Rose and Chester Share a Bath

Since the arrival of Rose, Chester has taken his role as big brother very seriously.  He has been by her side since we brought her home from the hospital.  No matter where she is, he always wants to be by her side.  When she starts to cry, he is right there..."ok what the matter?  Are you hungry?  Do you need a diaper change?"  What ever the case, he is on it.  Here he is watching over her and even helping to give Rose a bath.

Rose and the Boys

Saturday morning we had the whole menagerie hanging out on the bed, so of course everyone wanted some camera time including Zoe. But the best shot is saved for the end. Enjoy!

Christmas 2010

Rose's First Food

We were so fortunate to have my Dad and Sandi here this past weekend.  Rose was so excited to show them one of here firsts.  Sunday night Rose took here first food!

We used a food mill to prepare some butternut squash. 

Rose was quite the little eater, however, I don't think she has acquired the  taste for Butternut squash yet. 

The obligatory home movie

Finding Balance

We love the new addition to our evolving family. I can't put into words the new level of love and joy Rose has brought to our home. It could go without saying that our new addition has also changed the pace and pattern of our lives. Like all new parents, we are experiencing the hectic routine of feeding, burping, swaddling, cleaning and diaper changing. Add two dogs plus a high maintenance parrot and its no surprise there are days when we sit down for dinner over two bowls of cereal. To be quite frank, Amy is doing most of the heavy lifting in this world of parenting. I get a break from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday while at work. Amy is on 24/7, feeding every 2-3 hours.

That being said, we are very fortunate and grateful to have Amy's mom, Linda, less than two hours away in New York. She comes down each week and stays for two days. It helps to break up the week for Amy and gives her a chance to get out with the boys or go for a jog. In addition, it allows Amy and me to spend some time together, just the two of us. I feel like taking this time together is a critical part to the success of raising Rose. It helps Amy and me stay connected and maintain a sense of balance in our lives. This week's time with Amy was particularly special as we took the opportunity to get out for a bike ride. It was our first ride together since September of last year. In our nine years together we have spent a great number of hours pedaling along side each other, negotiating obstacles and experiencing the exhilarating wild ride of a fast down hill. Becoming parents to Rose offers a new opportunity to share in an exhilarating wild ride.

An Early Start

For those of you who we have spent holidays, vacations or any other amount of time with Amy and I, realize we have a passion for the outdoors. In addition, Amy has a very difficult time sitting still. The woman is always on the move, either on the trail or on her bike. Since I have known Amy, I think the longest she has gone without doing some sort of exercise or physical activity is 3 weeks. This 3 week period was following a serious accident with a horse and left her in a back brace for three months. Even then she was back on the stationary bike within weeks. Throughout her pregnancy Amy was constantly on the go, hiking almost to the very end of the pregnancy. We did a 3 and a half hour hike in Herrimans State Park less the 48 hours before Rose was born. So needless to say Rose has already spent a lot of time on the trails. So at 10 days old Rose Katherine took her first official hike, a 2 and half hour stroll through South Mountain Reservation. Enjoying the outdoors with little ones (even really little ones) is easy. There are all sorts of baby carriers, from backpacks to slings. At this young age the sling is perfect for Rose. We have a Havo by SlingEZee. It is a versatile carrier for newborns, that is light weight and breathable. Perfect for getting out there on the trails. Plus, I look really good in it. Rose enjoyed her first day in the woods with the whole family. Actually, she slept through the entire thing, but I guess that is a good thing.