Lake Tahoe Camping

We know, we know, it's been quite awhile. That said, we -- oh, ahem -- I am back with a renewed resolve to blog more regularly so we can keep people up to speed with our activities and Carter's growth!

We thought we'd share some pictures from Dave and I's most recent camping trip in mid-August to Camp Richardson in Lake Tahoe. We spent three awesome days and nights biking, hiking, and relaxing. We also rented wave runners for the afternoon. By far, though, our greatest adventure was what we like to call "The Kayaking Trip from Hell."

The Friday of our camping trip, we decided to kayak from Camp Richardson to Emerald Cove on Lake Tahoe's western shore, 7 miles away (per Google Maps). Seems benign enough, no? Little did we know...


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We headed out at roughly noon on Friday with a packed lunch, towels and reading materials. Our plan was to kayak into Emerald Bay, eat lunch and hang out for a bit, and kayak back. An hour into our trip, with relatively little of the scenery passing by, it became very obvious that we had failed to account for currents and waves on the lake (quite different than leisurely paddling down stream on the American River near our house). We reached the point to the Bay at roughly 2pm and decided to beach the kayaks and have lunch (needless to say, we were somewhat grumpy by this point).

Dave enjoying a swim after lunch

We ate and relaxed and decided that it was too late to kayak back to camp. But how, then, to get back? I called the Lake Tahoe Transportation Authority and was told that a shuttle encircles the lake and that it picks up from Emerald Cove Trailhead every hour on the hour with the last stop at 8pm. Perfect. We decided that we would kayak to the island in the middle of the Bay to explore, then we would beach the boats. I (Jackie) would stay with the kayaks and equipment while Dave grabbed the shuttle, returned to our camp, picked up our car, and drove back to get me and the boats. Again, seems innocent enough, no?

We kayaked to the Fannette Island (another hour, which is hard to believe) -- FYI, Emerald Bay and this island are the most photographed spot in all of California, above and beyond even Yosemite -- pulled our boats up onto the rocks and hiked to the Tea Room built on top. We had a great time, but I was anxious to set our plan in motion as my hands had blisters and my arms were killing me. Needless to say, I was D-O-N-E.

(Yes, that's me -- D.O.N.E - DONE)

Inside the Tea Room at the top of Fannette Island

We then beached the kayaks in front of Vikinsholm, a BEAUTIFUL Swedish home built on the coast of the Bay (finished in 1929). Shortly thereafter, a woman on the beach informed us that no cars are allowed down to the Bay (ixnay-ing our idea of bringing the car down to pick up the kayaks) and that the Trail Head we were looking for to catch the shuttle was a one mile hike up switch backs. YOU. HAVE. GOT. TO. BE. KIDDING.

Our options?
1) Kayak back.
2) Ask some boaters to tow us back.
3) Carry the boats up the trail.
4) Stow the kayaks for the night and come back the next day.

After much angst and laughter, we stowed the kayaks for the night, partially shielded by some shrubs. We took the oars, though, thinking that if someone wanted the boats badly enough, they would have to tow them out or paddle with their hands.

We hiked the trail up the coastal cliff, caught the shuttle and headed back to camp.

Fannette Island and Emerald Bay (from the top of the hike)

Our options in the morning?
1) Rent wave runners, head over to the Bay, and tow the kayaks back. or
2) Drive the car to the trail head and haul the boats up.

We chose Option #2. Too much uncertainty with #1. Sigh...

By the time we got to Emerald Bay in the morning, the area was packed -- we had to park 1/4 mile away. The best part? As we're walking down the trail (mind you, we had already walked UP it the night before), people were huffing and puffing and saying "wow, be careful, it's much harder to walk up then down." Ha ha, thank you. A) that's just a stupid and obvious statement; and B) you people don't even know the half of it.

Day 2. Heading down the trail to get the kayaks

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4 and no...still not there yet.

See the red dot on the left? That's where we were. Still about 1/4 mile to go.

Turn 5

Shockingly, the kayaks were still there (although our food was gone). Slowly....oh....so....slowly, we hauled the kayaks up the hill. At one point, because my arms were so dead tired and the handles kept falling out of my hands, Dave carried one entirely on his shoulders while we jointly carried the other one. The best part of this journey? Not one person offered to help. Took us about an hour, but we got the boats to the top of the trail and back to camp. I was useless afterward. Dave was ready for another round. I hate him.

Still there!

Me: Taking a break. People:Not helping.

All in all, it was a Classic Koenig Adventure.

Summer's First Harvest

This year, I got my summer garden started a little late. As a result, our first harvest didn't come until about two weeks ago -- just in time, of course, for us to go on vacation. No matter! Our house/dog-sitter/friend Addie says the tomatoes and potatoes were yummy. The zucchini in the picture was so massive we had to break it up over three dinners: chicken burritos, lamb kebobs, and zucchini fries. At least that was a fun in experiment in How to Use Zucchini. All in all, for the summer we have: watermelon, cantaloup, jalapenos, potatoes, summer squash, zucchini and tomatoes. With my week alone back in Sacramento (see the post below about Dave and Carter still being in Newport Beach until tomorrow morning), it gave me a chance to start our fall/winter vegetable garden from seed. This time around, we're hoping for: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, and beets. I've also planted three different types of flowers for the fall, including Aster. We'll see how that goes!

Newport 2009

Last week, we took vacation and joined Dave's family at a beach house in Newport Beach. Yeah, we know, life is rough. The Koenigs have generously rented a house for the past three years. We weren't able to make it last year due to my bed rest and Carter's impending arrival, but we more than made up for it this year. It was so awesome, in fact, that Dave and Carter are still there, through Wednesday or Thursday (depending on Dave's work schedule).

We had a wonderful time all in all -- we rode bikes (Carter included), took lots of walks/jogs, ate donuts for breakfast, spent every day on the beach, and did lots of hanging out with friends and family.

Waiting for Cousin Lilah to join us at the beach.

Utterly exhausted after a long day of fun in the sun.

Playing on the beach.

Playing with Dad.

...And He's on the Move!

We have been very fortunate in the last two years -- well, for multiple reasons, obviously -- we have quite a few great friends who have bestowed "hand me downs" upon us (furniture, toys, and clothes). One of the toys we got from our friends, the Carrolls, is a pushing walker. While Carter does enjoy playing with it, the majority of our house is hard wood. The toy moves medium/slow on our carpet, but then hits the hardwood and well, let's just say the result isn't pretty. Carter has taken quite a few face plants.

Just today, though, we pulled out the walker again and the results were dramatically different. Our little boy has developed enough balance and strength in the past few weeks to have control of the walker on the hardwood. He's now cruising all around the house -- and it's like a whole new world has opened to him! Now if only we could get him to steer it straight...

Parent & Tot Swim Classes

As another way to beat the heat, and do something fun, we enrolled Carter in Parent & Tot swim classes. The neighborhood next to ours has a wonderful park and recreation center. It's great to have a pool, softball field, basketball court, playground and tennis courts so close for use! So, for the last two weeks, Monday-Thursday, we have been swimming!

If you've seen any of our previous posts, you'll know that Carter is quite the water lover. He was the youngest baby in his class, but started laughing and splashing the minute we got in -- regardless of the fact that kids much bigger than him were screaming in fear. Our major goal each day was to keep him from drinking half the pool. You would think he was dehyradated or something!

Water Fun

For those of you that don't know, it is HOT in Sacramento in the summers! It is not unusual to see temperatures over 100 degrees. Enter Baba (Dave's mom). Thankfully, last time she was in town, she bought us a water toy of sorts. It's perfect for Carter and Philip since it doesn't hold too much water. And, it's big enough with enough extra pieces and toys that the boys are able to wander around it not get bored -- in theory. For now, the hose water is cold enough, and they are still young enough, that they mostly sit in one place and chew on things. We anticipate that changing very quickly, though (see later posts).

Carter cooling off

Carter & Philip having fun

The boys and their dads

We're Back!

Yes, we know it has been a ridiculous amount of time since we've updated -- and for that, we're sorry. The last few months have been supremely busy! Carter is now 10 1/2 months old, and off the charts in height, weight, and head size. That's our boy...He's keeping us on our toes, too. He's crawling at top speed, getting into everything, and never wastes a minute to test his boundaries (i.e. oh, when you say "no, you cannot go out the doggie door" that applied to today, too?).

For Christmas, Dave and I each got new bicycles with the best of intentions. We foresee long bike rides and picnics in our future. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to use them as frequently as we would like, as it has required finding a babysitter -- they just don't make a seat or trailer for small babies. So, we were thrilled when Carter finally approached the 25lb. mark. He is now big enough for the back bicycle seat, and his head is big enough for the smallest helmet. Bring on the family bike rides!!!

Initially, Carter was NOT a fan of his helmet. Turns out the trick is to make Dave wear his -- if Dad's doing it, it must be ok, right? That motto may get us into trouble later, but for now, it's working like a charm.

Such a Boy

Well, in case you can't tell from all the below pictures, Carter is quite a big kid! He'll be 8 months old tomorrow and he's in the 90th percentile still for height and head size (which he'll thank you not to comment on) and weighs 21 pounds as of yesterday. In the past few months we've actually started to wonder if we'll have toys around for his siblings (no, nothing to announce)...it seems as though he's systematically attempting to destroy everything. His current favorite? The mobile above his crib.

What?!? I wasn't doing anything!

I Love My...Walker!

Two weeks ago, we got Carter a walker. It's quickly become his favorite toy thanks to our hardwood floors and the amazing amount of music it plays. Never mind the fact that so far, he can only go backwards...

Carter Gets His Dem On

Last weekend was the 2009 California Democratic Party Convention here in Sacramento. Both Dave and I had to work at various times, so we spent the entire weekend at and around the Convention Center. So much fun to see all our SoCal friends on our home turf! I got the stomach flu on Thursday/Friday, however, so Dave and Carter had to go it alone the first day. I got tons of mobile pictures e-mailed to me from friends and colleagues as they ran into my boys. Sooo cute to see Carter making the rounds! He was perfect both days we took him, too -- he is one social baby!!! Highlights of the Convention? 1) I missed it, but I'm told that Dave and his friend Kan were quite the caretaking pair! They had several people ask them how long they've "had Carter." In case you didn't pick up on that, people thought they were gay. And 2) Gavin Newsom's event with Wyclef on Saturday night. We had so much fun and Wyclef rocks!!!

Carter with Kan in one of the caucuses. His onesie says "I'm voting Democrat in 2028" (thanks Macaria!), the sticker on the front says "Eric Bauman for CDP VP" and the button says "I support Humane Legislation" (thanks Jennifer - we love the Humane Society!). What a proud mama, I am!

Carter with Dave and Kan (being held by our friend Becca). Believe it or not, that's NOT me in the bottom of the pic.

Carter cruising around with his dad

Easter 2009 - Santa Barbara

This year, we met Dave's family in Santa Barbara to camp at El Capitan State Beach over Easter weekend. We all had a blast! And, we're happy to report that all three of us fared reasonably well for Carter's first camping trip! Once we figured out that his unhappiness was due to cold (took us about 3 hours of whining on his part), the remaining nights went quite well! We realized the trick was to pack him into winter gear (snow suits -- which of course, I did NOT get a picture of) as soon as it got to be about 4pm. He slept in them and everything and loved being outdoors constantly.

Carter gives kisses now -- open-mouthed of course.

Fun times with Dad

I love sand!!!! I think...


First toes in the ocean!

Carter and mom enjoying a day at the beach in sunny SB

Scanner Woes

Several months ago, our home printer died on us. Dave picked up a great new one, but it's taken me a while to sit down and figure out how to scan pictures! Today it's horribly rainy in Sacramento, so we got a bunch of house projects done -- including scanning! Below are some recent pics taken of the little man...

Carter's grandma (Baba) took him to Picture People for his 6 month pictures.

This was the only other Picture People pic without his tongue hanging out of his mouth...

Carter's first school picture at 7 months old!

Carter is 7 Months Old!

We know, a ton of time has passed and we're sorry for not posting more regularly. The past two months have been incredibly busy. Great, but busy! If you can believe it (we still can't, really), Carter is 7 months old tomorrow (04/03). The time has absolutely flown by! I can't believe our baby is already eating food (he loves everything) from his high chair, sitting up and playing with his toys and wearing 9 month clothing. It's amazing to feel like life is all of a sudden flashing before your eyes in the life of your child.

The last two months have seen much change for Carter. He's 27 3/4 inches long now and 20 pounds. He's in the 90th percentile for height and head size still, and the 75th percentile for weight. He's discovered the dogs and he gets such a kick out of them! They're wonderful with him, but the interest definitely doesn't seem to be a two-way street. Undoubtedly things will change when he starts eating cookies and treats that he drops on the ground. :)

His friendship with Philip (next door) is also starting to blossom. The two boys are adorable together! They reach for each other constantly and are almost beginning to communicate with each other. We're really excited to see how the next few months shape up.

Carter's also made his first trip to the zoo with his cousin Lilah (and Aunt Jody and Uncle Chris, of course) and one of Dave's softball games. He's quite the social butterfly! He still loves being around people and has real difficulty falling asleep if he thinks he's missing out on any fun.

On the food front, as mentioned before, there's nothing Carter doesn't like yet. He's eaten all the veggies (see our 5 month post) and has since moved on to bananas and pears. Next week we're planning to introduce avocado and maybe apples.

Personality-wise, our little boy is an incredibly happy baby. He smiles and laughs at everyone and even seems to have developed a bit of a crush on one of his daycare teachers. He gives the others a bit of a hard time occasionally when eating or playing (he's still happy, but a little whiny) and his entire demeanor changes when Ms. Lisa takes over. Can you imagine? 7 months and he already has preferences and is used to getting his way! Look out ladies.

Ready for bed

A new ritual: dancing on the counter after his bath

PlaytimeI love peas! This picture looks more like "ummm, put my food here NOW mom."

Carter is 5 Months Old!

Well, our little boy had his 5-Month Doctor's Appointment at the end of this past week. So hard to believe he's 5 months already!!! Aside from sleeping issues, he seems to have recovered from his hospital stay and sickness quite nicely. And in fact, spending time at the hospital being poked and prodded may have even toughened the little man up. This time when he got his shot, he started to cry and then immediately stopped with this look on his face like "oh, that wasn't so bad." He's now 18 pounds, 11 ounces. He's eating like a champ and has tried rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini. So far, there's nothing he hasn't liked -- a shock to all of you, we're sure. He's close to rolling over onto his stomach, but doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry since he hates being on his tummy.

Carter also found his penis last week. And, like every man in history has developed an endless fascination with it; his hand goes down to grab himself immediately when his diaper is removed. Jackie has taken to putting a sock on his hand -- a move we're sure will only last for a little while longer. He laughs all the time now and also found his lips in recent weeks. At any given time, he can be seen with his lower lip in his mouth looking very serious, or blowing raspberries at everyone. He also stares out the window of the car on rides lately (instead of immediately falling asleep). He's an extremely curious little boy and we're really looking forward to what the next month has in store for us.

A particularly messy meal of rice cereal and pumpkin.

Lip in mouth, junk in hand. Quite the pose, really.

Not Just Your Average Cold

Well, we thought we were on the right track on Sunday with a diagnosis (ear infection) and antibiotics. Not so much. Early Monday morning Carter began to have difficulty breathing. His breaths were both extremely shallow and fast. We took him to the emergency room at 3am.

The doctors were glad we brought him in and immediately began breathing treatments with him. While chest x-rays didn't show anything of huge concern, the doctor on call was still wary of the situation, so we were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at 6am that morning.

Throughout our stay a blood oxygen monitor was hooked up to Carter's toe. This shows the level of oxygen in his blood at any given time. 100% is optimal, and 90-100% is ok. When we got to the hospital, his level was 78%. The monitor has proven to be a slight challenge our entire stay, though. He pulled three off with his hands, and one off with the toes from his other foot. He also continued to be mystified by his "E.T. Toe" which was lit up bright red. In the end, the solution was to tape the monitor to his foot, tape the cord to his leg, put a sock over the monitor, and add another round of tape over all that. All to get around little McGyver Koenig. Whew!

The Pediatric Specialist began treating Carter for what he suspected was going on: bronchialitis or viral pneumonia. They hooked our poor little boy up to monitors of all different sorts and an IV to deliver both fluids (for dehyrdation) and an antibiotic. All day Monday and Monday night, the oxygen level in his blood was watched. He received breathing treatments every 3-4 hours, as well. He also had his nose suctioned every few hours - a really horrific experience every time. According to one nurse, "that'll suck your toe nails out through your nose if done right!"

The doctor explained to us that while Carter's condition wasn't really critical, he wanted to err on the side of caution with his age - hence the admittance to the PICU. He suggested that we would likely be moving to the regular Pediatric floor later in the day. We also received a visit from the hospital's Child Life Department who brought him toys and a soother with lights, sounds and lullabys for the side of his bed. What a relief that was!

Jackie stayed with him on Monday night. At one point three of the night nurses came in to suction him (one to suction, two to hold our fighter down) and they commented to each other, "oh he IS so cute!" Turns out, the PICU wasn't full so the nurses decided to keep him with them instead of sending us to a room on "the Floor" because he was so cute. Go Carter!

During one of his suctioning/fighting escapades, though, he managed to wiggle loose his IV. He went to sleep but then awoke a few minutes later where Jackie noticed that both his swaddle and his hand were bloody. Luckily, the nurses were just able to change his dressing and flush his IV - and we didn't have to endure a whole other IV insertion at 4am. Close call!

On Tuesday morning, the doctor authorized the removal of his monitors (save his oxygen monitor) and for a heparin lock to be placed on his IV. He was feeling good with how Carter had progressed, but still wasn't thrilled about his lack of appetite or thirst. Carter also got a sponge bath for which he was extremely happy.

Unfortunately, he wasn't happy enough to eat. We tried feeding him throughout the day but he had difficulty eating because of his stuffed nose and then cried after every sip of milk or Pedialyte because either his throat or ears hurt (we couldn't tell which). By 6pm on Tuesday Carter's hunger strike hadn't weakened so he had to go back on the IV (which had to be re-inserted) and we had to stay another night. This time we weren't so lucky with our room and at 3am early Wednesday morning we had to move (the PICU was now full and a new baby had come into the ER and needed the room). Jackie got to shake herself awake (after only an hour of sleep anyways), pack up all our stuff, trudge across the hospital to our new room, and get everything re-situated. Good times.

On Wednesday morning, the drill was repeated. Carter received 2 breathing treatments and was suctioned and then his IV was stopped. This time, Carter ate enough throughout the day to finally get us released!

We're now all at home resting much more comfortably. He'll have to stay on the antibiotics for his ears and his chest infection, and undergo at-home breathing treatments for a while, but we're still thrilled to be in familiar surroundings once again.

Thanks for all of your support as we endured this experience. We're lucky to have so many friends and family that love us.

Carter with the soother lent to us by the hospital.

In this pic you can see the IV on his right hand and the respiratory monitor wires underneath his gown.

Jackie's bed

The monitor we kept our eye on. The blue line was his blood oxygen level at 96%. The white and green lines showed heart rate and respiratory function but obviously weren't recording when I took the picture.