Adventures of the Great Northwest

We love the northwest. Seriously. So does Maia. Some adventures lately:



Hiking the Roman Nose...5 miles round trip with an icy lake at the midpoint.

Camping at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, OR. I wouldn't recommend this for 10 week-old babies.

And of course,
Moscow Mountain.





...Bring on Winter!!!

To Pixie or not to Pixie?

I go through this every year, and I'm beginning to think I should just keep my pixie. So the question today: to pixie or not?












Neither of these photos are particularly good, but what do you think? I'm a little more hesitant this time around because my face isn't quite as gamine as it once was...

Bubbles and Prams

Hello, I'm Maia. Let me introduce myself.

I like really hot baths with bubbles in them. Disregard that "safety" rule of 2-3 inches of water in the tub. That simply won't do.





Also, I really like my pram. My crib is okay, but only for an hour or so at a time. The pram provides mom with up to four hours of working time.



I'm particularly interested in looking around. During this sacred time, I refuse food by forming a small "o" with my mouth and gazing upwards at anything that moves.



I am also proud to announce that I am the new owner of an additional pound. You know those commercials that always say "real women have curves?" Well, I definitely felt like less of a woman in the 5 lb. range, but at 6.5 lb, I can safely say I'm more legitimate.

That's all for tonight, as I want to scream bloody murder at mom for putting me down.

We have a baby!

During my last post, I had a cold; turned out I was pregnant. Maia Kirstine Strawn was born on April 12,2011 at 5:09 via emergency C-Section (at 34 weeks). She is currently in the Spokane NICU, and we hope to have her home soon!

I went through 30 hours of labor (yes, I felt it all), and she was delivered within an hour of arriving at the hospital. Here she is being prepped for the helicopter ride to the NICU.



Here she is, tanning under her UV light (for jaundice).










And here, all 5 lbs., 1.5 oz. of her is attempting to shield herself from the camera. Got a good neck-roll, no?







Not the birthing and parenting experience I wanted, but she's alive, breathing, and potentially coming home this weekend (the first estimate from the doctors!).

Everyone has been obscenely generous and kind, and we appreciate everything that has been done for us (and that which continues to be done).