Love the Water!

I just can't resist taking pics of her in her cute little swimsuits!

The doc suggested adding a nightly bath as part of her bedtime routine, since she enjoys the water - so we've been going for it!

Various Types of Playgroups!

One of my worries is that due to our isolation, Charley won't have the socialization that she should.  So, I do my best to find opportunities for her to interact with other people.  Sometimes, luckily, opportunities find us!


A couple of weeks ago Charley had her nine month well-baby appointment, so we took advantage while in town and met up with some other moms/babies for a playgroup at Main City Park in Elko.

Charley and Layla are 3 weeks apart in age

 Evie, my 8 year old neighbor, and Anaya, our YCC crew leader's 9 year old daughter, called one day and wanted to have a playdate with Charley.  So they joined us on our daily trek down to the refuge HQ lawn.  Oh, how they entertained!  

We had our friends down for a taco lunch last Sunday, and they have 3 kiddos, including Natalie, who just turned 1.  

Natalie and Charley playing with Madison's shoes...

...how nice that they each have one!

But wait - your's looks cooler...

.... lemme have THAT one!  (I don't think she's going to play very nicely...)

Last Monday, we had to go into town, so I made sure we made the Monday Baby and Me playgroup.  We've only been to 1 other at the Family Resource Center and she was 6 months old, so she's getting a little more out of it now.

Charley and her buddy Layla

My little eater

These may rival the messiest I've been while eating!  Avocado and raspberries - mmmm.....

                                     

Mom is SO proud of me - I will eat almost anything, am not picky, and prefer fruits and veggies to mac 'n cheese!  Here I am, eating rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, peas and green beans!

These are the first "fruits" from Mom's garden this year.  

She was so excited to grow a garden to feed me fresh, healthy, organic food from, and finally she's able to do that!

Charley's First Camping Trip

The YCC ends their summer tour with a camping trip to Great Basin National Park each year.  Last year I was pregnant for the trip, and I also have 5 Haas Hall students here that participated.  This year, we decided to brave it and take Charley on her first camping trip.  I was a little nervous (especially since my cousin Elizabeth made me feel like I was nuts for even considering it!), but mom and dad said they took me when I was 6 mos. old and said I should go for it, so we did.


SO GLAD we did - it was a huge success!


Here we are, packing for a trip.  It is NEVER easy to go out the door with an infant, much less packing for a trip like this!

Setting up camp:

Have just enough time for a short hike:

Kid slept like a champ, cuddled between us in the tent.  Stream roaring beside us, thunderstorm, all bundled up in her sleep sack on the mattress between mom and dad - life is good!


The next day we went tracking Great Basin Rattlesnakes with the park biologist.  She slept for much of it, but it was a nice day to be out.  While out, we found a new baby snake, and took it back to the lab to process it.

That afternoon the group was scheduled for a cave tour, but Charley was not allowed, so we went back to camp to take a nap.  I thought I could plop in the tent with her and enjoy some shut-eye too...

Instead, I felt like I was in one of those blow-up jumping houses at a kid's birthday party.  She crawled all around and over me for an hour and fifteen minutes, before I finally gave up.

So, I climbed out and stripped all the bedding from the tent, zipped an obviously sleepy baby up inside, and within five minutes...

Didn't last long though, thirty minutes and she's ready to go!

We then hiked through the ancient Bristlecone Pine grove - the world's oldest organisms.  I was kicking myself for leaving the camera - how cool to get Charley's pic by the oldest things on the planet?  Maybe next time.


The next morning, we were up bright and early after another night of thunderstorms.  Charley slept ALL NIGHT LONG without waking once - only the second time in her life she's done this!  It was cold and wet at 6:30 am, and no one else was up, so we were about to head into town to the local cafe when Trace (one of the YCC kids) poked his head out of the tent.  I invited him along and he happily agreed.  We were about to pull out when Rod decided he'd like to come too, since he needed to track down Bryan to give him a rattlesnake we'd scooped off the road the night before.  

Breakfast at the Lectrolux Cafe

We hiked about 3 miles on the Osceola ditch trail before breaking down camp and heading home (stopping for groceries and lunch in Ely on the way).  Little miss occupied herself with her sippy cup for a portion of the drive.

South of us, in Long Valley, they're having a wild horse roundup.  We stopped to snap a couple of photos of the operation, not currently underway.

Overall the trip was a huge success!  She's an easy baby - goes with the flow and is pretty much happy in any situation!  We are lucky!