Sledding, Div School Style

In honor of tonight's snowfall, to keep up the rapid-fire posting, and to thank you all for donating your hard-earned recession-era funds to the March of Dimes, we present another update.

The backyard was getting too tame, so DHV and DKV decided to try out the famed "Div School" hill sledding. 
It's a fairly steep hill with an iron fence at the bottom. You're supposed to steal a dining hall tray and go down this thing. No one we know has ever done that, but if you have, more power to you.

The long walk up.
The track was fast, packed snow and ice.  Perhaps too fast.

Hitting the brakes, Fred Flintstone style. Danny caught that spray right in the face.DKV's sledding face.Smiles all around. But DHawk wanted only Daddy to continue the sledding.
The snow suit makes DHV look a little like Cartman.Solo DKV catching air,and landing awkwardly.DHV watching with worry. Good thing he wasn't on that run.
Maybe next year.

Yeamaa and Yeampa

Yeamaa and Yeampa drove up from New Jersey after canceling their trip 5 or 6 weekends in a row due to illness. Danny made it worth the wait.

Danny invented a game called "throw the Snoopy pillow downstairs."
Naptime for young and old.
What's in the recycling truck?
This is a favorite of mine.
Leigh [thinking]: Of all the stuffed animals, they set this smart-ass cow in front of me.
Cow: I'm sitting up on my own.
Leigh [thinking]: Good for you.
Cow: I can talk.
Leigh [thinking]: All you can say is "mooo."
Cow: Can you talk?
Leigh [thinking]: One of these days, cow . . .
Story time with Neen.
Are You My Mother?
The Cat in the Hat

Progress

The nice people at Cranial Technologies surprised us with good news today: Leigh is officially done with her helmet! We were so inspired that we decided to pull her NG tube (actually, she decided to pull it - we just refrained from putting it back in).

She's sitting tall without the extra weight on her shoulders.

Who knew that she had such an expressive forehead?!

Eventually she went back to chewing on her fingers.

DHV has also been keeping busy. When we're able to coax him away from "Neek's ghar" and out of the house he really enjoys making "no ungels" and building snowmen with Dad.

Many Photographs

It seems to snow every other day here. DKV actually had some black asphalt showing through in the driveway for about 5 hours on Monday. Then it snowed again.

Indoors, DHV is up to his old tricks. Last night he decided to run around shouting "E, E, E, E, E, EEEEE!" with what he calls "Neeek Car." See this photo for that attribution.
Other days he likes to be crazy without the running.Baby Leigh looking for the sun to get some color to her belly. January in Connecticut is not the right time for that.
Helmet by Cranial Technologies. MaryJane shoes by Trumpette socks.
Baby Leigh's Andy Reid impersonation. The helmet should be on vacation by the Super Bowl. Sort of like the Eagles.
Baby Leigh is getting better and better at sitting.
Still working on putting that tongue away, though.When we're not sitting up, it's tummy time. DKV tried to provide motivation.
Happiness is a hollow chocolate Santa from Germany. Or a big hug. Or both.
We spend a lot of time on the floor.

Pregnant People

In the midst of our great snowstorm our friends came to visit, bearing good news.
Here's a photo of Matt genuinely smiling. He won't be smiling once Stacey's condition resolves.

Stacey was coping with a serious condition but pulled it together enough to do some practice parenting.

We couldn't resist posting this facial expression.

DHV had poor ole Nick taking that car apart seven different ways.Here's the son showing his approval of a present for Matt and Stacey's unborn condition.
Mama deer and baby deer looking lost in the snow, outside our window.

Princess of Rolls showing off a helmet-less head and Michelin-like winter insulation.

Stiches and Sledding

A family photo!That's DHV's patented camera-smile.
Here in New Haven husbandKV is back at work, like the rest of the world, so our photograph pace has slowed proportionately.
DHV had some minor trauma and had to go the ER for stitches. Taking them out was a lot of fun for everyone. We learned that there is no known restraint method for the lower lip; it moves continuously, especially during high intensity screaming and blood-curdling cries associated with coughing and gagging.

DHV has not been excited about going outside recently, but the mention of sledding got him excited. We also made another "beeg ball."

And here's LRV trying to tear Cow a new earhole.