Fresh Sprouts

Hey everyone, lookie this!

Kian cut his first tooth last night (this explains the multi wailings)! Yeah, we'd felt and heard it coming for awhile now but last night was the first that we got a chance to see it.




And hey everyone, lookie this: yes, it snowed in Seattle again last night, 1.5" on the back deck and another FREE 2-hour delay for work! I'm like a kid again and had a hard time sleeping when I saw the flakes coming down at 345am. O, the possibilities!

Midweek Pics

Uncle Alan and Aunt Rachael gave this cute suit to Kian. They picked it up in Iceland last summer. Iceland is a more fashionable place than you'd imagine. Rachael and Alan are not: they are about as fashionable as you would predict given their mad sewing skills. Kian loves the suit, so do we! Its not that crunchy nylon stuff but it still sheds snow, snot and any thing else that is four letters and begins with an s. It came with a matching red top but Kian prefers a bit of a clash, and so prefers to wear the flashy power shirt with his denims or just alone with his diapers to accentuate his casual flair while kickin it in the Bumbo (Bumbo provided by Uncle Roger and Aunt Malia with special thanks to cousin Oliver).

Kian is learning to tap.
Note the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers "look", below.

Funny shapes: if you think round is funny.

Whuta Weekend

Daddy had a three-day weekend which usually means that the bags and rig are packed by Wednesday night and we are rolling immediately after work on Thursday, but the RV is still suffering from an alternator issue and so we were FORCED to stay local. And it was a pretty good time.


Stayed domestic on Friday and a good time to catch up on mid-week only chores, but then Kian and daddy got out for over two-hours of riding. Caught the Birkie up to Fremont, over to downtown Seattle, then down to the waterfront where we caught the trail at Elliot Bay up into Ballard. Even had time to stop for a coffee on our way home before Annie returned from her missions of the day.Saturday I went big on the bike for the first time this year, then met Kian and Annie at Marymoor Park where we set off down the Sammamish River Trail to hit a winery or two before stopping at the Redhook Brewery for dinner. Fun afternoon which lingered into evening and we ended up riding back to the truck in the dark dodging walkers and riders and dogs without the all important blinky lights.

Yesterday we capped it off with a great day of XC skiing at the nordic center. Perfect conditions up there!

This weekend Kian did the Chariot trifecta: jogged, strolled, biked and skied. The only thing that our Chariot doesn't do is float or fly. Hmmmm...

Checkup Results: Bitter Disappointment

I had high hopes. My expectations were staggering. Kian didn't fail to disappoint.

After six months of intensive coddling and an aggressive feeding and training regime he failed to live up to his height and came in at a mere 5%-tile in length for all other American six-monthers, but he did come in 80% in weight. I calculate that this puts him at the over 120%-tile in fatness/girth, unfortunately. Not only that, he just seems really lazy and sleeps in every morning. Still cries once in awhile (whiner) and is a momma's boy, for sure!

However, the 1-year exam is just around the corner and I am confident that with more discipline he will improve and eventually win this race.

The 6-Month Checkup

Today Kian had his official 6-month checkup with his nurse and doctor and I am looking forward to the results: incredible strength to weight ratio, perfect vision, 200%-tile in everything, prodigy child smart and great sense of humor -- that's the kind of report I'm expecting from Annie when she calls with the results. Until then, a little recap on our weekend and all the excitement going on around here.





Last night was a bit TOO exciting. At our weekly "headlamp cross-country ski series" at Cabin Creek (Snoqualmie Pass exit 63), Annie and I took turns towing Kian around on the ice rink slick trails. Annie had him first while I raced, then we switched (2x 2.5-km laps: 12:27 for 5-km total but my first lap was 6:01, I crashed during my second lap). Afterwards, Annie started feeling the pain in her chest that started the day before and we were a little worried. Our buddy Jim strongly suggested that we stop off at Ski Patrol at Snoqualmie and so we did, and it was over an hour of checking her out: she was put on oxygen, poked and proded, questioned and repeat. For the EMTs, and then the firemen when they arrived in their big red trucks with flashy lights. Yeah, it became a big deal. You just never know. In the end they released her on her own recognisance and diagnosed it is a muscle strain with the suggestion that she see a doctor. Exciting times and it made for a late night, so I slept in this morning so I wouldn't be too sleep deprived at the start of my upcoming 3-day weekend.



Night before last I had Kian out for 11/2-hours behind the bike, as Annie was having her swim night and I had a bike team meeting to get to. Friend Mandie watched Kian for a spell and that was awesome!

2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad

We followed up well to our weekend off the snow and got in 2 big days of skiing and 1 little day.

Presidents Day made it a 3-day weekend and so I headed off to the Chiwawa on Valentine's Day morning with my two sweethearts, stopping off in Snoqualmie for an hour or so to drop off JuJu's birthday present. We were on the snow in Leavenworth a little late but I got a jump on the skiing while Annie fed and cared for Kian. By the time she was done I had already logged 30km on the backside skiing like a caged hamster: round and round the 4km loop. I spelled Annie but instead of hanging around I loaded the little guy into his chariot, strapped myself into it like a mule and soldiered on, skiing another 24km before days end. Great day, and the conditions continued to improve there at the Icicle trails as things firmed up and the crowds dispersed. Kian slept like the little emperor that he is.

Annie took me out for dinner to the local creperie and bought me a bottle of single malt scotch. Guess its time to start acquiring the taste -- I've always been leery because I'm afraid its a habit I might not be able to afford, but if I'm going to be stoked, why not.

Next Major Milestone

Midweek

Opportunistic diapering: now that Kian is starting to eat real food we don't want to let his diapers go too long -- some of you may know what I'm talking about. Peeeyou!

Hanging out with Alyssa, Chad, Justice and Josiah, pictured here.

4716 Upper

Sometimes the shooting just doesn't go your way.

Take 1: No Kian, that's not a real power tool!



Take 2: Come on, would someone please get happy!

Once Bitten

First bites! It got WAY messier than this, as it should.

Kian took his first "official" bites on his 6-month birthday and there is no stopping him now: whenever he sees the spoon he goes wild! A monster is born. And what a little foodie: so far he loves mashed bananas with breast milk but not pureed brown rice mix, loves guacamole but not straight avocado.

Mmmm, those niblets look tasty too, gimme!

Right now I feel thiiiiiiis full!

Here he is mid-roll: he's got the rolling thing down pat and now
mommy and daddy have to be on extra alert, great.

Mommy, do some calisthenics, I want a milk shake!

Kian performs a critical NASA mission with Capt. "Ducky" Kilgore,

...then winds down afterward by reading Ducky's dossier.

The Best of 6-Months: The Unpublished Photo Exclusive!

A few from the vault...

"Please, I'm done with these froggy jammies".

We're both thinking the same thing: Dude, you wear me out!

Getting him used to the bling.

Busted!

Okay, maybe they're not all formerly unpublished but I couldn't resist.

6-Months!

Tomorrow he turns 6, but I'm so excited I'm jumping the gun. Besides, I've got this great photo that our friend Arminda took at the Biathlon on Saturday and I'm out of headlines.

Sixteen Minus a Diaper!

Annie weighed Kian today on an official scale while at a meeting downtown, and that is how she described his weight: 16-pounds minus his diaper. Whew, I guess he wasn't completely naked then.

Another Weekend in the Snow

Well of course, what else could we do when there are fresh groomers to be had. Believe it or not, I'm actually starting to get a little burned out on the winter ski thing: pack the truck, drive, ski, ski, ski some more, drive, unpack the truck, repeat. I'm actually looking forward to a quiet week in the city one of these days.

Finally, our ski attachment for the Chariot arrived and Kian is stoked! Now instead of Annie and I having to take turns skiing, we can both go, and when his parents are happy, Kian is happy. So far though, daddy has been doing all of the pulling and its high time Annie tried hauling Kian around behind her.

We hosted/skied at the Stevens Pass Nordic Center on Saturday and after that we had hopes of catching the Spare Rib bluegrass band at the Summit but they wouldn't let Kian into the bar, the Foggy Goggle. Instead, we took turns going in for the live music while the other stood outside the door introducing Kian to our old Stevens Pass amigos. Then we drove down to the cabin for the night but we didn't even turn on the water or heat the place except in the bedroom. We arrived late and left early, so why bother. Sunday we didn't mess around either: no hosting this time, only skiing, because we had a couple Superbowl parties to chose from in town and so that only left us 3 hours to ski. Awesome day on perfect groomers!

A couple of dryland pics...