Coloring Eggs

One Year Ago Today...

It's hard to believe but one year ago today Delaney was released from the St. Mary's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where she lived for the first 80 days of her life.

Since then she:

-has more than doubled in size and weighs 15 lbs 7 oz and is 29 inches long

-wears 6mo-12mo clothes (depending on the brand) and size 2 shoe

-loves to eat almost anything and tons of it, her favorites are: meat (especially elk), cheese, yogurt, fruit, bread, crackers and treats (cookies like her mom and ice cream like her dad)

-refuses to eat pears

-walks everywhere and pretty fast

-uses sign language to communicate things like: eat, drink, more, all done, book, dog, cat, no-no, up, hi/bye, and milk

-still breastfeeds 4-5 times in 24 hrs

-has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on bottom)

-loves to play outside (especially with sand, buckets, and spoons)

-climbs on the dishwasher door and crawls up the stairs

-LOVES music and to dance

-has enough hair for one small clip

-has one freckle on her neck

-takes a morning and afternoon nap

-loves to kiss and hug her baby

-uses a pacifier and has a special pink/silky blanket (just like her sister)

-sleeps in a crib in her mom and dads room

-is very happy in nature and very curious about her world

**She has amazed us all and we couldn't be happier! What a miracle she truly is.**

Spring Tap & Ballet Recital

Our "Little Blond" House

Our two little blonds are pretty lucky that their mom is always thinking of ways to keep them happy & entertained. One day Brandon came home and Jennifer had been busy looking up designs for a playhouse and pricing materials. Those initial plans quickly turned into a fun family project that has shaped up nicely over the last week. We're about done with the exterior and are looking forward to getting inside and taking orders from Meredith. She has been very busy writing down her list of items to build including counters, shelves, tables, chairs, etc., etc. Hopefully it will provide many years of fun for M & D. When you come and visit, ask Meredith for a tour-

Stepping Stones Coyote Class Performance

We had a big day on Friday for several reasons. Meredith has been rehearsing for a long time at Stepping Stones for the annual Spring art show. The kids have all their special art work on display for the public and then they put on a performance with singing and dancing. All the kids in Meredith's class had lines this time to go with the performance-Meredith was a zebra and she shared several fun facts with the audience. After the performance we all got to attend the cast party/pot-luck, which was a lot of fun.

The other exciting thing about Friday was that it was the first time we've taken Delaney into the public thick of things. She loves music, and really seemed to enjoy her sister's performance. Meredith's friends were enthralled with Delaney, with Jennifer running interference the whole time with the hordes of kids wanting to attack our little blond. It's finally spring and we look forward to being out and about. Delaney is ready...

We have our work cut out for us with this little naughty girl. She recently discovered the bag of markers and decided to have her way with the front door. She was pretty proud of herself. After drawing on the door, we put her at the table to draw but then of course she was more interested in tearing the paper off the table. Delaney's punishment was swift, which is obvious from the blue M&M stains on her face....

Despite the snow in our front yard yesterday morning, spring seems to have sprung in the Gunnison Basin. The three blonds are out and about these days, and it's always fun to get a visit from them at the office. Delaney thinks everything with four legs is a dog, so she didn't have any reservations about her first ride on a black bear.

Check out the difference between her preemie diaper and what she's in these days. The picture doesn't do that little diaper justice- it is impossible to believe she actually fit in those at one point.

More Meredith Adventures

Trapping season has finally come to a close this year for Brandon, and of course Meredith had to get in one last hoorah with her dad. Wild turkey trapping is a lot of fun- even if it does make little girls kind of nervous. Meredith was a great helper, and was in charge of turkey tags while we worked up birds for transplant. She is intrigued by turkeys and is ready to go hunt one someday. Her dad tries to tell her that turkey hunting is a little bit different than catching birds with bait...

Delaney continues to grow and has quite a personality. She is very different than her sister was; way more adventurous and defiant. She loves to test her parents, and definitely loves to be outside. She continues to work on her teeth, which has made her a little testy and also seems to be impacting her sleep (it's either that or reflux still).

Walking Update

If you come to our house these days, you may encounter a little girl exploring every nook and cranny on her two shaky legs (which grow stronger every day). Delaney has really become interested in walking now and seems to prefer it over crawling- unless she's in a hurry. Can't wait to get her out into the woods this spring so she can walk around and do some serious exploring.

Mommy's birthday has come and gone, and I wish we could have all spent it together. Daddy had to go out of town, and Mommy had a meeting. Grown up work always gets in the way. I know Mommy's birthday is a special day, so I need to remind her how special she is to us. Here are a few reasons my Mommy is special...

-She's given up sleep for over a year so that I can grow and stay healthy

-She's been trapped in our house and is half crazy--all to keep me away from germs

-She takes care of my big sister and my daddy (sort of like having three kids)

-She always puts others before herself

It makes me tired thinking about it, but I hope someday I grow up to be just like my mommy...we love her.