{ new blog announcement }

We will most likely keep this family blog here, but if you follow us at Bozeman Collaborative, the Handmaiden Papeterie or BirdDog Press ... you can now find us here instead : http://blog.birddogpress.com/

Cullin and Fly Fishing

I've taken Cullin fly fishing a few times this year, most recently this past fall in Rocky Mountain National Park on the Roaring River and on the Big Thompson River. He had a great time and loved it when caught some fish (which he got to hold). He's really into the flies and calls them "bugs". He wants to hold all of them, at once, and hasn't yet really learned just how sharp a fishing hook is despite my best efforts to teach him. He loves to talk about fishing, see pictures of fish and continually remind dad that all he's catching are "little ones".



Besides breaking a fly rod on one outing - we both got excited about hooking up with a fish and in the heat of the moment one of us snapped the rod - it's been big fun to take Cullin fishing.

I have a feeling that someday Cullin is going to love fly fishing as much as I do.

At least I hope so.

Despite the single digit temps, I've still managed to fish some this winter. A few weeks ago I went to the Williams Fork River near Kremmling, Colorado:

Cullin's Birth Story

this is my version of the birth story, as written to my cousin Sarah via email on the 9th of September ... just 7 days after Cullin was born :

Cullin Riley Lawhon arrived September 2, 2006 at 5:57 AM in Summit County, Colorado (Breckenridge/Frisco)
He is 5 lbs 4 oz and 19 inches long, very strong and has quite the set of vocal chords.

Ben and I went to a wedding in Beaver Creek/Avon. Drove up Friday afternoon, and attended the Rehearsal Dinner. Juliet and I decided to go back to the hotel early because we were tired. I tried to go to bed but never really fell asleep. About the time the rest of our party came back to the hotel, I was feeling some cramping, but thought it was just that as my OB asked about cramping at my weekly appointments, I figured it would go away. I had never really asked what exactly a "contraction" felt like (silly girl). Ben came to bed around 1AM or so and fell right asleep. I was up and down for the next couple of hours with cramps. Around 3AM, I decided to phone the on-call OB just in case and she informed me that I was having contractions. By this time, they had gotten stronger. She indicated that they could go away and that it may be more likely that they would go away if I got back to my normal elevation.

I finally woke Ben up and told him how I was feeling. As we were discussing what to do, the contractions got much stronger and we packed up as quickly as possible and got in the car, thinking we were going to Boulder. We called the on-call OB in Boulder again for a consult and she called us right back and said we should get to the nearest hospital ASAP. Everything got really intense at this point, and I had begun to feel a little "pushy". As we were flying down Vail Pass at 90mph, Ben called 911 and they directed him to the nearest hospital which happened to be Summit County. I was "holding him in" at this point (I think it was around 5AM or so and it was tough to get from the car inside). Once we were right inside the door, I dropped to all fours and used all of my might to hold the baby in, probably scared the others in the waiting room. They got me upstairs and I had barely climbed onto the bed when my water exploded everywhere. They checked my cervix and I was 10cm and 2+ station - time to push - (duh, I had been telling them that). Everything was a little hectic. With my arms draped over the back of the bed and on my knees I gave two little pushes and then the OB showed up. They wanted me on my back but I refused. Two more pushes and he was out! Official birth time was 5:57AM

Now comes the scary part ... he was blue and as I am expecting the baby on the chest scenario, his cord was cut and he was whisked away to a table where several nurses surrounded him and wouldn't tell us what was going on. I guess we finally figured out that he wasn't breathing on his own and they were close to intubating him, but didn't. Anyway, he was taken away and hooked up to oxygen and other things while I delivered my placenta (which was worse than the delivery of the baby). Ben went with the baby and I was alone to be stitched up, though I had minimal tearing. They called Flight for Life and decided to transfer Cullin to Children's Hospital in Denver because they have a Level 3 NICU, whereas Summit County was only a Level 1 hospital.

Luckily they decided he was stable enough to go by ground rather than helicopter. I was discharged quickly so that I could go with him and Ben followed the ambulance in the car. We arrived at the NICU in Denver and he was already doing much better. There were a couple of concerns with his clotting and why it took him so long to breathe. We spent 4 long days and 3 long nights in the NICU. The nurses were fabulous and all in all he was the least of the
sick babies in that facility. Most of the ones there had been there for weeks, and months. It was still an emotional rollercoaster and a rough start to Cullin's life but we are all well and good now and that is what matters. Soooo happy to be home and healthy!!! We are in love with this little boy!

The most amazing part of it all is why he was born 3 weeks early ... Ben's dad died exactly 19 years earlier to the day, so we believe his grandfather sent him early to remind us of just how precious his life is.

henry the sixth

another baby boy!
adopted by our good friends jenny & will in durango
William Henry Newcomer VI

hot mama photoshoot

My girlfriend Shannon is an amazing jewelry designer and metalsmith. She has a line of mama & family focused jewelry called Hot Mama Designs. A couple of weeks ago, she invited all of her girlfriends and their bebes to a photoshoot showcasing both her jewelry line and the bond between mamas and their bebes. Here are a few that Cullin & I were in. The amazing photographer is Regina of Recherche.

Montenegro!

a message from Ben, as he's just arrived in Montenegro ...

Just wanted to let you know that we’re safely in Montenegro. We arrived last night about 10pm local time (2pm MT). We flew into Croatia and had a driver take us from Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi in Montenegro, about a 45 minute drive. We had to cross the Croatian border into no-mans-land then cross another border into Montenegro. It was an easy process but felt a little weird. Regardless, we arrived in Herceg Novi and met our host who had lined up an apartment for us to stay in while here. It’s a very nice place, three bedroom, two bath, kitchen, balcony overlooking the bay – couldn’t ask for a better place. Due to the time change (8 hrs) we couldn’t go to sleep last night and went for a stroll around old town, which was really interesting. It feels very safe here and the architecture is very old school European.

Today we met our host (Jack and his wife Hayley) and had lunch at the harbor. It was a very cool spot. We had to work out some of the logistics for our course that starts tomorrow, and spent the afternoon touring the areas we’ll use for the course. At one point, we were 1 km from the Bosnian border, which was a little weird considering the massive conflict there in the 90’s. The area where we are is unique in that it’s right on the coast but the land rises immediately behind us into the mountains. It’s rugged country and should be a good location for a course. Interestingly enough, there are brown bears here (grizzly-like) called the Balkan Brown Bear, there are wolves, wild Russian Boar, Lynx and Jackles. It’s surprisingly wild country that’s not very common in Europe. The culture is very Slavic and eastern European – the language sounds a lot like Russian. We’ve already learned a few words but it’s going to be tough (and I thought Chinese was challenging) but we’ve been told by our host that the people here like it very much when foreigners try to at least speak some of the native tongue.

being a mom

{a story i got as an email from a friend ... beautiful}

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."
"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking.
"Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable. I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die. I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation. I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right. I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be at t he office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic. I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women t hroughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving. I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts. My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

soar {Somewhere On A River}

Back to the water ... it's becoming a theme, eh? Here are photos from one of the two overnight river trips this summer, the first being in July on the Rio Chama in New Mexico and the other was near Kremmling, Colorado ... a little section called the Pumphouse. Both were WET ... and I don't mean from the river itself.

speaking of food

the current favorite is ... spaghetti!

summer fresh

Fresh food is handmade with love! This summer, we have had fresh eggs from the Aracauna chickens down the road at the farmette, fresh squash picked from our container garden and fresh applesauce that we made with the neighbors b/c they have a 100 year old apple tree in their yard!

summer splashes

Cullin is all about water! As seen previously in Cake's pool ... here are some more summer splashes ...

Fourth of July camping trip on the Cache la Poudre river.

No water in sight, but still prepared with goggles.

A day at the Kanemoto Water park.

summer tunes

Music class on Apple Valley road was amazing and ended with a great surprise mentioned before {Uncle Earl} in another post. We also attended Rocky Grass for the 8th year in a row and Cullin's love for music really struck a cord. He asks for "hot mandolin!" every morning and plays a mean Air Fiddle! This is truly the best festival ever ... Cullin danced, picnicked, splashed & napped all within earshot of Sam Bush, the Steeldrivers, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops {and the list goes on}.

summer lovin'

as fall hits full swing here {it is chilly and raining outside my window tonight} i am going to recap the summer. to live in the warmth that will pull us through the cold winter months soon upon us ...
swimming in Cake's {that's what we call Cullin's paternal grandmother} awesome pool kicked the summer off just right in early June.

fallen behind again

I've fallen behind on blogging again. Summer is just too full of adventure to be inside in Colorado!
Here's some stuff we've done lately ...

Ridin' the rooster at Lyons Good Ol' Days! We loved the cars, the giant slide and even the dizzying/swirling strawberries (a lot like a teacup or tilt-a-whirl ride)

The grand finale of the spring session for our tuesday Luv My Mama music class was a huge hit! Uncle Earl came to play as local musician, K.C. Groves is a member of the band and they were all in town to practice for Telluride Bluegrass. And RockyGrass is this coming weekend!

Ireland

Last week, I returned home from my second trip to Ireland since 2006. As on my previous trip, I was there to work with the Irish branch of Leave No Trace. I facilitated a 5-day instructor course for Leave No Trace educators. The course was great and the weather was wonderful (compared to the last time I was there). There were nine people on the course and all were fun to spend a week with. I had a few days in Ireland after the course and took full advantage of the rainy, cold weather to check out the pub scene but I also managed to get in some hiking, a night in Dubin and a short visit to the beach. Ireland is a great place and I had a wonderful trip. Here's an article about the course: http://www.leavenotraceireland.org/News.aspx?ID=44

To see more pictures, visit: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QcuGjRo5Zt66&emid=sharview&linkid=link5

As much as I loved being over there, I'm glad to be home in Colorado!

beauty is skin deep

I had been told about this website, but stumbled upon it the other day finally – very good site for finding the best products for baby (and yourself) if you are concerned about labeling and contents like I am. It amazes me what companies are able to say about their products and then find out what they are actually made of. Check out the cosmetic database - Skin Deep.

speed retrieve

Siler got some press! The Lyons Outdoor Games is getting bigger every year and it's Siler's weekend to shine. This year there was a speed retrieve and a canine cannonball competition. She won the speed retrieve last year in the river, but this year she took 3rd place in the canine cannonball. A local paper was there to capture the action and Siler was featured on their website. Four-legged, fifteen seconds of fame!

Cullin went to Ashley's First Birthday Party and it was a big time. Here are his neighborhood friends from left to right: Bella, Nora (holding Cullin), Graham, Makenna, Ashley, Julia and Max. He took the birthday girl a flower and helped her dive in to her cake - literally.

good to be home

A week in New York City has taught me that I am truly a small town kind of girl and though it was good for all of us to test the family boundaries, it is sooooo good to be home!

It was my first time away from Cullin. Usually Ben is the one to go away on business so this was a different dynamic for sure. I missed my son, my bird dog and my husband!

Mother's Day

A hike to one of daddy's favorite fishing spots in Rocky Mountain National Park. Cullin hiked at least a mile of it and then passed out in the backpack. The weather was perfect.

Asleep at the Wheel

all fished out - after a day at the aquarium

happy earth day

Cullin LOVES to be outside. I hope that Ben and I can teach him to respect our planet as he grows up and comes to understand it. It is just fun to get wet and dirty right now and that is all it needs to be. He could throw rocks in the creek for hours. We have to come up with new and exciting ways everyday to lure him away from the water to go home when the sun is setting or it is time to eat. He MUST see the moon before he goes to bed. And every pinecone along our hikes is pointed out. What fun to view nature through the eyes of a one-and-a-half year old.

My current favorite words are :
"yo-lee" - Yellow
"tuh-mo-tee" - Tomato
"aht-malee" - Oatmeal
"loppie" - Lollipop

Yes, it's spring in Colorado. These photos were taken merely a couple of days apart and yet one appears to be wintry and the other a summer scene.

feeling accomplished to feelin' dooce

I had been feeling so good about how far we've come with swimming and discipline and worry-free time ... until today when i tried to give Cullin a haircut. Good Grief. If you've ever read a story on the life of Heather B. Armstrong over on Dooce.com, you would know what I was talking about. It was ridiculous. You would think I was stabbing him in the neck with the scissors!
Anyway, let's focus on the positive. Above you see a photo from Easter after Cullin's first taste of a jellybean at the Planet Bluegrass Snow-n-Mud Season Easter Egg Hunt. And a couple of weekends later, we traveled to Carbondale to see the Jones' and get in the last day of spring skiing on our passes.
We have made great strides at swimming. Cullin has surrendered to the turtle's life and is actually enjoying himself most of the time now! Phew! All of that protest was really wearing me out, not to mention, he would get so worked up after a 10min session that he would instantly fall asleep upon exit from the pool just a few weeks ago.
The vocabulary is really too long to list, but my favorite words right now are: Bicycle (Bi-kit-it), Lollipop (Loppie), Caterpillar (Ka-pah-ler), Printing, and of course Guitar (Tah-que).
We are really in love with the guitar these days.