Garrett is 1/3 of a year old today!

Today Garrett is four months old. We went to the ped. on Tuesday, and he is 11lbs, 12oz and 24 inches long. It seems like he has grown a lot more than one inch to me! Physically, he is moving in leaps and bounds. He is rolling over regularly, is very close to being able to sit up without support, and loves to stand up with someone supporting him under his arms. He is awake more during the day, usually only taking 2-3 1 hour naps, and is less fussy than he used to be. In his four months, he has flown to Missouri and New Mexico, and had his first cross country road trip. In a few weeks, he and I will have our first plane ride without daddy to go meet his Grandpa Hosein, Uncle Ali, his great-grandmama, and a whole other side to his fabulously huge family. What a busy boy! Next month, there might just be some teeth in that big ole grin too!

Haylee's return to the agility ring

Anyone who knows me knows how much I missed doing agility with Haylee while I was pregnant with Garrett. After almost a year off, we came back to the agility ring with a big bang at MOC's Fall Trial. It was a four day show, but we decided to trial only on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to keep her from getting burnt out and also to take it easy since it was Garrett's first ever trial. I was hoping to finish her Open Standard (OA) title, which she only needed one more "leg" (for you non-agility folks, a leg, or "Q" is a qualifying run--the dog needs 3 Qs per title) to finish. Well, on Thursday, she got that Q in Open Standard, finishing her title with a 2nd place run. She also got her first leg in Excellent A Jumpers with Weaves (JWW) and placed 1st. I moved her up to Excellent A Standard, not expecting much because she has some contact issues and because we haven't trained much. On Saturday, she NQd (That's "Non-qualifying" for you non-agility folks) in Standard due to my handling error, but still ran beautifully. She Q'd again in Jumpers and took 2nd. On Sunday, she got her first Excellent "Double Q" and placed in both classes. That finished up her AXJ, or Excellent Jumpers, title. So now we are on to excellent B, where we start the long, long road to her MXJ and further down the line, her MACH, or Master Agility Champion. Not bad for a dog who has practiced four times in the past 6+ months!

Garrett did great--he met lots of new people and puppies. Aspen stayed home, but he didn't mind because when Haylee places she brings home a new toy for him. We all had a ton of fun! Sadly, I didn't get any pics at all . . . so everyone is just going to have to settle for a pic of Haylee and Garrett sharing a blanket a few days before the trial!

There is probably no stopping him now . . .

Garrett rolled over for the first time at a few days shy of three months, and this week he started doing pretty much every chance he could. When he is mad about something (a diaper change, being put down for a nap) he will try to flip over . . . and so it begins. I know once this little guy gets moving there just isn't going to be any stopping him, and Brad and I will never get a moment of rest!

Yesterday, Garrett took his first moves in his walker . . . He pushed himself backwards in the kitchen. Took a quick video, will post it soon.

Other than that, not much else is new. Last night was the first time since we returned home that it wasn't a huge ordeal to put him down for a nap. Oddly enough, he was up twice (once at 11 and once as 5:30) which is pretty unusual for him. But I certainly don't mind those late wakings when he isn't a complete fussy butt :-D

Oh look, feet!
Puppy love . . . again!

Road Trip!

We left the Thursday evening before Labor Day (after being home from NM for a mere 2 days) for Ohio, then Kansas City. My mom had asked me a while back to come home because our Cousin Kay and her wonderful children (at least nine of the ten), would be coming for a visit. At the time, we didn't think we would be able to. Then lo and behold, Brad was being sent to Kansas for work the following week, for the ENTIRE week. Well, Brad and I don't do being apart very well, and certainly not for a week. I had just left my poochies the previous weekend for us to go to NM, and while they had a great time with their doggie sitter (thank you Cassie!), I wasn't ready to do it again. So, we all five loaded into the Yukon and headed off for a major roadtrip. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend driving 3000+ miles, non-stop across over a dozen states to anyone with a newborn. We drove 20 hours to Ohio, 12 to Missouri, and then 24 back home.

It was great to be back in Ohio (so long as only for a visit!). The Montes clan was as charming and jubilent as ever, and we all had a great time camping out. It was amazing to see how much all of the kids had grown, and Garrett had plenty of people to love on him. The most entertaining item of the weekend, however, was Aspen. The weather was miserable and rainy, and after half a day of being in the rain and hating it, Aspen decided he would be better off in the tent. So WHAT if the tent door was closed. He is grey, he wanted in, so he opened the tent. Wet, muddy grey dog in tent does NOT make for a happy mommy. So we locked the tent with a D-ring. He then tried to climb the tent. VBGD!! (For those of you who haven't lived with a Weim, that stands for Very Bad Grey dog!! A common abbreviation for those of us nutty enough to own a weim). Well, night comes and we all climb in the tent. Aspen does not want to sleep on the air matress. And he certainly can't sleep on the ground. His crate, which is big and metal, was in the car, but Haylee folding crate was in the tent. Sooooo, what do you think my 90lb doggie does?? he crawls into Haylee's itty bitty crate. Haylee weighs 14lbs, in case you were wondering. It was quiet a sight. What was more amazing is that he managed to turn around in it, lay down, and take a nap. Needless to say, he was thrilled when we got to Kansas City and he had a nice bed and a roof over his head again!

Garrett and I (you can tell we are camping! :-D)

Garrett and Daddy

Brad boating with Brian, Cole, and Devon
(who belong to Amber, who is Kay's eldest's fiancee's sister)
The funny thing about this shot, which you can't quite see, is all four of them had an oar
Poor Taylor, Kay's second eldest daughter and keeper of the little ones, about had a heart attack when Brad took them off alone, and was certain that with everyone holding an oar, they would never return to shore!

At any rate, Garrett got to meet his Great-granddad, and lots of other family members. And of course, spend a little time with Grandma Becky! He seemed to enjoy his first weekend camping, despite the 50 degree nights and rainy days. Not bad for a Florida Boy!

All the kids:
Issac, David, Devon, Erika, Cole, Alleah, Matteah, Josiah, Brian, and Joel

Kay and Garrett having a little chat

4 Generations: Me, my mom, Garrett and his Great-Grandpa Bob

On Memorial Day we drove to Kansas City . . . in addition to Brad going for work, his parents are there. I took all my work with me, and spent some serious time working sans baby while he got caught up with Grandma and Grandpa, as well as Nana and Pawpaw and Aunt Stephanie. Rooke, Stephanie's poodle, was quiet put off by the invasion of his home by my rowdy crew. But Aspen and Haylee were too pooped from their camping adventure to care. They pretty much slept all week.

Nana and Garrett


Grandpa and Garrett on top of the awsome lighthouse slide for the pool
Watchin' TV with Auntie Stephanie and Uncle Rooke
(Poor Rooke was not thrilled about Aspen and Haylee's presence, but especially Aspen's!)
Walkin' with Grandma!
. . . And watchin' football with Grandpa!
But MOMMMM, I'm naked!
(One of the many faces of Garrett, as his Grandma calls them, after a bath at her house)

Bandelier National Monument

Whoever thought to call a 30K+ acre park a "monument" needs their head examined. This place was pretty cool! Located just outside of Santa Fe, Bandelier National Monument boasts some pretty decent hiking. Since we only had the day, we did the two most popular trails--the Falls trail, which lead us through the Jiminez Mountain range to the Rio Grande river, and the paved trail that passed by some ancient cliff dwellings. Unlike the dwellings at Mesa Verde, which I went to with my dad long ago and far away when I was a kid, these dwellings aren't made in sandstone, but rather in volcanic tuft. Certain compounds in the tuft allowed portions to weather out, which others remained intact. The indigenous people of this area then enlarged the weathered out areas and built in front of them . . . .

This was Garrett's first hike--we bought him a backpack for the occasion, but he really didn't last too long in it . . . I think his little muscles got tired of holding him upright after a while (he still can't sit up on his own yet). At any rate, Brad ended up hiking a large part of the time with an empty pack while Garrett hung out in his sling. He was a decent little hiker, and spent most of the time napping. AND he was three months old to the day.

The only time I really wasn't thrilled with my decision making was when I followed Brad up to what is referred to as the Alcove House--a ceremonial cave on the Main Loop Trail that requires climbing 140 feet into the air on wooden ladders and little stairs carved into the cliff face (there was railing--I am not THAT crazy!) . . . at any rate, all was well until Garrett woke up. Slinging a crying baby back down those ladders and stairs wasn't too fun . . . but it was definately an adventure to remember! Poor Garrett, he had just had enough for one weekend, and we had neglected to realize it was his "home" bedtime when we started up. I don't think I am in a big hurry to travel across two time zones with a baby any time soon!!

We did the falls trail first . . . it boasted some spectacular scenery, including two large waterfalls. The geology of the place was pretty cool too--would share, but that would make for a REALLY long post! So you will just have to go to NM and find out for yourselves. Enjoy the pics--I didn't take the digital on the ruins trail, but will try to scan some of Brad's film pictures in sometime soon.

Brad and I at a Scenic overlook

Yeah, notice the lack of solid ground beneath that chunk of rock my husband is standing on. That man is gonna give me grey hairs very soon!


Tent rocks: the neat bi-product of some tuft being weathered away while other parts remain


The upper falls . . . the sun was all wrong to catch this water fall in its full glory, but apparently it flows into the caldera of an ancient volcanoe, which errupted through the spring that overlaid it. Interesting geology, I reinterate! NM is such an awsome state!

The lower falls

Brad and Garrett during one of the few times he was happy in the pack
One last bit of fabulous NM scenery!