Banner Veil

Birthday shake

2012-01-22T00:12:00.002-07:00

Kristen and BV enjoying a birthday shake together at Red Robin. It was about a week late for Kristen, but Banner did not mind in the least.

Cousins in Breck!

2012-01-05T12:50:00.002-07:00

We all got a chance to visit Tasha and Ryan friends in Breck over New Years. Banner and Ella were able to form a friendship as long as BV was not stealing Ella's Cheerios.

Necklace time!

2011-10-29T08:44:00.002-06:00

BV celebrating our anniversary with a fashion show.

Fall Fest 2011

2011-10-28T20:19:00.001-06:00

Banner as a duck!

Pumpkin Patch.jpg

2011-10-22T15:09:00.001-06:00

BV in Jackson Hole.jpg

2011-10-11T17:25:00.001-06:00

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day!

2011-10-01T13:36:00.001-06:00

BV had here first foray into biking today! She is still a tad short for her balance bike, but she loved it. We headed over to Valmont for Kristen to demo a bike and for Banner to see other kids riding. This is her getting distracted with the play area, but we took some other pics when Travis and Laura and Mrs. Ramos stopped to say hello right before we left. I will add them later. Anyway, before we know it she will be cruising around

New balance bike!

2011-09-08T13:35:00.001-06:00

This is a secret, so do not mention it to Banner, but I just found a new balance bike for BV online. She still might be a bit to little for it and it might actually be a Christmas gift, but I am excited. This is the type without pedals, so that kids can learn to balance and get the idea of riding. Kristen and I ride a lot, so I think she will like it. We will see.

BV on train at Creek Fest

2011-09-04T18:03:00.001-06:00

Banner got her first train ride at the Labor Day weekend Boulder Hometown festival. She loved steering and waving at her Dada. Now to listen and dance to some music!

Beach BV

2011-08-14T17:00:00.001-06:00

Kristen and BV are at Sunset Beach this week visiting Gma and Gpa Matthews. She seems to be loving it!

New shoes

2011-08-14T16:56:00.001-06:00

Apparently, she had to leave Boulder to get her first pair of Crocs.

Lovin' Melon

2011-08-03T21:21:00.001-06:00

BV showing her pleasure at discovering watermelon.

Bike to Work Day 2011! My second time.

2011-06-26T08:42:00.000-06:00

Woohoo!

B & J & BV Free Cone Day!

2011-04-13T15:58:00.003-06:00

BV braved the beautiful if not slightly cool evening to have a taste of Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. Next up, May 10th Free Cone Day at Haagen Dazs!

She also learned that her Auntie B and Uncle A are coming for Easter!

Banner's First Birthday Party

2011-03-15T21:59:00.002-06:00

BV had her first birthday (March 9th) and party. Here is a link to some photos that Amir and Kat took. Below are some of our own.

Studying the cake

Party favor fun

The two new one year olds, Banner and Emory.

The party people.

Welcome Rolo dog

2011-03-02T21:04:00.005-07:00

Well, we added a new member to the family. Meet Rolo the dog. A 2 1/2 yr old German Shorthaired Pointer (at least partly) who is extremely, um, enthusiastic.

We had some chilly days here and Rolo needed a little extra insulation, so Jared was kind enough to let her borrow his vest.

Banner and Rolo have become accustomed to one another - Rolo especially appreciates Banner's high chair antics - there's sure to be something that ends up on the ground. Here Banner offers Rolo some hand sanitizer. A thoughtful gift.

Banner is moving all over these days! She loves to hold onto things and scoot around. No solo steps yet, though!

Relaxing in bed. Naps are the best.

Banner took advantage of a warm February day to play outside. She was very interested in the snowmelt coming down the drainpipe, but was dismayed to find that melting snow is pretty cold!

Fun with dad!
Banner's new friend Annika (6 wks). They decided to have a photo shoot in their matching pjs. Poor Annika - Banner was determined to have her pacifier for herself. And if the eye gets in the way, well...

Holiday catch up

2011-01-05T20:18:00.005-07:00

After an extended absence from blogging here is my effort to capture the last two months in 10 photos or less:
Thanksgiving was spent in Ellijay with the Matthews, Tierneys, and DeYoungs. Here is Banner with cousin Lina. Sadly, Banner wasn't feeling so hot during this trip, so she wasn't her usual cheerful self. It was a good Thanksgiving though - lots of cousins, aunt, uncles, and grandparents and food!
We prepared for Banner's first Christmas with a Christmas tree (our best so far, I think) as well as the arrival of lots of packages, much to Banner's delight.

Banner shows great regard for boxes of all shapes and sizes but she was especially proud of this big one. Very helpful for her pulling-up skills which she is now very adept at!

Christmas in Chicago! At the last minute Jared and I decided to drive to Chicago to be with Jared's sisters and our nieces and nephews. A great trip! Banner was amazing in the car and it was fun to be with family and have them meet Banner.
Here we are wearing our matching mother-daughter hats.

Amazingly successful family photo!

The kids and Buddy-the-dog.

Once back in Colorado we had yet another Christmas celebration to open all the gifts we hadn't brought on our roadtrip. Banner tripled her toy cache and was pretty hyped up.

Practicing her new drum.New Years weekend we got our first big snow and Banner was subjected to snowsuits. The snowsuit below allowed for a little more flexibility then some other options, and so was fairly well received. Fur collars being all the rage, she was also very fashionable.

A New Years hike and snuggle time with dad.

Sometimes dad's back gets to be a boring sight and so Banner adopts this pose. While I worry about whiplash, she seems to enjoy the perspective.

And there you have it! As for Banner's latest accomplishments: she seems content with a modified crawl - more of an army version. She is pretty proficient at it and so I think she will stick with it and not bother herself with the more traditional hands and knees version. Maybe she thinks she is more stealth this way.
She is pulling up on everything and is very proud of herself. We are also proud.
She will occasionally stand by herself for a few seconds but we are just at the very beginning of that.
She is an excellent waver and clapper and we are working on blowing kisses.
Finally, she is really getting good at verbalizing (some might say yelling) her opinions. She seems to be saying mama and I think she has a version of bye bye. Wishful thinking? Nah, we know she is brilliant.

Sad chili pepper

2010-11-06T21:50:00.005-06:00

Well, Banner experienced her first Halloween. She enjoyed the pumpkins and the fallen leaves. She tolerated the costume and trick or treating. And Jared and I have enjoyed the candy.
She's also got a tooth! Middle, bottom. She seems to be handling it well - a little fussier than usual but still sleeping great. She has added clapping to her portfolio of hand skills which also include waving, face grabbing (ours) and thumb sucking (hers). Some photos:

As you may or may not be able to tell, Banner is a chili pepper. It was actually rather warm here on Halloween and I think the combination of the heat and the heavy costume made her lethargic. She didn't crack a smile the whole time!

Here we are waiting in line for candy at the Munchkin Masquerade in downtown Boulder. All the stores gave out candy and it was a mob scene. I guess we might as well get used to this stuff! However, Jared and I were motivated by Reeses.

Banner enjoying the leaf pile Jared worked very hard to rake. She is very fond of eating leaves. I think she prefers fall leaves for their delicate crunch.

It looked fun, so I joined in.

Another popular fall activity - football! Jared, Banner, Bryon, and I went to see Texas Tech beat the University of Colorado. On homecoming no less. Poor Buffs. Banner did great - she lasted the entire game, which is more than many people can say.

Banner taking on an apple during the game. Very ambitious.

No snow yet, but we'll keep you posted...

Fall things

2010-10-16T20:47:00.004-06:00

Banner has had an exciting few weeks! Jared and I went to San Francisco to celebrate our 5th anniversary (it's actually not until the 29th...) and Grandma Matthews came to take care of Banner during our absence. We were gone 4 days and Banner did great! -at least that's what my mom told us :) Grandma and Banner enjoyed their time together, and Jared and I enjoyed our time together - though we were all happy to reunite. Here are some photos of it all, as well as some of Banner helping pick out a pumpkin.

Banner and Grandma had a lot of reading time. Banner loves this peekaboo book!

Best buddies! Banner was a little suspicious of mom at first, but she warmed up and by the end of the trip they were old friends.

Banner is playing with her personal pumpkin. It has a good handle for holding on to. Also a hanger which is, apparently, also very fun. Other favorite toys include the newspaper, boxes, and our cell phones.

Meanwhile...
Me with Alcatraz in the background.

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway. We had to stop and touch the Pacific Ocean (brrr!). Beautiful though.
Golden Gate Bridge
Jared doing the obligatory trolley photo. We actually loved riding the trolley. It was one of our favorite things. That and the food.

Banner wondering what she is sitting on.
Banner carefully surveying this year's pumpkin crop. We couldn't get her to look up for any of these: too bright.

We would still call this squirming...

2010-09-24T20:57:00.000-06:00

Scooting? Crawling? Army crawling?

One of the fortunate aspects of my job is my proximity to home. I happened to come home for lunch with my ladies and BV decided she wanted some turkey sandwich or nectarine enough to scoot over to my plate. This was about a month ago now, but she has continued to scoot enough that I installed a baby gate on Monday. I think that officially makes us baby owners.

More of the act

Zoo!

2010-09-21T21:37:00.006-06:00

A week of firsts! Sunday Banner pulled herself up into a standing position while holding onto a chair. Then yesterday she started creeping! Jared was home for lunch and I guess she just really wanted a taste of the peach he was eating because the next thing we knew she was doing a modified army crawl across the floor. She made it about 6 feet, and was duly rewarded with her first taste of peach. Time to start baby proofing!
Banner also took her first trip to the zoo this weekend. I think she was more impressed with the people and the other kids than she was with the animals, but we had a good time.

Here is Banner at the zoo entrance - she was making excited yelps.

Studying the zoo map. When asked what she wanted to see, she slapped the big cat section. It's my favorite too.

Jared, Banner, and giraffes.

Banner petting the Elephant.Lunch break! My necklace is one of Banner's favorite toys.

Banner and dad, taking a break to study the map.

This is just an extra photo illustrating one of Banner's favorite poses these days. She likes to rest here. It's as if she's asking to have her photo taking.

And don't worry, the Elephant was cardboard :)

Creede and first bites

2010-09-08T20:24:00.007-06:00

Banner had her first taste of food last week - at 5 3/4 months. She was ready! She was actually very excited for her rice cereal and milk. And who wouldn't be? Yum.

We spent Labor Day Weekend in Creede Colorado, home of Young Life's Wilderness camp. We "helped" close up the camp for winter. And we relaxed, ate good food, and hiked in beautiful country.

Banner is an excellent hiker! She can happily go for several hours. I think she just likes being carried...
Uncompaghre, one of Colorado's 53 14ers (14,000+ foot mountain), can be seen in the background.
Justin, Banner, and Jared atop Snow Mesa, with Baldy Cinco in the background. This was Banner's highest ascent so far, at 12,290 ft. She seemed to handle the altitude well, but didn't like the wind. Here she is settling in for a nap for the way back down.
Another view of Uncompaghre, as well as Wetterhorn.

Tea Party

2010-08-26T20:39:00.009-06:00

Banner's friends Bob and Sue Andrews gave Banner a beautiful pink cocktail gown when she was born. We've been waiting for an opportunity for her to wear it, but there have been no weddings, no balls, and no invitations to the governor's. And so we created our own event. A tea party! A party for the dress. So may we present, Lady Banner.
This is Banner's first time in a high chair. What a good sitter-upper! She can actually sit by herself for extended periods now. And when she falls she squirms onto her stomach.
Banner and mom - what a pair!
After some serious tea partying, Banner crashed. We felt that the dress didn't make the best sleeping attire. But she still has her fancy bloomers on!

Also in attendance were Kyla, Carol, Annabelle, Patty, and Ella. A lovely time was had by all.

Folks Fest

2010-08-15T23:15:00.007-06:00

Last weekend we all went up to Lyons for the 20th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. This is the same crew that produces the Telluride Bluegrass festival, so it was an amazing lineup of musicians and just a fantastic atmosphere. If you have not gotten a chance to make it to Telluride...go. However, if you do not want the seven hour drive from Denver/Boulder, a festival at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch is a close second. It is almost like a mini-Telluride with the St. Vrain cutting the canyon to make a natural venue and cooling you off in the heat.

Excited to listen to some live music!

The lovely ladies listening and playing.

BanBan insisting that I should not take a picture from the middle of the river. Maybe she is warning me not to dip her bottom in the water if I hold her. Either way, very intimidating look...and funny.

Seeing Marc Cohn onstage!

Anyway, this was Banner's first time at the festival naturally and she found it a great way to catch up on some sleep as you will see below. Our friends Leslie and Carl were gracious enough to let us bring her to their place for the evening to sleep while we caught a raucously reflective set by The Swell Season. The passion he puts into his performance is riveting. I was just so grateful that we were able to allow Banner to experience live music, if only at five months, which is something I enjoy so immensely. The only music she makes right now is her "singing" and some digitized nursery rhyme from a plastic smiling star pyramid thing. I will find a way to reprogram those with The Kinks, or at least some Gershwin. We always had music playing in my house growing up whether from classical to smooth jazz to piano practice/trumpet/flute to my first cassettes. If she grows up to tour as a member of BanBan's Banana Bunch that would be great, but I would like her to at least appreciate the art and performance of music. Did some say pictures? Okay.

Courtesy of Cesar, this pacifier is now just barely big enough for her to use. We have not really subjected her to it much yet, but thought it was hilarious.

Lounging and taking it all in...reaching for the camera of course too.

Banjo Royalty: I could not help, but get a picture of Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn when they sat right in front of me during Joy Kills Sorrow. The two of them opened the day on Sunday with a gospel set; very moving.

This is Banner and me enjoying the St. Vrain in the afternoon. As you can see in the background, people tube down it during the festival. BV got her feet wet and splashed around, but that was about it.

This is the three of us during one of her naps. Keep in mind, there are still performers and people around, but she was spent.

BV doing her best imitation of Calamity Jane during another nap as Kristen lounges.

BV and me at the river.

BanBan waking up from another long nap with Kristen lovingly looking on. We set up her own cabana with an umbrella and she took advantage.

BV requested that we get a picture with Jenny Lewis. She listens to her enough that she even wanted a diaper signed, but we wanted to be respectful of the artists. Yes, I am rocking a bolo tie.

Banner super-psyched about a gorgeous day and listening to such a great lineup.

July time

2010-08-04T09:39:00.025-06:00

Hmm - sorry it's been a while since we posted. It's been a busy few weeks - vacationing in Atlanta, Sunset Beach, and Charlotte, visiting family and friends. Banner has accomplished rolling over in both directions, though she chooses not to practice this skill often. She's also done with laying down - only babies do that! - and wants to sit (unassisted for brief spurts) or stand (assisted) all the time. She feels the need to grab everything and taste everything. Hopefully, one cup of coffee in my lap was enough to teach me to keep things out of her reach, but I'm sure we'll have more fun experiences like that. She's all smiles these days. except, of course, when she's avoiding naps. Overall she's lots of fun!
Here she is hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park over fourth of July weekend.

With Grandma and Grandpa Matthews at the beach In her makeshift bathtub with Ellie the singing cow

In the ocean!

Meeting my friend Liz and her girls, Lily Kate and Charlotte

Hanging out with friends and family in Charlotte: friends Chris, April, and daughter Ethne, Grandma and Grandpa Nelson, Uncle Herbie, Aunt Sarah, and cousin Andrew, and Aunt Bethany and Uncle Adam!

Some old, some new

2010-07-18T21:51:00.004-06:00

Enjoying the summer

"You may kiss my hand"

Funny family shot

Two thumbs up for her first outdoor concert.

Kristen and Banner decked out for the Kentucky Derby at our friend's place. I do not foresee BV wearing that whole outfit again, but sometimes you go all out for the Derby.

WonderMom! That is a salad, fruit smoothie, cookies and one enthralled-with-wonder BV.

This photo goes back a month or so, but I liked it. Okay, I guess she has been growing.

BanBan learning to suck on her hand when in deeply pensive moods.

Wide-eyed wonder I think they call it...

BV's first flight

2010-07-17T09:50:00.000-06:00

Kristen and BV flew out last week to head to a conference in Atlanta and then to visit family. This is the two of them at the airport ready for the adventure. BV was loving the airport. I could barely say goodbye before she ran off down the escalator with a smile on her face. So far, there has been a lot to see for her and many different places to sleep and humidity. She does not like humidity. They are at Sunset Beach, NC now with Grpts. Matthews.

It has now been over a week since I have seen them and I have been having withdrawal. Fortunately I have had the World Cup and Le Tour to keep me occupied. Apparently she has been learning new tricks. No one has actually seen the process, but Banner has been rolling over now from her back to her belly. Hopefully we will get some pics or video of it soon. I think she just wants to perfect it for when her dad arrives.

Speaking of which, I just arrived in Charlotte to visit my family. (For anyone keeping track, my old phone number is defunct, so 303-359-7096) I still will not see K and BV until likely Wed. I will drive down to the beach to pick them up, visit the Matthews, and head back up here to Charlotte until Sunday. This will likely be the last time we see them for two years! They are heading to The Republic of Korea to teach English to local missionaries heading overseas. By then Banner will be able to speak Korean. We would love to go visit, but we will see. More pictures coming soon.

Thanks again for visiting and check out our new friends at www.onthegoodroad.com We met them through our goodie friends Travis and Laura and they are roadtripping the country to raise awareness of people doing the good work and God's beauty. If you like what they are doing, buy them a cup of coffee...or chai.

Jared week

2010-06-30T21:05:00.008-06:00

Between Father's Day and Jared's birthday, last week was quite a week of celebration. Banner wore her special onesie for Father's Day. Many people at church commented on what a cute baby "he" is. Understandably. But I liked this onesie better then the girl options, which said "daddy's little princess". Anyway, we had a great day celebrating Jared as a father and celebrating our own great fathers as well. We love dads!

The next photos are from Jared's surprise party - a birthday camping trip! Jared was (mostly) surprised, I think, and Banner did amazingly well. She was all bundled up and snug as a bug (still gets cold here in the mountains at night). Jared was also bundled up in this amazing sleeping bag with arm holes. Banner slept all night long! That's better then she's been doing at home. Maybe we'll move her crib out into the yard... Anyway, we had a great time helping Jared ring in the new decade.

Bike to Work Day!

2010-06-23T11:24:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite days of the year in Boulder. People bike commuting everywhere, free breakfast stations with sausage and eggs, free Smartwool socks, and this year with some bike home stations. BV thoroughly enjoyed the morning ride and her first BtoWDay. We met up with Heath and Jen and Melinda at the Dushanbe Tea House before heading up to Ideal.

What made it even better this year was a US win in stoppage time to advance to the Round of 16. BV has been watching as many games as possible with me as I try to talk her through offsides which none of the refs seem to understand this Cup. Big game on Saturday!

Splish, splash BV was having a bash. (with video...finally!)

2010-06-21T22:47:00.009-06:00

This was actually BV's third time at the pool, but her first time actually in the water. Before any of you Caddyshack fans get concerned about floating Baby Ruth's, let it be known that she is wearing a special swim diaper. This was the backup swim diaper because Banner was wearing the cute little purple mermaid one when we left the house and apparently got overly anxious or nervous about the pool. Lesson learned about when to put on the suit. We found a sunshirt for her and a madras hat. All she needs is her sunglasses and a camera around her neck to finish off the tacky tourist look. As you can see, she is concentrating very hard on enjoying herself.

It did not take long for BV to go from uncertainty in this picture...

to wanting to go swim over to the big kids in this picture.

Banner seemed to enjoy being in the water and the semi-weightless feeling in her legs. Most of the time I was holding her pretty tight as I did not want to have a Nirvana Nevermind situation on my hands.

The post swim contentment is all over her face. We gave her a little bit of a break before she was nagging us to go back in.

Take a look at a long overdue video of Banner enjoying the pool with her Mom. (After many painful attempts at trying to edit longer videos and then upload them. I have realized that snippets will have to do. Sorry the quality through this player seems to be a bit lacking)

This is dedicated...

2010-06-13T22:59:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday, June 6th, Banner got dedicated at our church. Three friends, Laura, Travis, and Bryon, came to witness the event and celebrate with us. We picnicked in the park and then Banner, along with about 50 other kids, was dedicated. It was a fun day! Oh, and to make it even more special, Banner wore the dress that I
was baptized in 31 years ago. She looked beautiful. Enjoy these pictures - the really nice ones are, of course, courtesy of Laura and Travis. We hope that Banner will be a living reminder of our love for one another and God's love for us, and will grow to have her own relationship with God. We hope you'll join us in praying for that!

Hot Summer Times

2010-06-06T22:56:00.003-06:00

Banner has been a busy girl, enjoying the warm weather and having lots of new adventures. She is no longer content to just lay down, whether on a blanket or in your arms, but is instead always straining to sit upright. Any day now she is going to do a full-on situp! She loves to look around and see the world and is finding her hands and feet. Also, everything is starting to go straight into her mouth for a taste-test. She also likes to "stand" and test out her legs. She gets stronger every day!
Here are some new photos, including Banner's first trip by bike (she loves motion of any kind) and greeting us at the finish line of the Bolder Boulder 10k. Thanks Travis and Laura (pictured here with Banner in the shade) for getting up way too early on a holiday weekend to watch Banner while we ran!).
Other news - I started back to work last week. It was hard to drop BV off at day care, but I am only working 2.5 days a week now, so it isn't too bad.
k

Visit from Grandma

2010-05-26T19:51:00.001-06:00

Banner had a great visit from her Grandma Matthews this week. They shared lots of smiles, played games, and read books. She was a great babysitter while I got a haircut - the first since BV was born! - went to the eye doctor, and when Jared and I went out to dinner. Yay for grandmas! It was really nice having mom here. Thanks for coming mom! And thanks dad for letting her...!
Here are some photos of Banner looking at her rattle socks that grandma bought her, in her pretty pink dress for church, sitting with her buddy grandma while we tried to capture a smile (they always disappear when the camera comes out).

Hiking with BV

2010-05-17T23:32:00.004-06:00

We find it immensely helpful to have friends who are professional photographers. Why is it their pictures look so much better than ours? Thanks to Ben Fullerton of Fullerton Images for these photos of our hike at Marshall Mesa.

Doesn't Banner look tough here?

Jared conquered this mountain (hill) with Banner in our all-terrain stroller.

This is us from a distance...

Kristen (Before and After)!

2010-05-14T13:01:00.003-06:00

Our good friend Ben just did a review of a camping shampoo and took some shots of Kristen for the promo. Check it out!

http://www.backpacker.com/gear-zone-salon-grafix-invisible-dry-shampoo/gear/14166

The latest photos

2010-05-10T23:27:00.005-06:00

Smiles! They are hard to catch on camera, but this is the idea. We love smiles!
Banner helping get ready for our mother's day picnic.

She wore her special bib for the occasion.
Banner and her daddy - best buddies
Hiding from an unseasonable cold snap. seriously, snow in May? no good.
BV with her friend Emory. Each seems somewhat astonished when the other starts crying.
Banner peeking at the world. She's starting to be more interested in her surroundings!

First Mother's Day Picnic

2010-05-09T15:05:00.001-06:00

Kristen and Banner lounging in North Boulder park. It is a beautiful day for a picnic.

Hiking at Marshall Mesa

2010-05-08T18:29:00.001-06:00

Banner enjoying a hike in her BOB with Ben and Genny. I am not sure how we have never done that trail before, but it has a gorgeous view of Eldorado Canyon, Bear Peak, and Green Mtn. Now for some burgers!

Banner and the guest of honor

2010-05-01T11:14:00.001-06:00

Bob hanging out with Banner. Mind you a cut out Bob, but a Bob none the less.

My first dinner party tonight

2010-04-30T18:53:00.001-06:00

Surprise 50th for our friend Bob (of Patty) at Carelli's

Fairy and Elf Parade!

2010-04-30T13:58:00.001-06:00

Jennie and Rylie and Jaden met up with Kristen today on Pearl Street today. The annual Fairy and Elf parade was going on as you can see from Rylie's wings.

Lunch on the Creek

2010-04-23T10:51:00.002-06:00

Happy Earth Day!

Banner in Wonderland

2010-04-14T22:24:00.007-06:00

Banner has been a busy girl since our last post. She had a visit from her Uncle Joe, Aunt Tricia, and cousin Douglas. During their visit Douglas, Joe, and Jared went skiing/snowboarding in Breckenridge while Tricia and I shopped and relaxed. That was Banner's second trip to Breck and she was a real champ. Slept mostly. Great visit with the fam though - thanks guys!

Speaking of her amazing sleeping capabilities, Jared and I decided to push our luck and take her to a movie. But it actually worked! We went to Alice in Wonderland and BV slept through the whole thing. What a good girl. Next we are going to bring her to the library just to test the limits of her silent slumbering.
Other firsts for BV:
First documented bath. She didn't like the actual washing part but she liked being warm in a towel afterwards.First water aerobics class - she slept in her carseat by the side of the pool.
First run: Jared and I took her in the non-jogging stroller. She was pretty wide-eyed the whole time and sometimes her cheeks would bounce on the bumps, but I think she liked it.
First 6 hour stretch of sleep during the night: those were some good nights for me! She seems to have changed her mind, though, and is back to 4 hour stretches. Could be worse...
First time spitting up down mom's back: yup, poorly positioned burp cloth equaled regurgitated milk dripping down my spine. ew. also gross was realizing that i had been walking around with poop on my shirt for the better part of the day without realizing it. when jared came home he asked why i didn't wipe it off, but at that point the day was almost over, so what was the point?

Over and out,
k, j, and bv

Yes? Banner? Do you have a question?

2010-04-08T00:27:00.003-06:00

For those of you keeping track...

...BV hit her four week old mark yesterday! It is all easy street from here I have heard.

A Glacier in Boulder!

2010-04-06T22:33:00.006-06:00

Glacier Ice Cream that is. Our last night here with my parents was also our usual night to meet up with our friends in our small group. As a result and due to Travis's yearning, we decide to combine the two at my favorite Boulder ice cream shop. It was quite chilly tonight, but there is no bad time for ice cream...am I right? I ended up getting two gelato flavors instead, Dark Chocolate Creme de Menthe and Tiramisu...mmm.

Anyway, Banner was really great all day today and was really wanting to go to bed instead of out of the house, but she settled down nicely and slept while we consumed. She was not too social tonight with everyone, but next time. Unfortunately no pictures from tonight.

Well, my parents leave tomorrow. It was great having them here to help with raking leaves, fixing dinner, changing diapers,... They are plotting to bring Banner with them back to Charlotte, so all of you southeasterners will be able to see her. Not sure when we will be back to pick her up though. Then Kristen's brother, sister-in-law, and nephew (Joe, Tricia, and Douglas respectively) come in Thursday night for the weekend.

This is a shot of Banner getting her first diaper change in Watson (my Element) just after getting up to Breck. I thought it was fun.

Do not forget to feed the koi...

The Feast and more

2010-04-05T07:24:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of our Easter afternoon feast. Spiral cut ham, broccoli, sweet potato/apple/pineapple dish, fresh fruit plate, homemade biscuits, and a garlic squash risotto. Courtesy of my mom and Kristen.
The lovely ladies in our backyard after the noon service. Just waking up from a long nap.
My dad looking out from Peak 7 over Breckenridge (likely on Pioneer run). We were there on a Thursday and had many runs to ourselves with several fresh inches during the afternoon.
My mom and dad in the lodge off Peak 7. There was a nice area for the ladies to relax after walking around Breck while we tore it up slope side.

Hitting up Breck!

2010-04-04T22:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, admittedly this video does not show Banner at all. Although, it does show my dad ripping it up on April Fool's Day. My parents have been in town helping out with the little lady and we took a day to head up to the mountains. I have not taken time to shoot any video of her and post it yet. I took one of Banner dropping into a double black on Peak 8, but I must have deleted it...
Hold your breath for the video of her reeling off the alphabet.

I realized the file is too large...hold tight while I attempt to edit it.

Happy Easter and BV Bunny Day!

2010-04-04T21:09:00.003-06:00

Today Banner celebrated her first Easter. Here to celebrate with her are her Grandma and Grandpa Nelson. Banner has worked her charm on them as well. She started her day watching her family eat a tasty Easter breakfast of sausage and dyed eggs. Then she made an appearance at church where she was extremely well behaved...later in life we won't encourage falling asleep in church, but right now we are okay with it. When we came home we had an Easter feast courtesy of Gma Nelson followed by a Sunday stroll. Banner was exhausted at the end of her day and told us by providing a seemingly endless stream (pun intended) of dirty diapers. She actually did this amazing thing where she went from frenzied crying to deep sleep instantaneously. What a marvel.

The other thing that we did this week was take a trip to Breckenridge where Jared and his Dad hit the slopes and his mom and I roamed the streets. Banner experienced eating and diaper changes in a myriad of places above 10,000 feet. Funny how your definition of a nice bathroom changes from marble counter tops to one with a newer looking diaper change station. Enjoy these photos and please notice Banner's special Easter outfit.

Family

2010-03-29T22:25:00.005-06:00

Hello,
this is my (Kristen's) first attempt at posting on here. We'll see how it goes... :)
Banner is now completing her third week of life. My parents, known to Banner as Grandma and Grandpa (Matthews) visited her for two weeks and just left on Saturday. It was so nice to have them here! They went grocery shopping, made dinner, cleaned up dinner, did laundry, and cleaned the house. Not to mention paid endless amounts of attention to Banner. What more could you ask for in house guests? Thanks mom and dad!
Jared and I were on our own on Sunday and Monday. Jared worked Monday, though, so it was actually my first day to have Banner on my own. I had high hopes of going for a walk, doing a few errands...
Right.
In the end, Jared came home at 6 and I hadn't even been outside, much less accomplished anything. I did manage to make a mess of the house. Not sure how that happened. Poor Jared cleaned up after me when he got home.
I'll get the hang of it though, right? Or maybe I'll just change my expectations of what it means to "accomplish" something during the day. I did get a shower, which I think was a pretty impressive feat.
Anyway, Jared's parents arrive tomorrow. Yay for help!
It's way too late for me to be up.
Good night.
Kristen

March Meal Madness!

2010-03-26T23:24:00.003-06:00

After Wednesday, I had low hopes that going out to dinner work with Banner on a Friday night would work at this stage in the game. This was the last night that Kristen's parents where going to be in town and we wanted to take them out for dinner as a thanks. Realistically, we figured that a "curbside" dinner would be more likely. Kristen and I have never really been in the habit of eating out much because we are such skinflints, but I could see how "curbside" could be a parents dream, second to delivery I guess.

All that to say that we were hoping to feed Banner, jump in the car, have her sleep in her seat at Outback (a Matthews favorite) and head home. Unbelievably...it worked. Not that I did not have faith in our little lady, but evenings around dinner had been a bit unpredictable. She was so peaceful all through dinner sitting next to me that I rewarded her with a blooming onion to go.

Okay, not really, but I was wondering if we could get away with one of those "kids eat free" meals for her yet. Is there a minimum age on those? Obviously, she is not eating solid food yet, but the hostess asked if we needed a kids menu and if we needed a high chair too. I think that until you have to attempt to raise a kid it is all so amorphous to you as to the timelines on everything.

Well the meal hit the spot and we made it back home in time to watch the Elite Eight take shape. I will be honest that I am not happy with the fact that Tennessee is still in the tourney. Vanderbilt beat them both times this season! My friend Julia was back in Nashville last month and got Banner a pink Vandy onesie...or as guys like to call them a "shirt with snaps". I had hoped to have her rocking it in the Final Four, but that was admittedly wishful thinking.

You might notice that some of these are from the hospital, but rest assured we are still home. I just wanted to share some more...

Foiled!

2010-03-25T23:09:00.010-06:00

Well, last night (Wed) Kristen and I had our first (of many) forays into thwarted plans. It started out simple enough. Come home from work, wake Banner at 5:30 to feed, eat dinner, plan to leave at 6:15 to go see Avatar 3D while the parents watch Banner, come home to feed again and sleep. The coming home from work and the waking Banner went according to schedule, but that is about where it ended. She just decided to take her time waking up, being fussy for being awake, not really eating...at about 6:30 (with a 6:50 showtime) after not having eaten yet we decided that we would have to wait for another time.

I never got a chance to post some of our goings on right after BV was born. This first one was from our first walk on the Friday after she got home. It was a gorgeous day and we have some great paths around our house. This was also BV's first time on a playground! We had been using this sling that we got from Banner's Uncle Al and Aunt Silke to bring her out and about. She seemed to like it pretty well, but I always felt like I needed to hold her as well. Since then we have picked up a Moby Wrap that I mentioned before. Unfortunately I have not gotten any pics of her in that yet. I met Kristen and the fam for lunch and Kristen was toting her around looking like the hot mama she is.

The weekend after Banner was born she went to meet her new friend Emory down in Denver. Emory Sue Coley was born three days after her and they hit it off. Brent and Becca are the proud parents. Banner got a bit hungry while hanging out with Becca and tried to persuade her to comply which gave us all a laugh. Brent might have gotten that on camera. It was a long trip down to Denver, but she enjoyed the outing. We did have our first pullover and change the diaper in the back seat experience which was important.

Favorite Side

2010-03-24T12:30:00.000-06:00

I am bummed that it has been so long since I last sent an update. Anyway, we had a massive snowstorm last night here in Boulder. Before I went home I could not resist picking up a Free Cone at Ben and Jerry's for Banner. Since it was snowing like mad, I talked them into giving me two scoops at once since she is a growing girl. (I am not sure why free cone day was so early this year...usually it is around Earth Day in April) Unfortunately for BV, by the time I made it home they were gone.

The family is doing well. We are just trying to adjust to the wacky hunger/sleep patterns and now gaseous build up patterns. Sleep has been decent for me, but more intermittent for Kristen.

This is a picture of Banner all swaddled up and on her side. A favorite calming position of hers that we learned from 'The Happiest Baby on the Block'. She has been getting out for several day trips and frequent walks. I thought about bringing her out to help shovel snow last night and this morning. You have to get these kids helping out early these days I hear. She did help we sweep the carport the other day when it was nice out. All this by means of our favorite new Moby Wrap. I will try to send pictures of them soon.

Kristen's parents (you can call them Al... and Pam) have been with us since last week. They has been helping out especially with meals and dishes and the like. Thanks to everyone that signed up to bring or send us meals! That has been great. We have not gotten to the spanikopita (thanks Patty) due to some picky eaters...but we did polish off the veggie lasagna (thanks Kyla, and your dish is washed and clean)

I just got the update that Banner has been very good today and has actually been awake for awhile. She probably is jones-ing to go sledding at Scott Carpenter Park with all the new snow. At least a foot here! That is all for now.

Number Theory

2010-03-18T08:13:00.005-06:00

Several thoughts I had about Banner's birthday which you might think are as cool as I did

-When we first got to the hospital, they placed us in room 324. Banner was born at 3:24!

-When they moved us over to the family side after her birth, they moved us into room 309.

Banner was born on 3/9!

-My cell phone number (which I have had since 2002) is 704-502-1524.

7-4=3 (March is the third month) times
5-2=3 (Banner was born on the ninth day) and...

1524 in military time is also 3:24 pm!

It is as though as along, my phone number was predicting her birth date.

Kristen was not really impressed either...This is about the time that people have said I should go back to work...

Anyway, here are some pictures...

Also, I posted musings last night, but I backdated it to before the enchilada picture

Free enchilada!.jpg

2010-03-17T13:52:00.001-06:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Like I said, free green enchi at Wahoo's today. I think you need a coupon, but I can give you the goods (courtesy of my friend Jennie S).

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq203/79poohbear/wahoos.jpg

Also, Banner is now one week old!

Homecoming Day

2010-03-11T20:19:00.003-07:00

The last day in the hospital was quite an eventful one. The staff likes to call it "discharge" day, but since we have been and will be dealing with various discharges, I prefer to call it homegoing day. We were awoken early by o
ur pediatrician who wanted to make sure that everything was progressing smoothly.

Katie, the nurse that we liked so much from our first day, was working in the family side on our last day, so we were able to follow up with her again. Then the ladies from the hospital photo center came in to offer (sell) us a complimentary ("please buy more from us") shoot. We thought we might as well get Banner all dolled up for the first time as she had basically been wearing a diaper and her hospital straight jacket, other wise known as a swaddle. She was not a huge fan of the hullabaloo, but she did well.

Shortly after in our room, the hearing check people came in for their test. Moments before this lady had seen Kristen in the hall and asked "Are you pregnant?!" to which Kristen replied, "No, I actually just had a baby." When she came in to the room just before Kristen returned she mentioned how confused she was that I (Jared) was holding the baby and laying in bed because surely I could not have had a baby... She asked Banner's name and promptly replied, "Oh, my kids have weird names too...I mean...not weird, eclectic." Anyway, Banner passed the hearing test.

I think the hospital was aiming at getting us out by noon, but we had to wait for our midwife to come by with her official blessing. After packing everything up, we ended up just relaxing in our room for a couple of hours while we waited without everyone popping in every second. I loaded up the car and installed the car seat (which I remembered to at least put in the trunk) before Katie made sure that Banner was all snug. We had been keeping her swaddled most of the time so we had to make sure she was wearing something with mobility.
Laura agreed to meet us at home to take some pictures of our arrival. She even made this lovely "Welcome Home Banner" banner. After a quick change we all tried to take an afternoon nap before Genny was kind enough to bring us a scrumptious chicken, bell pepper, rice and peas dish. She was able to play with Banner while we ate and watched before several other more diaper changes and then bed.

Banner's first day...Sun to Snow to Stars‏

2010-03-10T00:10:00.003-07:00

If you saw from my first email, "Just as I say that though, the last twenty minutes they have started to become more regular" that was the start of it all. Kristen basically jumped straight to active labor while I was finishing my update. At about 12:15 pm on Tuesday afternoon, the contractioins jumped right to about five minutes apart from nothing much at all. At about 12:40, Katie, our nurse, came back in and began another monitor of Kristen's heart rate and contractions. Kristen felt the best when she knelt on the floor with a mat and an exercise ball. As I tried to time the contractions with her Nano's stopwatch, they quickly moved regularly to four minutes apart.

We had planned to have the accupuncturist join us at 1:30 to assist in kick starting the labor, but at about 1:20 Kristen and Katie and I decided that we should ask him to hold off for a couple of hours. We told him we would call him in two hours (3:30) to let him know how it was going and to come then. Our friend Patty was planning on joining us once things started to pick up to help with the coaching and support. Patty has such a calming aura about her and has worked as a doula with other births. About that same time, we had our midwife, Merrilynn, join us since things were moving right along. I continued to support Kristen by putting pressure on the outside of her hips during the contractions and attempting to help her visualize and think about relaxing as she alternated between kneeling on the mat and leaning over the exercise ball. Still timing with the Nano, the regularity moved to 2-3 minutes when Patty joined us at about 2:15 pm. She allowed me to use the bathroom and grab some bites of food.

After about 20 minutes, Kristen decided that she was ready to get in the tub. Katie warmed the water and lit candles and Merrilynn put some scented oil in the tub (Clary Sage, Kristen's request that she had brought along...I am not a fan, but I decided it was not my place to comment...) Kristen had begun some good steady contractions by that point and after only about 15 minutes in the tub, she felt like she was getting those pushing sensations. She got out of the tub and Merrilynn checked her dilation for the first time and decided she was ready!
I barely had enough time, to change out of my wet shorts from the tub and back into my dry clothes as she moved back out to the birthing stool. I have been affectionately calling it the air chair because it was basically a chair with no back or seat. She essentially sits on the bars and supports herself with her hands on an exercise ball in front or by her knees. By this time she was all out pushing with each contraction. Patty counted to ten with every push and she would try to get a couple of pushes per contraction. Merrilynn reached down and noticed that she was crowning and had Kristen and me touch the tip of her head! It was still hard to comprehend at that point, but Merrilynn quickly moved the exercise ball out of the way and got ready for the beginning.
It felt like with the next couple of contractions her head began to pop out and you could see movement with each push. Kristen tried again and all of a sudden the head was out! Merrilynn paused to move the cord around to the front and turn the shoulders, but then little Banner Veil scooted right out at 3:24 pm and began to cry with joy at seeing the world after 9 months of anticipation. It was absolutely breathtaking! They placed little BV on Kristen's chest right away as she still sat on the air chair. I was so amazed and proud of Kristen at the pace and efficiency and strength and courage of that natural birth. There was that castor oil cranberry cocktail, but from what I hear that is not very natural tasting. One of my minor fears had been expecting a long birth and then not being able to stay awake and having the energy for the coaching. Not to worry, we were done in time for afternoon tea!

They moved Kristen and Banner over to the bed to rest, to check Banner out, and to finish and clean the process up. Patty was kind enough to call the accu guy at let him know that we had the baby and did not need him to come in...a mere two hours after things started looking serious! It was such an answer to prayer. Praise the Lord for such an extraordinary couple of hours.

Well, I was going to tell you about the rest of the evening and today, but that took to look for me to think through. Basically, just more tests and weighing, and nursing, and sleeping and monitoring that occupied the rest of the evening. She slept decent last night, albeit a couple of diaper changes and some feedings.

The doctor woke us up this morning at about 8:30 to perform his diagnosis, but the rest of the day was filled with eating, visits from a lactation consultant, Travis and Laura, Becca, Gina, Carol, Patty, and Bryon. It snowed today and Banner also took a massive 3 hour nap. I was amazed. Maybe more so because I was holding her that entire time from the bed to a walk down the hall several times to reading in the chair to handing her off to Bryon. We will see how tonight goes, but she has already slept again this evening for two hours now. Speaking of which, it is time for me to sleep. We are out of the hospital tomorrow and back to 5580 Penn. for Banner's first time.

All our love and enjoy the day,

Banner, Kristen, Jared

Nap time

2010-03-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Banner and mother are doing excellent. Just having some needed rest. Hopefully later today I will give you the story. Thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers.

Success!

2010-03-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

She is lovely and wonderful! More to come...all are healthy and doing stellar.

also...

2010-03-09T19:50:00.003-07:00

Oh, you wanted to know her name? Did Jared leave that out?

Banner Veil Nelson

Banner (Isaiah 49:22, among other references to God's love: I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.)

Veil is after Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, CO - a special place to us

Born 3:24 this afternoon (yeah, once labor got started she came in 3 hours!) 7 lbs 12 oz 20.5 inches

Little Lady Time!‏

2010-03-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Good day everyone! It is a gorgeous day here in Boulder. We have gone for a walk outside a couple of times to increase the progress, but it has been slow going so far. Well, the morning has flown by, but so far the contractions have been irregular. Just as I say that though, the last twenty minutes they have started to become more regular. To catch you up on things, this morning at about 5:30 in the am hour, Kristen woke me up to let me know that her water had broken. She was very calm and we just lay there a bit and rested and talked and prayed. I started to feel nervous since I had not packed my bag or put away my laundry or put the sheets on the guest bed or...you know all the things that are really important. Kristen had already talked to the midwife about her status and they said that she should aim to come in a bit to get checked out. She lay back down for a bit while I started putting away clothes and packing clothes and straightening the house.

After twenty minutes, Kristen got up to take a shower and get some last things together and make me a lunch while I finished getting cords for phones and cameras and then showered also. It was about 7:30 or so when we left the house to make the long 1 mile drive to the hospital. Kristen had still not really begun regular or strong contractions at this time. Now we have just been alternating between resting, climbing the stairs of the hospital, walking outside (mid 50s today), getting monitored (just Kristen and the baby), praying, listening to some music.

Kristen did have a morning cocktail. A little Castor Oil and Cranberry on the rocks. It is supposed to get things going. We do have an accupuncturist coming in about a half hour, so we will see how that helps. We are trying to get this going as naturally as possible before 5 or so since her water broke about 12 hours before. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you notified. You are all loved, Jared and Kristen

Welcome!

2010-03-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile