One Month

Gus just passed the one month mark. He is doing well, still eating and sleeping like a champ. He is a little pork roll and still looks a lot like Kai. We've been toting him around with us all over the valley. He never complains about anything and has done a remarkable job of sleeping through all kinds of noise - including his brother hooting and hollering right next to him. He is a grunter and snuffler, but also lets out the occasional coo as well. He's shown good strength already by lifting his head off of our chests and off of the floor when he is having a little tummy time.

Kai is absolutely charging around. He has been obsessing over his new bike - and all bikes in general - kind of like his dad. Katie and I did a mountain bike trade out day down at Hartman's in Gunnison and we were letting Kai ride his Strider (bike) around the parking lot. He would ride up to every new group that arrived, point at their bikes and shout "BIKE!" He wipes out, gets up and dusts his hands off, and then gets back to riding. He has become sweeter with Gus and is very independent when Gus is most needy. It is so great to watch him do his thing. He is a ham, and it is amazing to see his personality develop.

Katie and I are loving the roles we play. She has pushed me to become more active in the process - which has been critical because I seem to have a tendency to slip into reading something and being disconnected. I am currently typing one-handed because I am holding Gus with the other. I don't know how I could shut out this life. Gus is falling asleep in my arms, Kai is wheeling around in his toy car (blaring electronic songs) while looking to mooch more food from Katie.

We had dinner with friends last night. A couple we like a lot are having a baby in August. A couple other couples that have been together for a long time seem to dance around the topic - if it is brought up. One friend said "I'm too selfish to have kids right now. It's why we have dogs." I don't think anyone is right or wrong here, it was just that observing friends who I used to get viking-crazy with and the state of our relationship right now. There is a part of me that wants to tell them having babies is the greatest thing in the world, but maybe they can see it by the way Katie and I raise our boys and let them interact with our friends.

I have been blown away with the amount of riding Katie and I (mostly me, though) have been getting in. Katie rode Sunday and Monday and I rode all three days of this Memorial Day weekend. Hartman's is in great shape and, as always, I get to ride hard and travel down memory lane. I still call out to myself sections I have named after old friends or notable crashes, and sometimes after nothing but a whim that passes through my mind whenever I roll through a particular section of singletrack. I am grateful that Katie is so positive about maintaining an active lifestyle. This is definitely a part of my dream for the family that, like the best relationships I have in my life, we stay active and enjoy positive, fun, and healthy experiences together.

Anyhow, Kai is getting ready for school. Gus is back in his papasan, and it is time to chip in to get this show on the road. Graduation is on Friday and I feel so much better than I did last year at this time. There are a lot of factors in that, but mostly it just feels great to enjoy this time of year - especially because I think it stopped snowing.