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Ale did her first overnight camping and backcountry trekking this past weekend in a little scamper over to Yosemite. We drove to Tuolumne on Saturday and spent the night in the White Wolf campground. Sunday we headed to Tuolumne Meadows and packed in to Elizabeth Lake, up and over the Cathedral ridge (with Ale blowing razzberries into the wind at the 10,000-foot pass...), and down through meadow-billowing Echo Creek canyon to Nelson Lake. Along the way, Ale saw deer, chipmunks, a snake, several marmots, and lots of squirrels. We came out the next day and then spent the following afternoon in Yosemite Valley. Overall the weekend was a smashing success, though we might have chosen a shorter objective, as Ale got a little saddle-sore after several hours in her carrier. She (and her big mama) appreciated the rest stops! Jeanette (and I) tried casting our line (and luck) in beautiful Nelson Lake, hoping to reel in a trout or two for lunch...We could almost hear the fish snickering at our neophyte attempts and all we caught was some lake weed...Still, we had a grand time!
"Viajero, has llegado al lugar mas transparente del aire"... we soak in the magic of Yosemite valley and the magnificent backdrop of Half Dome.
Ale and Big Daddy swap perspectives while gazing out at sparkling Elizabeth Lake...
Ale-linda polishes her chubby cheeks in the graceful alpine breezes.
This is one of our favorites...wiggling her toes amidst welcoming meadowy wildflowers while staring up at hulking Half Dome...
Our little teletubby loved sleeping in the tent...sharing a bag with her Big Mama. Here she shows off her morning cheer in her fleece flight-suit before gearing up for the day's hike.
She's got her exploration hat on now and we do our exercises to warm up for the day...
Now we're ready! Ale's snuggled in her critter-carrier in Jeanette's back. Eventually she would rest her forehead on the black pad in front of her and take naps as needed.
Here we are on the trail...
Here we are at 10,000 feet approaching the pass...some stiff breezes but on the return trip Ale was blowing razzberries...below is photo from pass, with Ale giving her go-ahead salute!
Here we take a stroll around rippling Lake Nelson...
Descending from the pass on the way back, with Lembert Dome and Mt. Conness in the background...
I keep expecting to see her take off crawling at any moment...just a bit longer...
Standing is one of Ale's favorite activities these days, sure to elicit a beaming grin. Sometimes she refuses to sit back down by arching her back and locking her legs!
What's this?
Do I eat it?
Now I know what to do!!!
Alejandra is ready for the next Diego Rivera portrait...
showing off her latest vocal sophistication...
babbling razzberries...
Ale gets her face painted with the afternoon sunshine during a stroll through the community gardens with Big Mama, pausing along the way to greet all of her floriferous friends...
It's incredible how Ale progressed within just a few weeks from frequent topples to confident sitting. She turned 6 months old yesterday and her ~18 pounds get noticed by the arms when carted around all day...
You can't fool me! This isn't breast milk and that's not a boob!
Amazing how a daughter's sparkling smile and infectious giggles can invigorate a father's tired eyes...
Alejandra speaks in many tongues...
Ariel shares her wit and wisdom with her youngest cousin, Alejandra, and sisters Heaven and Mona Lisa.
Ducut cousins come in small, medium, and large. Ale and Mona Lisa commiserate on the trials and tribulations of infant-hood and make grand plans to some day have flowing locks like Ariel.
Ále couldn't help but inherit the chubby cheeks & male-pattern-baldness traits. She'll probably have 'big hair' in no time, though...
...seems like Big Daddy's been too excited about taking Ále on her first hike for some time now...
Ale shows off her bottle handling skills and tactile sophistication, thanks to Tita at day care who taught her this...
Ale enjoys a cool breeze and the SF skyline on a bay cruise with Justin and Ariel...
Alejandra gets entertained by her cousins Justin and Ariel, who dropped in for a visit last weekend.
New parents' favorite conversation topic...poop. Ale's been keeping us guessing of late, oscillating from an explosion every 4-5 days (watch out!) to a regular rumble once or twice a day. Last Friday we flew out to Kansas City for the wedding of my close friend, Jason. During the reception and while cutely adorned in her green flowered dress, Ale decided to unload while sitting on my lap. The butterscotch found a path of lesser resistance than containment which led onto my shirt and pants! Arrghh! The next day on the flight back, somewhere over Kansas and at 35,000 feet it was again time to make a deposit. Team Critter had to improvise an adroit bum scrubbing on the seat between us. Ale was soon on her way with fresh, clean cheeks, but we probably gassed out the dude seated behind us!
This one is actually from her baptism May 11...
Ale gives her best "this isn't a boob...that's not right!!!"
face to greet her first spoonful of mush, rice cereal suspended in breast milk.
Ale discovers her inner razz and gives a private concert....Nothing like being woken up at 5 in the morning by your daughter blowing razzberries in your ear!
Caught in the act! Ale displays her plastic flexibility and munches on a few toes...Hey, they're not there to just look pretty!
Trying out the backpack hiker on the shaded trail of Black Mountain. Ale got droopy eyes and fell asleep about 10 minutes on the trail...
Ale shows off her latest skill- sitting up...She's been practicing this for several weeks now, but she surprised me this afternoon by staying upright!
Ale shows off her laughs as Big Mama provides some slapstick humor...
Ale demonstrates her burgeoning skills at wiggling herself into trouble.
Chubby-cheek powers, activate!
Ale absorbs 95 years of wit and wisdom from her great-grandfather Joe during a recent trek to Tulare.
Ale attentively gets in her first few licks on the djembe. She got introduced to the percussive ways in utero, as Jeanette played at the 10pm mass all through-out her pregnancy.
Team members (skills): Big Mama (dairy specialist), Cutie Patootie (parent charmer), Big Daddy (chore master)
Grandma had the innovation of wedging a ball behind Ale to secure her in the swing.
Click on photo to view larger version. We were blessed to be joined by many family and friends to welcome Ale into the community...
Convened for Ale's baptism (L to R): Godmother Emily (Jeanette's cousin), Big Mama herself, Grandma Lou, Cutie Patootie, and Grandma Laurie
Alejandra provides healing giggles and chortles for Grandpa Osting...
and this morning I rolled from my tummy onto my back for the first time!
look closely at 12-week ultrasound photo at left and note identical pose to photo on right...click on photo to enlarge
Ale shocked us when she decided to go blond for a few minutes...amazing how fast her hair can grow!
Ale has been soooo close to starting to crawl for several weeks. Here she demonstrates what happens when the torso moves forward but the legs don't follow...
Ale and Big Mama enjoy some cuddle time on the grass.
Enjoying our last few days in Escondido Village before moving...
"Viajero, has llegado al lugar mas transparente del aire"... we soak in the magic of Yosemite valley and the magnificent backdrop of Half Dome.
Ale and Big Daddy swap perspectives while gazing out at sparkling Elizabeth Lake...
Ale-linda polishes her chubby cheeks in the graceful alpine breezes.
This is one of our favorites...wiggling her toes amidst welcoming meadowy wildflowers while staring up at hulking Half Dome...
Our little teletubby loved sleeping in the tent...sharing a bag with her Big Mama. Here she shows off her morning cheer in her fleece flight-suit before gearing up for the day's hike.
She's got her exploration hat on now and we do our exercises to warm up for the day...
Now we're ready! Ale's snuggled in her critter-carrier in Jeanette's back. Eventually she would rest her forehead on the black pad in front of her and take naps as needed.
Here we are at 10,000 feet approaching the pass...some stiff breezes but on the return trip Ale was blowing razzberries...below is photo from pass, with Ale giving her go-ahead salute!
Here we take a stroll around rippling Lake Nelson...
Descending from the pass on the way back, with Lembert Dome and Mt. Conness in the background...
Standing is one of Ale's favorite activities these days, sure to elicit a beaming grin. Sometimes she refuses to sit back down by arching her back and locking her legs!
Ale gets her face painted with the afternoon sunshine during a stroll through the community gardens with Big Mama, pausing along the way to greet all of her floriferous friends...
Amazing how a daughter's sparkling smile and infectious giggles can invigorate a father's tired eyes...
Ariel shares her wit and wisdom with her youngest cousin, Alejandra, and sisters Heaven and Mona Lisa.
Ále couldn't help but inherit the chubby cheeks & male-pattern-baldness traits. She'll probably have 'big hair' in no time, though...
...seems like Big Daddy's been too excited about taking Ále on her first hike for some time now...
Caught in the act! Ale displays her plastic flexibility and munches on a few toes...Hey, they're not there to just look pretty!
Ale shows off her latest skill- sitting up...She's been practicing this for several weeks now, but she surprised me this afternoon by staying upright!
Ale demonstrates her burgeoning skills at wiggling herself into trouble.
Ale absorbs 95 years of wit and wisdom from her great-grandfather Joe during a recent trek to Tulare.
Team members (skills): Big Mama (dairy specialist), Cutie Patootie (parent charmer), Big Daddy (chore master)
Convened for Ale's baptism (L to R): Godmother Emily (Jeanette's cousin), Big Mama herself, Grandma Lou, Cutie Patootie, and Grandma Laurie
