Grandma sets sail!

Grandma Penny stops by Steamboat for a last snuggle before heading off for 6 months of sailing off the coast of FL. Trout will be looking a little different I wager by the time she returns in June!

Our little scarface

Trout is starting to track and reach for little toys and rattles so we have a nice assortment sprinkled around the house. This one is his fave so far though... Happy New Year all from the Steamboat Springs Alfords!

Merry Merry from Steamboat!

Ready for St. Nick with our homemade stockings

Oh yeah!

Looking good for the ladies

Warm and fuzzy

Warm and fuzzie

Everyone scored some goodies!

and to all a good night. Best holiday wishes from Matt, Rose, Trout and Betty!

Tired of Trout pix yet?

Too bad!

14lbs of neck-sucking, milk-burping love

Trout got his 4 month checkup last week AND a chance to meet many of his Ants and Funkles at the 12/20 Holiday Partay. Checkup was great (14lbs+, 37 percentile size vs "avg" 4 month old, 95% vs. "avg." 2 month old) and horrible (5 shots...owie!). I've never actually seen a human being get so red in the face, I fully expected to see steam coming out of his ears when he got pricked. The next day he got snazzed up and hit the party scene at the Ash's, meeting many of the folks who have helped us get to this point, making us food, helping us move, buying clothes, praying, etc. He was so grateful he fell right asleep. Unfortunately our pediatrician is recommending against a whole lot of public contact for fear he will catch cold but in a couple months hopefully he'll be crawling all over his extended family looking for an opportune moment to spit up some warm milk (see photo above).

In other news we got a Xmas tree set up in the Love Shack and received GREAT news from NYC where wee Kurt Gutensohn-Weidknecht the 1st was born to dear friend Katrina and her hubby Phil...I'm predicting Trout and Kurt will soon be pen pals. Happy Holidays all!

Party time!

Reached critical mass in Alfords (which is about 3 Alfords/sq mile) and a party erupted

Pop & Mimi celebrate their fresh Moots duds

Hi Trout!

Birthday boy comes to visit the newly-birthed boy

Pop & Mimi swooped up to Steamboat with Aunt Jen for a great holiday visit and celebration of Dad's 70th birthday! In addition to a sweet Camelback and some turkey jerky Pop got to meet his 1st grandchild and pass on some Alford wisdom, if you can call it that...

Help! We're shrinking!

Snow has fallen overnight and our little world here in Steamboat has gotten a little bit smaller, a little cozier. Also a little more claustraphobic however, particularily for Rose who under Dr.'s orders can't even take Trout out to the grocery store or coffee shop for fear of catching colds. We are committed to giving Trout the best possible start in life (and he is doing great!) but she could use a call or e-mail from the outside world, or brownies of course ;) Pop and Mimi are coming out for a visit next week along with Aunt Jen so that will be fun and then we'll make a lightning strike into Boulder for Trout's checkup at which point I fully expect him to hit 14lbs! The last week or two he has started to make real smiles and at least appear to be listening when cooed at, and he can easily stand up if you hold him steady. His sharp little paper thin fingernails give us all cuts but we wear them with pride!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let's get it on!

TWO twelve pound turkeys...check!

Grandma Penny in the house scoring some valuable snuggle time

There's a smile! Great food, great company and some vicious card playing to round out the holiday. We have so much to be thankful for but mostly we feel blessed by the people we have closest to us, our parents, friends, family, little Trout and each other (and Betty I guess ;)) Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!

12lb turkey

and 185lb turkey... "Trout are you psyched for Turkey Day?" "Yippee!"

Sleepy time for Trout after a hard day of having his every whim catered to

Picking up some dance moves from Poppa

Vogueing

Like father, like son. What? I look like this too when I'm right about to throw up...

This is why we pay for insurance...yikes!

Look up here!

Good mornin' l'il pardner! Rose and I have been marvelling at how Trout is getting better and better at lifting his head up, holding it steady and looking around. His trick now when we go to burp him is to perform a little push up on your chest and look you right in the eyes, maybe burp right in your face if you're lucky. He's gotta be pushing 10 lbs now but we haven't had him weighed in a couple weeks. Next week he gets his first RSV(?) shot to help ward off colds over the winter and we'll all feel a little more comfortable after that regimen starts.

Happy Halloween from Steamboat!

We're taking advantage of the nice fall weather here and getting Trout outside every day for a stroller over to the park or along the Yampa River. House is starting to settle in and boxes are dissapearing every day though we still have a ways to go. So nice though to have evryone together in one spot!

Happy Birthday to Trout!

The little fellow is getting his doctor's checkup right now on his official due date! Who'da thunk we'd look at him today on his theoretical birth day and think how huge and strong he is. 8 lbs, holy moley! If he hadn't been born prematurely we'd be thinking how small and fragile he looks today instead...
Lots of friends and family put in a huge effort over the last two weekends to help us pack up the Chalet and I'm glad to say everything survived the move and fit into our new home in Steamboat Springs...barely. Next week Rose and Trout will come up and we will all be together again, and hopefully life will begin to settle down a bit ;) I'm not holding my breathe though. House looks great, Trout and Rose are both doing well and we are counting down the last few days until they can join me. Thanks to all who sacrificed a Saturday to help us pack, load the truck and move, we could not have done it without your help!

7lbs 3oz!

Trout is loving being at home in the cozy Chalet and hanging out with his Mom all day instead of a bunch of nurses. Tiring to say the least, especially now that Rose is breastfeeding more often, but so much nicer than going to the hospital every day. 2 weeks now until Trout hits full term and only 3 weeks until Trout, Rose and Betty join Matt in Steamboat Springs! Yay! Leaves are turning, white is dusting the upper slopes and it's time to snuggle in for the approaching winter with a good book, a warm dog and a hot chocolate...

Trout gets out!

T.S. Alford and R.E. Alford wave buh bye to the NICU. Don't call us, we won't call you.

Trout snugged up for the car ride home!

Grandma Penny comes up to the Chalet for a few days to help out

Which is good as Rose is pooped, and after being home one night I'm pooped too! Hard to take my eyes off the little one, even at 3 in the morning. So happy to have all the family together in one place for a few days!

Trout called safe at homebase!

Rose is psyched to finally have the little guy out of the NICU and with her at Das Chalet along with Penny, Jenny, Kdub and others helping watch over Trout. Trout seems to be liking it as well and is packing on the weight, now over 6lbs 14oz! Can't wait to get home tonight and have all my family in one place!

Trout getting out!

Barring unexpected delay Rose will be 'rooming in' tonight down at the hospital with Trout. She'll check into a room and get to care for Trout overnight while he is still monitored by the nurses and if all goes we'll take him home on Wednesday! Penny will stay with Rose at Das Chalet until I can get home Friday and then hopefully Shirley will arrive next week for a stay while I head to Interbike. I wasn't aware it was actually possible to juggle this many momentous tasks (and it may not be) but we're giving it the ol' college try! After this I forsee a long winter hibernation for the Alford family, snuggling into our new Steamboat pad and watching Trout grow until we're all ready to make the scene again in the spring. Oh I can't wait to never have to go to the NICU again!

1st snow!

Drove thru a bit of the white stuff on the way to Steamboat Springs this morning + a lot of rain and the mountains have defintely made the shift to fall colors with lots of yellow popping up all over the place. Another great weekend with little Trout who is now 6 lbs 4oz, breastfeeding like a champ and threatening to come home any day now! If he continues to do well we may get to take him home on Thursday which would be dreamy. Rose and I were/are a bit freaked out at the prospect but we feel like we are fully stocked up with all the nescessities now after an expensive outing to Babies 'R Us and a huge haul of gifts from the baby shower this weekend. 20+ of Trout's aunts took Rose out to brunch and outfitted the little tyke head to toe, and gave us a sweet stroller/jogger/trailer to wheel him around in. We naively thought we were prepared for parenthood before but I'm not sure what we would have done without all our supporters and friends stepping up big time with food, clothes, help and love. Humbling and awe inspiring.
We rented a little house in Steamboat over the weekend as well so whenever Rose and Trout are ready to come out I'll be ready for them. As soon as I set up mail service I'll post our new address and this week I'm going to work on getting the place spruced up and painted. Fun! Now if someone will only buy Das Chalet we'd be almost able to pay for all this ;) When we decide to shake up the status quo we REALLY shake it up!

Great weekend with T.S. Alford

We spent a lot of good times with Trout over the holiday weekend and got to bathe the little weasel, start some breastfeeding (which he is taking to like a champ) and bottle feed him as well. He is over 5 1/2 lbs now and is starting to chub out though he still needs to mature and get the sucking, breathing, swallowing coordination down pat. They have taken him off caffeine and he is not having too many bradycardia/apnea attacks so that is good as well. Because Rose and I really felt like we didn't have enough going on right now I have accepted a new job in Steamboat Springs, CO and will move up there and start work on Monday, Rose and Trout to follow in the next couple months...and the hits just keep on coming! So if you have any leftover prayer energy to send our way after putting one out there for Trout, you can pray we sell our house easily and quickly... mucho love M