The last month has definitely centered around spending time with family and friends.
Sadly, it also included Rost’s first trip (of what I’m sure will be many for this little mountain goat) to the ER. After exhibiting a fever of 102.8 and difficulty breathing we took him in one night. After 4 hours of waiting we got the diagnosis of an ear infection. Due to my history of ear infections as a child, which resulted in multiple sets of tubes, I hope this kid has his father’s ear canals.
One year and one month old. We’ve spent much of our time exploring: new foods, new places, new experiences.
Brian needed a work-related item picked up in Missoula so Rost & I made a last-minute detour two hours south. The pickup took all of ten minutes. Before returning home to Kalispell, I needed to burn some energy out of a one-year-old in the middle of winter. Rost & I headed to the mall to walk around a bit when he discovered the flashing lights of Big Sky Arcadia. Easy way to kill two hours and probably the cheapest visit to an arcade I’ll ever make.
Rost would like his Uncle Charlie to take him to an arcade on his next visit east.
We’ve had some negative temperatures recently that have dropped into the negative twenties. At temperatures this low even the neighborhood ring-necks took to the trees in our front yard – a place they don’t usually hang out at our homestead.
As a true Montanan, Rost has been out in the woods many hours already during his life. Over the last several weeks, much of this time has been spent not just on a leisure hike but as scouting trips for future hunts to fill our freezers.
I’m looking forward to the day he wants to heat out into the wild on out of his own. In the meantime, it’s been fun watching this little guy explore the natural world around him with the assistance of his family. Rost really enjoyed the spoils of Dada’s fishing trips this past summer. By the look on his face it appears he’ll be a hunter in the future as well.
In the meantime, it’s my job to teach him to be respectful of our natural world, thankful for where our food comes from, and to go at it all with a bit of grace and humor.
11 months has come and gone. One is on the horizon…
My prior boss, Bert, and his wife, Marta, gifted me an infant hiking backpack at a baby shower thrown at my office. I’ve been patiently waiting for the right time to begin hiking with Rost. We’ve recently begun practicing around the property to get used to the pack on both of us.
Our first trek out into the world was a short one-and-a-quarter-mile hike around a nearby pond. While short, it was only 20 degrees out, so that added another element of fun into our first adventure out.
Finally, Rost and I took off for a trail within Lone Pine State Park. It was 15 degrees out on that fine Tuesday afternoon. While the hike was overall a success, there were obvious improvements that I need to make on our next hike, regardless of the distance. This one was short enough that I didn’t think we’d need to pack along any sort of snacks. Rost made it very clear that I was wrong. One of my duties as a Momma is to ALWAYS have a fresh and plentiful supply of snacks on hand. Momma will do better next time, Rost.
It’s official. Rost’s first word has been spoken. Sorry for the low quality. Sound on, please.
Ten months old, oh how you’ve grown
Crawling, standing, you’re not alone
Curious eyes, exploring each day
Discovering the world in your own way
Simple sounds and gestures you make
Communicating, your voice we’ll take
Recognizing faces, voices too
Growing social, just like you do
Healthy foods, routine in place
Sleeping soundly, happy face
Milestones reached, we’ll celebrate
Our little one, so bright and great
Ten months old, oh what a joy
Watching you grow, our hearts employ
With love and pride, we’ll guide your way
Happy ten months old, let’s seize the day!
Needing to get out of the house for a bit, Brian, Pa, Ma, Rost, & I packed a picnic and took off for the Hungry Horse Reservoir for some fishing, hiking, and sightseeing. Days like these are the best kind of days.
