President's Day Weekend

We had an exceptionally fun, eventful weekend starting with Phil's birthday meal out on Friday night. The last several years he has forgone a nice dinner at an upscale restaurant for a big, juicy burger, fries, and beer which he claims he gets every bit as much satisfaction from. So we tried a local brewpub new to us. As usual these days when we go out for dinner with Sasha, we got there right at 5:00 (we eat earlier than most senior citizens these days!) and were home by 6:15 to put her to bed. The above picture is our beloved Prelude which we sold on Sunday after posting on Craigslist for a day or so. It's wierd how attached one can get to a car. Although I am really loving the new Audi, I will really miss that low, sleek stick shifting car. I'm happy that it sold to a nice kid who is passionate about it.

Our good friends Zach and Christina drove down from Denver on Saturday with their 6 month son, Nicholas. Phil had a great time skiing with Zach while Christina and I shopped and sat around the house with the kids. Nicholas is pretty much the same size as Sasha, but she throws her weight around more and was very much up in his business constantly.

On Sunday night we all celebrated Phil's 34th birthday with a cheese fondue meal and insanely rich peanut butter cake with chocolate/peanut butter filling, cream cheese frosting and Butterfinger bar on top--Phil's request. Sadly Phil and I polished off the last pieces last night.

Wild hair!

Phil and I later got a lesser form of the stomach bug that Sasha had a couple of weeks ago. Sasha helped to cheer us up as we lay around feeling miserable. We are so thankful that we haven't contracted the respiratory virus that is making the rounds in Santa Fe. So many of Sasha's little friends have been sick this month with one thing or another.

I don't know if you can see from this picture, but Sasha's eyes have turned really dark brown. Not that we were holding out for a blue-eyed kid, but I was curious if they would be lighter brown like mine or dark like her dad's.

Healthy and Happy Once Again

Sasha is back to her usual antics--contant motion and business. She loves carrying things around the house, putting small objects in and out of containers, climbing in and out of the bathtub, opening and shutting doors and cupboards, and sitting on our laps while we read books. Her vocabulary is coming along and we can tell that she is concentrating more on the words when we label everyday things. Her favorite words this week are "up" which she begs of me countless times each day when she wants to be picked up or put in her highchair and "hot". Anything that comes out of the microwave or is in a mug is "hot".

This was the wagon's maiden outdoor voyage. We have had gorgeous weather recently--sunny and highs in the 50s in town but snow 20 minutes away in the mountains. It may be just because this is our first year away from the awful Indiana winters, but we can't get over how perfect the climate is here. I like the fact that we still get several good snowstorms with accumulation (I like a little snow), but it doesn't stick around forever with those endless gray days.

After I get done bragging about the weather, I post a cloudy day picture. It really is sunny here most of the time, I swear! I think Sasha looks so little here!

Rough Week

This has been the darkest week of Sasha's brief little life. Since Monday night when she started vomiting every 1/2 hour through the night, her poor little body has endured high fevers, bouts of diarrhea, and total lack of energy to even eat or drink. A trip to the pediatrician early in the week led to a diagnosis of Rotavirus which can last for 3-9 days. We ended up in the E.R. on Friday night after she vomitted the only 2 ounces of Pedialyte we had been able to force down her with a dropper over 48 hours. Her blood sugar was low so after she was rehydrated with IV fluids and given an anti-nausea medication, she was able to drink some sugary juice and keep it down. Fortunately today she is showing the first signs of getting better. The hardest part for me as a mom was not cleaning up the countless messes or doing loads of laundry, but just seeing my normally perky, active daughter lying listless in my arms for days. As I smoothed back her hair from her feverish face, I was amazed once again at how much I love this little girl--more than I ever thought possible--and how fierce my sense of protection for her is. We are so thankful that she is finally starting to feel better.