San Rafael Swell (part three)

We've found that part of this whole parenthood thing is about redefining those things you once loved to do and figuring out the best way to do them with a kiddo. And for us, that means being in wild places. Luckily for us Isa loves being outside and for this we are really, really glad! But that doesn't mean that there aren't lessons to be learned on how to camp or hike or bike or just live with baby.

So for this trip, that meant learning how to set up camp with baby, cook dinner with baby, etc. For the babywearing audience, the onbu was awesome for camp chores, as the daddy so graciously modeled in the first photo. For baby entertainment we discovered the wonders of cheerios... she could be content for hours. But when that contentment runs out, there are always rocks! To pick up of course, not to eat. You can lick them, you can hold them, even bang them together! Ah, baby bliss.

The daddy will be adding videos soon so stay tuned for more. We will also add a photo link to this post so everyone can see the rest of the pictures from the trip.

San Rafael Swell (part two)

Ah yes, nothing like a little tent time to rejuvenate the body and soul! One of the lessons we learned from camping with a baby is that a tent can make a wonderfully childproof space (atleast at the moment). And since we were car camping and living large, fluffy pillows included, there was alot of soft space for Isa to roll around on, do nose dives, practice crawling, and what not. So we thought we should include some cute photos of Isa in her domain... the super cushy car camping tent.

San Rafael Swell (part one)

Phew. We did it. Isabel's first canyons trip! Here is the first part of the San Rafael Swell blogorama. I decided to kick this off with a little scenery... gotta love beautiful red rock slot canyons, eh? We sure do. These pictures were taken in Chute Canyon, in the southern Swell. This day was by far the longest day Isa has spent in the backpack. And as such, it was a learning experience for all of us. Roundtrip, the hike took about 4.5 hours and of that time the baby was mostly happy and enjoying the ride. But there is only so much sitting one baby can do and towards the end she was ready to moving on her own and not tagging along with the old folks.

That said, this was just about as nice as a first desert hike can be and we rolled into camp feeling tired but happy. Unfortunately that night afforded us very little sleep. Loud neighbors, a head cold, and a totally new sleeping environment made for a groggy morning on day three of the trip, which is a perfect segue into the next post... lazy tent time. Keep reading!

"Dada! Dada! Dada!"

The recent vacation was significant in the world of Isa for so many reasons. But one occurance was over-the-top exciting... Miss Isabel's first word. Dada! After much prompting and repitition (by a certain dada) Isa surprised both of us one lazy afternoon by uttering her very first real word. Granted, she doesn't really understand who or what this dada thing is, but she does know that there is some importance behind the sound. After she says it, she looks around for a little reassurance. She has an expression on her face that says, "Was that it? Did I do it right?" Yep, you did Isabel, nice work! Now if we can get her to work on the mama...

Eight Months!

HAPPY EIGHT MONTHS ISABEL!

Southbound...

The Schneiderpants Family is officially on the road. We are headed down to Utah's San Rafael Swell as of Wednesday morning. It's Isa's first big trip to the desert! Woohoo! Hope it goes well, despite her nasty cold, as this will be the first of many camping and backpacking trips (note: the daddy already has the whole summer planned out.)

We will be back on Sunday night, so stay tuned for a full report with lots of adorable photos upon our return. And yes, (grandparents) she will be plenty warm. We promise.

Mango Fandango

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. And so this morning, as I sit with my hot cup of coffee and my beautifully content child, I ponder the greatness of one such invention: the fresh food feeder.

Parenthood brings with it enough gear, accessories, and general plastic crap to make just about any mother or father a bonafide baby product expert. The useful and the useless are quickly sorted into their like piles, and those things found to be most essential are passed along to the next kiddo. And so it was that we were given the gift of the fresh food feeder. Our friend Becky dropped one by a few months ago after hearing that Isa had entered the realm of endless teething. (We're now at almost 5 month of teething and still no teeth, by the way.) Supposidely these things were great for sore gums... stick an ice cube in there and you're good to go. We found this to be true and have loved it for ice ever since.

But this morning, after the first rough night of sleep (or lack there of) in over a week, Isa and I discovered the next best thing... mangos! Yes, chunks of frozen organic mangos and one fresh food feeder equal one very happy baby. Ahhhh. I wasn't sure how a new fruit would go over this morning but I think we're in love. The frozen factor is perfect for the gums, the fruit is good for everything else. Before we knew it, she was covered in golden slime and giggling with satisfaction. Success.