Chevy Chase Vacation: Part II

If you haven't read Part I of our vacation, be sure to scroll down and read the first post: Chevy Chase Vacation: Part I. We stopped off at Target in Boulder to pick up some baby supplies (diapers, wipes, food, etc.) and some groceries and then headed up Boulder Canyon toward Nederland and then to the cabin in Eldora, an old mining community. (The first 2 pictures are of our view from the cabin.) Eldora has a small ski resort that is pretty popular with Boulder residents because the bus makes frequent trips up there each day. Otherwise, there is not much left of Eldora as a town. We spent that evening and a good part of Saturday cleaning up the cabin (because we were the first visitors this year) and letting Fenn sleep as much as possible... hoping he would be feeling much better by Sunday. Plus, it rained a good bit that day, so it was kind of nice to stay in and nap a little ourselves. We needed the nap because we didn't sleep much the night before. You see... we're not really used to sleeping with an infant in our bed. We decided way before Fenn was born that we were not going to start that. But... because he was not feeling well, he would not sleep in the Pogy travel pop-up bed we purchased especially for the trip. Great idea... Fenn just wasn't having it on this trip! Nope! Not gonna do it. I'll just go ahead and say that he slept with us for all 5 nights of our trip. (But he is back to his normal routine now where we put him in his crib while still awake and he falls asleep on his own each night.) Wanting to get out of the cabin but not sure if Fenn was feeling well enough to hike, we planned to go into Boulder on Sunday. Once again, it rained part of the day. It has never rained this much during past trips to the cabin. So on top of having a sick baby, the rain has also affected our plans. Boulder was fun. It has a really cool downtown with a pedestrian mall. Lots of cool shops and restaurants. Plus, it's fun to people watch and to watch the street entertainers (keep in mind that Boulder is a very liberal town!). We really love it there. Plus, there's virtually no humidity! Anyway, Fenn enjoyed being strolled around. We picked up some gifts for Asha and Petey at a cute dog shop. Fenn got a new toy, as well, at another great store. (Click on the link for a photo of his toy.) Before heading home, we grabbed an early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Not a very original selection, but they weren't busy yet because we were so early. Plus, we could tell Fenn was getting ready for a nap, so luckily we were able to leave him in his stroller. And as expected, he fell asleep and allowed us to enjoy our meal.









That's enough for this post. Our first 2 days were pretty uneventful ~ just a lot of sleeping, poopying, and obsessing over Fenn's temperature. I'll post more entries about our trip later on... and of course, more pictures. So be sure to check back for Chevy Chase Vacation: Part III.

Chevy Chase Vacation: Part I

Well, the week leading up to Friday, July 4th turned out to be a really hard week. I have to mention all of this so you get the full picture about our Chevy Chase Vacation. On Tuesday morning, I found out that Kate, the 7-year old daughter of my friend, Maribeth, had suddenly passed away on Sunday from an inflamed heart. Needless to say, this was completely unexpected and they had no idea she had any kind of heart problem. Finally, I found out visitation was that night in Valley, AL from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. So I made a quick decision to try and make it in time ~ a 5-hour trip with an infant. I started packing around 1:00 p.m. with hopes of getting on the road by 2:00ish. Dan picked up Fenn from daycare and gassed up the car for me. We finally got on the road around 3:00. It didn't take long to realize it wasn't going to be an easy trip. Fenn had always been so easy and good on previous road trips, but this time he was really fussy and not napping as much. I found myself driving with my right arm draped over the seat so that Fenn could hold my hand. Not the most comfortable of positions! I finally got Fenn to sleep, but then it was time for the 5:00 p.m. dinner stop and we were close to an exit where we regularly stop about an hour north of Atlanta. We've found that Cracker Barrels are great places to stop because you can sit outside in the rocking chairs while feeding the baby. After about 45 minutes, we were back on the road. Thank goodness we stopped when we did, because it wasn't long before we got slowed down in road construction a little north of Marietta. We got through the construction and made it to the I-285 by-pass and then it happened.... Traffic came to a screeching halt. For the next 10 miles, we averaged 10 miles per hour (yes, it was THAT slow!). Fenn cried a lot and really just wanted to be held. I knew he couldn't be feeling well, or he wouldn't be acting like that. We finally made it past the accident and traffic started moving at a normal, German Autobahn pace. By this time, I had come to the realization that I was NOT going to make it to visitation that night. Because of being held up twice in traffic, I had to make one more stop to feed Fenn his 8:00 p.m. bedtime bottle. Back on the road and headed away from Atlanta, we made it to my parents' house a little before 10:00 p.m. After getting the car unloaded and the Pack 'n Play set up, I finally got Fenn down for the night. He was running a slight fever that night and the next day. I attended the funeral at 2:00 p.m. while my parents watched Fenn. Let me just say that the funeral of a child is the saddest thing you'll ever go through. I just hope you never have to experience it. The strangest thing is that I was just thinking of Kate the weekend before when Fenn was swimming in my parents' pool. We (Maribeth, Kama, and I) had taken Kate swimming at my parents' just 7 years earlier, when Kate must have been only a few months older than Fenn. After the funeral, I fed Fenn and quickly finished loading the car. We got on the road around 4:45 p.m. This time, Fenn was still a little fussy, but the trip went much better and there were no traffic problems. We got home that night at 9:45 p.m. The next morning (Thursday), we went ahead and sent Fenn to daycare, but called the pediatrician to make an appointment. It didn't take long for his doctor to discover he had an ear infection. She said it was probably just beginning on Tuesday night. Poor little guy! (Mommy is feeling horrible right about now for dragging him out of town.) So... now we have ourselves a little dilemma. Do we go ahead with our vacation plans or cancel them? We were scheduled to fly out the very next morning. Destination: Denver, CO. We had been looking forward to taking Fenn to the cabin in Eldora and going on his first hike in the Colorado rockies. With a clingy baby on our hands, we did the best we could to try and pack that night. We decided we would see how he was the next morning before making a final decision about whether to stay or go. The next morning, Fenn's fever was in the "normal" range and he seemed to be feeling much better. (I had gotten 2 doses of Amoxicillin in him on Thursday.) So, we decided to go ahead with our trip. Everything we read about ear infections indicated they should be feeling better within a couple of days. So we thought he would be back to his old self by Sunday. We made it relatively easily through airport security (considering all the baby stuff we had). The first leg of our flight (we had a layover in Houston) went great. Fenn never cried during takeoff, took his bottle, napped a lot, and bounced on our laps. We was so good that almost everyone on the plane was either smiling at him as they exited or commenting about what a wonderful baby he was. The flight attendant asked if it was his first flight. When we told her it was, she asked if we wanted to take a few pictures up at the front of the plane. We said sure! We, of course, just thought she meant right there as you exit the plane with the cockpit in the background. But then we found out she meant INSIDE the cockpit! How cool is that? The pictures are a little dark because the light is coming from behind them, but you can still tell they're in the cockpit. If you look at the other pictures, you can see that Fenn's cheeks are flushed and it is obvious he's not 100%. But he still was so good throughout the day. The next leg of our trip went fine, too. However, Fenn's temperature had been creeping up some during the day. We made it to Denver International Airport and caught the bus to the car rental place. There was a long line, so I sat with Fenn and all our luggage on a sofa in a waiting area while Dan stood in line. Fenn was sitting on my lap. He was tired and getting a little fussy. And then the INCIDENT happened. I felt something warm on my lap. I lifted Fenn off my lap and there it was.... POOPY all over my shorts and the (thank goodness) leather sofa... RUNNY POOPY. (If you'll look closely at the 2nd picture, you can see it is on both legs.) While holding Fenn away from me, I called for Dan. He looked around at all the people around him and gave me a look like "I really don't want to get out of line and lose my place. Can it wait? Or, can you come here to me?" I said, "Get.... over... here... NOW!" He came over and quickly assessed the situation. (It didn't take much "assessing" to figure out we had a mess on our hands... pardon the pun.) Dan took Fenn and was just standing there holding him as far away from his clothing as possible. We were trying to figure out how to get both of us to the bathroom, when this extremely nice lady came rushing over to offer her help. She called her daughter out of line and they told us they would watch our luggage. I tried to find the "back up" change of clothing I had packed in a carry-on for Fenn, but couldn't seem to find it. I grabbed the diaper bag and my suitcase and we headed to the bathroom. Well, I waddled like a duck and must have looked really strange. While walking toward it, we met a woman and her young daughter coming out of the bathroom. The little girl looked down at my pants in horror. I suppose to her it looked like I'd had an accident in my pants! I went inside first and got the diaper changing area set up, then went back to get Fenn. I cleaned up Fenn and handed him back out to Dan. He only had on a diaper, so he looked a little bit like white trash standing in line with his Daddy. All he needed was black, dirty feet and a snotty nose and he could have passed for some of the babies you see in Wal-Mart. I changed my pants and then rinsed out our clothes. Once back out with our luggage, I was able to think straight and find some clothes for Fenn. We got our car and were finally on our way toward Boulder for a Target stop and then on to Eldora. I'll post more about our Chevy Chase Vacation later in a separate blog entry. It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't the vacation we were hoping for. Complaining about our recent run of bad luck is all in fun. We feel very fortunate to have our health and be able to even take a vacation. In no way do we think what we have been through remotely compares to what Maribeth and her family are going through right now. My thoughts and prayers are constantly with them.

Bath Time Fun

Just a couple of cute photos from a recent bath. As I've said many times, Fenn really enjoys bath time. And he especially enjoys these bath toys by Boon. Right now, he particularly enjoys sucking and chewing on them. Don't worry... we're keeping our eyes on him. Any clue that he's starting to bite through (not likely right now because he only has teeth on the bottom), and we'll put a stop to that. Eventually, he'll lose interest in chewing on them and will start sticking them to the sides of the tub.

First Boo-Boo

Fenn started his new daycare this week. And on the 4th day, he got his first ever "boo-boo". He was sitting on the floor playing. Still a little unsteady while sitting up unassisted, he apparently toppled over and bumped his head on a nearby bouncy seat. Bad bouncy seat! If you look closely, you can see a red spot on his left brow bone. They said he took it well. He, of course, cried. But they put some ice on it and gave him lots of hugs and kisses. Mommy and Daddy are okay with it. We know those things are going to happen. And Fenn seems to be happy at his new daycare.

Cute Photos with the G-parents!

Just wanted to post a few more photos from our visit with the G-parents!













Fenn had fun bouncing and jumping in G-ma's lap. Hang on, G-ma.... you've got a live one there!


And Fenn seemed to like G-da's bald head and scruffy beard.

There's a Shark Fenn in the Pool!

Over the weekend, we visited my parents in Alabama. We were really excited because this was going to be Fenn's first time to swim in a big pool. We were not disappointed! He LOVED it! The water temperature was perfect and the weather turned out nice (after a rainy morning). First, he just hung out with his Daddy. Daddy bounced him up and down, supported him on his tummy, and swirled him around. Then it was time to get in his new float. He loved that because he could lean forward, lean back, splash the water with his hands, and kick his feet. After an exhausting swim, it was time to stretch out on his beach towel and catch a few rays. (Really, we don't allow him to be in the sun without sunscreen! Gotta protect that beautiful, perfect skin.) While G-ma took Fenn inside to change his clothes and get him down for a nap, Mommy and Daddy got to goof around in the pool. Dan showed me some lifeguard moves from his days of lifeguarding on Jekyll Island. It was a nice, relaxing weekend because this time we devoted most of our time to just hanging around my parents' house and visiting with them. We did visit a couple of friends we didn't see at all on the last visit. It was nice to not have to run around from place to place all weekend. We have decided that's what we'll do going forward. We'll try to only visit one or two people (other than family) each visit home. It's easier when we visit Dan's parents because they live in North Georgia and we don't know anyone else there.

Fun with Music

I stole this idea from my neighbor, friend, and Blog Mentor, Nicole. She found this fun website recently and posted a "mix tape" on her blog. I liked it so much, that I decided to copy her! Some of the songs I chose for my mix tape are the same as those on a cd Nicole burned for Fenn before he was born. It is called "Miles presents his favorite sleepy songs" and is full of great songs. (Miles is Nicole's 2 yr. old son.) Yes, the cd was meant for Fenn, but Mommy and Daddy also love listening to it. I also added a few of my own selections to this mix tape. The first one is Close To You by The Carpenters. I have been singing that song to Fenn since the day he was born. If you listen to the lyrics, they're so perfect. One of them is "On the day that you were born, the angels got together, and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moondust in your hair - of gold - and starlight in your eyes of blue." Too bad I don't sound ANYTHING like Karen Carpenter! But Fenn seems to like it, anyway. Sometimes he'll be sitting in my lap and I'll start to sing it. He'll hear the first 3 words, recognize it, and turn to smile at me. And then Mommy's heart melts! Confession Time: I got hooked on re-runs of Dawson's Creek when we first moved to Knoxville. In the episode where Joey gets mugged, she talks about how her dad would sing Close To You to her when she was a little girl. That's where I got the idea to start singing it to Fenn.

Oh, in case you want to know... the one that says "unknown" is Lullaby by The Dixie Chicks. Not sure why the title and artist are not showing. There were a few more songs I wanted to add (such as Catch the Moon by Lisa Loeb), but they weren't available on the website. Enjoy! (Just click on the middle of the "tape" to start the music.)

Thank You, Miss Taphne

Well, today was Fenn's last day at Miss Taphne's house. Mommy was a little sad to take him away from there, but I know it is for the best. Taphne has loved Fenn so much and has been so good to him. His face would just light up as soon as he saw her each morning. She is a great person and really does love all the kids. To her, taking them on little outings is part of the fun. But I'm just one of those parents who would rather wait until Fenn is a little older before he starts going on field trips. He starts his new daycare on Monday. The infant room has 3 teachers and about 7 or 8 kids. We don't think he'll be in there for long, though, because he'll be ready to move up to the creepers room in a couple of months. He's already sitting up pretty good on his own, but he hasn't started trying to crawl yet.

Thank you, Taphne, for loving our little bean so much. Fenn will miss you very much, and we'll miss you, too. We'll try to stop by from time to time for visits so you can see how he's growing.

Handy DANdy Husband

Just wanted to brag about my very handy husband. I know I demand a lot of him, and he always does his best to give me what I want. So I wanted to take a moment and thank him here on my blog. We recently replaced the windows across the back of our house. (We replaced the windows across the front during the big remodel last year.) On the first windows, we hired a carpenter to do all the interior trim around the windows. But this time, we decided to try and save a little money. So Dan, along with his dad, trimmed out the new windows weekend before last. Check out their handy work. They did a great job! We still need to caulk, fill nail holes, and paint. But we'll get to that sometime this summer. Anyway, we saved a lot of money. Thanks to both of you!

Daddy's First Father's Day

Since this was Daddy's first Father's Day, we splurged on the gifts. Fenn, Asha, Petey, and I gave Daddy lots of great stuff. First thing Sunday morning, it was time to open gifts. The fur kids gave him a Georgia tag for his car. He's been driving my old Explorer with my AU tag still on the front, so he really needed a new tag. Mommy gave him a leather catchall for his keys and change, a Michael Buble' cd, and special photos of Mommy and Fenn together. The photos were actually from both Mommy and Fenn. Fenn gave his Daddy a mirror for the car so he can see Fenn in the mornings while driving him to daycare. It plays fun songs like "Wheels on the Bus" and even has some counting lessons, plus it has a remote control so Daddy can turn it on from the driver's seat. After opening gifts, we made a breakfast of eggs and cinnamon rolls for Daddy. We decided to skip church this week because we wanted to get an earlier start on our hike. We went back over to Cade's Cove to hike the Abram's Falls Trail again. When we hiked on Memorial Day, we only hiked in a little more than half way because we didn't want to push our luck and end up with an unhappy baby. But this time we felt like we could make it all the way. It is a 2.5 mile hike one way. We made it to the falls in about an hour. Once we got there, we ate lunch and let Fenn play for a while before having to put him back in the backpack carrier. Check out the "big smile" photo of Fenn. If you look closely, you can see his two teeth! (Or click on the photo to enlarge it and then click your "Back" button to get back to the blog.) We had a great time, and Fenn did great on the hike. So we think he'll be fine when we go to the cabin in Eldora, CO for July 4th.

Oh, and we had another first for Fenn. By the time we were leaving Cade's Cove, it was between 4:30 and 5:00. It only takes about an hour to get from our house to the entrance to Cade's Cove. But once inside, it is a one-way road all the way around the park, and it takes another hour or so just to get to the Abram's Falls trail head. Anyway, knowing we wouldn't be home in time for Fenn's normal dinner time of 5:30ish, I had to give him a little snack in the car to hold him over until we got home. For the first time, I used one of those little mesh bag teething feeders and put part of a banana inside. Oh, he LOVED that. He gnawed and sucked on that thing until the banana was all gone. Every minute or so he would grunt "Huh Huh" and give me the biggest smile.

6-Month Visit to the Pediatrician

I really have a hard time editing my photo selections. There are so many great ones. These are a couple of photos from a recent bath. Fenn loves bath time and anything that has to do with water. He never cries or fusses when I pour the water over his head. He just shakes it off, rubs his eyes, and continues to play.

Fenn went to the pediatrician today for his 6-month checkup. Once again, he is right on schedule with where he should be developmentally. He gained a little over 2 pounds in 6 weeks, but look at how his length shot up from the 45th percentile to the 71st percentile. He got another round of shots. I think these hurt a little more than the ones in the past. He cried out briefly, but once Mommy picked him up to console him, he settled right down. He ended up not feeling great that afternoon, so I kept him home with me all day. He took a nap from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. He slept through his 5:30 dinner feeding, but I decided he needed to sleep instead.

These are his stats at 26 weeks old:

Weight: 19 lbs. 1 oz. (77th %)

Length: 27" (71st %)

Head: 44 cm (57th %)

Compare this to his stats at 20 weeks old:

Weight: 16 lbs. 14 oz. (73rd %)

Length: 25.25" (45th %)

Head: 42.5 cm (43rd %)

I Do Not Like Them Here or There

I do not like them anywhere. We found out Fenn does NOT like Turkey and Turkey Broth. Since they had it available in the "first foods", we decided to give meat a try. Oh goodness... Poor little guy. He gagged... he harked like a cat trying to cough up a hair ball... and he did the "heebie jeebie" body quake. It reminded me of my college roommate, April, whenever it was her turn to clean out the litter box for our 3 cats. (Sorry we made you do that, April!) So... lesson learned. We won't be trying meats anymore for a while. And what's up with the baby food companies making that stuff? Have you tried it? I decided to try it (figured it was the least I could do after traumatizing my child with it) and it tasted like cat food. No wonder he gagged.

He is a very good eater, though. He has liked everything else we've given him. So far, he has had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, pears, green beans, apple sauce, sweet green peas, the dreaded turkey & turkey broth, peaches, and prunes (in that order). 10 out of 11 is great!

Celebrate!

To celebrate Fenn's 6-month birthday, we really didn't do a lot. Dan made sure he got home before 6:19 p.m. (the time of Fenn's birth) so we could sing to him. Fenn ate dinner, played with his new Penguin Bowling toys, got a bath, got his bottle, and went to bed a little after 8:00 p.m. These are a few cute photos from the evening. You can see how well he is sitting up. Dan is behind him, but that's just in case he falls backward. You can also see him reaching for his toys and "palming" the bowling ball. Future basketball player??? Maybe his cousins, Tucker and Griffin, can give him some tips. Or maybe that's a baseball grip??? Cousin Jesse can help with that.

Fenn at Six Months Old

This is Fenn at Six Months. This is the sixth installment in the "12-month onesie" series. That onesie is getting tighter and tighter. We may be breaking out the crotch extenders in the next couple of months. Thank goodness it is made of stretchy fabric. Over the coming months, don't worry if he looks a little uncomfortable in it. I only put this onesie on him when it's time to take his monthly photo. He doesn't have to wear it for long. As you can see from all the recent posts, Fenn's 6th month of life has been extremely busy. And he has changed so much. He's sitting up by himself, he lunges forward to reach his toys when sitting up, he changes objects from hand to hand, he has two teeth, and he "talks" all the time. His favorite phrase these days is "Day Day DAY Day Day". But he hasn't started associating the "da da" sound with his daddy. A couple of times recently, I think we've even heard the "mmm" sound coming out of his mouth.

To sum up the last month, Fenn has rolled over several times; celebrated Mother's Day, Mommy's 40th birthday, Daddy's 44th birthday, and Mommy & Daddy's 3rd anniversary; had out-of-town visitors; been to 2 neighborhood parties; had 8 hot women in his room at one time; had his first swim; gone on his first hike; tried lots of new foods; started sitting up without assistance; and gotten his first two teeth.

Change is Good

It was another busy week at the Piper household. Early in the week, we decided to check out another daycare for Fenn. We have been very happy with his current daycare, Miss Taphne, with the exception of one thing. During the school year, she has to load up the kids in the afternoons and pick up her daughter at the bus stop. We knew about this when we started, but thought we could possibly become okay with it because she is SO great with the kids. Well, school is over and Fenn has been there since February, and Mommy and Daddy are still not okay with it. Thus, he still has not been in the car with Miss Taphne. Now it is Summer and we find out Miss Taphne likes to go even more during the Summer. She has to take her teenage kids places (like the pool, VBS, etc.) and she likes to take the little kids for ice cream, to the park, etc. So, in an effort to make Mommy's life easier (i.e., to no longer have to pick up Fenn at 2:00 each day and then try to continue to work until 4:00), we have decided it is best to move him. Am I an overprotective, paranoid, new Mom? Would you feel the same way as me? Give me some feedback ~ I would love to hear what other Moms have to say. I just want to know he's in one place all day long. I realize one day there will be class field trips. But I'll know about those in advance and will have the opportunity to give my permission. He won't be coming and going to different places at different times of the day. And there will be more than one adult trying to take care of 4 or 5 small children. I just can't see how one woman can adequately handle and supervise 3 infants in car seats AND 2 active toddlers. Taphne says she loves kids and just does it. But I couldn't do it. How does she get all of them in and out of the car? How does she carry THREE car seats and hold the hands of 2 toddlers?

Now to another topic. Fenn has 2 teeth now! On Wednesday morning, we could feel the bottom left front tooth. And on Thursday morning, we could feel the bottom right front tooth. Sorry Greg (my orthodontist brother), I don't know the names of those teeth. I'm sure I'll learn soon enough. Anyway, you can barely see them, but you can definitely feel them. Ouch! Those little things are sharp! And true to Fenn's sweet nature, he was never fussy. In hindsight, the only indication we had that he might be cutting a tooth (other than the normal drooling and everything going straight in the mouth) was that he kept wanting to eat early on Monday and was maybe a tad bit clingy that afternoon. That's it. Speaking of teeth, it's a good thing he's getting them, because this boy loves to eat. Since starting on something other than formula and rice cereal, he has tried (and liked) squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, pears, green beans, applesauce, and green peas. The picture at the top is of his first taste of green beans.

The busy week took us right into a busy weekend. I hosted Bunko at our house on Thursday night. Big turnout, great food and drink, and lots of fun... and we never got around to actually playing Bunko (or "Drunko" as Dan calls it). When Dan came home with Fenn later, he found me and 7 other women in Fenn's room. Janna (mother of 2 yr. old Morgan, who also lives down the street) commented "One day, Fenn will be bragging about the fact that he had 8 women in his room." On Friday, Grammy and Poppy were coming for a visit. Shortly after they arrived, the 3 of us had to head out for the 2nd Front Yard Friday of the summer. It was hosted by Broderick and Heather down the street. That's Heather and Nicole (our next door neighbor) in the picture. Fenn got to hang out with his "friends", Audrey, Ann Claire, and Kiley. And he also met 4-week old Sam, who lives down the street. We joked about how Fenn and Audrey will be signaling each other with flashlights from their rooms, which are right across from each other. Notice how Fenn is already checking out pretty little Audrey!

The rest of the weekend was lots of fun. Dan put his Dad to work helping him put up trim around our new windows. It's okay... he likes to have a project when he's here. Otherwise, he gets bored. Fenn got to spend lots of time with Grammy. And Mommy got to work on a couple of small projects. (No pictures from Fenn's visit with Grammy & Poppy yet. We took some cute ones with their camera, so I'm waiting to get them.) Next up on our agenda: Fenn's 6-month pictures are tomorrow (Monday), Fenn's 6-month Birthday is Tuesday, and Fenn's 6-month checkup is on Wednesday. Another busy week ahead. I can't believe we have a 6-month old!