our next adventure.

what a tough decision that we've made.  we are leaving our home of five years to head west.  sometime soon (so many things up in the air) we will be moving to durango, colorado. 

dave has accepted a great job as an hospitialist in farmington, new mexico (about 45 minutes south of durango).   our good friends the ziercher's live in durango and brett is an er doc at the same hospital.  after years of discussion we have been successfully lured.  

our house when on the market today, and with any luck it will sell soon.  i think it looks great.  so great it makes me really sad to leave it.  sniff.  if you know anyone that is interested send them our way.

more updates soon. 

much love, 

us

solid

we have ventured into the world of solids.  although the food doesn't look very solid.  here is a peak at dante's first experience with food. 

community

recently we made the decision to baptize dante.  for most that know us, especially me, this is probably viewed as odd.  oh, and we baptized him catholic.  which makes things increasingly strange.  so a few sundays ago dante was dunked into water and was blessed by a small gathering of family and friends.  

the transfor

mation that he has caused in our life, is amazing.  i've always known that there is something else out there other than just us here on earth but when you have a baby it becomes abundantly clear.  i'm still not sure what that 'something else' is however the closest i've come to understand (recently) is father gary at the CSC.  he is an extremely passionate, liberal, intelligent human that happens to be a priest.  in a time when the american catholic system is rightfully under scrutiny it feels odd to find solace there.  yet when you go to the csc, it's different.  the community is such that it is truly a diverse group in mind, race, heritage, sexual orientation and partnership.  everyone believes in something bigger than themselves and living kindly.  when we go on sundays (not every week but better than never) father gary brings such awareness and candor to very difficult questions and situations by referencing Obama, the NYT, the bible, life experience, college students; and helps me to make sense of what is happening in the world and in our own little house.  for someone that has never been married, or had kids he is keenly aware and in-touch with the hurdles that we are at times gracefully (other times not), jumping (or limping) over. 

we are so happy to have a community that will help us raise dante to be a positive, guilt-free, intellectual, worldly, moral, interesting human. 

xoxo  

ps. thanks to auntie laura for capturing such amazing shots of the weekend!

take baby to work day OR chunkalicious goes to work

yesterday we went to visit Papa at work.  most of his office refers to themselves as Dante's Auntie or Uncle... so it was about time.  

seeing dave at work is an inspiration.  he works in a pretty beat-up place but the people their are wonderful and they LOVE Dr. D.  all of his aunties' were swarming around him and he loved every moment.  winking, giggling.  when we arrived dave was with a patient but as soon as he saw him he scooped him out of my hands and proudly took him on a tour.  it was very touching to see dave so proud and happy.  

one of the security officers stopped me to tell me that Dr. D was her father's doctor and that he was amazing with him.  with a tear in her eye she told me what a great doctor dave is and the first doctor that her father has ever listened to.  based on her age, i think her dad would be in his 60s-70s so to listen to some young doc is pretty good.  i am so very proud of my husband.

another bonus of the clinic is we were able to weigh and measure dante.  thankfully we had the help of about six nurses and two docs.  as you see from the photos he is about 15.5 ounces in the photo with clothes/diaper, so we think he is probably 15 pounds.  we now refer to him as chunk-a-licious.  

dante's favorite by far was mrs. robinson, dave's nurse.  she is a really tough woman but melted with dante.  she holds a special place in my heart.  she keeps dave in line and when he doesn't do what she says, she has been known to give him a little slap on the head.  

much love. 

us

my cheeks are so heavy

... they almost don't fit in my hat.

rainy day

today is a great day to blog.  it is pouring down rain.  the baby is asleep to the rain with ogi standing guard at his crib to protect him from the thunder and lighting.  tuk is snoring underfoot.  

i measured dante this morning and he is over 25 inches long.  he was born 21.5 inches, so within a month he has stretched almost four more inches.  we are going to papa's office on wednesday to be weighed and measured.  i'll update you on the real stats then. 

the baby announcement will finally be in the mail next week, thanks to our friend chris.  we love it and his work. 

dante took his first plane ride, and was amazing.  if he wasn't feeding or sleeping he was smiling.  we went to durango, co to visit our friends the Z's and for a potential job opportunity for dave (more details soon).  the second plane was a propellor plane.  dave was the only one that didn't fair too well on the prop flight.  

we've had heaps of storms hit our area this season.  and we lost a huge tree.  thankfully no one was hurt and the tree fell directly into our neighbors front yard.  they had a few bumps to their car but luckily all was ok. 

parenting continues to be amazing, challenging and very rewarding.  i can't imagine really doing anything else.  all of the cards that you all have sent, saying 'savor every moment' 'it goes by so fast' are very true.  so we are heeding your advice and savoring every moment.  as one friend said last night, 'pretty soon they will hate us, and when we pick them up from school they'll pretend they don't know who we are.'  i remember those days, so now off to gaze into our baby's eyes.

also we are in MI for dante's namesakes 100th birthday.  june 27 - july 7, would love to see everyone!

i hear a little boy starting to rumble.  

much love. 

us

magic new world.

weighing in at 13.5 pounds at 9 weeks, we are doing something right.  papa is still of the thinking this size will make dante a rockstar on skates.  hopefully i will succeed in keeping him in a bubble and that won't happen.  

as i write he is on his 'activity mat' otherwise know as chaotic cluster of over-stimulus, squealing away.  everyday he chats a bit more, has a new expression and overall is truly amazing.  for us, it really is like seeing the world for the first time all over again.  we forget, as we grow what an amazing place we live in.  can you imagine seeing the color red for the first time?  better yet, black and white?  dante's fave book at the moment is a book of black and white animals.  sheep, pig, dog, cat and duck.  in that order, specifically.  we've read it A LOT.  so as he approaches everything new, we are trying to do the same.

must go.  just noticed a large spray coming up and over the activity mat... raining is not an element we purchased with this mat, just a function of little boys. 

much love.