see what I did there? Chronicling the fun and excitement of Peregrine Shaw and Lysander Beaupre Munson.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
No update this week
Everything's going great, but we didn't get a lot of pictures and we didn't do much out of the ordinary. Therefore, no update.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
New pictures up (week 6!)
It has been another whirlwind week or so hereabouts. We had grandparents leaving on Alaskan cruises, other grandparents coming to visit and help out, lots of visits by local friends and family, Poppa's first week back at work, and so much more.
Not too many specific adventures to relate, which I suppose is OK given that we do, after all, have a newborn on our hands. One would be well within rights to have a week or two pass occasionally where no big event happens, I should hope.
That said, highlights did include a trip down to Seattle to drop the Munson Grandparents off for their fabulous Alaskan cruise. Gramma Pam came over from the peninsula to help out and get some Peregrine Time. We also had a very nice walk or two through Spencer Island park, a large wildlife refuge just outside the city of Everett with lots of herons, hawks, swallows, etc.
This weekend we attended a reunion of our childbirth class attendees (now featuring babies!) which was very fun. It was a small potluck affair and not everyone could make it, but it was neat to see everyone and what the babies are like, and hear about the birth stories.
Sad days as we said goodbye to Grandpa Bruce Sunday morning and Grandma Biddy Sunday evening. Grandma Biddy has been here since June 10th or thereabouts, and I think we had all gotten used to having her around. We're not totally at a loss, since we know we'll get lots of visits from Gramma Pam and Grandma Myra when we need help. It sure is nice to have so many willing grandparents around!
Pictures!
Not too many specific adventures to relate, which I suppose is OK given that we do, after all, have a newborn on our hands. One would be well within rights to have a week or two pass occasionally where no big event happens, I should hope.
That said, highlights did include a trip down to Seattle to drop the Munson Grandparents off for their fabulous Alaskan cruise. Gramma Pam came over from the peninsula to help out and get some Peregrine Time. We also had a very nice walk or two through Spencer Island park, a large wildlife refuge just outside the city of Everett with lots of herons, hawks, swallows, etc.
This weekend we attended a reunion of our childbirth class attendees (now featuring babies!) which was very fun. It was a small potluck affair and not everyone could make it, but it was neat to see everyone and what the babies are like, and hear about the birth stories.
Sad days as we said goodbye to Grandpa Bruce Sunday morning and Grandma Biddy Sunday evening. Grandma Biddy has been here since June 10th or thereabouts, and I think we had all gotten used to having her around. We're not totally at a loss, since we know we'll get lots of visits from Gramma Pam and Grandma Myra when we need help. It sure is nice to have so many willing grandparents around!
Pictures!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Incremental update
It's been a fairly quiet week here, though of course "quiet" is a relative term when one is referring to a home housing a newborn. Peregrine is five weeks old already!
While there are no specific stories I get to relate (that I can think of right now), here are a few highlights I get to relate:
- Visit and walk with fellow childbirth class attendees Sarah, Eric, and baby Scout
- Visit by Gramma Pam
- Visit by Auntie Lys, Uncle Billy, Cousin James, Cousin Lana, and Uncle Loren
- Arrival of Grandpa Bruce
- Departure of Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Biddy on the Alaskan Cruise Ship
- Acquisition of a fancy hi-tech stroller
- Trip to Seattle Waterfront
- Series of unpleasant days involving heat in the 90s and high humidity. Gah. But there was nice time relaxing in the park.
- Spain won the world cup.
This next week is a big one, Poppa goes back to work! I will start out at half-time for a couple weeks before transitioning to full-time. I've really been enjoying the time at home with Sky and Pip but it's time to get back to the grind.
So, beyond Poppa getting out of the house four hours a day, it also means Momma is going sola four hours a day! Exciting times, lots of new-ness...
Pictures!
While there are no specific stories I get to relate (that I can think of right now), here are a few highlights I get to relate:
- Visit and walk with fellow childbirth class attendees Sarah, Eric, and baby Scout
- Visit by Gramma Pam
- Visit by Auntie Lys, Uncle Billy, Cousin James, Cousin Lana, and Uncle Loren
- Arrival of Grandpa Bruce
- Departure of Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Biddy on the Alaskan Cruise Ship
- Acquisition of a fancy hi-tech stroller
- Trip to Seattle Waterfront
- Series of unpleasant days involving heat in the 90s and high humidity. Gah. But there was nice time relaxing in the park.
- Spain won the world cup.
This next week is a big one, Poppa goes back to work! I will start out at half-time for a couple weeks before transitioning to full-time. I've really been enjoying the time at home with Sky and Pip but it's time to get back to the grind.
So, beyond Poppa getting out of the house four hours a day, it also means Momma is going sola four hours a day! Exciting times, lots of new-ness...
Pictures!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Stehekin trip
Following on the heels of our successful trip to find some sunshine, we were full of vim and vigor and wanting to get out of the house a bit more. We thought to ourselves, well, why not head across the mountains again and this time spend a few days in the sun somewhere? Cause we're crazy like that.
Luckily for us, Sky's dad and step-mom have a place up at the top of Lake Chelan in a "town" called Stehekin. Stehekin is off the grid - no phones, mains electricity, or sewer - and you can't get there by car, only on foot or by boat or float plane. It's a beautiful river valley nestled in the North Cascades with soaring mountains all around. It's quite simply tranquil and lovely.
So we thought, hey, Peregrine is three weeks old now, surely we can take a road trip, boat ride, and spend four nights in Stehekin. How hard could that be?
Turns out, not that hard. We had a great time. Packing was a bit of a chore as we haven't done that yet for him, and deliberations on how much/what was needed got a little convoluted (we don't need as much as we thought, though!) In particular, the question of "Pack'N'Play or no Pack'N'Play" was a drawn out consideration. (we went with "no"). Two giant storage bins, a wheelie bag, one big green hiking backpack, a cooler, diaper bag, and assorted carry-ons later, the three.25 of us hit the road. We travel light.
The ferry leaves really early - 0930 or thereabouts - and the ferry landing is three hours away. Since Pip is still eating on-demand, we needed to plan time for stops on the way, so we left Sunday and spent the night in Wenatchee at a hotel. The hotel even had a little institutional crib for Pip. Very nice. Monday morning, we headed up the road to Field's Point Landing and waited for the ferry. Weather was of course beautiful, being the east side and all. There are two ferries up the lake, and we opted for the slower one as Grandma Biddy hasn't seen all the sights along the way yet. The boat ride (Pip's first boat trip!) was uneventful, he slept and ate and was in good spirits.
Arriving in Stehekin, we were supposed to borrow a car in the valley belonging to friends of ours/Sky's folks. (While there are no roads TO Stehekin, there is a road IN Stehekin and it is easier to get around if you have wheels as the valley is 30 miles long). The car wasn't exactly where we thought it would be, though, and when we DID find it, it wouldn't start. Puppa had to push it out of the parking spot - on a hill, of course - while grandma tried to pop the clutch. It didn't take, but the rangers were nice enough to jump it with their gear. Only a scant hour after arriving at the landing we headed up-valley to the house.
Everything there went perfectly. We had to discard some trapped rodents, but that's to be expected this time of year. Grandma Bridget hardly screamed at all. The weather was beautiful, we could gaze up at the mountains, listen to the wind in the trees, smell the air through the pines, and just generally soak up life at a slower pace. Pip loved it in particular, we think, but we all really just had a great time.
Over the course of the four days we spent there, we got out for a few laid-back hikes ("hike" might be a strong word, but we did move about under our own power), made a couple trips to the Bakery for yummy snacks, and had dinner up at the Stehekin Valley Ranch one night; Puppa Taj cooked the rest of the meals. Mostly, though, we just loved life with the sun and warmth and mountains and river. It was just delightful. Peregrine loved in particular looking out the windows up at Mt McGregor, and we all enjoyed snuggling in front of the wood stove in the evenings when the weather cooled down a bit.
The car didn't start again, though, so we had to find an alternative car - thanks to Anna Maria and Laurie for letting us borrow one of theirs.
The trip home went very smoothly back to the Gray Gray Everett Gray Area, and all told the trip was as perfect as could be. Mumma and Puppa have new-found confidence in their ability to travel with a tiny child and no pack-n-play and Pip clearly loves the outdoors and Stehekin especially. Grandma Biddy got to see and experience the slowed-down life of Stehekin too!
Pictures!
Luckily for us, Sky's dad and step-mom have a place up at the top of Lake Chelan in a "town" called Stehekin. Stehekin is off the grid - no phones, mains electricity, or sewer - and you can't get there by car, only on foot or by boat or float plane. It's a beautiful river valley nestled in the North Cascades with soaring mountains all around. It's quite simply tranquil and lovely.
So we thought, hey, Peregrine is three weeks old now, surely we can take a road trip, boat ride, and spend four nights in Stehekin. How hard could that be?
Turns out, not that hard. We had a great time. Packing was a bit of a chore as we haven't done that yet for him, and deliberations on how much/what was needed got a little convoluted (we don't need as much as we thought, though!) In particular, the question of "Pack'N'Play or no Pack'N'Play" was a drawn out consideration. (we went with "no"). Two giant storage bins, a wheelie bag, one big green hiking backpack, a cooler, diaper bag, and assorted carry-ons later, the three.25 of us hit the road. We travel light.
The ferry leaves really early - 0930 or thereabouts - and the ferry landing is three hours away. Since Pip is still eating on-demand, we needed to plan time for stops on the way, so we left Sunday and spent the night in Wenatchee at a hotel. The hotel even had a little institutional crib for Pip. Very nice. Monday morning, we headed up the road to Field's Point Landing and waited for the ferry. Weather was of course beautiful, being the east side and all. There are two ferries up the lake, and we opted for the slower one as Grandma Biddy hasn't seen all the sights along the way yet. The boat ride (Pip's first boat trip!) was uneventful, he slept and ate and was in good spirits.
Arriving in Stehekin, we were supposed to borrow a car in the valley belonging to friends of ours/Sky's folks. (While there are no roads TO Stehekin, there is a road IN Stehekin and it is easier to get around if you have wheels as the valley is 30 miles long). The car wasn't exactly where we thought it would be, though, and when we DID find it, it wouldn't start. Puppa had to push it out of the parking spot - on a hill, of course - while grandma tried to pop the clutch. It didn't take, but the rangers were nice enough to jump it with their gear. Only a scant hour after arriving at the landing we headed up-valley to the house.
Everything there went perfectly. We had to discard some trapped rodents, but that's to be expected this time of year. Grandma Bridget hardly screamed at all. The weather was beautiful, we could gaze up at the mountains, listen to the wind in the trees, smell the air through the pines, and just generally soak up life at a slower pace. Pip loved it in particular, we think, but we all really just had a great time.
Over the course of the four days we spent there, we got out for a few laid-back hikes ("hike" might be a strong word, but we did move about under our own power), made a couple trips to the Bakery for yummy snacks, and had dinner up at the Stehekin Valley Ranch one night; Puppa Taj cooked the rest of the meals. Mostly, though, we just loved life with the sun and warmth and mountains and river. It was just delightful. Peregrine loved in particular looking out the windows up at Mt McGregor, and we all enjoyed snuggling in front of the wood stove in the evenings when the weather cooled down a bit.
The car didn't start again, though, so we had to find an alternative car - thanks to Anna Maria and Laurie for letting us borrow one of theirs.
The trip home went very smoothly back to the Gray Gray Everett Gray Area, and all told the trip was as perfect as could be. Mumma and Puppa have new-found confidence in their ability to travel with a tiny child and no pack-n-play and Pip clearly loves the outdoors and Stehekin especially. Grandma Biddy got to see and experience the slowed-down life of Stehekin too!
Pictures!
Sun Hunters
Right around week 2.5, we heard on the news that the Seattle area set a new weather record for the most days between nice days (something like 275 days from 70F to 70F). Additionally, it had been gray, gray gray for months. We were starting to get a little stir crazy and needed to see some natural sunlight!
Fortunately, from Everett, the sun is usually just 1 1/2 hours away: all we have to do is make it over Steven's Pass and we are likely to encounter beautiful weather. So we decided, why not? We packed up Pip in his car seat, a diaper bag, Mumma, Puppa, and Grandma Bridget, and hit the road.
It was a pretty easy drive to the pass - Peregrine doesn't mind his car seat at all. We stopped at the Pass for a feeding (first roadside feeding!) which was still gray, but as soon as we dropped below about 3500 feet on the East side of the pass, the skies opened up and the sun came out. It was glorious. I think all four of us really appreciated it.
We drove to Leavenworth, WA, a total of about 1 1/2 hours, and when we got there we went for a very nice relaxed stroll in Waterfront Park. Then we grabbed a bratwurst and sat around in the plaza before doing a little bit of strolling through downtown and a little shopping. Leavenworth is a nice town for a break, especially if you don't go when the hordes of tourists are there.
After a couple hours, we headed back across the pass to the Gray Gray West Side Gray Area. Where it was gray.
Pip's first road trip, then, went exceedingly well - he enjoyed the trip out and about, was very content to be in his car seat (until he wanted to eat), and everybody had a good time. And even though we ended back up in the gray, our spirits were buoyed by our four or five hours of uninterrupted sun and warmth!
Pictures!
Fortunately, from Everett, the sun is usually just 1 1/2 hours away: all we have to do is make it over Steven's Pass and we are likely to encounter beautiful weather. So we decided, why not? We packed up Pip in his car seat, a diaper bag, Mumma, Puppa, and Grandma Bridget, and hit the road.
It was a pretty easy drive to the pass - Peregrine doesn't mind his car seat at all. We stopped at the Pass for a feeding (first roadside feeding!) which was still gray, but as soon as we dropped below about 3500 feet on the East side of the pass, the skies opened up and the sun came out. It was glorious. I think all four of us really appreciated it.
We drove to Leavenworth, WA, a total of about 1 1/2 hours, and when we got there we went for a very nice relaxed stroll in Waterfront Park. Then we grabbed a bratwurst and sat around in the plaza before doing a little bit of strolling through downtown and a little shopping. Leavenworth is a nice town for a break, especially if you don't go when the hordes of tourists are there.
After a couple hours, we headed back across the pass to the Gray Gray West Side Gray Area. Where it was gray.
Pip's first road trip, then, went exceedingly well - he enjoyed the trip out and about, was very content to be in his car seat (until he wanted to eat), and everybody had a good time. And even though we ended back up in the gray, our spirits were buoyed by our four or five hours of uninterrupted sun and warmth!
Pictures!
First post! Introducing Peregrine Shaw Munson
First post for the blog tracking Peregrine Shaw Munson's new life. We'll do our best to try and keep this updated at least monthly, but I don't know that we're "blog people" so we'll just have to wait and see.
Here's what we sent out before I got the blog up:
Sky and I would like to ask you all to join us in welcoming our son,
Peregrine Shaw Munson, to the world!
He was born 5-June-2010 at 12:14pm after a beautiful 11 hour labor,
weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces. Mom, Dad, and Baby are all doing well and
are back at home now recovering and working on getting some rest.
We hope you can all visit him in person at some point and be a part of
his life, but for now you'll have to settle for a few pictures.
All our best,
Sky and Taj
Here's what we sent out before I got the blog up:
Sky and I would like to ask you all to join us in welcoming our son,
Peregrine Shaw Munson, to the world!
He was born 5-June-2010 at 12:14pm after a beautiful 11 hour labor,
weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces. Mom, Dad, and Baby are all doing well and
are back at home now recovering and working on getting some rest.
We hope you can all visit him in person at some point and be a part of
his life, but for now you'll have to settle for a few pictures.
All our best,
Sky and Taj
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