Teething is in full bloom at Boulder’s Pekoe Sip House. Koen seems to have a special taste for plates.

During a work-trip to Boulder, the three of us meandered down the Pearl St. Mall.

Returning from Boulder, I alchemized a simple 4.5 hour drive from Boulder to Hotchkiss into an 8 hour venture, opting for the scenic route via Leadville, Independence Pass, and Aspen. Here we are in downtown Leadville, elevation 10,430 feet above sea level (North America’s highest incorporated city). Koen sits perched at 10,436 feet (North America’s highest incorporated soul-child).

In a Leadvillian cafe, awaiting our lunch. And upon its arrival, further evidence that Koen is preparing himself for foodstuffs in addition to his diet of mama’s milk (don’t worry, it won’t be the chicken atop my caesar salad!).

At the summit of Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 feet above sea level. We parked, and I took off for a jog/hike up the peak, while Koen and Amber hung out in the car. The lower photo is a detail of the upper photo — the speck within the circle is a view of our car from high above tree-line.

Teething away. Koen is growing increasingly adept at reaching out for objects, and pulling them directly into his mouth for chewing. It seems the uncomfortableness of teething is a genius step in nature’s plan for childhood development, for the added incentive to bite on any object (and thus supply comfort) has propelled Koen into a new level of tactile awareness and high-functioning motor skills. And there rests my homage to Darwin.

Mornings unfold as such:

• Koen wakes up at sunrise, a jolly little elf. He laughs, plays, converses.
• Within an hour or two, Koen becomes progressively more restless, irritable, grumpy.
• Amber takes Koen for a walk, during which Koen falls asleep.
• A short while later, Koen wakes, a jolly little elf.

This photo captures Koen pre-nap: restless, irritable, grumpy.

Koen still hasn’t napped yet. And by the looks of it, neither have Amber nor myself.

A Hotchkiss morning.

“Farm Fresh Brown Eggs”, Amber’s favorite turnaround point on the morning Koen Walk.