the tree line.

We started the trek back down to camp; our feet crossed familiar ground yet things looked different traveling this direction.

The sky darkened as we descended Blanca.  When we were about thirty minutes away from Lake Como, we were startled by a huge thunderclap.  Grateful to be near camp, we pepped up our step a bit.  It was starting to rain and we were eager to slip into our sleeping bags.  We drifted in and out of sleep for about two hours while the storm worked its way through the Sangre's.  Strangely, we were able to relax in the deafening thunder.  A certain someone was VERY relaxed!

After the storm passed through we had to decide if we would head back to the car or spend another night at Lake Como.  This was our first time away from Cora and we found ourselves pining to breathe in her sweetness.  We decided to pack it all up and hit the trail towards the car. 

We walked down, down, down, down and down some more.  All the while, navigating the rocks and the off camber slope of the road.  It had already been a long day and we still had a LONG way to go.  Together, we trudged down the road.  Side by side at times and taking turns setting the pace at others.  In the distance, we could see that we were getting closer to the dusty road we came in on, but again, it felt SO FAR.

Sometimes it seems like we are constantly in a state of "almost there".  Not just in hiking, but in life.  We are always trying to get somewhere.  Always trying to reach a new goal.  Let me tell you, we were ELATED when we reached the goal of our car.

We had a tremendous time and are so happy that we climbed our first fourteener.  The reward was definitely worth the hard work.

A Year

When I snapped the first picture of Cora in this chair it was my intent to capture a shot of her in it each month.  So much for good intentions, right?  I did well in the beginning, but as she became more mobile, it sort of fell by the wayside.  However, I think this series of pictures does show her incredibly growth and development of the last year.  Even though there are 12 pics here, a few were taken in the same month. The late spring is where I kind of left off until July.     

Such a big girl now!

When it's Cute to Jiggle

Jiggle Jiggle Jiggle from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

The Kid Likes Cake

Here is a belated post party wrap up complete with pics and video.  In short, we had an amazing time celebrating Cora's first birthday.  I know she felt loved by friends and family that celebrated with her.  We could not have thrown the party without the generous help of family.  I still can't believe that she is one!

Things started out a little "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" but quickly turned around.  She just wasn't into sitting still on the couch for a photo when there were so many fun friends around.

 Cora and Liam loved all the party food.  Cora ate her body weight in watermelon.

She also figured out the present opening a little quicker than at Christmas.  She received some great new toys and has loved playing with them lately.  This book is one of her favorites that we must read EVERY morning upon waking.

We put up a few fun decorations and went with cupcakes and a mini cake for Cora.  Mom helped me make a "Cora is One!" banner for the fire place.  Cupcake making kicked off at 6:30 a.m. the day of her party.  At first I wasn't going to make a separate mini-cake and thought that a cupcake for her would suffice.  Somehow though, I could not keep my inner Martha at bay and decided that she should have something just a little more special.  This decision resulted in one mini bundt cake release fail and a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for Rob and Mom to pick up the mini cake pan.

 

Finally, it was time for cake!  The first bites were a little hesitant, but once she figured out it was something she could actually eat, she loved it!  Look at how proud Daddy was as he gave her the cake.

Birthday 1 from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

Birthday 2 from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

After the cake eating, we moved the party to the backyard for swinging and baby pool swimming.  I will never forget this day and am grateful to everyone that helped us celebrate.  I wished I would have taken more pictures, but I was busy capturing all the snap shots in my mind.  What a blessed year we have had.

Such and Such, This and That

My lack of regular posting these days is not due to subject matter, I assure you. I've temporarily (let's hope) misplaced my camera cord so I haven't been able to upload any pictures to my computer. The posts that I currently have planned revolve around pics of baby covered in cakey crumbs and icing as well as some footage of wobbly toddler walking (YEA!!! I think).

So stay tuned and I'll be back as soon as I can! I'll get Rob on the case STAT. He is pretty good at finding the things I've misplaced. I guess it is because he gets plenty of practice.

Back to the Beginning

 

Well my precious child, we’ve been all the way around the sun together and what a journey it’s been.  When I think about your first year of life a tsunami sized swell of emotion washes over me.  I’ve experienced the feelings of joy and love before, but being a mother amps those feelings up to unprecedented proportions.

Time has passed much too quickly and now you are on the brink of slipping into toddlerhood, no longer the tiny, glassy-eyed helpless newborn you greeted us as.  I think you are teaching us much more than we are teaching you.  There is much wisdom in your big blue eyes.  You have a way of looking into the eyes of others as if you are contemplating what is deep within.  More than one person has called you an old soul. 

I’ve tried to impress the lovely “baby” things about you into my brain so they won’t be lost forever as you grow.  The wispy locks that curl around your ears, the peace in your face as you sleep in my arms, the feel of your skin as I rock you.  You’re gonna be a big girl someday, but I can always cling to these little things. 

You are more vocal than ever lately constantly babbling, “ma-mah, tda-tda, bye-bye, baby, puppy, ruff ruff, yeti, diaper, uh-oh, popo” and other words audible only to our Cora tuned ears.  Your giggle is infectious and your squeals of delight at the wonders around you fill my heart.  Your face breaks into a luminescent beam at the sight of your daddy, and I know how you feel.  He makes me happy too.

We, your Daddy and I, are settling into being parents.  The shockwave of the early newborn phase faded and we look forward to new daily adventures.  You are just now starting to really get into things.  A couple of weeks ago you were “cleaning out the pantry” and ripped a tea bag open spilling aromatic leaf bits everywhere.  If the dog bowl is down in the kitchen, you kick your crawling into turbo gear straight towards it for a quick splash, and meal times are certainly getting more interesting as you start to use utensils other than your fingers. 

Watching you reach new milestones is tantamount to what Americans must have felt when Neil Armstrong bounced across the Moon.  A few nights ago, you took several wobbly steps across the living room and my heart nearly burst through my chest.  I know your daddy wanted to jump out of the chair and throw a few fist pumps, but we had company and politely contained ourselves.

I will never forget the way you felt in my arms in those first weeks all swaddled in muslin, face shifting between newborn grunts, sleepy sighs and tiny smiles and frowns.  I will never forget the way you feel in my arms now, either.  A not quite toddler, substantial in my arms yet still vulnerable.  Able to hug back and nestle your head in the safe spot between my neck and shoulder. 

Cora, we love you!  HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!