gratuitous nap-time shot

Here is a gratuitous nap-time shot for all the grandparents. Saxon is in his crib, hugging his hand-knit teddy, all ready to catch some Z's. Isn't he just a whole bundle of cute wrapped up in cute? I thought so.

Board exam? What board exam?

This past weekend, Saxon turned 5 months old!!! He celebrated by going geocaching with his Uncle Robert, his soon - to - be Aunt Mette, and Mom and Dad. Robert and Mette introduced us to the world of geocaching, in which one uses a handheld GPS device to locate a box ("cache") hidden by someone else, who leaves the coordinates where the box can be found. Some were very cleverly hidden. It's a great way to get outdoors and spice up a nice walk (call it "hiking with a purpose"). We all had a great time. Here is a picture of us with our first "find."

Earlier this month we took Saxon for his first trip a top the Sandias, but then we just did a little walking around (we didn't feel it was necessary to subject the child to cliff hugging trails at this tender age).

After all the hiking, Saxon wasn't up to much jumperooing ans just wanted to chill out in the bumbo and watch Shrek 2. He likes the donkey. Yes, the parents with no actual television have succeeded and creating a 5 month old DVD junky. And do you know why? Because it's the only way Mommy gets to take a shower in the mornings. Oh brave new world, that has such gadgets in it!

The shots heard 'round the orthopedic department

Things are going well here in the land of enchantment. Shawn has started work, (though he has been busy with "inprocessing" and hasn't gotten to lay a hand on real live patients yet), and Saxon and I are getting to know the lay of the land.
Saxon got enrolled in DEERS (the military dependent health program) and got his 4 month shots, all in one day. Hooray for military efficiency. He handled the shots much better than I did. I didn't realize that we would be able to get the vaccinations that quickly, so I had not brought his records nor had I premedicated him with tylenol. So, needless to say, he was not a happy camper at the hospital, and we spent the subsequent time meeting some of Shawn's co workers with a cranky baby and a tearful mom. I'm sure we made a terrific impression. Once we got home and I got him some tylenol, he promptly became cute angel baby again, but no one was around to see it. Here is a picture of him post immunization, sleeping off the tylenol under the fuzzy blanket his uncle Robert got him:

He had a bit of a fever the next day, but otherwise did quite well. He now has his first cold (perhaps from the vaccinations), and aside from the noisy breathing and coughing it doesn't seem to be slowing him down. However, I have to use the dreaded nasal aspirator a couple of times a day so the kid can eat, and he hates hates HATES the nasal aspirator. Even the dogs leave the room to escape the screaming. He's on the mend, though, and hopefully we can put it away for a while in the near future.

Other than that, not much else to report. Oh, except that I changed the blog to allow comments, so feel free to comment away, especially if it's about how uncommonly wonderful my kid is.

Hola from Albuquerque!

We are now officially residents of New Mexico (although Saxon will always be "BOI"!). I am sorry it has been so long since I posted -- things were a bit hectic what with the move and the board exam and the baby and the selling and the buying of houses. Above is a photo of Saxon and me on a little walking trail just down from our house. In the mornings on sunny days (of which there are many), there are balloons sailing by our house in the mornings. It's really very cool.

To recap the last few weeks:
June 26th Saxon and I left Galveston after selling our house, and flew to Lubbock.
June 28th. Saxon, mom, Dad, and I made the 6 hour journey to Albuquerque. Shawn drove from Galveston with the dogs, and we all met at our new house.
June 29th. Shawn, Saxon and I closed on our new house in Albuquerque at 10:00
At 11:30, the mover's came and began the Unloading of the Worldly Possessions. I never knew how worldly we were until we boxed everything up and shipped it.
June 30th-July 3rd: much unpacking and gnashing of teeth.
July 4th -- we finally found the camera.

We had a little July 4th barbecue in the backyard, and Saxon was very cute in his all American boy outfit. To wit:

July 5th-23rd: much more unpacking etc etc etc. Saxon got a bumbo, a jumperoo, and an exersaucer. Now that he can hold up his head on his own, we thought we'd bombard him with toys. He likes the jumperoo the best. His Grandma and Grandpa got it for him and they won't let us get one for the house, so he only gets to play with it when he's over there. Methinks this is a cheap trick to win the boys affections. It's working. Here is a pic of the bumbo, followed by the often imitated but never duplicated jumperoo...

July 23rd -- off we went to Chicago for Shawn's board exam, and so Saxon could meet is midwestern relatives. Shawn's dad and grandad live close to one another so we got a great picture of the four generations of Baker men. Saxon was a very good baby and loved by all. He also tolerated a 10 hour Chicago excursion with myself and my friend Eden, armed only with a baby bjorn, a diaper bag, and the infamous winnie-the-pooh sunhat...

July 28th -- time to go back home. Shawn started work at Kirtland on the 31st, and Saxon got his four month shots on the 1st of August. Saxon fared much better than his mother did.

Well, that about brings everyone up to speed. Hopefully I'll be better about posting in a timely fashion. It seems like the little guy is changing by the minute. If anyone wants to come to Albuquerque, give me a shout -- we have guest rooms and everything!!!