Charlie: Day 4 - “Food & boogers”

Charlie started eating today. He's only having a few milliliters of milk every 3 hours and they're watching him closely to make sure his little tummy can handle it. He wasn't really sure what to do with the food today but he got a taste for it. Over the day he's been getting more used to it and the nurse told me that his 5 o'clock feeding went very well.

After breakfast, Charlie was a little fussy going back into his "terrarium". The nurse checked his nose using a little turkey baster thing. She sucked a few boogers out of him that were so incredibly huge I did a double take. But he immediately calmed down and fell right back to sleep. Wow.


Mommy calming Charlie down before breakfast.


Mommy feeding Charlie for the first time.

Charlie Update: Day 4 - “New Digs”

Charlie has been doing so well that he's been upgraded to a new NICU unit. His "isolette" looks serious but it's actually a sign that he's doing well on his own because he requires less handling. He's breathing on his own but still has a small wind tube to remind him to breathe. He's also being moved over to a bottle instead of an I.V. so that's nice. This morning we're planning on feeding him for the first time. That's very exciting.


Here's Charlie in his new apartment. He's got his tanning lamp on and he's wearing his sunglasses.


Here's Charlie's foot. I think he's snoring in this photo.



This is the name tag the NICU staff made for him.


Patty and Gary get to enter the NICU whenever they want to see Charlie. Sarah and I took this photo from out in the hall because Charlie can only have two visitors at a time.

More updates soon. We're hoping to feed him today.
Thanks everyone for your love and support.

Charlie Update: Day 3

Today was a good day. Charlie has been doing so well downstairs in the NICU that he's being promoted to a new area. In fact they're putting him on display in the "storefront" windows so our visitors can see him.

But before all that happens, they let us hold him for the first time. I can't express my joy right now. It felt great to finally hold him in our arms and look him in the eyes and let him know we're here for him.


Sarah holding Charlie for the first time in the NICO


Big Yawn for such a little man


Baby Charlie loves his mommy.


Daddy gets a turn with Charlie.


Proud Papa and his little man.

Charlie

Charlie Landwehr Myers was born on Sunday, October 18th, 2009. He wasn't actually due for another 2 months but I suppose he was in a hurry. Before I get into the details, let me first say that baby and mommy are doing fine. So here goes.
Vitals:
• Born at 10:58am October 18th instead of his due date of December 17th.
• 4 pounds 3 ounces, 17.5 inches long (or "tall" if he was born walking.)

Story:
At 3am on Sunday morning, Sarah told me she was having horrible cramps. After a shower and a walk around the block it wasn't going away. These "cramps" started coming more and more often. We called the hospital and they calmly urged us to hop in the car and pay them a visit. By 6:30am we were at the hospital having Sarah checked out. She was dilated 5 centimeters. Before we knew it the doctors were rallying around us to deliver this little party-crasher. After one last check the doctor noticed that Charlie had started sticking his shoulder out instead of his head. At this time they agreed to move to a cesarean section, which went beautifully.

By 10:58am, Charlie was born and Sarah was being closed up. Sarah was awake throughout the operation and I was allowed to stay with her the whole way through. As soon as Charlie was out, the NICU team whisked him away to their cutting edge facility. He's under their close eye now and will be for up to the next six weeks. So far he's responding amazingly well to the treatments and is already ahead of schedule. He's receiving "photo therapy" (which is like a baby tanning bed) and lots of food through various I.V.'s. He was also on a ventilator for the first 24+ hours but he's breathing mostly on his own now and doing quite well. On our last visit an hour ago, Sarah and I actually got to hear him cry for the first time and although I'm sure it will be easy to lose sight of in a few months, that was truly wonderful.

We'd like to thank Saint Mark's Hospital for all their hard work and quick, decisive action. Not to mention their care since our arrival has been outstanding. Every doctor, nurse, and technician we've encountered has been amazing.

We also want to thank all our loving friends and family who have shown us their support in the last few days. We can't wait for Charlie to meet all of you. We love you very much.

Now, here are a few pictures:


Joe and Sarah keeping a stiff upper lip going between contractions.


Joe on his way into the c-section operating room.


Charlie's first picture in the outside world.


Charlie in the NICU unit.


Sarah touching Charlie for the first time.


Charlie's hand around Joe's pinky.


Sarah's hand and Carlie's little tootsie.


Charlie crying. YAY!!!


Sarah listening to Charlie cry for the first time.

My Little Man To Be

My Little Man To Be

I will teach you how to throw a ball

I will feed you so you'll grow up tall

I will emphasize the weight of wisdom

so you won't have to lead with gall.

I will give you music, art, poetry

I will give you mountains, sky, the sea

I will show you how to treat a woman

and earn the love your mom shows me.

I will offer you my best advice

I will help you tell the men from mice

I will give you every consolation

when your best just won't suffice.

I will teach you how to camp, mow, shave

I will show you how to misbehave

I will pass along the crucial pieces

that my father to me gave.

I will illuminate your surroundings

I will share with you my love of things

I will insist upon your righteousness

without the hate it brings.

I will love you, little man to be

I will give you all the world to see

You'll have every opportunity

to be a better man than me.

10 Weeks left

It is hard to believe but we are just 10 weeks out from our due date. There is still so much to be done. We have to attend birthing classes, install a car seat (thank you to Dr. & Mrs. Myers for generously purchasing the seat), attend a few showers, and finish the nursery (thanks to the endless efforts of my parents.)

I am optimistic that we will get it all done while still taking time to enjoy being pregnant. I have gotten very used to feeling my son's little feet push up on my right side just below my ribs and know I will be sad when he will not longer be with me 24/7.

4 Years

Thursday was our fourth wedding anniversary. All I can say is that my life has never been better. My wife amazes me every day and is radiant now carrying our first child. To celebrate we simply left work early and went home to walk with the dogs and have a nice dinner alone. I surprised her at work with flowers and sandwiches (she loves the Paisano from Park City's Clockwork Café) but otherwise we just acknowledged our marriage with a quiet appreciation for each other's company. I can think of no better celebration than to be with her.

Baby Steps

I felt the baby kick for the first time the other day. Sarah's been feeling him move for a while now, but every time I put my hand on her tummy, he decides to relax. But the other night, while lying in bed, he gave me one swift Bruce Lee kick to the palm announcing in no uncertain terms that he's in there and he's comin' out fightin'.

The moment was precious to me. My boy seems to like it in there. He shifts and pushes his way around as he remodels Sarah's tummy. Sometimes she says he gets feisty and does a river-dance. But he seems to be at peace. We hope he enjoys the morning conversations we have with him and the books we've read him (The first bed-time story I read him was Walter The Farting Dog). And we can't wait to meet him.

Big Boy Grill

The other day, my lovely wife and I picked up a new, "family-sized" grill. This concluded four years of faithful service by our Weber Baby Q portable grill, which was graciously given as a wedding present by our friends Jack, Marie, Bonnie and Dave. We thank them for their gift, which, in its retirement, will be reserved for heroic tailgating and car-camping appearances.

The new grill has two cooking racks and a side burner, plus some storage space below. We're looking forward to making it regular part of the family routine.

Nursery

This weekend Joe and I embarked on the task of setting up the crib in the nursery. We did it in two stages, first the changing table portion on Saturday and then the rest of the crib on Sunday. Blu was there with us each step of the way inspecting our work and we assumed wondering who was the recipient of this fancy kennel. We joked that we should close in the crib around her and see what she did; however, the joke was on us when we realized we had built Joe into the kennel.

All in all the crib was very easy to assemble and we were very pleased at how it looks and fits on the room. We even set up the crib with the bedding that my parents bought us as an advance shower gift. I think it looks great and can't wait to keep nesting.

It's a Boy!

Last week we had our 20 week dr appointment and sonogram. Joe went with me and on the way to the appointment we both began to get a little nervous to see our child. We were relieved to find out that we are having a healthy little boy. Here is his profile.

Holy Crap, I'm gonna be a Daddy!

Still coming to grips with this whole thing. I couldn't be more excited about our "sweetpea". Sarah's showing now and I've been faithfully reading my daddy book so I know what to expect and what to do. We've been making strides though. We're nesting in a traditional sense: accepting generous gifts from friends; we bought a crib, changing table, baby monitor and even registered at BabiesRus; and I've accepted the fact that my beloved blue arm chair will be sent off to live a better life on a farm somewhere. But somehow, I know there's nothing that could prepare me for this experience.

We visited our good friends Neil and Mary this weekend in Idaho. We were happy to be joined by our neighbors Nicole and Petie who have a 4 year old and a one and a half year old, both girls. The weekend was stress-free and wonderful. For me though, the highlight had to be while we were watching the kids as Nicole and Petie shared a rare mountain bike ride together. Their kids are amazing. Zöe was one of the reasons we wanted to have a baby in the first place. And Margot, the youngest, is a handful to say the least. But she's very cute. After a few hours alone they got antsy. Margot wanted to follow her big sister Zöe around. When she started getting frustrated I took that as a queue that she was tired. I picked her up and carried her around, drawing her attention to pictures around the house. I noticed she was going along with it and started resisting less and less. I started bouncing up and down as I walked because I've seen people do this. Eventually, I noticed her head wobbling as the little sack of potatoes I had been holding was now turning into a sack of jello. When she finally fell asleep I took it as a huge victory and sat down with her on the couch. But I was surprised to discover how at peace I felt in coming moments, as she melted into my chest. This little drooling mess and I were experiencing a symbiotic kind of joy where each of our needs were being met at once. She was getting the rest she needed. And I, having been very busy with work and stressed about our baby lately, I suddenly had no place more important to be. It was a very reassuring feeling to know that (A) I might be pretty good at this and (B) I think I'm really going to enjoy this.

Tomorrow we have an appointment for an ultrasound. We should (fingers crossed) find out the sex of our baby. I truly don't care what kind of baby it is. But I'm looking forward to being one step closer to having the privilege of being a daddy.

Happy News from Utah

Joe and I are pleased to announce that in just 6 short months we will be welcoming a new member to our family. We scanned our first sonogram which doesn't compare to watching the image on a big screen in the doctors office but basically you are looking at a healthy 10 wk old baby with the head on the left and feet on the right.

April Showers

After a so-so snow year and a long warm weather cycle, we had all but given up on skiing for the year. We were in full on bike mode, planning trips to Moab and getting into spinning shape. Then a spring storm cycle rolled in. At first, I dismissed it as if Winter were trying to beg my forgiveness like a lover who had cheated, offering a cheap bouquet of after-thought snow. But the storms started coming back to back until before we knew it, we had received 150 inches (12.5 FEET) of fresh Utah powder in under two weeks. With action like that, Spring had been officially postponed and we were able to get a few tremendous days in at The Canyons, Brighton, and Snowbird. While we may have gotten it out of our systems this past weekend, we have but one more weekend to enjoy skiing in Park City before the resorts close. And with a brand new storm cycle engulfing Utah and already dropping 6-12 inches, Winter is back on, sucka.
More Pictures »

The Big LePowSki

Sarah and I recently attended The Big LePowSki, a 1-day skills clinic at Brighton sponsored by Black Diamond, Backcountry.com, Brighton, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The North Face, Discrete Headwear, and Smith Optics. Proceeds from the event went toward the Billy Poole Memorial Foundation, which carries on Billy's generous spirit by introducing kids to skiing and outdoor programs. As someone who didn't grow up skiing, I care very deeply that Billy's legacy will resonate with a new generation of skiers. I won't pretend that I knew Billy well, but I had limited email contact with him. My immediate perception of Billy's character was one of sincerity and genuine appreciation for the world around him. These seem to be qualities that first come to mind for all his friends.

...ANYWAY, The Big LePowSki clinic was a huge success. Two-dozen top pro athletes converged on a field of 45 or so lucky amateurs, who paid a mere $55 apiece (included 2 clinics, lift ticket, lunch and after party) to mingle and ski with heros of skiing, telemarking and snowboarding. Names like Chris Davenport, Andrew McLean, Sage Cattabriga Alosa, Jen Berg (to name a few) were on hand to enthusiastically share their passion and experience with those of us who dream of being them for a day — those of us who are direct and indirect benefactors of Billy's legacy. Clinics included basic skills like "air-awareness" and "freeskiing 101" to more advanced clinics like "steeps" and "sliding rails". Sarah took "Women's Specific Air Awareness" with Kim Havell and "Women's Specific Skiing Steep Terrain" with Jen Berg. I opted to take "cliff-hucking" with Julian Carr and "360's" with Cody Barnhill. As if it weren't enough to watch these behemoths rock their own lines, I got to ride and joke with them, pick their brains, and have them cheer me on like some baseball fantasy camp. I'm proud to report I safely dropped a 20-foot cliff and pulled off a clean 360 with their help. Of course I was completely stoked all day long, but I feel like the athletes were as stoked as I was. And THAT's where Billy's spirit was felt the most. At the after-party, Julian and Cody talked ME up to their friends, which is just absurd.

My limited ski career (10 years) has been full of awakenings and personal milestones. Having moved from Boston to Utah 4 years ago, I've been fortunate to have many epic moments on skis. This one was one of the sickest yet. Thank you Billy, and thank you to all those who honor him in such an appropriate way.

Spalluto's (first) Trip to Utah

Our good friend Mike Spalluto was recently asked if he'd be willing to attend a conference in Salt Lake City...during ski season. After wiping the drool from his mouth he enthusiastically agreed and booked a few extra days to ski with us. He also brought Dave Walsh, a family friend who helped teach Mike to ski. They arrived late last Thursday with huge smiles on their faces and ski boots in their carry-ons. Unfortunately, they happened upon Utah during one of the longest winter high-pressure systems in recent memory. But they were up for warm bluebird skiing too.

Day 1: We hit The Canyons. Having performed some design work for lift tickets, their warm-up day was free. In awe of the shear magnitude before them, they let me take the reigns and I guided them straight to the high traverse on 9990. They looked out over the spine with wonder and anticipation, before dropping into the pines. We trekked all the way out to Dreamcatcher and back to Super Condor before ending the day at Silverado Bowl. We knew we were done when Mike literally wrapped himself around a tree and had to be manually ejected from his ski binding.

Day 2: Deer Valley. Taking the executive route, we introduced the boys to America's #1 resort by taking a tour of the 5-star property where Sarah works. We also met up with Matt Albrecht, his wife Leigh and her parents Laird and Freia. Skiing with the groups was not terribly chaotic as they were all great skiers. Again, we covered the entire resort and left exhausted. That night we didn't even bother going out after skiing. We simply rested up to do it again.

Day 3: Snowbasin in Ogden, Utah. North of Salt Lake are two formidable hidden gems. Powder Mountain and Snowbasin represent a very rare contingent of under-skied and under-publicized powder paradises. Our first venture to Snowbasin was a huge eye-opener. About an hour-drive from our house in Heber, this mountain was quiet, lavish, and absolutely epic in terms of terrain. With dramatic, rocky peaks and open bowl skiing everywhere, Snowbasin truly represents western skiing. But what's more is that even though it hadn't snowed in a week, we still found unracked lines and soft steeps begging to be carved. We ended the day with a triumphant run down the 2002 Olympic Men's Downhill course starting area. I can honestly say I had no idea how steep those race courses get, but having taken a separate gondola to the top of this pitch, listening to the operator read us our last rights and then dropping in over a blind lip, I'd say I have a new respect for the guys who shove out from the gates and straightline gnarly lines like that.

Day 4: Alta. I saved Alta for the last day because I knew Mike had been dreaming of skiing there for years. Mike and Dave even rented fat skis for that one day just to get the full experience. We met up with Patty and Gary at Goldminer's Daughter Lodge and before we knew it, we had a crew of people Dave's age willing to show us around. After a warm up through Ballroom we made runs in Fred's Trees, Westward Ho, and Eagle's Nest before hitting the backside and Chartreuse. Finally, in the afternoon Dave said simply "Dude, I'm done." Mike agreed and as we took a hero run down through Ballroom I knew I had done a pretty good job getting them to all the best spots.

Mike eventually went to his conference and will be leaving SLC on the redeye tonight. Hopefully this will become and annual tradition and hopefully next year they'll be able to plan their trip around fresh snow. But for now, they at least have a taste.

You can view more pictures here:
http://flickr.com/photos/7527772@N05/sets/72157613221714765/

SPLAT! Look Before You Leap

Yesterday was a bit of a powder day. Nothing huge but one of the better days so far this year. Everything was going great. Max and I were getting some good runs in Dreamcatcher (one of my favorite spots) at The Canyons. But sometimes you get so caught up chasing that floating feeling that you feel invincible. (Note: you’re not.)

Max and I scoped out a long, steep, straight shot of fresh pow between pine trees. We were below it at that point but we made a plan to come back to it. Sure enough on the next run I found myself staring down the chute. Without hesitation I charged down the middle. Turn after turn, I was rewarded by the splash of light Utah powder in my face. As I split through the pines, my vision obscured by snow and flat light I suddenly realized the ground beneath me had given way and I was in a brief, but un-planned free-fall. I had skied off a 10-12 foot ledge, landing square and abrubtly on a flat cat-track. For the un-initiated, that’s kinda like being hit by a truck. My body compressed into the ground, my face smacked against my knees and I heard a series of cracks. As it turns out, most of those were benign helmet clicks but I’m sure at least some of them were from my spine.

I stood up, unsure what had just happened. I turned around to check out my track and piece together the sequence of events. I then stuck my fingers in my mouth to make sure all my teeth were in tact. My head felt dizzy, but not nauseous as I ran through a check list before deciding I did not have a concussion. I knew I had at least torn some muscles in the back of my neck. My back, still sore from a miniature version of a similar event last week is surely due for a follow-up visit to Healing Hands Chiropractic in Park City. But overall, I got pretty lucky.

The bottom line is that a few inches of powder will make people do stupid things. This is certainly not the first time I’ve gotten caught up in the moment and allowed feet to do the thinking. But it’s a healthy reminder not to get too carried away. Good luck folks. Stay safe out there.

Holidays in Utah

Our holiday was very laid back and low-key this year. Joe and I went to my parents house for Christmas Eve and sat by their new fireplace, ate appetizers, drank champagne and opened presents. One thing that was different this year was Joe bought me a surprise gift, Nordic skis (boots & poles too). Anyone reading this will know how much work he had to go through to surprise me. He did a great job of throwing me off the scent by only wrapping the boots and hiding the skis outside. I have been wanting a pair for sometime since I live in a place with abundant amounts of snow and groomed Nordic trails. To make things even better my grandmother generously sent Joe and I Christmas money which we promptly converted to a set of Nordic skis for Joe. We went out last weekend with the girls to Round Valley and then again last night to Willow Creek before taking in the fireworks at the Canyons. If anyone is on the fence about getting into Nordic skiing, I highly recommend it.

My Top Bookmarks of 2008

These are some of my favorite things on the web. What are yours?

Top Fun Blogs that Make My Day
FailBlog - Pics & Video of stupid people messing things up. What could be funnier than laughing at other people's misfortune and/or moronic behavior? (Quick tutorial: "Fail" = poor execution; "Win" = good execution or unintentional fortune; "Owned" or "Pwned" = completely dominated)
BoingBoing - News from the outer margins of popular culture and tech sub-cultures. Admittedly, this blog flies over my head half the time, but it's always good for at least one laugh and/or WTF moment.
XKCD - Hilariously ironic webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. TIP: Don't forget to hover over the comic graphic for additional insight from the artist (avail: Mon/Wed/Fri)
PhotoShop Disasters - Instances of poorly executed PhotoShop manipulation that have somehow made it past the art director's desk and into public consumption. This blog does often nitpick too much but it's still entertaining to see what's wrong with each image.
You Suck At PhotoShop - A hysterical web video series by Donnie, a fictional, elitist PhotoShop expert who attempts to alleviate his failed marriage by giving PhotoShop tutorials and insulting his audience. While this is intended as a comedic saga, there actually is a lot of valid PhotoShop advice in here. So it's a double win.

Top Shopping/Commerce Sites
Woot - One tech deal a day with BRILLIANT copy-writing.
TramDock - One ski deal at a time, by Backcountry.com
SteepAndCheap - One outdoor deal at a time, by Backcountry.com
UnCrate - An insightful product blog form men. Great design too.
The Goat - An entertaining outdoor gear blog, by Backcountry.com

Top Time-Sucking Social Media Platforms
Facebook - After stomping my feet in extreme distaste for social networking sites, I was asked to use Facebook for work-related research and somehow became addicted to this stupid thing.
Twitter - Ditto. I started out just trying to understand WHY anyone would want to "tweet" to friends and strangers, but now I'm up to 10 tweets a day.
Delicious - I thought I had no use for social bookmarking. But it's actually kinda cool to be able to share links. There's always something new to look at when you're bored or need a study break.
Flickr - Simply the best and most beautiful photo storage/sharing site out there. Plus the API makes it more accessible every day.
CraigsList - Combination online yard-sale, therapist, career counselor and nightclub. Plus with the new firefox plugin "Craigslist Image Preview" you can quickly browse all the images posted to listings without clicking the ad, which is even more addictive.

Top Media/Entertainment Sites
The Big Picture - An unbelievably powerful photo-blog that compiles the top professional imagery on a given topic, while displaying them at a dramatic 990 pixels wide!
Hulu - The new standard in online video. If you're sick of watching people's cats fall off things on YouTube, you can catch up on news and entertainment from TV here.
New York Times - Simply the best news site around. In an age of increasing anti-intellectualism, the Times maintains THE professional standard for journalism and sophisticated delivery. It has also re-set the bar for content-rich interface with its no-frills, text-as-text approach.
B-Net - A gorgeous site for business types. I don't always have a use for it's content but It's a case where design enhances the experience.
TED - Wanna know what the next big thing is? Watch some presentations from big-brained, industry-leading, techno-weenies and prepare to have your mind blown.

Top Design-Nerd Sites
A List Apart - Happy Cog's design and web standards blog offers insight into all aspects of interactive design. I think I have a little design crush on them.
Authentic Boredom - Salt Lake-based designer and lecturer, Cameron Moll expounds on design, type, and the industry. Perhaps a little ego-centric, but still interesting.
Jon Tangerine - A brilliant designer and student of typography, Jon Tan's blog is full of great insights and obsessive detail.
CSS Beauty - Some good inspiration for aspiring CSS designers like myself. Great sites to look at and a vast resource. I just wish it was updated more often.
Smashing Magazine - A great combination of eye-candy and how-to. Lots of great tips on here for designers but also just plain fun to look at.

Opening Weekend

Despite a lack of natural snow and fickle temperatures making it hard to make snow, The Canyons and Deer Valley Resort were both able to open this weekend. On Friday, I took a few hours off from work to enjoy some early runs at The Canyons. I rode up the gondola, over the brown landscape and exited at Red Pine Lodge into a wonderland of man-made snow. I have to admit that I was surprised. I was impressed at the coverage, but also the quality of snow The Canyons was able to produce despite the less than ideal conditions.

Saturday and Sunday we were treated to VIP passes at Deer Valley's Annual Celebrity Skifest to benefit the US Ski Team and Bobby Kennedy's Water Keeper Alliance. We had a nice dinner friday night at the Silver Lake Lodge and tent access throughout the weekend at the finish line of the Celebrity race course. The food was excellent and yes, there was free beer thanks to the primary sponsors, CBS. The race will air on CBS, Sunday 12.21.08 at 5pm eastern before the Rose Bowl. If you watch closely you'll see us in the background of the finish-line interviews. I have a beard and red goggles. Sarah's in black sunglasses.

Celebrity sightings from the weekend include: Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, Picaboo Street, Joe Pantaliono, Larry David, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Matthew Modine, Tommy Moe, The Maher Brothers, and a bunch more. We opted not to take very many pictures of them because we didn't want to lose our free beer priveledges. But a good time was had by all.