The MNSCS Dirtspanker race was just over a week ago. Scott got 7th and I got 2nd. The course has a nice long climb on it that I just tried to stay steady on and not lose too much time to Jenna, but I did anyway. I stunk in the singletrack and after talking with Scott this past week realized my rear shock was locked out. Wrong race course for that to happen. Scott felt ok during his race until he started cramping on the 3rd lap and still had one more to go. He only lost one place. The rest of the week after that race I felt wasted. The course is so fun, but definitely one of the more challenging courses in the midwest. Spirit Mountain is tougher though (that race is in Sept). There is also a new race in Duluth this year at the new Piedmont trail system. It starts in Lincoln park and climbs up to the infamous Exhibition drive (in the wintertime where all the houses are all lit up with Christmas lights along the Duluth hillside). From there it will enter the new singletrack built over the past couple of years by COGGS and other volunteers.

Scott and I finally decided late in the week to go to the Chain Drive Festival in Houghton, MI. It was tough to decide between that race and Mt. Morris, but Houghton is definitely a cool town to hang out in so we chose to go in that direction. Thankfully, Scott took the initiative because if it were left up to me I would have been sitting on the couch or catching up on sleep instead of driving 4.5 hrs to the U.P. I was not excited to race as I had not ridden my bike in two days, put in a long day at work on Friday in the clinic and felt both mentally and physically wasted. Scott drove the whole way with Kiera playing nicely and then finally falling asleep while I tried to sleep, but somehow it always seems to escape me.

Luckily, a friend of a friend helped Scott find us a babysitter during the race so both of us could race. Scott later wished he would have been the babysitter and saved the entry fee and babysitting money.

The course was really fun. Since it had been two years since we had raced the Chain Drive, they have added a lot more singletrack. The singletrack is well worth the drive even if neither of us felt that good while racing. Scott was in second place until 10 miles to go. His group wasn't going super fast, but he just fell apart and couldn't push his pedals any more than an easy spin. I almost caught up to him so that tells me how bad his race was as my legs hurt the entire time while racing and I felt like my head was in a fog of fatigue. I also had way too much air in my tires in the singletrack and felt like I was in a pin ball machine getting bounced around. The rocks were still slick from the rain the day before. I should have stopped to let out some air. My skills are just not that good yet. I was very glad to see the finish line. I was thankful I still finished first as I was sure the second place woman was going to catch me. As neither of us felt stellar about our day and Scott considerably more bummed than I, we decided to head home straight after the awards.

Kiera did really well and loved the babysitter. She had a great day looking at all the people and everything. Of course when she saw me the crying started as she finally realized she was hungry and then settled in for her first nap of the day in the early afternoon. Since getting back to Duluth after sweltering in the VW van with no AC, we have been to the zoo, lakewalk, on a hike with a friend and visiting with several of our other friends and their children. It is fun to see Kiera interacting with other kids. We are thinking she'll be an extrovert and take after Scott more in that way.

This is a photo of Kiera and her Great Aunt at the Afton MNSCS race a few weekends ago. They had a blast and it was so nice of her Great Aunt to want to hang out with her. We had a very busy weekend first by celebrating my dad's 70th birthday party in his hometown of Mora. There were a great number of relatives there...from as far as Alaska. Then we hung out and stayed at the Swanson's meeting their friends that have a 6 month old and of course seeing little Stella.

I felt better at the Afton race than at Cable by quite a bit. It is a different type of race course though being primarily singletrack at Afton, whereas the new race director at Cable took out most of the singletrack. I can tell I have not found my pre-pregnancy racing form, but things seem to be heading in the right direction. Or at least I thought so after the race. Scott didn't finish his race. He doesn't seem to do well in the heat. It was about 85 degrees and, thankfully, windy. Our car doesn't have AC, so Kiera got a bit overheated and fussy on the way home (poor kid). By the time we got home that night it was 41 degrees in Duluth. We got a better warm up this time than at Cable. However, I am more concerned with getting our babysitter and daughter all set up that I don't warm up as well as I should. Nothing like a race to jump start the system!

The Cable Classic was our first race (back in May). Neither of us got a warm up as we were trying to make sure our baby and babysitter (Michelle F-H) were all set. They had a blast and Michelle did such a great job of keeping Kiera warm and happy. The race was about 35 degrees at the start. I really didn't want to race, but since we had a babysitter I felt obligated. I didn't feel good racing, got a really slow start and couldn't wait for the finish line. There was quite a bit of singletrack missing from the race course compared with previous years and at one point in the race I got kinda bored. We really like the Hayward/Cable area and have been racing this race for years to support the area. On a high note, I did feel better racing this year than last year while pregnant. Scott didn't have a very good day. He doesn't really know why except he may have seasonal allergies. The cats have been gone from our house for about a year and he is feeling much better overall. He no longer naps everyday after school/work and has been a whole new person in terms of energy level.

As far as expectations for this season I've come to realize I shouldn't have any. Neither of us get regular sleep and thus regular training is difficult. Some days while riding I feel so tired that I am not sure that it is doing me any good except it is good to have some time to myself. Our next planned race is this coming weekend - Mont du lac MNSCS race. There has been additional fun singletrack added to the racecourse lap from last year. I hear it is really fun! I'll get a chance to preride it the day before the race as I work the days the course is open to ride (Tues). Since Afton, neither of us has felt very well and my rides are exceptionally slow with zero ability to go fast or hard. So, one or both of us may be handing out water instead. We'll see.....

NEW BIKES AND KITS

I've finally got both bikes together and set up for the most part. I've got to get a reverse pull derailleur for my bike and some rim strips for our wheels, but then we are ready for the race season. I rode my Fuel for the first time on Sunday on gravel roads since the trails are still too wet. It feels very similar to last year's bike but I seem more comfortable on it - maybe it's a touch smaller????

I cannot wait to get this thing on real singletrack and give it a real whirl.

Here's a few pics of some of this year's items.

Next up: CABLE OFF-ROAD CLASSIC!

My new Fuel is like pedaling air. This winter and into early spring, we were both riding my Paragon (and, for me, not enough) with little to no bike maintenance. I cannot believe how much better my new Fuel feels to pedal as well as my legs afterward. Moab was a pretty eye opening trip for me. I fully realized how out of shape and over tired I am from lack of sleep these past 7 months. My biking legs are not coming back as quickly as I was hoping. I realize now how much more I was able to train in the past and how much Scott and I trained together; especially helping one another get out the door to ride when we may have not felt like it. It is much easier now to make excuses and play with Kiera instead. She is such a great kid!

Kiera is finally sleeping through the night these past couple weeks (except I still get up once or twice to give her a nuk instead of nursing her back to sleep). Overall, I am feeling some better and better on my bike and training in general. Scott is fired up to race, whereas I cannot help but feel a bit reserved. I am starting to feel better since I have added a few intervals into my training regimen and gotten back in the weightroom. I was doing pushups, ab work, and other dumbbell exercises at home, but I realized that was not enough. I didn't feel strong while riding in Moab. Luckily, Scott lifts on his lunch breaks two times per week and Kiera and I join him for one of those times as my work schedule allows. It is fantastic as Kiera can play on the mat while Scott and I lift. (The weightroom is usually empty while we are in there so it works out perfectly).

BACK HOME

It sure is nice to be back home. The drive out to Moab is pretty easy, but the return home is always much more difficult. It didn't help that Vail Pass was closed due to an accident, so we had to spend a couple of hours waiting for the DOT to clear the site and open the road again.

Kiera was quite a trooper during the entire trip. She didn't fuss at all on the ride down and she absolutely loved everything about Moab. Like the rest of us, she was a little cranky on the way back, but it wasn't too bad. We stopped in to meet Stella Swanson - boy is she cute! Kiera enjoyed grabbing at her and playing with all of her toys...

It was nice to see most of the snow melted because the gravel roads are really starting to shape up. The city opened up Skyline Road-our gravel road in the summer/snowmobile trail in the winter-last week so we now have another access road for our mountain and cross bikes. I got to enjoy these views the past week now and and there are very few cars that frequent them so that is also a huge plus.









On a side note, my brother Brad who now lives in Flagstaff, AZ, just ran his first half marathon. He has a propensity for getting lost in mountain bike races, and the half marathon was no different. However, the funniest part of the story is that as he was packing his bag for the 1/2, he included two right shoes. Instead of bagging the race, he decided to take out the insole and run the thing with two right shoes! After finishing the race he decided to jump on his bike and get in a long ride...he is quite the tough guy. He can't stop talking about how amazing the singletrack is in Flag and Sedona. Sara, Kiera and I plan on going out the end of June to check it out.

That's all for now because I've got to put together the new Fuel that arrived right before we left for Moab!

MOAB PHOTOS

We rode from Canyonlands Campground yesterday and did Poison Spider. My dad took a wrong turn about 5 minutes from the top so I had to go look for him, and unfortunately missed out on one of my favorite trails, the Portal. Jesse, Bill and Sean got to ride it and like usual, Sean flatted (for the second time on the ride). It's tough to ride in large groups because the chances for mechanicals increase and it seems someone is always falling off the back. I got to ride a good chunk of Poison Spider twice looking for him and found a new way to make a loop out of Poison Spider.

Bushey ran into some people from Marquette, MI on the ride while I was searching for my dad.

It's supposed to be in the 60s today so I should be able to put away the insulated jersey for the first time!

MOAB, UT

We arrived in Moab on Friday afternoon greeted by high winds, rain, sleet and a generous dose of hail. Yep, this is the Moab we remember! We figured it would be a little chilly since the drive from Denver to Grand Junction was loaded with snow, wind and cool temps. The mountains were supposed to get anywhere from 20 - 30 inches of snow so we felt pretty lucky getting the van through without any problems (other than having to stop twice to chisel the ice off the grill to allow air flow to the radiator). We didn't let the weather deter us, however, and we rode Amasa Back to Jackson's trail Friday afternoon. It's tough to start a ride in wind, rain and hail, but we were excited to get on dirt again. Sara loves the new Trek Fuel even though I didn't get around to setting it up properly before the ride.

Woke up Saturday morning to snow - plenty of snow - falling in town and about an inch accumulated on the tops of vehicles. The surrounding rock cliffs that surround the town were blanketed and the contrast between the snow and red rock was stunning. In the 13 - 14 years I've been coming out here, this is the first time I've seen snow in town (I've seen plenty of snow in the higher elevations around town, but never snow in town). Saturday's ride was a short one again due to weather, so we opted to do Moab Rim trail to the Hidden Valley hiking trail in order to get a loop in. So far, Irv, Sara, brother Brad, Jesse Reints, Nikolia, Mattable, Shamus, and Schwalbe have arrived. Mister Bushey and Veits are on still fishing in Glenwood Springs since the weather isn't great, but they plan to meet up for Sunday's ride - a Slickrock appetizer followed by Porcupine Rim.

I'd attach some pics, but alas, I've forgotten the usb cord.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING



Since the weather has been so windy, chilly and wet like it usually is this time of year, I busted out the rollers for an hour on Tuesday. Every once in a while it's nice to jump on them to remind myself how monotonous it is to ride the trainer. In addition, the session motivated me to commute to work the past couple of days in pretty unfavorable late March conditions (see above pic). The thing I enjoy most about commuting is that I don't have to get into a cold car and Skyline Road is so rough very few drivers are willing to navigate the pothole filled/patched boulevard.

On the ride in one morning I saw a guy jogging in a big ol' Ski-Doo snowmobile jacket - impressive. Someone is also building a house right on a cliff off the edge of the road - not impressive.

On the ride home some dude in a green minivan with a prominent Pro Life sticker gave me about about a foot of room on this desolate road. He obviously isn't concerned about life once out of the womb...

Here are a couple of more pictures of last week's storm:
















Tomorrow, Sara and I are going to get in some single track riding since it's supposed to be -1 tonight!

MORE SNOW!

Even though I've been sick all week - and had conferences - I thought it would be a good idea to commute by bike to work today. I've been battling a serious cold/sore throat/sinus headeache for the past six days, so the lack of riding has been grating on me. My first mistake was thinking the local forecasters would be correct about the form of precip we'd receive (rain instead of snow)so I rode Sara's 'cross bike to work with road tires on it. My second mistake was underestimating my illness and thinking I could ride it out of me. Needless to say, now the throat is worse and my ears are even more plugged than before.

In a couple of weeks, everything will be better because we'll be back here!

MARCH 13?????????????????????

Sara and I did the baby swap today so each of us could get out for a ski. I cannot believe how good the skiing is for March 13! I had to drive to Fergus Falls yesterday for the State spelling bee, and on my way up the car thermometer hit -24 just north of Floodwood... I had to look a couple of times to make sure I was reading the thing correctly because that's the lowest I've seen all year and it's almost the middle of March. All of us have been battling sore throats and general malaise over the past week, so hopefully we can kick it for good over the next couple of days.

I rode the Superfly last weekend with little Narum for about six hours and that didn't help my sore throat much; however, it did wonders for my attitude and for getting my rear end in shape for Grand Junction/Fruita/Moab. We rode a bunch of stuff walkers were on, and once that stuff sets up after a warming spell, it's as rough as any boulder field the West has to offer.

Charlie Farrow left his indelible mark on some of the stuff we rode - a six inch swath the runs from one edge of the trail to the other. I kept expecting to see an imprint of the old boy in the dearth of snow, but no luck. That guy has the uncanny knack of being able to get 10 miles of riding in out of a five mile trail.

Kiera's sleeping, Sara's in the process of making bread, and I'm going to see who's playing in the State hockey tourney.

Scott, Kiera, and I were in Houghton, MI this past weekend. Scott coaching and waxing for the CSS Nordic Ski Team (regional meet and final NCAA qualifier). We had one athlete make NCAAs. Very exciting! Kiera and I hung out a bit as it was below zero saturday morning until it warmed up enough to ski. I pulled her in the chariot for 2 hrs on saturday and just over 1 hr on sunday with Scott and I finally getting to ski another hr while he pulled the chariot. My legs were torched yesterday and achy at night. All three of us are fighting a cold. Off to bed......

Kiera is growing fast! She loves this little standing play station. I put her in this while I ride the trainer. I started riding the trainer a week or two ago consistently and finally got outside last week riding my 29er on snowmobile trails. I had a blast! I miss not riding with Scott as we mostly tag team watching Kiera while the other one gets out to exercise. Scott has been mostly skiing while I do a bit of everything - run, ski, bike, lift weights....I have been hiking less while carrying Kiera as I am finding that I need more vigorous exercise to get my shape back.

So what have I been doing with my time since I am not blogging very often? Besides nursing and caring for Kiera, working, and trying to get some training in; I have been reading a ton. Really, since finding our we were pregnant about a year ago we have been reading. Some of our favorite/most informative books are the following:
"Hypnobirthing", by ???
"Having a baby naturally", published by Mothering Magazine.
"The complete guide to breastfeeding" (although I disagree that breastfeeding is painless, my left nipple still hurts from Kiera taking a chunk off of it during the first week after birth - thank God for pure lanolin).
"The vaccine book", by Sears (lists what is in and how each vaccine is made)
"Saying no to vaccines", by Dr. Tenpenny
"Vaccines, Are they rally safe and effective?", by Miller
"The vaccine Dilemma", by Murphy
"Crazy Makers", by Simontacchi
"Genetically engineered food: chaing the nature of nature", by "Tietel and Wilson (dry but informative book)
"Organic Baby", by Rider
"Happiest Baby on the block", by Karp
"Your pregnancy week by week" (I liked this better than "what to expect when you are expecting" although there was good information in both books)
and Tons of baby books by various authors.

My favorite magazines are:
Mothering Magazine
Mother Earth News
Oxygen (although I have so many magazines that I have to let this subscription go)

I like to read and be informed so we can make good decisions (hopefully); especially as it relates to Kiera and our health as a family.

Our goal this summer is to expand our garden. I did a lot of drying and freezing last summer that has paid off. What I was not able to grow, I could get at the farmer's market. This winter we are sharing a winter food share from a local farm with some friends. It has been really nice to get local (root) vegetables this way.

Training is starting to improve. I am riding the trainer, running, skiing, and lifting weights. I put Kiera in the baby bjorn when I lift weights. I am careful and I can do mostly everything I normally do, while Kiera loves looking around.

Better run....work is piling up. Looks like I'll be done reading leisure books for a few weeks!

Irv (Scott's dad) babysits for us while Scott and I are both at work. Sometimes the house gets chilly, so he'll wrap her up in his down winter jacket. Goes nicely with pink? Kiera is not a very good sleeper unless she is warm...and the best way to get her to sleep is put her in the baby bjorn and go for a hike. If the sun is out I have taken her out starting at -5F with the temp rising as we walked. She stayed plenty warm as we have a nice fleece one piece outfit for her and I wear a special jacket I bought from a friend that is meant to wrap around both of us. I usually get too hot and end up with my hat and gloves off even when it is really cold. Ideally, I walk with her most days. If I don't get out I'll walk around the house until she falls asleep or take her on errands so she'll sleep in the carseat. I hate lugging that carseat around though.

My training thus has consisted of a lot of hiking/walking, some running as it is fast to get a good workout, some strengthening, and XC skiing. I was riding the trainer some up until we got good snow. I am planning to get out on winter rides once this cold snap lifts (should be by sunday) and now that I fixed the flat on my bike (from when Scott last used it). I was going to enter a running race, until I tried to do some intervals and decided to save my $25 instead. The intervals went really poorly and I am not sure what I was thinking. I am not a fast runner like I was in college.

It is definitely more challenging getting in good workouts after having Kiera. I thought pregnancy was tough! That was nothing, but at least my body feels better and is getting close to back to normal (prepregnancy weight). I still don't feel as strong in my core as I used to. Some of my friends have told me it took them up to two years to feel normal again. I don't have that much patience.

I am sure most people know that the Midwest Trek Regional Team is no longer an entity. Scott and I were disappointed, but understand with the economy the way it is. We love riding for Trek and they have been really good to me/us. I feel really lucky to have ridden for them for 5 years. Scott and I plan on racing this summer, although we have to figure out what we are going to do for bikes. We'll see.

Well, better run. I am on borrowed time and I have loads of work to do. I have never done so much laundry in my life and been so far behind on getting work for my job done.

Here is Scott and Kiera while Kiera is checking herself out in the mirror. Kiera is growing and changing fast. She likes to 'talk' and kick, or as Scott's dad says 'likes to start her motorcycle' by imitating with her legs that motion; especially while on the changing table. The changing table is what we call her 'happy place'. She smiles and seems happiest when half naked.

Kiera is only eating one time per night now and then another in the early morning (5 or 6 AM ish) which is much better than the three times per night when she was smaller. Some days I feel almost normal and not so sleep deprived. Other days I feel like I am 'melting' from lack of sleep. I finally felt good running and biking just over a week ago. Before then I felt like I was just slugging along; really slow and heavy. My body is finally starting to feel more like my old self before pregnancy. I still have a few pounds to lose. The last ten has been the hardest. I lost the first twenty without much effort; it was probably mostly extra fluid.

I am mostly running because it is easier and faster to get ready, a good workout in a relatively short amount of time, and I can push Kiera in the Chariot (we have an infant sling) when it is not too cold. I have been riding the trainer some, but mostly avoiding that piece of training equipment and riding my Paragon outside when I have enough time. Timing training is a bit tricky with breastfeeding. Today I left Scott a freshly pumped bottle so I could run as long as I wanted. Good thing too. I could tell there was quite the scuffle for Scott to get Kiera to take the bottle and they were both out cold by the time I got home. They are very good napping buddies.

Here is Kiera being held by Grandma Sally (Scott's mom). She is keeping us very busy! I have been trying to blog for at least three weeks now. She developed a sore bottom, therefore we skipped going along with Scott to Sheboygan. She was REALLY unhappy that weekend, but we got some special diaper cream and she is better now. Our goal was to use cloth diapers exclusively, but her bum cannot take it. We alternate throughout the day depending upon what is going on. If we go for a walk or hike, she gets a disposable diaper put on. If we are just around the house, then the cloth diapers work. I still have to try elimination communication, or EC for short. There are times at night where she wakes and is dry. It is quite amazing after she has been sleeping so long. She is 5 weeks old as of yesterday and is getting big fast. She likely weighs about 10 pounds and no longer looks like a newborn. She is also alert and awake more. She loves to put weight through her feet and look out the window. She also loves getting outside (she sleeps the entire time usually and I have figured out how to nurse and walk at the same time. I was psyched to figure it could be done).

Training for me is up and down. I went for my second run of the fall last sunday with only one jogbra on. I will never again go for a run without at least double jog braing while nursing. My mammary tissue hurt so bad after that run! It hurt about as bad as it did initially when we were first learning how to nurse and not doing everything right. I thought I got mastitis from that run (painful infection of the milk ducts), but I think I just inflammed them from the constant jarring. I got really sick the next day developing a 102.6 degree temperature that took until wednesday morning to break. I have never felt so achy, crappy, chilled, hot, etc all at the same time! It took most of the week to feel better and I finally got back on the bike saturday (yesterday). I ran again today with the proper support and things are much better. I think I'll have to triple bra next time though.

Biking is going well when I get a chance. Sometimes I am too tired to ride trail and it has been raining a lot this fall so I think I have only ridden trail three or four times total. I have a hard time believing I ever went fast on a MTB. I am still a bit heavier than I would like and feel like a fish out of water on the trail when trying to ride faster than slow pace. I try not to get discouraged and try instead to just enjoy being outside and enjoy the break from taking care of peanut. She is great, but I do appreciate my time away from her so I can look forward to seeing her again. If I get some sort of break once a day, I am very happy. Grandma Sally has also been coming over the past three saturdays so that Scott and I can ride together. We are VERY thankful Grandma Sally wants to spend so much time with Kiera!

Scott's race at Sheboygan had its ups and downs. He felt good both the first and third laps, but for some reason felt terrible laps two and four (thus losing a number of places on those laps). He definitely has been racing better this year than last and is encouraged that he feels good enough to keep him from dropping out of races but he also thinks his best races are ahead of him. The lack of sleep prior to the race didn't help (he got his first full night of sleep the night before Sheboygan - lucky guy). Getting rid of the cats was the best thing we could have done for his health. He has so much more energy now and I feel like I have a normal husband back. He used to have to nap all the time; especially after work each day. Not anymore. Now he is a work horse! This afternoon he and Todd McFadden are doing some trail work to help getting the XC ski trails ready (Magney and Spirit). Hopefully, we will have good snow this winter!

Next race for Scott may be the MN state CX race. We'll see.

This has been quite a week. Kiera feeds two to three times a night. The third time is usually early morning, but then she'll sleep until 8 AM or so. She is so much fun, and a lot of work. I don't feel like I have really slept in the past two weeks, but I also think it could be much worse. She is a good baby and once asleep tends to stay asleep for a while. Her and Scott are great napping buddies. I got to take my first nap with her this week. Otherwise I had been trying to keep her in the sun and daylight as much as possible to help her get rid of her jaundice. That first week was tough and we were so concerned about her as her bilirubin numbers was just below the level where they admit the baby to the hospital to get put under the bili lights.

I rode my trainer for the first time this past tuesday. I am still tender in the saddle area, but if I sit crooked I can make it work. I was able to ride two times that day on the trainer for about a 1/2 hour each time. My first outdoor ride was this past wedsnesday. It felt sooooo good to ride outdoors and not have my belly in the way. I could breathe relatively normally. Pregnancy made me really short of breath, so it was so nice to be able to actually breath harder because of effort and not just because of extra fluid, hormones, and pregnancy-induced anemia. I had to ride the trainer again yesterday - but I made an hour that time all at once as our little peanut took a nice nap with Scott. I am supposed to not lift anything heavy while my body returns to normal, but I figure lifting some weights is Ok as long as I don't overdo it and am cautious. It is amazing how quickly I am losing my baby belly. I still have a pouch, but after two weeks I think I am on track. I lost 20# the first week, but I am sure I will lose more slowly from here on out. I only get to weigh myself once a week so I don't get compulsive about it. Thankfully, I don't crave crappy food for the most part and with caring for a newborn we often miss meals. I have figured out how to hold Kiera while nursing and free up one hand to do other things if I need to. She makes the cutest little noises and faces though that I often just stare at her.

I wish I could race Sheboygan this weekend, but my body is not feeling recovered enough to race. I am supposed to 'take it easy' for 6 weeks after giving birth to allow my body to recover, but I can tell to push it at this point is not wise. It takes a while for parts that dilated to return to normal along with some other changes. I am hoping to race the Iceman, but we'll see. I love that race!

Our little baby developed jaundice this past week. Her numbers were pretty high, but not high enough to be hospitalized. We kept her in the sun; best without a diaper. This photo displays the result of taking that risk. Scott and I laughed so hard because it shot out of her like a cannon! Amazing such a small little person has such power.

Kiera Esther Kylander-Johnson was born on Saturday September 27th at 4:11 AM. She weighed 7 pounds and 1/2 ounce and was 20 inches long. Scott and I cannot describe how amazing and precious she is. I never thought I could love someone so much (besides Scott). She is alert and makes the best noises; even her farts are cute. We have taken her for several walks and a hike on trail this evening. She is lulled to sleep by walking and is a very good baby. She has a bit of jaundice right now so we have to keep a close eye on her and I have been spending a lot of time sunning her in the window. Scott has been fantastic and we share as much of the baby duties as possible; except for nursing of course. Our life has definitely changed; but I couldn't imagine it any different. We are enjoying Kiera immensely.

I am a bit sore as I have a few stitches and will need some time to heal. But otherwise motherhood is suiting me very well and Scott is an exceptional father. Kiera is one lucky little girl to have such a good dad.

We have had so many well-wishes from friends, family, coworkers, and studnets (and their families). We feel very blessed to have so many people care about our little family.