Shoot

I thought I was going to have five minutes to post this morning but my baby just woke up and changed all of my plans. Later.

Playing Hard-to-Get

Avery loves to play hard-to-get. It doesn't always mean that she doesn't like you. In fact, it may mean that she likes you A LOT. She just loves to tease people when they compete for her attention. She will cling to one person while another one tries to coax her away. She will then turn away from them and hide her face like she is shy. As long as you are willing to play along, she is happy to play. When you stop playing, she will yell in your general direction until you start up again. Jared was her latest victim. While Avery clung to Elyssa (is that how you spell it?) Jared tried to woo her away. She would have none of it. She simply wanted to cuddle with Elyssa while Jared pouted at his misfortune. Then she would look his direction again making him think that he had a chance. Just as he would reach for her...BAM! She is cuddling up with Elyssa again. Little teaser.

Angela

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELA!!25 years old today. We love you!

Lemon/Lime

Do babies have a sour sense? Do their taste buds register tartness? I learned several weeks ago that Avery loves a good lemon or lime. Most of the time she just chews on a slice until she is covered in pulp or until it slips out of her hands. There was never any indication that the taste was unpleasant or sour. This week she FINALLY seemed to register that lemons and limes are tart. The funny thing is, this does not stop her from wanting the lemon or lime. If anything she likes the bitter bite and always wants more. Silly baby.

Are You Ready For Some Kickball?

Joe joined a kickball league. Did you know there are such leagues for adults? Well, there are. Every Thursday, Joe and group of friends and new acquaintances get together to test their skills, granted they are skills they probably have not used since the fourth grade, against other adults looking for some good old nostalgic fun. We missed the first game since we were in Utah but we were here in time for Joe to be part of a double-header on Thursday. Avery and I went to watch and cheer them all on. It was REALLY fun. I think the funniest part was that the other teams were literally playing drinking games when they weren't fielding or batting. What wasn't as funny was that the umps were drinking as they were officiating. It led to a couple of seriously questionable calls and tense situations. It may just be kickball, but we still want it to be a fair game! I should note that another hilarious point of the night was how SORE Joe was when all was said and done. Who would have thought that a couple of rounds of kickball could make a grown man so achy. I thought that I would have to leave early since the games started at 8 and 9, and Avery usually goes to sleep at 8. We were all presently surprised that she was not only awake the whole time, she was actually having fun. She sat through the first game holding on to a mini kickball, that her friend Effie had brought along, and staring intently at the players. It was like she was just wishing it could be her turn. So when there was a break between the games, Joe came over to spend a little time with us and he took Avery out on to the field. The next 10 minutes were spent doing this: She is already set for her first game! She was working so hard to kick the ball, though she mostly just kicked it backwards or bounced it with her foot. Still, it was awesome!

Cousins

Avery did not miss me. Not even for a second. I think that when I walked in the door she was almost disappointed. Why is this, you say? Why did my child not miss me when I was gone for 3 days? I'll tell you; 5 cousins. Who needs Mommy when you have 5 cousins who want to lay with you and feed you, and wear you out so that you can't stay awake past 8 and then need to sleep for 12 hours. Longer, I might add, than you ever do at home! Don't get me wrong, I am glad she was so happy and taken care of. I am glad that she didn't seem to notice my absence. But couldn't she have acted a little excited to see me? She was excited to see Joe! Thanks again Nielsen family for taking such good care of Avery.

HW 12

For anyone who has ever been on a road trip, you are probably familiar with signs on the highways that say "Scenic Lookout: 1/2 mile." I cannot tell you how many of these Joe and I have driven by and never stopped at. I am usually just in a hurry to get to where I am going and I don't really care to see a semi-better view of the terrain I have been looking at for the last 5 hours. This all changed when Joe and I drove HW 12 on our way back to Salt Lake. It was gorgeous! I don't know how Joe was able to drive because the view was so distracting. The road was winding around going up and up and the view just kept getting better and better. I think we stopped at 4 lookouts to get pictures of the view. We have NEVER stopped to do such a thing before. We kept thinking how awesome, and terrifying, it would be to bike that road. We passed several biker groups and it just made me want to do it even more. Then we would pass a herd of cows that were 12 inches from the road without a fence to hold them back and I would rethink my notion! I has to be the prettiest drive I have ever been on. I would never want to do it at night for several reasons. One, the cows are black and you would never see it until you hit it. Two, most of the HW has NO guardrail. None. Just cliffs people. Third, you would miss SO much. The trees, the view of the rocky canyon, and so much more!

Calf Creek

The day after "the Wave" we all went to hike Calf Creek. We were supposed to hike some slot canyons that day but there were thunderstorms on the horizon and I didn't particularly want to drown in a flash flood. So to Calf Creek we went. It was not slot canyons, but I was not disappointed. Again, a beautiful hike and a wonderful destination. Hiking along the river meant that there were lush bushes and trees for shade (thank goodness!) and the tantalizing sound of water to push us to the end of our road. I could not get enough of walking between flowering shrubs and peeking into the totally clear creek to see the little fish just hanging out. I wanted to be in the water LONG before we got to our destination, but that would have been a little inconvenient for my fellow hikers, other hikers on the trail, and probably the fish. I just kept plodding along until we finally reached:

I got in the water then, but only up to my knees. It was FREEZING! Derek ended up swimming a bit so he could get some cool pictures, but I guess when your lungs start to seize from the chill it is time to get out. I think I could have stayed there ALL DAY if it weren't for the fact that we did not bring enough food for such an excursion and I was anxious to get back to my baby. But I was not sorry for going on this trip for even one minute. It was a much needed rest and break for Joe and me both. I didn't even mind that a second hike in as many days meant I got another blister. This was even with good socks and a bunch of fancy tape to prevent such things. Clearly by Phoenix-weather-flip-flop-wearing feat were not prepared for so many days and so many miles in real hiking shoes. Still, worth it!

The Wave

Joe and I left Avery with my sister Jenn for a couple of days and went hiking/camping with friends Derek and Michelle. Despite the stress of leaving my baby for the first time, the trip was extremely fun.

The first night away we camped on the sandy shores of Lake Powell. I would like to note that I wanted very much to swim but no one in my party was interested. The next morning we headed out for a hike called "the Wave." It is in southern Utah just outside of Page. I think that our expectations were really high since it is really hard to get a permit to hike here. There is a lottery and only 20 hikers a day are allowed to hike in to see the wave. This being the case, Joe and I were a little let down by the hike. Okay, more Joe than me. I thought the hike was beautiful just as a hike and the destination was a bonus. Joe, being tired and HOT, felt that the destination did not really make up for the hiking conditions, i.e.: NO SHADE!

Note all of the bare rock we had to cover. What you can't see is the amount of deep sand we also had to traverse. In some places I am pretty sure that it was a soft 10 inches deep. We could have used snow shoes at some points. But, like I said, I thought it was beautiful even if it was hot and sandy. And "the Wave" itself:

AWESOME! It blows my mind all of the different types of rock and formations that form in one fairly small location. You know that it is changed by wind and water, but why can rocks separated by a few feet turn out so different? It was amazing.

The only thing that was not amazing was the state of my feet at the end of the hike. I've never had so many blisters. Apparently there is a reason someone invented socks specifically for hiking. I really need to invest in a pair. I don't think I'll be able to wear a real shoe for a week.

Brighton Early

We arrived in Utah at about 11 o'clock on Friday night. My brother, Dave, and his wife, Kristy, were kind enough to let us stay with them. When we got to their place David was already making plans to hike Brighton the next morning up to Lake Mary. Okay, so it was supposed to be to Lake Catherine but most of us called it quits early. Anyway, since Joe and I love to hike, and we were in Utah to enjoy the weather and terrain, we decided to go along. Note: the elevation difference between Phoenix and Salt Lake is CONSIDERABLE!

Within the first five minutes of the hike I think I was sure that my lungs were bleeding. It was steep and I was not prepared for the difference in elevation. I think at one point David was dragging me up the hill. It was worth it though. The trail and the lake were beautiful. Every time I go to Utah I think that I live in the wrong state. Every time we came to a break in the trees we felt like we needed to stop and take a picture of the view. It was so incredible and I can't tell you how nice it was to need a sweatshirt!

Avery was great since she had very little work to do on the actual hike. On the way out David was kind enough to carry her. He and Kristy learned that Avery likes to sing on a down-hill hike and that she can have a grip of iron when she wants something. Kristy picked her a couple of flowers and when we tried to replace them with non-squished ones Avery was having none of it. She had a hold on what she wanted!

Avery: 11 months

We were in Utah for Avery's month-birthday this time. While it made for more fun than usual, it meant that we did not get her typical photo shoot done. That's okay with me since the reality was so great.

So, Avery can go up AND down the stairs now. Great news? Not really. It is now her favorite game to play and she can't do it well enough to be unsupervised. Do you know how much fun it is spending half of the afternoon chillin' on the stairs?

She waves now. Isn't it funny how one day they can't, or won't, do something, and then the very next day they just suddenly start like they've done it all along? That's how it was with the waving.

Like the waving, Avery also kisses (VERY open-mouthed) and gives high-fives. But only if she REALLY likes you.

She talks and talks. She says mama and dada, but I am still not sure that she says them in specific reference to me and Joe since she also says bababa, gagaga, and loodleloodle while addressing us.

All in all, it has been a great month.

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I Am Not Ready

I am not ready. I am supposed to go out of town this weekend. I am not ready. I am supposed to be leaving my baby for 3 days with my sister Jenn. I am not ready. I'm supposed to camp for three days and hike on obscure trails in that time. I am not ready. I should be planning, cleaning, packing, and settling up work, my calling, and other activities. Instead I am blogging. And after this I will be playing with my baby. And after that I will probably read. So, not only am I not ready, I am not even thinking about getting ready. We'll see how this week turns out.