Photo dump and general update

Ok, this really is a 'photo dump' as Jason calls it. In general, we are doing very well - loving life and each other more and more every day. The weather is oh so nice and cool so we are trying to soak it up before it gets downright cold.

The woman who keeps Alder twice a week tells us how great he is doing with her. He is eating and napping well, which is the most important thing. He has also played in an exersaucer a few times and seemed to like that - what a big boy thing to do!

We take him to the orthopedist week after next (Oct 8) to see if he is ready to start wearing his brace less - this will be very exciting! 23 hours per day is alot, especially now that he is getting more alert and active.

Here is an especially handsome shot of Alder sitting up (i.e., propped on the couch).

In his chair - I know you guys are probably getting tired of this ugly thing... He is really getting better at holding toys and moving them into his mouth.

Alder's dark hair from birth is nearly all gone (no more chicken head) and he has a somewhat thick mat of new lighter stuff growing in that seems to be longer (to us) every day...This boppy prop kept him occupied for quite awhile the other day:
I receive messages daily from the yahoo discussion group for parents of clubfooted children. IT has been such a great resource for us. Recently, a mom posted a message about a good price on cute women's knee socks at Target and how great they are as leg warmers because pants can be a hassle with the brace. Pretty snazzy huh?

Carpe Afternoon

So, this Friday I found an open port to inject some freedom into an hectic week. I was able to get home around 2 to find Alder freshly awake with Mom out on the deck. I had grabbed a salad and some nori at the grocery, so I put that in a cooler, changed clothes, and started packing the car while Alder finished nursing. Shortly following, we grabbed Tsuga and the leash just in case and headed for the River: Maiden's Crossing it is called, where S.R. 522 crosses the James River.

Alder played for most of the half hour drive and fell asleep just before we got there. He has just started really purposefully reaching for toys as seen here:It's a wonder we didn't wake him when we selfishly cheered to find the parking area void of other people or cars upon our arrival. Tsuga was also thrilled to be there and free to run, sniff and pee on stuff.
This is a great place to go: upstream from Richmond, very clear and shallow at low water, and wadable all the way across. We have even taken a snorkel there before to look around at fish and aquatic plants.

While there, I threw stick for Tsuga for awhile, ran him down and Les and I took turns holding an all out photo shoot of little Alder. And... here are some of the shots...

As in times before, I walked Alder out in the river. An exceptionally cool breeze was blowing downstream and the water was still warm. So we stood out there for a good while. Neat to see how he just stares at the surroundings when there is so much to see, such nice late day September sun on the trees, islands and water. I always wonder what he sees, what he thinks. Les and I ponder this multiple times a day. He seems to be quite a little thinker, especially just after he wakes up.

Here is a rare (at least at this point) shot of him awake and sucking that thumb.
Mom will post again soon with a general photo dump.

New swing

We went to visit Grammy and Paw Paw last weekend and had a really great time. It is nice to only be 2 hours away from family. Paw Paw is now retired and has lots of productive time around the house lately. With some of his free time, he made Alder a tire swing just like Jason and his brother had when they were little. I think Alder is still a bit young for it (as you can see from the photo below), but it sure will be fun soon!
Thank You!!

Thankful for weekends

What a great last couple of weekends we have had! Last weekend we went to Charlottesville for a hike and to cruise around the downtown mall. For an entire day away, Alder did great - he napped in his mei tai carrier and in the car. We went into some art galleries and he loved looking at all the bright colored pieces. So Jason has been working on his own brightly-colored painting with its main purpose being visual stimulation...maybe we will hang in on the ceiling above his changing table. Here is Alder on our hike in his mei tai.

This weekend the weather was amazingly cool and sunny!! Alder was intrigued by his own arm having stripes on it this morning when we put a long sleeve shirt on him. Saturday morning we went to our friend's house outside of town on a beautiful piece of land. The moms went for a run while the dads babysat and cooked us breakfast...definitely something we will have to do again!! Saturday night we took Alder out to a party and he was such a trooper being out past his bedtime. He did not cry once and fell asleep around 9:30 on dad's shoulder as he (dad) drank a beer! Alder is such a good baby. We comment on this to each other daily and wonder when and if this will change. He rarely fusses and when he does there is always a reason that is easy to fix. Hungry - feed him, sleepy - put him down to sleep. If we are nowhere near a substrate for naps, he will typically take his pacifier (or momma's boob) and go to sleep wherever. This evening, after a stroll around the neighborhood, we sat on the back porch and he just talked, kicked his free legs, and smiled up at us from his chair for awhile. Here are some pics of this:And here are a couple more pics you might like:

Cloth diapers are really easy!

I thought I would reflect on the ease of cloth diapers now that I have had a few months of experience. I am not sure what I expected, really, but it is truly easy. After using disposables for several weeks when Alder was in casts and when we were on vacation, I could not stand to see all that waste going out of our house. I will still probably use disposables when on long vacations (more than a couple of nights), and he is using them at daycare, but otherwise, it is all cloth on Alder’s toosh!

So, I thought I’d just describe what it is that cloth diapering entails in our house. We wash a load of diapers once every 2-3 days (two cycles – one short and cold with baking soda and another hot and long with detergent) and then hang them on the line to dry. I guess we spend about 20 minutes/week dealing with them altogether. We use Chinese prefolds and have graduated to the premium size (15-30 lbs) that should last quite awhile. At first we used the newborn Chinese prefolds as well as Bird’s Eye flatfolds with doublers. We use the Bummis whisper wrap covers and I splurged and bought a couple of Bum Genius diapers that we use as covers as well. These are the colorful ones that look nicer when we are out on the town….;). We do not use the pins, but this newfangled contraption called a snappi to hold the diaper in place before putting on the cover. It is not really necessary to use anything to hold it, but I like to have it secure. There are soooo many cloth diaper options out there and I had no idea what to choose. I basically made my choice based on cost and then learned some from a few other moms after the fact. I bought some diaper covers on Craigslist and I have a friend that bought a lot of hers this way.

Here is the snappi

Here is Alder chillin in his Bummis cover

Here is Alder sporting his Bum Genius cover on the quilt our great friend Jenny made for him

And yes, cloth diapers are not very slimming, but after all, Alder is a baby and we would not want him to look slim! In fact, Jason says they make Alder look like Grimace (narrow at the top and wide at the bottom), but that’s ok!

Elephant Knees

Catching Up a Bit

Has been a while it appears, and now dad will try to update with a little narrative and a big photo dump. First, for a glimpse of memory lane: the left is June 29 and the right is Sept 5.

Smiles are easier to come by now, but he is still a tough crowd. I cannot imagine how stupid I must look trying to get him to laugh. Alder always has this stoic look on his face, sometimes totally spacing, but usually apparantly thinking about something. He will just snap out of it and smack a few times and look up as if to say, "Alright now what face were you making? Yeah, ok here is a grin for that." Or, "Nah, thats not enough." First thing in the morning is the best time to get relatively easy smiles. And he will get excited, but you just have to work for it. Its well worth...

Otherwise, he spends alot of time with puckered lips and clinched fists. Always has a grip on nothing, or is holding has thumbs in a fist. I wonder what this portends and hope that its determination, tenacity rather than just being too wound up and intense. I think that I know myself too well to fear this but maybe we have some time to work on it.

He has really seemed to have found his hands lately though - or at least their functions. He finally today purposefully reached for toys, held them, pulled them to his mouth with both hands, got slobber all over them, swung them around and flung them, more than once, although not every time we offered. Of course we were excited, while he thought, 'Sure, be happy. I am about to tear this place to pieces..." And on the belly he will scoot a little bit but no real lifting. Does like to stand with some help though.

Hands down there is no time like bath time. He does all he can do - thrashes about, banging his arms and legs and feet into the bathtub. Its got to hurt. Talking incessantly in "hissing" and "doooooooo dooooooooo" language. Doesnt like the water poured over the face but doesnt cry. We have made a point to do this all along. Plus, what doesnt kill you... He could stay in there forever and only criess when the water gets cold (at which time I usually warm it up) and when I reach down to grab him out. The most death-summoning cries come when bath is over. Amazing volume and pitch. Absolutely amazing.

Oh yeah, and he has lost all the hair in the back and sides. Has a military-ish thing going and Les discovered today that his hair on top just pulls right out. And barely bleeds at all. kidding

So last Friday night we met some friends at an outdoor bar on the reservoir. Was GREAT to hang out with them and catch up as we have all been busy and in/out of town for several weeks.

So good that we all went hiking the next morning. Even Tsuga too. The longest hike in Alder's life. Five or so miles, I dont know. I think that we may do this again soon. Here's a photo on a bench by the lake. Perhaps this, where we all sat around on the ground to eat and rest, is where Lesley and I got a sweet little collection of chiggers to bring home with us. And we didnt leave the ticks behind either. Alder even got his first one in the armpit. Barely macroscopic seed ticks.

(And wardrobe provided by Alder's Uncle Steve and Aunt Casey out in Utah. Nice, heh?)

OK maybe that should do it for now. Folks make some comments!!!!!!!! We arent just flaunting our family. We would love to hear from you all.

Much love to you all.