Izzie's First Giggle

September 24th while Lynnell was making dinner, I was in the kitchen holding the baby commenting on how loud mommy was when she did the dishes. Apparently Izzie thought the same thing because she burst out in the most joyful and authentic baby laugh ever. It was actually long enough for Lynnell to turn around to see Izzie smiling from ear to ear. I barely caught a glimpse of it (I was holding her away from me), but what I did see was adorable. Lynnell and I looked at each other like "she just laughed!" Sure enough, that's what it was. Sometimes unsure what she's trying to do because one second she'll be smiling and the next she'll be screaming her head off. She's definitely a woman.

So, later that evening, after we had dinner, we tried to get her to do it again. She did! It was even cuter than the first one and definitely more rewarding since that was what we were trying to achieve. So, I whipped out the camera and we went for round three. It took a little extra coaxing, but we finally got it out of her.



Dang stink'n cute. Sorry it took so long to get this online. I've been way too busy lately, so I've been taking steps to slowly eliminate things that I have to do. Hopefully that will allow me to spend more time with my baby and leave a little extra for posting to the blog.

It's Been Too Long... Or So I've Been Told

I've gotten enough complaints (although they seem more like cries for more) that I haven't posted in a long time.

Last week (Sept. 7 - Sept. 16) we went to Idaho and Washington (yes... again). This time I had some training to go to in Pullman, WA. We took off early on the 7th so that we could spend the weekend with family. As always, it was enjoyable.

Here's Izzie prior to departure:


Here's Izzie just before we buckled her in for the second leg of the trip. She's decided that she doesn't like the car seat, so we just throw the seatbelt around her and let her ride like a big girl.


We headed down to Moscow, ID on Sunday because my classes started on Monday. Here's Izzie acclimating to the new hotel environment. Does she looked concerned to you too?


Here's Izzie playing with mom:



And of course we had to give Izzie a go in the pool. The water was a little too chilly for a baby, so we didn't want to have her in there too long. A few minutes was enough, but she did pretty good in those few minutes. We didn't get any double back flips, but she was all about the single back flips. Then she got cold and wanted out. Here she is just after an over rotation. She had the best belly flop ever.


I realize this post isn't much, but it's what you get. Hopefully I will be up for a little more regular blogging now that we are done traveling so much. Maybe... I have to travel for the next couple of weeks, so I may still be a little bit worn out. I'll do my best though.

Labor Day Weekend 2007

We headed up to Helena this weekend. Our good friends Pete and Brooke (Brooke is my faithful commenter) got married on Sunday, and I was a groomsman. It was the first time we had been to Helena, and it was pretty fun. It seems like a cool place to live, but there's probably better (it's definitely better than Billings though because they have a lake). It was a lot of fun. I would have to say that the Grandpre family is the most hospitable family I know. They never cease to amp up the hostility every time we are around them.

Jake was my best friend growing up (see this post), but once we graduated high school I became good friends with his older brother Pete in college (Jake went into the Marines). Ever since then, we've been like brothers. I was very honored to be in his wedding and excited to hang out with everyone. Thanks Pete.

Once again, traveling threw off Izzie's routine (just as we got back into one), so she wasn't a happy camper the first day and half of the second. Luckily by the time the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner rolled around she was doing ok. Here we are at an Aunt and Uncle's house eating dinner.


After the dinner, the guys went out for an evening of fun. We took care of the important stuff first: shooting guns. Pete's Aunt and Uncle own the Helena landfill, and it was time to do a little bird control. Unfortunately when we arrived we didn't find any birds. There was one crow, but he was too far away to shoot (we know because we tried). Anyways, the event wasn't a total loss. Turns out that all of those crazy urges guys get to shoot random household items can be fulfilled at a landfill that happens to have an abundance of random household items. We blasted everything we could find (radios, coffee makers, cups, signs... you name it). Sure it stunk, but after about an hour, you couldn't smell it anymore. I was skeptical (you know... the whole dump thing), but I had a blast.


The sunset was amazing from the top of the garbage heap.


I should mention that the cops got called on us. The story goes that the neighbor to the dump is pissed that he can see the dump even though he bought the land an put a house on it long after the dump existed. So, he called the cops and told them that we were lighting fireworks off (illegal). When the cops got there and found us shooting rifles, pistols and shotguns at garbage (legal) they just laughed. I love Montana.

After our shooting spree, we dressed Pete up like a Wangsta and took him to a couple hick bars. It was great fun. People stared like crazy. A few hours later, I was snug in my bed with my wife.

Sunday was the wedding. It was a fabulous wedding. Brooke looked beautiful in her dress, and the guys... well, we looked good too.


Here is my beautiful family after the wedding. I don't know what Izzie's deal was, and I can't come up with anything creative to make it funny. I'll just let you laugh at the expression (or maybe ooh and ahh at how cute she is).


The trip home this morning was going well until we got to Bozeman. Just as we were headed out of Bozeman on the East side we ran into a problem. I was driving along at about 80 (like I do) when I noticed something off to the right in my peripheral vision. I looked over to see a hawk emerging from behind a nice big highway sign. He was just gliding along all peaceful like in the breeze blowing out of the canyon. There was a Chevy next to my and a car behind me, so there wasn't much I could do. The bird was only about 30 feet in front and 20 feet off to the side when I saw it. In the next half second my exact thought was "bird... birds always move... cars... don't do anything." Then I had just enough time to turn my head and lean over. The huge THWACK on the window woke up the baby and startled Lynnell. I briefly slowed down to make sure that nothing was wrong and that my windshield wasn't going to blow in on me. I looked in my driver side mirror (at least 2 seconds later) just in time to see the hawk hit the ground in the median. Everything was fine and I could still see well enough to drive, so I stuck my foot back in it and set the cruise back to 80. I looked over at the lady in the Chevy next to me, and by the look on her face you would have thought that I hit her. Her eyes were huge and her mouth was gaping open.



I had this 1/1000 of a second thought that was anger, but then I wasn't mad. I thought about it, and I would have been mad if the bird had only cracked it a little bit. You know, enough to put an ugly crack in the window, but not enough to justify a windshield replacement. I would have been bummed by that, but now that I definitely have to replace the window, I don't really mind it. Oh well. Windows are cheap and nothing bad happened. When I got home it only took a few minutes to vacuum up the glass that peppered me when the bird hit. Now it's a good story.

The Grandpre's (in true Grandpre hospitality and generosity) got Izzie a couple of gifts. Here is Lynnell and Izzie opening them.


Anyways, that was our wedding weekend in Helena. It was fun. Congratulations Pete and Brooke and many wishes.