1 Month Down

 

Tomorrow Skylan will be four weeks old.  I can't believe how fast the past month has flown by.  We were lucky to have been joined by my sister in time for Sky's birth and for the first two weeks of her life.  She helped us get our house in order and prepared wonderful meals for us to eat while she was here as well as preparing a slough of meals for the freezer.  It was so nice to visit with her and for Skylan to get to spend time with her auntie.  We haven't had a visit with any other family since moving to Ann Arbor from California, save our visit to Wisconsin for Jim's cousin Tracy's wedding. Having my sister here helping us and spending time together, definitely made us feel very loved.  The day came when sissy had to fly back home and I cried the whole way home after we took her to the airport.  Her flight was canceled, so I went back to the airport to retrieve her and we ended up with one more evening being graced with her presence. 

 

 

Those were the first two weeks and we have managed two more on our own as a family of three + two dogs.  Everyday since Skylan arrived we have watched her change if even in the smallest ways.  She is so strong.  In the hospital her pediatrician was amazed at how strong her neck was and her muscle tone at just two days old.  In fact the pediatrician and nurses at Skylan's pediatrician's office said that she is stronger than the majority of infants her age that they have seen.  They attribute this to having a mother for an athlete.  She weighed in at 7 lbs 11 ozs at her two week check up, well past her birth weight.  She is a great eater and I know she is getting bigger by the day.  I may not have been climbing for the last year, but my arms are getting back in shape now.

 

My wonderful husband has been working while I have been recovering at home and taking care of Skylan.  Every day I think about ways to help her learn as she grows.  We nap when we need to recharge and get to know each other better when we are awake.  We spend much of our time with her just staring at her being amazed at her awesomeness.

Now that she is a month old she has begun to be more vocal and copy faces we make. Everyday she teaches herself new things and realizes her potential.  I'm excited to see how the next month goes, although sad to know the time won't last and continue to pass.  Our little girl certainly has our hearts. 

 

Happy Birthday Skylan Raine

 

New Parents

 

Skylan Raine Potter made her debut this morning, joining our family 1/11/13 at 8:07 am after 28 hours of labor.  She weighed in at 7lbs 3oz and 19 3/4" long.

She is absolutely perfect and marks a striking resemblance to her handsome father.  We could not be happier to welcome her into our lives.

 

Adventure into Parenthood

It's been some time since I climbed, ran, cycled or any of those things that got my adrenaline pumping.  I'm 38 weeks pregnant and ready to pop.  I knew that this journey would be unlike any other that I have embarked on.  A new test of my patience and skills to be honed.  I am without a doubt extremely excited to set out on this journey with my husband and partner in it all. 

Childbirth I suppose will be like any one of the adrenaline sports I have come to enjoy, not that I will particularly enjoy the process, but definitely the outcome.  I go into this experience that has yet to occur, thinking about how I have had those mentally draining moments while cycling for hours on end, pushing my body to its limits; how I have run for miles, pounding ground and pavement, telling myself I can do this, pushing myself to keep going.  I've learned a kind of mental strength that has allowed me to persevere where I would have otherwise become overwhelmed by the physical demand put on my body during my exploits. 

The ability to meditate as learned through my practice with Yoga and becoming a teacher should also be a useful skill for the upcoming event.  I was reading about hypnobirthing and self hypnosis and everything seems to be inline with meditation and affirmation.  Meditation will provide the balance and mental direction I feel I will need to bring this beautiful little girl into the world. 

That's right, a little lady will be joining us before too long.  Looking forward to meeting her and all the things that come along with it.

Bouldering and Slacklining: My Summer

It really has been turning out to be quite a wonderful summer. Time spent outdoors among the tall trees, fresh air and granite. Ok there's been a bit of sandstone in there too. I've made a few trips to Yosemite to play on boulders that began calling to me during my trip there in March. Only then I was in a cast with a broken wrist and still snowshoed out to run my fingers over the cold rock that would have my chalky fingers all over it in a few months. I couldn't resist the call.

I have spent a massive amount of time indoors climbing at Diablo Rock in Concord. I took the plunge and bought a membership. My strength has grown tremendously as well as my skill and technique, leaving me with a sense of accomplishment. My religious trips to the climbing gym helped me focus when some shit in my life got turned upside down for a minute. It helped me focus only on what I was doing while my fingers gripped the holds and I had to solve problems that were worth solving. I really did learn to let go of real problems that I had no control over. Bouldering/climbing has given me back a part of myself I think I had lost, maybe I had yet to uncover it.

I suppose I shouldn't allow my bouldering to get all the credit for my peace at heart and strength. Slacklining is my new true love among the others. I started out feeling so shaky and like it would be impossible for me to ever walk on a thin piece of tubular webbing. Well I persevered and after a week and half I was feeling confident in my newly developed skill.

Moving Into The New Place

Oh so much has been happening in the life of this Gypsy.  We've roamed 85 miles south.  With a new job supervising the Brentwood-Antioch REI.  The dogs (Merle & June) and cat (Denali) are settling into our new house rather well.  We found a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house with a big back yard and a garage.  1500 square feet = lots of running room for the pups.  And running have they been.  The other night I watched Merle soar through the air from the dining room into our back living room, over June.

Veggie to Vegan

Last July I came back from the High Sierra Music Festival a vegetarian. Every year I go back I have experienced life changing moments and made amazing friends. This last High Sierra was perhaps an opportunity for enlightenment like no other that I have experienced thus far in my life's journey. I made some decisions to take care of myself better than I had been doing. I was inspired to revisit vegetarianism. I now look in my refrigerator and cupboards and find myself really sticking to my vegan tendencies. I have been feeling better inside and out. My consciousness is rising and my more enlightened self wants to put my ethics to work in the kitchen so here goes. I expect that by the end of this month I will commit to my heart's diet. I am enjoying cooking new recipes I am finding and will share soon.

Open Heart....Open Mind

Recent events in my life have lead me to reevaluate the journey I am taking.  I have a lot of exploring to do.  Looking for positive influences in my life right now.  I feel like there is so much that I have yet to see and experience.  So many people that I have yet to meet and of course friendships to grow.