As I posted a bit ago, Abby had been sick with a fever, cough and runny nose. Maybe its mean of me to take pictures of Abby while she is sick, but she looked so cute snuggled up in her little cozy spot on the couch. She’s cute no matter what and I just wanted to post pictures to show that!
OK, so she’s not the next American Idol nor do I think I want her to be, but our Saturday was relaxing and Abby provided some cute entertainment. That is until she was distracted by her regularly scheduled programming. I love when she sings her own little songs. She always puts a smile on my face and Daddy’s too. Not sure what she is singing this time, but it certainly is cute!
Most of the day was spent just playing and spending some family time together. Abby and Shaun sat on the couch and played with her farm puzzle that we bought in Montana. I was a tad intrigued by her little foot. As she played and focused on what she was doing, she kept twisting and turning her little left foot, rubbing it against the edge of the puzzle from time to time as well. Some people stick out their tongue when they concentrate, others play with their hair or tap a pen… Abby makes circles and movements with her feet. So cute… Ah to be a kid!
As Shaun and I were creating the baby registry, we found the cutest childrens chair for the girls room. The design matches both of their bedding despite being differentKnowing that this was something we eventually would have arguments over between the girls, we added 2 chairs to the registry but certainly did not expect anyone to buy either of them. To our surprise, Grandma Zoe decided she wanted to get them for both of the girls. They arrived today and of course the minute they came out of the box, Abby wanted at hers. She is loving having a comfy chair that is her size, but apparently she didnt want me to take pictures of her enjoying it. Oh boy, the attitude begins! A little later on I was able to catch her, lounging away. She’s growing up too fast!
I think Shaun and I have always known that Abby is a free and very independent spirit. As she quickly approaches age 2, we see if more and more. From freaking out when we try to help her at mealtime to fixing something on her own, she definitely makes it known that she wants to do it herself and do it herself she does. She also does a lot on her own and is quite creative, as you might gather from the picture below…
Nothing like starting your morning with pink polka dot and flower sunglasses, Tinker Bell jammies, a pink Los Angeles Kings hockey stick, binky and Winnie the Pooh car while watching Toy Story 2. I love this little girl to pieces!
Over the past few days I have started to get items out of the storage shed to clean and prep for the baby’s arrival. Well, Shaun got them out of the storage shed as I refuse to get in either one of them. Two of the most important items are the bassinet and infant carrier, which we will need right away.
After scrubbing, washing, and disinfecting both items they sat in our room for a bit. This evening Abby became very curious about the bassinet. So Shaun started talking to her, as best he could, about how she used to sleep in the bassinet when she was a little baby and that now her baby sister will sleep there. I am sure she didn’t understand much, but she certainly had fun. Shaun even put her inside the bassinet and wow… its amazing to think that when she slept in it she barely took up even half of it. How quickly they grow! Now we are counting down until another little one occupies that space, barely.
I couldn’t snap a picture of it, but daddy even gave Abby a ride around the house in the infant seat. That was funny and when he set her down she just laid there and watched TV in it. What a goofball, but I love her to pieces. I hope she enjoys having a sister in the house.
Mother’s Day this year was quiet, but very very nice. I woke up this morning to Abby and Shaun bringing me a few gifts. Abby gave me three books for us to read together. The first was a board book about mommy and baby animals. Shaun had stuck the card she was giving to me inside this book and gave it to Abby to hand to me. Abby however, liked this book a lot and it took some time before she turned it over to me. The second book was a classic and one of my favorites… “Are You My Mother?”. I cant wait to read that one to Abby! The third and final book was a cookbook of easy recipes for Abby and I to make together when she gets a bit older. So exciting! And to top it all off, Shaun gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers of which I meant to take a picture and did not do!
After presents, Shaun and Abby cooked breakfast for me. I felt very pampered and very lucky to have two wonderful people in my life. Even Jack kept trying to cuddle up with me, but I think thats because he senses there is another little creature on the way to take up more space in his house and his life. After breakfast, Grandpa Pat and Nana Fiona stopped by for a few minutes to visit. We all had the opportunity to chat for a bit and enjoy the relaxed Sunday morning.
In the afternoon, Grandma Zoe came over to have dinner with us. We decided not to cook, but instead enjoy some BBQ from Rosie’s. This was my first time eating there and wow… that was some great BBQ! What a Mother’s Day dinner! The baby back ribs were especially great and I think I will be craving those a lot during the last bits of pregnancy.
After dinner we just kicked back and relaxed. My one request was to watch the Chicago vs. Vancouver game which turned out to be a dud of a game. Oh well, I still enjoyed most of it. After becoming bored with the game we turned on some of Abby’s shows and let her veg while we had some cake and ice cream, the cake made by your truly. The evening ended quietly but very nice. Couldnt have asked for a better Mother’s Day.
Abby turned 19 months today! Only 5 months away from turning two years old! I cant believe how quickly time as flown by. I think I say that every time I post another age milestone, but its always hard to believe.
She has grown so much in a month. While I dont have the usual measurements from the doctor because she wont go back until she turns two, I do know that she has grown since the last check up. But the biggest changes come with her development and speech. Abby runs, a lot and even though she still falls at times it is less often and not nearly as traumatic as before. Her vocabulary has expanded even more, to the point that I cant even list all the words she says anymore. She has put small sentences together as well.
Watching her play on her own is so much fun. Its easy to see that she is starting to use real imaginative play and she loves to sit down and read. Of course she doesn’t actually read the words, but she makes up her own language to go with each book. Its fun!
Shaun and I love this little girl to pieces and cannot wait until she has a little sister to hug, cuddle and play with. Happy 19 Months Abigail! We love you very much!
The trip home was an easy one and very uneventful. It was definitely a little bit too quiet in the car as we left Bozeman and headed out onto the road. My heart was heavy and I am sure Abby sensed it. But soon that heavy cloud passed and the excitement grew the closer we got to Los Angeles. I missed Shaun and I know Abby missed her daddy, so it was exciting to get home to see him.
Abby, as always, was a great traveler. She kept herself entertained and we sang plenty of Raffi songs along the way. She read a few books too! I think she read this one to me several times.
On our way home, we were able to stop for the evening in St George and visit with my Grandma Taylor. Grandma Tutu to Abby. It wasn’t a long visit, but it was so wonderful to see everyone. That night my Uncle Kevin, Aunt Caroline, Uncle David and Cousin Elliott came by to visit for a bit. Abby loved playing with Grandma’s dog Missy and of course Chewee. Missy was a little more interesting to Abby because she is small and not nearly as intimidating to Abby.
The next morning we left early and headed home. The last leg of our journey. The drive through the desert was great as it was cloudy and cool. A storm was starting to blow on in. When I stopped in Barstow to gas up, the wind was blowing so hard I could barely open my car door.
We did make it home safe and sound. Abby and I were at the door to greet daddy the minute he came home from work. It was nice to be home, but my mind was still in Montana. That too will eventually pass, for the most part. 🙂
Our last day in Montana has been bittersweet. While I cannot wait to get home and see Shaun and Jack, it is so hard to leave my parents and of course Big Sky Country. Its ok though, I have learned that it makes me appreciate the time, no matter how short it may be, that I have here and I make sure to take it all in.
The day was pretty easy going. Abby’s Great Grandma Prueter, Great Aunt Diane and Great Uncle Barry came over from Anaconda to visit and go to dinner. Abby enjoyed the visit, especially when Great Grandma Prueter let her ride around on her walker!
For dinner we headed out to Three Forks to the Sacajawea Inn. The inn has a special place in our hearts as my Great Great Grandfather and Grandmother Kleber were the original proprietors of the inn. The Sacajawea has been closed for over a year due to a buy out by another owner and a complete refurbishment. We decided to head there for dinner only a week after its reopening. When we arrived, we thought it only appropriate to take a picture on the front porch. What made this even more special was the fact that there were 4 generations of Prueter women sitting on that porch. So glad to have been there and share in the history. I plan to make sure that Abby and her brother or sister know about this place as they get older too.
The remodel of the Sacajawea was amazing but subtle and the food in the new restaurant was incredible. I wont even bother describing it here because it wont do it justice. That and I dont want to torture anyone! Just Kidding. The new owners did an amazing job restoring it back to its original historical appearance. All of it was a subtle change as I said before but enough for me to notice.
After we left Three Forks, we took a longer drive home. A storm appeared to be blowing in and it was a perfect Montana evening. I couldn’t have asked for more to close out my final night in Bozeman. I love the scenery here and the way it makes me feel.
Granted there are plenty of places that I have yet to travel to, but nothing makes me feel the way I do when I travel to this part of the country. At times I think I am a mountain girl at heart. Until next time Montana!
It is almost assumed that if I can go to Yellowstone, I will. Lucky for me we were able to sneak in one more trip before Abby and I had to head home. It was just a day trip, which meant we were up early but that wasn’t a problem to me or anyone else. The only bummer was that Auntie Jillian could not go with us, as she had several final school projects to finish up.
We again left early and head towards the North Entrance in Gardner. From there we made a stop in Mammoth Hot Springs and then took off for Lamar Valley. Our first stop was up the 1/4 mile road to the Petrified Tree. The road was still closed the last time we came through and still snowy but a lot had changed in less then a week. We drove up to the end of the road and as we turned around to head back my mom spotted something down a long the creek. Sure enough, after finally seeing some movement, we discovered there was a bull moose! It has been years since we have seen a bull moose in Yellowstone. The fires in 1989 destroyed much of their protective habitat and they became scarce to the average road traveler. Twenty years later, the trees they rely on for protection have grown considerably and more and more people are beginning to see them again. This big guy was hiding down in the willows and trees, aware of our presence but because no one else had come up the road, seemed comfortable with us and just laid down in the bushes. We had to watch and wait for a good 30 minutes or so for him to do this, but it was worth it. His antlers were just starting to grow back in, but he was still an impressive guy none the less.
On our way out to Lamar, we noticed a crowd stopped along the road. Although we couldn’t see much, we knew something was there. Coyotes, wolves, bears? We could not tell. We waited a few minutes but then continued on. Our idea was that we had to come back out this way to get to other places, so if we were meant to see what was there… we would.
We drove out to Trout Lake and then turned around. My mom and I both saw what looked like a wolf chasing some pronghorn, but he disappeared into the river bottom before we could get the binoculars out and find him again. The scenery had changed a lot in one week. A lot of the snow had melted, the rivers were swollen with the melt off from the warm weather and green as beginning to dot the landscape.
As we passed by the location where everyone was stopped before, we noticed that the crowd had grown and everyone had their sights set on something. As we pulled off the road the story began to unfold. From what we could tell there was a pack of coyotes in the area but they were guarding something. As it turned out they were protecting a bison carcass as well as what may have been their den. Just moments before we pulled up, a lone male grizzly came around and stole the carcass away from the coyotes. We had the luck to watch the coyotes try to defend their den and regain their “lunch” buy barking, yipping and howling at the Grizzly. To top it off, these brave little coyotes began to nip and bite at the Grizzly but to no avail. The Grizzly continued to drag and move the carcass away from the den and claim it as his. As we learned later, he stayed there all day to entertain the crowds and to protect his meal for the day.
As we continued back down the road to Mammoth Hot Springs, another small crowd was stopped at Floating Island Lake. Last week when we came through, this little lake was frozen but now it had melted completely, exposing something very desirable to one determined little black bear. Out on the “floating island” was the carcass of what appeared to be an elk or small bison. The carcass must have laid there, frozen in the lake ice for the winter and was now open to the elements since the melt. Elkcicle… Yum! Well on this very day, a little black bear came along, realized what was out there and new he was hungry and wanted it. So, he got in the water circled around for about 3 minutes and then proceeded to pull the carcass from the island to the far shoreline. He then pulled it up onto the shore and began to snack, and snack, and snack. I think we watched him for a good half and hour or more. What a smart and very determined little black bear. Survival in Yellowstone will probably be easier for him in the future!
After a pit stop in Mammoth Hot Springs, we continued on and decided to head down to Canyon and Old Faithful. We didnt see much in the way of wildlife, other then the usual bison, deer, ravens, geese, and more common animals of Yellowstone. Before heading to Old Faithful we took the quick drive up to Canyon. We drove the Canyon loop, but unfortunately most of the lookouts and trails were still covered with snow. Being pregnant, I didn’t want to get out and walk around and risk slipping on the melting snow which gets pretty darn icy. It was also just cold enough up at Canyon to start snowing… just a cluster of little flakes though.
Before reaching Old Faithful, we stopped at Black Sand Geyser Basin to have a bite to eat. We brought sandwiches, fruit and veggies which all made Abby very happy. I have to say she was so well behaved and seemed to enjoy every bit of the trip. By this point she was able to say the word Buffalo and point at the bison when we saw them. So cute. Dad and I got out to walk around for a bit, so I had the chance to get some pictures as Cliff Geyser as it went off. This area is one of the smaller geyser basins, but very pretty.
When we reached Old Faithful we took another break, stretched our legs and then got back in the car to head back to Mammoth Hot Springs again. We stopped a few times along the way for pictures. The contrast between the remaining snow, the brown of the dormant grass and the green of plants coming to life made for some beautiful pictures. It was made even better by the pendng thunderstorm that was slowly starting to roll in over the mountains.
Once we hit Mammoth Hot Springs again, we made the decision to try and head out to Lamar one last time to see if there was anything we could see. Dusk was approaching quickly which meant more animals would be coming out for the evening to eat and move around. We did get a little bit lucky as we found a black bear just strolling a long a hillside. Because it was getting dark and he was moving constantly, my pictures of him didn’t turn out too well. Oh well! After seeing him we discovered that the little black bear at the lake was still there, napping and eating, and had stayed there all day. We also discovered the same with the grizzly. After the turn from Tower to Lamar we also run into a bit of a “traffic jam” just before the bridge over the Yellowstone River. It happens often in the park, but bison jams are still fun to snap pictures of!
At this point of the evening I was not feeling well so we decided to turn around and make our way home. It wasn’t fun to end the day like this, but at least I felt sick at the end of the day and not the beginning. the weather through Paradise Valley was rough and dark. The rain came down hard and of course it was now dark so we had to watch for deer as well. On several ocaaisions, tumble weeds blew across the road which from a distance looked like deer. It was a pins and needles drive but we made it home safe and sound. Despite getting sick, the day was amazing!
The last two days have been pretty lazy and uneventful, but thats how we planned it to be. Abby and I have mostly stayed around Bozeman, having lunch together and taking drives locally. I took several drives out to Triple Tree, where I day dreamed about several of the homes and properties out there. One day!
Yesterday, Abby and I went over to visit Grandma at work. Abby had a great time and met so many of Grandma’s friends at work. Abby was the life of the party and came home with a cool toy, fruit snacks and an orange. I guess people like to give you things when you are cute! That evening Abby helped Grandma clean the kitchen and certainly looked cute doing so. I apologize about the pictures, the closest thing I had to be was my phone.
Today Abby and I did a little shopping with the family, first with Auntie Jillian and then with Grandma. While I finished getting dressed, Abby sat with Auntie J and watched some Disney CHannel. Instead of sitting or standing or running around, Abby took it upon herself to lay down on her tummy on Jillian’s bed and just veg. She looked like such a little girl laying there, kicking her feet and spacing out.
After doing some shopping with Auntie Jillian, we took her home and then headed off to pick up Grandma early from work to do a little shopping as well. We went to two great baby and kids places, Natural Baby Company and Before and After. At the Natural Baby company Abby found a new pair of sandals for the spring and summer. I had been looking for some maternity pants, but I couldn’t justify spending $100 on pants I would only wear for another 3 or 4 months. After that we headed to Before and After which is a maternity and baby clothing store. I struck out there as well, but once again we found Abby something great! A cute little tutu for her to dance around and play in. What made it even better was that one of the dance teachers that Jillian’s works with at the studio made it! We had to support her! Abby liked it a lot and when it came time to head out for dinner, did not want to take it off.
Our Journey Through Whatever Life throws our way
Our Journey Through Whatever Life throws our way
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Our Journey Through Whatever Life throws our way
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I am a pediatric surgery travel nurse, amateur photographer, and aspiring travel blogger, who hiked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017! Visiting all 59 National Parks before my 35th birthday!
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