Afternoon in the Park

The weather outside has been so unbelievably spring-like this week. Finn was lucky enough to get outside for a little bit nearly every day. Here he is playing in the park with Harper, who is only 10 days older than him. They both enjoyed swinging and playing on the small section of turf. Finn was a little too interested in eating the small bark chips that had made their way from the playground to the turf. He has that pincer grip and coordination of the hand to the mouth down pat, which is exciting when it is cheerios, tofu or bananas but a little frightening when it is small inedible object.

What Baby Doesn't Love Paper?

Monday and/or Tuesday is the day that all the junk mail arrives; coupons, fliers, etc..
Finn and Hudson both decided to help sort the mail. They loved tearing up the junk pile, so after a little mess making I stashed it all in a nearby laundry basket. Finn managed to tip the basket over so that he could peruse the grocery store specials and then crawl in for some deluxe play time.

Drummer Boy

OK, it's been way too long since we posted anything about Finn (about 2 days!), so here's a video collage that Erika and I put together this afternoon. Although the video doesn't show it - Finn is officially crawling!

More to See Straight Ahead

As Erika mentioned - my morning routine at work was a little different this Thursday: 7:15 am - settle in, check email, sip some coffee, feel office building shake (mildly) from a magnitude 6 earthquake originating 200 miles away! As an "earthquake" geologist I was more than a little excited.

Since Salt Lake City is closer to the epicenter than Reno, where the Nevada earthquake folk reside, my co-worker Greg and our new X-new boss (long story; in a nutshell, he was hired, left after 7 days, rehired 7 days later!) were dispatched to go look for geologic evidence of strong ground shaking (e.g., ground cracks, fault rupture, shattered ground)....basically a "scientific" emergency response. We hit the road by 1 pm. We didn't find much geologic evidence for the shaking due to snow fall overnight on Thursday, but we did get to witness the real emergency response (and media frenzy) and review the incredible damage. Here are a few photos. Certainly a wake-up call to all of us who live in unreinforced masonry buildings, which were hit pretty hard. More photos here.

Where's Da Da?

Well, Chris finally felt his first earthquake this morning. It's about time seeing that he studies seismic hazards! His office shook and swayed but we weren't feeling a thing when he called home to check on Finn and I at 7:19AM. The earthquake originated over 250 miles away, just across the Nevada border, in a small town called Wells. Currently Chris has been sent there for work to see if he can find any surface ruptures or sand blows which is pretty exciting! He'll have to tell the story when he returns (maybe tomorrow) and possibly share a few photos.

Busy Growing

How did that happen?
We didn't take a single photo this entire weekend.

Thursday we headed down the road towards Missoula for a good friend's (Scott Barnett's) wedding. Chris and I were again inundated with nostalgia and the desire to pick up and move back to the place that still feels like "home" after all these years. The cogs started spinning as we began scheming over the one obstacle that always holds us back, "Where would we work?" What is the draw to Missoula? What is it about the landscape, the community, the way of life...? Despite the fact that Salt Lake is a pretty fantastic place to call home we can't help but wonder, "Is the grass greener back on the other side?"
Most significantly though, was the meaningful time spent catching up with many close friends.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.-- Anonymous

Now that we are back in Salt Lake I have to document a few of Finn's recent big changes. He got his first haircut Friday morning in the hotel room. Chris got out the clippers and buzzed away. He did a great job, especially considering the fact that Finn didn't hold very still. He was too interested in checking out where the buzzing noise was coming from. I can't believe how he instantly looked so much older. After getting his hair cut we went downstairs for a buffet breakfast where Chris fed him his first few Cheerios. They were an instant hit. We snagged a small Tupperware full and fed him Cheerios throughout the weekend.

Driving home from Missoula yesterday I noticed two white spots on Finn's bottom gums. Today his two teeth officially popped through. I guess he was a little fussy yesterday in the car but being in a car seat for 8 hours is a long time so I don't blame him. His other new weekend developments include mimicking; repeatedly saying "da da" and starting to wave goodbye.

Finn Again

Thankfully Finn managed to remain happy and healthy while the flu continued to move through the house, incapacitating Chris, over the weekend.


He's not on the move yet like his cousins but he is getting so strong that it undoubtedly won't be long. Currently, Finn is very focused on the fine details of things within his proximity: feathers on the carpet, water droplets in the tub, crumbs on his exersaucer tray, tags and eyeballs on stuffed animals, etc. He has one fine tuned pincer grip.

Music to My Ears

I swiftly caught a nasty flu bug Sunday night and was rendered pretty unconscious Monday and Tuesday with a fever, chills, a screaming sinus headache and a torturous cough. It's good to be on the road to recovery, coherent and able to hear all Finn's Noises again. I'm thankful that Chris took time off work to take care of me and watch Finn (day and night).

Onesie Words

A few appropriate onesies I stumbled upon.It seems as if we are not the only ones with sleeping issues - although I have to say that Finn is improving. Of couse that is sure to turn right back around once he starts teething.

Food Intake Update

Finn continues to be a great eater. He's gotten to where he'll eat nearly everything that I've introduced. The one exception is green beans. He seemed to be cruising along, taking them in, the first time I introduced them when he suddenly projectile vomited. We'll hold off on trying those again for awhile. The only other caveat is that mangoes must be presented in frozen cube form for sucking, otherwise he reverts to the super sour face.

So he is now eating: Brown rice cereal, multi-grain cereal, avocado, sweet potato, pumpkin, acorn squash, butternut squash, zucchini, carrot, pear, banana, plain yogurt, tofu and sometimes mango. I'm still loving making him homemade baby food. It is so fun to think that he's not had a single fruit or vegetable that came from a jar. What a lucky little boy! Sometimes I think he eats better than Chris and I.

Rain

Finn discovering how hard it is to grab those little water droplets.

Masterpiece

1-8-08

Finn created his first art work with his nanny, Nancy, during an art class (that her daughter is enrolled in) at the public library. She was attempting to capture a full hand print while he took a more abstract perspective.

Look Mom, No Hands

Brock was in Utah for work and we were lucky enough to spend the whole day with him on Sunday. It was so nice to hang out, talk and see him with Finn. Here he is showing us a new trick. Yes, it made me nervous but Finn was in good hands.

Playmates and playdates - a Fun Filled Weekend

Hudson really seems to be warming up to Finn. It's not that he ever disliked him but in the past he'd get up and move if Finn touched him and he's certainly been jealous of all the attention that Finn gets. Now Hudson is learning how to be a part of all the action. Finn just lights up with a huge smile when he sees Hudson.

What a happy dog he'll be when Finn learns to scratch his belly.

Anyone remember the Nintendo Track and Field game with the power pad? I don't know that I played it when it originally came out but we sure had fun with it after learning a new card game at a friends house on Friday night. It is pretty funny to see two full grown guys running like mad side by side and laughing their heads off the entire time. I wish I had photo documentation. Why does everyone bend forward when running? It is hilarious! These videos will give you some idea of the scene. Hyper!





Saturday, we had Renae and Craig, and Stefan and Jess over dinner. Finn was excited to have two friends to play with. I enjoyed watching him observe the other babies and interact with them. It won't be long and they'll all be running around together.

Below: Finn plays with Kaya while Greta hangs out on the play mat.

"Hey, what are you eating?"

Play, Eat, Play

Play, eat, play....... that's what we do most of the day.
Of course, mommy and daddy have to work some too.

On the Mend

Finn helped mix some "get betterness" into daddy's homemade macaroni and cheese at lunch .Then we all curled up together on the living room floor.

Things are looking up tonight.

Finn Spins

Chris went back to work today after a nice break only to come home sick and crawl in bed. Maybe Finn has had a little something too since he's been fussy the last few days. Here is a video of our active little boy - obviously not feeling too bad. Hudson looks a little sick from watching Finn go round and round.

Sense of Impending Doom

Targhee and Jackson Hole were too fogged in for skiing but we still found other ways to have fun in Driggs: cooking, shopping, walking in the snow, playing competitive rounds of Blokus (and a cool-down round of Sequence), reading, relaxing...

Unfortunately, the roads were too treacherous for 2WD travel (with a baby) so we had to forgo our trip to Bozeman and head home early.

"Opening"

Merry Christmas!

It took Finn awhile to figure out the whole gift unwrapping thing, especially since he napped through Chris and I opening our gifts, but Hudson was more than willing to jump in and help show him the ropes.

Extreme Distaste

"I threw up in my mouth"Well, we tried mango today and were met with great disapproval. I've never seen Finn make such a face. Those DuRoss selective eater genes are showing through.

Christmas Break Has Officially Begun

Now I just need to make one trip to school to enter all my grades before we can truly relax and play.

Jingle Cats

This is for Selah...

Hold It

Another afternoon hanging out with the boys. The challenge was to get Hudson and Finn to sit still at the same time.

Bath Hippo

I had to have Chris grab the camera last night while I was giving Finn a bath. This is one of my favorite things to watch him do:

He traps the hippo with his legs

and draws it up to where he can grab it.

Then the hippo goes straight to the mouth.

DuRoss Heights

Profile of an American Town

DuRoss Heights, New Castle County, Delaware. A quaint little town, about 30 minutes southwest of Philly, nestled in between the river and the airport. Basketball is the theme here and a town friendly to misplaced travelers. Real estate is affordable, albeit slow (a quick check revealed zero properties for sale). Visit sometime if you take the wrong I-95 exit or are just looking for a slow town to stretch your legs, you won't regret it.

6 month Dr Appt Stats

In response to a comment by Amber I'm posting Finn's stats for the fun of seeing how he compares with his two 6 month cousins. It is always hard to get a good impression of his size in the photos. He's long and lean like his dad.

Height (in): 27.25 - 75th percentile
Weight (lb): 15.75 - 25th percentile
Head Circumference (cm): 44.5 - 75th percentile

Finn took an interest in my sunglasses as we came inside from a walk

Six Months!

Well, Finn didn't get a minivan for his half-birthday like his cousin Judah, but he still seemed pretty happy. So hard to believe that half a year has passed - I never believed folks when they said it would pass this quickly. In the video Erika talks briefly about her favorite parts of the last 6 months, but for me I think the giant smiles I receive each day when getting home from work are the most rewarding...that and seeing the way he interacts with (and loves!) his mom. The three of us sat down for an evening fireside interview, once again, I apologize for the outdated camera-video technology.

Doin' Laundry

Almost 10 pm and still wide awake! Here are a couple videos of Finn enjoying sitting up and finding new things to play with.

Such a lucky boy

Finn is so excited to get the extra daddy time now that Chris stays home with him Wednesday mornings. We are thrilled with our new nanny. She and her two year old daughter have so much fun with Finn: playing, going for walks, hitting the library and participating in music classes. The wait was totally worth the while. Many thanks to those friends that helped us out in the interim!!!!!

I Love Walking!

Hudson's enthusiasm for a walk this morning far outweighed Finn's, but after a few steps he was fully into it - talking and looking around. Of course he fell asleep by the end.

I Passed!

I had a dream last night that I received notification that I passed one of the two Geologist Licensing exams that I took last September, but that they forgot to send me notice about the second (harder) one. It has been an agonizing two months waiting for the test results - and early this morning when Hudson woke me up (out of that dream) to go out I realized we had never grabbed the mail yesterday (Sat.) - instantly thinking: I bet the letter is in there...but I didn't need potentially bad news that early in the morning. Sure enough - when Erika grabbed the mail later this morning the letter was there - and I passed (both) exams!