This Past Week

This past week has been a good one for the Neilsen household. Reid has recommitted himself to his blacksmithing and is making all sorts of useful items in his forge. He also has a new website that he will be continually updating with items into his catalogue as he makes prototypes. Feel free to check it out: http://www.whitemountainforge.com/ I am very impressed by my husband's work and I think you will be too! And if you have any desire for hand-forged iron work, you now know who to talk to!


Wes and I spent a fair amount of time at school this week as we worked on Our Town and will be there at least a few times this week too. After a failed attempt to locate and/or rent an 1890s suit for one of our actors I have decided to just build one. I have the patterns here at home and went to Walmart this weekend and bought cotton duck cloth (the only bottom weight fabric they have that isn't upholestry stripes!) in a dark brown. So today work study students will be washing and ironing all of that fabric and then we'll start cutting it out and fitting it. Fun, fun... but at least at the end of it we'll have our first period appropriate late 1800s man's suit in stock.

Rocking his adorable pajama pants and blue hoodie before we headed out to go shopping Saturday!

We have also been on several shopping trips (the grocery, Walmart and thrift store mostly) and yesterday the whole family went to Alamosa and walked around Cole Park and along the river. The weekend weather was PERFECT... upper 60s and little to no wind (especially in the mid-morning when we ventured out). If it could stay like that through the rest of the spring I would be very happy.

Our walk on Sunday... I can' wait until he can hold his head up so he can ride forward facing in the Bjorn carrier and then he'll actually be able to engage with going on a walk!

Wes and I also took our first shower together. It was alright though I realized almost immediately that showering with someone who can't yet hold his head up on his own is challenging... I got my hair washed and that was about it. He, I think, was enjoying the water and the skin-to-skin time until he tried to nurse and water ran into his mouth as well. After that was a total meltdown that was only finally calmed when he was out of the shower, wrapped up in my cozy towel and sitting in his bouncy seat.

Cozy!

I LOVE this little boy...

Wes has found the mirror and flying animals over his swing. He will spend several minutes staring at them and then regularly falls asleep there. How long he stays asleep varies greatly from a few minutes to an hour. But it is definitely nice to have a little reprise once or twice in the day where I'm not holding him.

His vocalizing is becoming really interesting to listen to! He is making a lot of different vowel sounds and is starting to mimic Reid and I when we make baby talk to him. The other day I was in our bathroom and Wes was on the changing table "talking" to Reid and I would have sworn I heard Wes say "Hi." Of course I have been saying it to him over and over since and haven't gotten him to repeat it but talking will eventually come. His smiles are contagious and we have even heard a few little giggles, though most are in his sleep (apparently his dreams are a whole lot funnier than mom and dad).

But apparently Mommy can elicit a smile here and there!

Wesley says "Hello! Come on over and play!"