First Christmas!

Ramsey's first christmas was very fun. He got some trucks made out of recycled materials from his dad and some elmo slippers and a piano book from his mom. He got lots of other toys in the mail and many donations to the college fund. We think he had more fun with the paper and boxes than the actual gifts, but that was to be expected from a 9 month old.

After Skyping with Ramsey's grandparents, we took a family hike on the Bonneville shoreline trail. It was intended to be a snowshoe, but all the snow had melted. Then we joined some friends for dinner.

Christmas Eve Skiing, Yurt, and Sledding

The night before Christmas eve, we spent the night in the Yurt at the ski resort with a bunch of friends. Ramsey gave many of them their first taste of what it is like sleeping in the same room with a baby (and the snoring Hoffmanns). We spent the next day taking turns skiing and sledding with Ramsey. I wasn't sure if he would like it or not, but the second time down he was hooting and hollering for more! Pics are in the slideshow...

9 Months Old

Ramsey turned 9 months old on December 15th. He had another checkup and weighed in at 18 lbs even and 27.5 inches. He has actually lost almost a pound since the last checkup. But, we were told not to worry. It is just because of all the moving and shaking. Ramsey loves to do nothing but walk around while you hold his hands. Just two days ago he started couch surfing as well. I don't think it will be very much longer before we see him walking.

We're not sure how much longer it will be on that very first tooth. We're still waiting! And there is no sign of it yet. However, there sure is a lot of babbling going on. Mostly it is just "da da da da da" all day long, with a few other consonants mixed in there.

So far, I've been able to get out skiing twice already. We just take turns hanging out with Ramsey in the lodge, and he has a pretty good time. We may try to take him out for a snow shoe this weekend. The temperatures haven't been too cold, so I think he'll enjoy it.

Ramsey Visits Cincinnati for Thanksgiving

We all had a wonderful Thanksgiving visit with many family and friends in Cincinnati. The first couple days were spent with Ramey's Grandma and Grandpa Browning, Uncle Ryan, Aunt Barb, Aunt Sarah, and cousin Connor. We all went to the zoo, the conservatory, Skyline Chili, and the park. I think Ramsey and Connor enjoyed swinging on the swings together the most! We were able to take advantage of the free babysitting for our traditional bowling night.

Most of the Hoffmann family came to Cincinnati to spend Ramsey's first Thanksgiving with him. The lucky guy got to spend it with both of his Grandparents and most of his aunts and uncles.

Throughout the week Ramsey got to meet his Great Aunts Peggy, Janice, Carol and Kim, Great Uncles Bill, Pat, Tom and Paul, Cousins Maria, Sarah, Chloe, Max, Kara, McKea, Will, Rebecca, Chris, and friends!

Although we're still waiting for a tooth to appear, Ramsey is moving right along with learning how to walk. He can pull himself up to standing and loves to be walked around the house. He conquered climbing up all of the stairs in Cincinnati, too!

8 Month Old Bucket Boy!

Scott discovered that a bucket is a great tool for learning how to stand and entertaining to be spun around in as well. Ramsey has already started pulling himself up to standing - it started out the first time on a laundry basket, then he went to the dogs and the changing table, and has now graduated to the couch! Just today he has started showing interest in walking around while you hold his hands.

We haven't been very successful in getting Ramsey to try new veggies, or even eat ones he liked in the past. He has taken a liking to fruit, yogurt, and cereal. I think his favorite are plums and peaches. He was screaming with excitement the first time he tried the yogurt.

We're looking forward to upcoming trip to to Cincinnati to meet more of the family!

Halloween!

More First Moments

Tonight was Ramsey's first haircut. He managed to sit still enough to allow me to take a little off the top. He still has a bit of a mohawk going on, but it was getting too long to stand up. Now we've got those cute little curls back.

Crawling progress is moving along. I have been clapping for him every time he crawls a little bit and then moves to a sitting position. Tonight he started clapping for himself! It wasn't a fluke because he did it 6 times in a row!

Pumpkin Carving Night

Crawling at 7 Months!

Here's Ramsey in his high chair eatin' his peas and babbling away. He had his first crawl of 4 steps yesterday on his 7 month birthday! Dad caught it on video, but the video files are too big to upload.

Sittin' and Eatin'

A couple days ago, Ramsey made it from laying on his stomach to a sitting position by himself! I actually didn't even get to see it. I just turned around to find him all of the sudden sitting up and very proud of himself. He's still working hard at the crawling. Getting up on his hands and knees very quickly now and rocking and lunging.

We've started some baby foods with Ramsey in the past couple weeks. We've had some fun in experimenting with making our own. So far Ramsey has tried carrots, bananas, avocado, and peas. He liked the veggies a lot more than the fruit. Gave some poopy faces at it and didn't eat very much. I made a couple big batches and froze the rest in ice cube trays to make it last longer.

6 Month Update

Ramsey had his 6 month shots today. He weighed in at 16 lbs. 13 ounces (34th percentile) and was 26 inches long (31st percentile). He is sitting fairly well now and is still working really hard on the crawling. He is now scooting backwards and in circles, but we haven't seen any forward movement yet. He has also done a few double and triple rolls. Everything in arms reach is now his for the grabbing and straight into the mouth.

He had his first taste of banana tonight and finished a quarter of it. He made a few funny faces at the new taste. Can't wait to try more and more foods with him. Ramsey has really become fond of the dogs. He loves to "pet" them - which is more of a grabbing of the hair. He's starting to make more and more noises, blowing bubbles, and is entertaining himself with a noise that sounds like a fake cough.

I'm 6 Months Old!!!

Visit from Uncle Ryan and Aunt Sarah

A short but fun visit was had by uncle Ryan and aunt Sarah. The first day was spent getting to know Ramsey. They gave him bottles, played with him, watched him laugh and watched him sit for the first time. Uncle Doug's birthday was spent hiking at Tony Grove and the Crimson trail followed by a night out at the pizza factory. The highlight of the trip for Sarah was the horseback ride Ryan and I accompanied her on. It was a beautiful ride through the Bear River mountains with a beautiful mountain overlook. It was especially neat for Sarah to accompany me on my first ride since a bad horse accident 18 years ago. She was there every day at the hospital.

We also spent Saturday evening at Maple Grove hot springs where Scott cooked an authentic dutch oven dinner of buffalo chili with cornbread. After a stop at the Great Salt Lake for a watermelon spitting contest, the two were on their way back. I should mention they sponsored my trip back home and dinner since I took the trip with no wallet, no phone, and not enough gas. Thanks guys!

Ramsey visits Montana

We had a nice Labor Day weekend celebration with some friends in Missoula, MT. Ramsey bagged his first peak, Mount Sentinel, via the Crazy Canyon trail. Ramsey is very content in the outdoors just like his parents.

He got to meet his one year old friend, Ryder, who graciously lent his cowboy hat and rocking horse. He was very observant of his new friend eating with a spoon and walking and crawling around. We also had a sneak peak of what baby proofing means. This is coming sooner we think, as Ramsey is now sitting up for short periods unassisted and still trying very hard at his crawling attempts.

5 Months Old!

Beach Week 2010 (Street Family Reunion)

Last week was the Street Family reunion in Myrtle Beach (Scott's mom's family). There were 84 members present housed in various rentals along the coast. This was Ramsey's second red-eye flight across the country. So far, he's a great traveler (knock on wood). He just needs to learn to stop pooping right as the pilot says, "Fasten your seat belts for landing."
The week was filled with dinner parties, fishing, golfing, bw3's, rock band, and hanging at the beach. Ramsey got to meet his second great-grandmother and was reunited with all of his Hoffmann Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents. He was also introduced to his Great Aunts and Uncles Lisa, Tim, Steve, Colleen and Mike and his second cousins Alex M., Aiden, Noah, Tom, Katie, Alex S. and Sam. Then there were the great great Aunts and Uncles H.A., Gaynell, Russell, Connie, Nick, and Fay and their families, too. I think Ramsey was exhausted from meeting all these people and slept through the night almost every night!
The biggest milestone of the week was the beginnings of Ramsey trying to crawl. Now, when he's on his belly he will tuck up his legs and push them back out. He's not going very far just yet, but I don't think it will be very long before he figures it out.

Visit from Uncle Ben and Aunt Lacey

Ramsey got to meet his Uncle Ben and Aunt Lacey last week. We all went up to the Beaver Mountain music festival, camped, and went to Bear Lake the next day. Uncle Ben helped put in a ceiling fan in Ramsey's room just in time for the 90 degree days. And Aunt Lacey worked on the blanket she is knitting for her newest nephew. Uncle Ben got to change his first poopy diaper and give his first bottle!

4 Months Old!

Ramsey's 4 month doctor appointment resulted in a perfect bill of health! He weighed in at 14 lbs 4 ounces and 25 inches long. He's become very aware of his surroundings lately and notices someone from across the room. He rolls from front to back and back to front very frequently. His latest game is putting his toes into his mouth. This picture is after we tried him on his first cereal. He ate quite a bit more than I expected him to. But, after a while he just started playing with it and spitting it out.

Visit with Great Grandmother & Family in NY

Ramsey's first flight was a red-eye from Salt Lake to JFK. I was so nervous to take him on a plane that my neck was in knots. Fortunately, there was no reason to worry. We got an extra seat for him and were able to keep him in the car seat the whole time.

Ramsey got to meet his first great-grandmother. He did a great job showing off his rolling and talking to her. He also got to see his grandparents again, Aunt Abby, Aunt Sammy, Uncle Justin, Great Aunt Janice, Great Uncle Hap, Great Uncle Greg, 2nd Cousins Jason, Tara, Chris, and Jon and his friend Cal, who was born 36 hours before he was. He traveled around Long Island visiting with family and eating some great food.

Ramsey was also introduced to his father's old stuffed animal monkey. His Aunt Samantha was nice enough to hold onto it while we were in the Peace Corps. Now, if I could only figure out how to wash that "dirty monkey".

This was also Ramsey's first trip to the ocean. We went to Jones Beach, where *someone* decided to dip him into an ice cold wave. Needless to say, he didn't enjoy that as much as the hot springs. We'll have another chance to introduce him to some warmer ocean water in August.

Fourth of July Milestones

The Fourth of July was a big day for Ramsey. The day started out with Ramsey waking up on his belly. I had seen him trying to roll over the day before, so it didn't take him long to figure it out. Once he got the hang of it, that's all he wanted to do. The second you put him on his back, he rolls right over like a spring board.

Later in the day we decided to take Ramsey on his first swim. We went to the Maple Grove hot springs in Southern Idaho. The have a fairly large pool the temperature of bath water. Ramsey was all smiles as he kicked and floated around the pool. He had his first dunk under water as well. Still only smiles on this boy's face.

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

Ramsey had a nice 10 day visit with his grandma and grandpa. They got to experience his first laugh, and I don't think he ever stopped laughing! Believe it or not he has also started teething already! Not sure where the first ones will be, there's just a lot of drooling and biting so far.
Grandma and grandpa got to see the beginnings of Ramsey learning how to sit up and stand as well. They took Ramsey on his first trip to the zoo and to the Golden Spike National Monument. They even babysat so we could go out to the bar. Ramsey was so sweet to save the number 2 we'd been waiting for all week just for his grandma!

12 Weeks Old!

On Monday, Ramsey will be 12 weeks old already. He's really starting to become a very alert baby is smiling all the time. He loves reading books with animal sounds and listening to music and singing. He can stick his tongue out and will smile when you stick your tongue out at him. He can also make a pretty impressive owl noise. He will hoot back and forth with us. He also loves to try to stand upon your legs. He's been sleeping for about 6 hours in a row each night, which is extremely nice for a working mother!

Poop and rattlesnakes: Ashley's trip to Logan

Ramsey's Aunt Ashley visited us from May 11-19, and we had a wonderful time with her! Ram welcomed Ashley by immediately pooping on her arm the night she arrived. Hilarious, given her strong aversion to poop of any variety. She handled herself quite well, however, and after yet another poop episode and other fun baby-related messes, she was told by some of our friends how much of a natural she was with babies, and that she should have own of her own! Here are a couple photos of her and Ram:





Unfortunately we were plagued by rainy weather for much of her trip, which kept us inside the house more than desired, but we were finally able to get Ashley to Massacre Rocks in southern Idaho for a weekend of rock climbing and camping. We woke up Sunday morning only to discover one of Ashley's other severe aversions......snakes! We spotted a big rattler by our campsite, and when he rattled at us he sent Ashley running down the hill screaming and waving her arms in the air. Not sure whether she hates poop or snakes more, but we were happy to provide her with intimate experiences with both while she was with us.

Here is a final shot of Ash, Scott, and the Ram Man just before we had to drive back to the airport....we were sorry to see Ashley go, but had a blast with her while she was here! I won't say much about the Ohio State hat she brought for Ram, visible in the photo......

Ramsey rolls over!

He's been doing this for a couple of weeks, but this is the first time we've been able to catch it on video!

2 Months Old!!!

Ramsey had his 8 week check up on Friday. The doctor said he is absolutely perfect. He really gained some ground in catching up with his weight. He now weighs 11 pounds and 4 ounces, which is the 41st percentile. This is up from the 6th percentile at birth! He is 22.5 inches, the 35th percentile, up from the 12 percentile at birth. The circumference of his head is still on the small side at 15 inches which is only the 12th percentile. I guess he gets that from me.

Mother's Day moms

Mother's Day in Logan, Utah was bathed in sunshine and tulips! We exchanged gifts and dined at a fancy hotel, serving a luscious buffet. The outdoor seating along the Logan River was peaceful and scenic. Enhancing the day, we gathered up Bruno and Stanley, for a hike on the RiverTrail in Logan Canyon. Uncle Doug, Ramsey, Julie, and Nema reveled in the beauty of mountains all around us. A wonderful day we shared!

Bouncy Boy

Visit from Aunt Sammy and Second Trip to the Desert

Aunt Sammy came out from Boston to visit her new nephew for a week. We all took a trip down to Moab for a few days. Sam got to try canyoneering for the first time, while Ramsey and mom took a stroll down Park Avenue (one of the hikes in Arches National Park). We checked out the rest of the park, as well as Canyonlands, and the winery. A good time was had by all.

This is 5 and a half week old Ramsey at Double Arch in Arches.
Ramsey ht a milestone in Moab by rolling over from front to back. Now if we can just get it on video...

Four Weeks Old!

Four weeks have already gone by since Ramsey's birth. This means that my maternity leave is half over :(
We've decided to stop contributing to the landfills and start Ramsey on cloth diapers. This is him in his first cloth diaper. These are hand-me-downs from a friend - even better for the environment!

First trip to the desert!

Ramsey overlooking the water pocket fold and Henry Mountains at Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. We did a 127 mile scenic loop through the park and to Anasazi State Park. Ramsey's first hike was a 2 mile round trip hike to Hickman Natural Bridge. He slept the whole way. He received many comments from passers by such as, "best seat in the house." "youngest hiker on the trail," anf "first trip to the desert!"

2 Week update

Here is Ramsey in his fancy "chariot". It can be used as a stroller, jogger, has a bike attachment, and even ski attachments. At the 2 week check up Ramsey weighed in at 6 lbs. 15 oz. and had grown an inch and a half to 19 and a half inches. He's in the 12th percentile, but still growing.

A big event happened yesterday....Ramsey's umbilical cord fell out to reveal a cute little inny belly button.

Ramsey gets his pupils

Ramsey's Room

Here's the room that was literally finished the night before Ramsey arrived.





The room and tree were painted by Scott amidst trying to prepare for his comprehensive exams.

Welcome Ramsey Lawrence Hoffmann!!

Ramsey Lawrence Hoffmann arrived on Monday March 15, 2010 at 2:27pm. He was 18 inches long and weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 ounces. His head is covered with hair and we think he is going to have blue eyes. He caught us a little off guard by deciding to come 3 weeks early, but we were ready for him. In fact, I can remember sitting in the rocker on Sunday night and saying, "I finally feel like if the baby came tomorrow, I'd be ready!"

The labor started out around 8 am. We thought it was a false labor at first since there were 2 hours of irregular contractions. Then the contractions became very intense and were 2 minutes apart for an hour. At that point Scott called the doctor and started racing around the house. We still weren't sure if the baby was really coming or not. By the time we got there, I was pretty sure it was the real thing. The 2 minute contractions were extremely strong and not letting up.

I was immediately hooked up to monitors and IV's because the doctor was suspicious of a placental abruption. This is where the placenta detaches from the uterus and can cause the baby to not get any blood. Even though it was extremely painful, we waited and monitored to see if we could go through with the natural birth. I progressed from 1 cm to 7 cm from about 10am to 2pm, but it still wasn't fast enough. We had 3 contractions in a row where the baby's heart beat dropped to 60 (130-150 is normal). Needless to say, the doctor made the call to get him out immediately.

We were rushed to the operating room and I was given an epidural. They started the surgery right away. In fact, they started so fast that I was even more numb afterwards than during the surgery. Turns out that my placenta was half way removed from the uterine wall. Luckily, there were no complications with him. He is a perfectly healthy, happy, and beautiful boy. We feel so blessed to have him. And I am especially blessed with a wonderful husband who stayed by my side the entire time. I couldn't have done it without him.

Baby Shower!

Last weekend my wonderful Utah friends threw me a baby shower. I received lots of useful items- including of course many adorable articles of clothes, books, handmade swaddling blankets, changing pad, monitor, bouncer seat, and more! There were of course some games... guessing different baby foods, a bottle drinking contest, and guessing the baby's birthday, weight, and name. We'll have to wait and see if there are any winners...
I feel lucky to have so many great friends out here! (The slideshow photos to the right were also taken by our friend and very talented photographer, Aimee.)

36 Weeks Today!

Officially one more month left to go! The baby's room is almost done...just waiting for the finishing touches on Scott's tree. Everything is going well. The doctor predicts that the baby will be born a little over 7 pounds. He is head down and in position - ready to go. The worst thing this month is that the swollen ankles have arrived. I hear that they are here to stay. I guess Scott will just have to learn to love rubbing my feet!

32 Weeks

This week marks both the 32nd week of Lil Hoff's life as well as the last week of our birthing class! We've filled an entire notebook with really useful information from the midwife teaching the course. The whole thing is geared toward prepping mom-to-be for a natural birth....proper nutrition, supplements, and other holistic methods to make sure the body is ready to perform when it needs to!

Julie's beginning to feel the uncomfortable side of pregnancy....the boy has been wailing away on her ribcage for a few weeks now. Perhaps another soccer player? More likely a kickboxer..........

Crib: check. Dresser: check. Car seats: check. Stroller: check. Bassinet: check. Changing table: check. Baby body carrier: check. Speaking of the baby carrier, a buddy of ours, Mark, who lives in Logan but who is taking a year-or-so-long hiatus in France with his wife and daughter, designs things for a living. Climbing gear, ski gear, and oddly enough, a particular baby carrier for a company called Belle Baby Carriers. A couple days ago the UPS guy dropped a package off from Mark, and in it was a brand new baby carrier...made of all-natural hemp for all the hippies out there. Anyway, we're coming along in terms of baby gear.

Food craving of the month: A one-night fast food burger binge at McDonald's and Wendy's. Only lasted one night, and she couldn't bring herself to throw in a whopper to complete the trifecta. Also, milk.

Here is the 32 week photo:

Prepping the baby room

Here's the excited dad-to-be getting the baby room ready. The walls will be a light khaki, but Scott has plans to paint a giant tree on one of them. Stay tuned for the finished product...

28 Weeks

Here's the 28 week belly. Getting bigger every day. Little Hoff is doing great. He should be about 2 1/2 pounds this week.

Food Craving of the month: peppermint ice cream cake (or any sweets - which is usually not my thing)