Dear Daddy,

Today is your very first Fathers Day!

Thank you for holding me all those nights (and days) and for dressing me in the kung-fu onesie as often as you did. It really was the most comfortable and fashion-forward wardrobe option at two months (and thank you for the kung-fu onesie, Aunt Melisa!)

Thank you for keeping the home filled with music. Sometimes your song choices on Pandora are questionable but your piano skills are top notch!

Thank you for keeping me cozy and warm, especially my hands when they sometimes get cold.

I know I have a super sweet face, but thanks in advance for keeping me in line when I get rowdy.

Thank you for taking me to the climbing gym and showing me the ropes. I can’t wait to climb with you and momma once I get bigger!

Thank you for letting me tag along with you when you work on projects. And thanks for looking out for my hearing.

You fed me my very first food (I think it was bananas; I didn’t like it very much but sweet potatoes are awesome).

Thank you for working so, so hard and for making sacrifices for the sake of our family.

Thanks for keeping me squeaky clean and for making bath time so much fun!

Thanks for wearing me as much as you did. It was so nice, comfy, and warm cuddled up next to you.

Thanks for being the funnest daddy ever.

Happy Fathers Day, daddy.

I wish we could be together today but I know that you are working hard out west to make way for mommy and I to come out. We’ll be there soon and we miss you so much.

I love you to the moon and back.

Your son,

Hugo

For some reason I can’t seem to remember much these days. Like, what were our days like when Hugo was one month? Three? No clue. I’m thinking this memory failure is a side effect of sleep deprivation. Or hormones, perhaps? Some cruel trick played on mothers so that they forget how hard this all is and decide to do it again…?

So to help me remember, here’s a little evidence of life at four months:

Hugo dictates when we wake up (unfortunately). And it’s usually somewhere between six and seven. I guess it could be worse so I’ll take it. After a breakfast bottle, the little man lounges on his psychedelic play mat – batting at flowers, clutching mr. frog to his mouth, and pulling relentlessly on his blue musical elephant.

He adores his flowers, which are actually a mobile but they are so much more interesting and interactive at two inches above the face than two feet. So they sit on top of the play mat, smiling down at Hugo each morning.

Speaking of the little man, here he is at four months. In a nine month onesie (they tell me this is normal- four month olds wear nine month clothing, six months wear 12, etc. Why can’t they make it easy on us poor sleep-deprived parents and make the clothing sizes match the actual age?!?!).

Hugo lives in a very musical home. Mommy practices guitar off and on throughout the day; daddy jams on the piano. And when neither of us are on a instrument, Stéphane makes sure the Bose is spitting out some good tunes (today it was the John Denver station on Pandora- Rocky Mountain High!!).

I have been putting in some solid practice time on the guitar these last few months. Hugo seems to enjoy it (even when I play the same five chords over and over and over again). Tom’s been bugging me for years to get a pick and I finally gave in- what a difference! So much more volume!

Dad bought me this guitar before I left for college. I’ve taken it with me everywhere I have roamed ever since (even on Free Range). Songs I am currently working on: Blackbird (Beatles), Teach Your Children (CSNY), and a few Amos Lee tunes that Stéphane likes.

Hugo and I read books as much as we can (and as much as Hugo tolerates). His current favorite is “Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb” (go figure it’s a musical book about drumming on drums).

This post on our daily life would not be complete (or honest) without mentioning my daily – and nightly – routine of pumping. I am currently down to five pumps a day (2am, 7am, noon, four, and seven P) averaging 35 ounces- WELL DONE mammary glands! Hugo’s triple chins thank you.

This is a thing of beauty and makes me oh-so-satisfied. We have four glass bottles that we use to feed Hugo each day. I am constantly feeding, washing, pumping, and refilling these four little bottles. In the early months, it was a rare occurrence to have more than one or two filled in advance and there were times we had to fall back on formula for a bottle or two while I caught up. But those days are over! I milk supply is consistent and plentiful. To date, I have pumped over 4,500 ounces (that’s 180 bottles of wine, in case you were wondering). ??

Oh, Dapple. How many of you have we gone through? I have lost count. I have to say I do enjoy your graphic- well done.

Our colorful bottle brush sees much action.

Isn’t he handsome?

One of my favorite books to read with Hugo – a French book from his Tante (Aunt) Yvonne and Oncle Fabio.

This chair has never been so empty as in these past four months. My business is still going well but it has been a struggle to make it fit properly and proportionately in our new lives.

The patterns, colors, and fabrics used for baby clothes and changing pad covers (this), play mats, diaper bags, etc., are whimsical, soft, vibrant, fun, and colorful. I wish they made adult clothing out of some of these funky fabrics. I would not think twice about rocking a pair of these whale pants.

Case in point – the boppy: fun and functional. I ❤ baby fabrics.

Myra spends her day shuttling between her three dog beds, anticipating the sounds of breakfast and dinner (spit out by auto feeder), and contorting herself into ridiculously yogic positions.

It’s a lady bug. I love this thing. When Hugo outgrows it, I’ll keep it around for my enjoyment.

Colorful, textured rings of plastic.

With his favorite toy of all time (all time being four months). We’ll see how he’s feeling about it at five months.

Ans there you have it- images of what Four Hefti Months looks like. Stay tuned for month five- which is now (I’m behind, go figure).

We finally got a taste of what a real Maine winter can look like after experiencing our first Nor’easter. All said and done, two feet of snow blanketed Hurd House. That’s a lot of snow to remove, particularly when the engine of the snowblower you just purchased on Craigslist decides to seize.

The beginning of the Nor’easter. Snow and crazy blizzards for hours.

Now, we have sold and purchased many items on Craigslist over the years and have, for the most part, always had positive experiences. I guess it was only a matter of time before we got screwed. It was just really, really bad timing. So, to the seventy-year-old man in Winterport who sold us the lemon machine, I say to you: what you put out into the world will come back to you in one way or another. Karma’s a b$%!#.

Digging out the truck so we an go get snowblower #2. This time around, we were fortunate enough to purchase from an honest seller.

Almost all of our neighbors have their own plows or intense-looking snow removal machines like this bad boy. Das Haus (yes, they named their house- and you would too if you saw this house) pushes snow in style and comfort.

Big snow drift built itself up against the side door.

That’s a lot of snow!

Myra’s in chest-deep.

Not only does Stéphane have the best ideas, but he can execute them like none other! Prototype #1 of the Hefti “Skoller” a stroller on skis.

The Skoller’s maiden voyage.

The storm and the snow was actually a fun and welcomed distraction from our daily routine.

Is it possible to have an eeeeep post without a ppicture of our sweet Hugo? No, it is not. Here you go:

All bundled up in his bear suit from Naeha Maussi

February 19th: Happy birthday Grams!!! Except I get the present today:

This is the face of a boy that just slept the whole night through.

For

the

first

time.

Smiles all around this morning!

Hugo’s four months and babies fly free ’til their two – so let’s fly home to Michigan and introduce him to his family!

At Bangor Airport waiting for our flight.

Unfortunately, a vacation to Michigan does not mean a vacation from pumping.

Hugo’s very first flight on a plane. He did great all things considering – we were stuck on the plane for TWO hours before it finally took off (waiting to get de-iced).

Channeling Princess Leia with his ear protection.

Here we go!

Hugo with Grammie. After a rough first day in Michigan – NO naps – Hugo settled in and got used to all of the attention and my very loud family. He was a champ and took it all in stride.

Hugo got to meet BOTH of his great grandmas – how cool is that? Here he is with Great-Grandma Wilma.

With Aunt Shelley

Grammie taught Hugo the patty cake song (now I do it all the time with him).

Daddy’s the best place to take a nap.

Grampie is fun!!

The flights back to Bangor were SO much better than the ones flying out. Note to self: fly early in the morning and get a direct flight if at all possible.

A good time was had by all and many lessons were learned in regards to travel with Hugo. He is proving to be a resilient and mellow little dude. He does cry – but guess what? He’s a freakin’ baby! Air travel was really not as overwhelming and scary as I thought it would be. Nice to have this first one under our belts – the next big trip will be to Switzerland at some point – hopefully this summer.

It’s the morning of our last day in Michigan before flying home to Maine. We’d spent the past four days showing off Hugo to friends and family, playing euchre, and drinking Pete’s latest beer fave: Founder’s Rubais Ale (a raspberry-infused brew).

Dad says the same thing he’s being saying since he and mom were out to meet a two-week-old Hugo: “Hey you two, why don’t you go out on a date? We got Hugo.” Three and a half months ago, a date seemed like such a frivolous way to spend free time (with a two week old baby, any free time is best spent sleeping). Today, however, is a different story and we can’t get out of the house fast enough.

It’s 10:30 in the morning and we are on a mission to find a Bloody Mary. Driving down the Nautical Mile, all the restaurants are either closed for the season or closed until lunchtime. I’m ready to throw in the towel but Stéphane steps up and saves the day, finding Butter Run on Yelp.

I’ve driven by this place a million times growing up; over the years it’s had different names-  Mar Dee’s, Blue Star, etc. Today it is Butter Run. And today we strike gold in our choice of bar AND table – right next to two quality gents, Matt and John: hockey coaches in their free time and regulars at Butter Run.

Now I thought we were being a little crazy ordering a Bloody Mary at 10:30 on a Sunday morning, but these two made us look like saints in comparison, chasing their flights of whiskey down with shots of beer. We tell them it’s our first date since having Hugo and John says, “Well then, we need to celebrate with a round of Irish Breakfasts!” For those of you who do not know (I had no clue), an Irish Breakfast is a shot of Jameson followed by a shot of OJ topped off with a piece of crunch bacon. A little odd-sounding but quite a pleasant combination of flavors. Together we raise our glasses of Jameson and cheers, “to Hugo!”.

We could not have had a more enjoyable date spent in the fine company of Matt and John – who also picked up the tab on our breakfast! Thank you boys!!! We look forward to catching up with you again next time we are in town and breakfast is ON US then!!

With Matt and John, our Butter Run buddies.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The Heftis!

In lieu of bringing yet another tree into our lives (we have enough of them here in Maine), we decorated a happy little pine just off the back porch.

Using up some leftover felt to create a festive necklace for the little pine out back.

The Hefti Family Christmas Tree – our first one!

We hung one single, non-felt ornament sent to us by the Grand Junction Chamberlain Clan – a “baby’s first christmas” spoon. Thank you Chamberlains!!!

Hugo also received the most beautifully-knitted hat and sweater – complete with little sailboat buttons – from our friend Julie. Such a special gift! And it fits perfectly (which means it won’t fit for long)… 🙁

So…what else has been going on at The Heftis the last month?

Stéphane continues to concoct fabulous foods in the kitchen – pictured here with his latest batch of clementine jam.

Biscom (like gingerbread but ten times better), lemon cookies, jam, and homemade oatmeal bread.

Lots of jam sessions with Hugo.

We try and keep doing things we enjoy – here at the climbing gym.

Playing around at the gym.

Giving Hugo his first climbing lesson.

We dress Hugo up in cute outfits and take pictures of him while he’s passed out (this elf suit from Carrie!)

We do the same thing with Myra so she doesn’t feel left out.

Stéphane is still working hard at LifeFlight

On a scene call – beware black ice!

Hugo feels the love at Life Flight!

Myra and I are slowly starting to build up our running legs again after several months’ hiatus. Feels so good!!

We spend a lot of our time shoveling the never-ending driveway.

I mean, seriously, look at this driveway.

We dress Hugo up in cute outfits, take tons of pictures, and debate over who he looks like (I vote Stephane, for now).

More posing with The Little Bear.

Another storm. More shoveling.

More posing.

We bundle up and go on walks (soon, runs!)

And every morning when the sun rises and we find ourselves still in Maine, we realize how amazing our lives are, even if we aren’t where we want to be – yet. The wonderful friends we have made here, the sweet little cub we made here, and, yes, some fabulous memories too. Life is good. So Merry & Happy to you, from the Heftis!

The heating oil is low.

It’s been snowing all morning and our steep, slick driveway, now hidden under five inches of powder, must be tamed by Wednesday or we will go without a heating oil refill ’til who knows when. Which means frequent trips to the gas station, filling five gallon jerry jugs with diesel and schlepping them home to heat Hurd House. Not great. Better than nothing but not an option we are stoked about.

It’s a good thing I am cold and itching for some exercise. I have been dying to move and sweat – to wake the next day to achy muscles and a feeling of accomplishment. Taking on the driveway with a shovel will be the perfect solution to my temperature and temperament. Hopefully when I have finished and Wednesday rolls around, we will be rewarded with a delivery of sweet sweet oil and a little peace of mind. That is, until the tank gets low again.

Biting off a little more than I could chew, Stéphane steps in and finishes the job – another Hefti tag-team mission accomplished!

Here’s hoping the snow stays away until after our oil delivery on Wednesday.

Tomorrow Hugo will be two months old. I have no idea where these past sixty days have gone and what I have actually done during this time; they have zoomed by in slow motion. A friend of mine shared a “new mommy” saying that I find quite appropriate to our new life:

The days are long and the years are short.

The days are ridiculously long – particularly if Stéphane is on shift – but the weeks are just flying by. All day long I do nothing and everything, all at the same time. It is the most important nothing and everything I have ever done.

Me and my little man.

We celebrated Hugo’s first Thanksgiving by going on a family hike / trespassing event. Bundling up The Little Bear in his warm, fleecy bear suit and telling Myra the magical words that make her life (“let’s go for a run!”), we headed out the door and bush-wacked up the thickly-forested hill in our backyard. We quickly crossed into no-man’s-land – not sure whose property we were on – but we didn’t quite care: who gets mad at a couple hiking with a newborn on Thanksgiving? You’d have to be the biggest douche in the world, really.

Up and up the hill we went, determined to find a view that let us see over and beyond the thick curtain of trees. And we did eventually get a peep of our Phillips Lake from above – after which we came across a hunter’s stand at which point we decided to evacuate the area.

Happy Thanksgiving! Family selfie during family hike.

We are slowly collecting more “baby things”. Try as I might to keep our belongings to a minimum, we keep increasing our inventory of “Hugo stuff”. Each item does seem necessary though, like this newest addition: an Osprey (supporting our local Colorado businesses!) baby carrier (for extended hikes in the back-country). He’s a little small for it yet but we could not resist the half-off sale at Cadillac Mountain Sports!

Returning to work has been challenging with a newborn in tow. It has taken Stéphane and I a month to figure out how I can best work and be a mommy. What I have learned, after many failed attempts, is that I cannot do both at the same time. Thank goodness for Stéphane’s work schedule and for his willingness to be super dad so I can devote a little time to my business!

My attempt to multi-task as Mommy and Developer. A mega-fail.

p.s. If you were wondering, The Magic Coffee Table is still in full effect.

Behold the almighty cloth diaper: cotton rectangle of many uses (none of which include that of diaper-ain’t nobody got time for that).

This just in: all those bibs that you received, washed, and stored away in the back of the dresser because you thought they were for when Hugo was older and eating messy things like seafood (think Joe’s Crabshack)? Yeah, guess what? They are for when Hugo pukes up milk! Guess how many onesies have been changed due to milk puke? A lot. Guess I was out sick the day they went over that little gem. Yet another Mommy Memo missed.

Note to self…Remember: the bib- it’s for milk, NOT seafood.

Mighty Myra is endlessly patient with Hugo Bear.

He loves his daddy.

Okay, let’s crunch some numbers:

1,609

The number of ounces of milk I have pumped to date. To put this into perspective, that’s 64 bottles of wine, 12.5 gallons of water, or 201 cups of coffee. The Girls are hanging tough and performing admirably.

If you can’t tell by the copious rolls and double chin, Hugo is packing on the pounds, sucking down the milk like a champion.

168

The number of hours I have sat hooked up to the pump so far.

It’s a love-hate relationship. Love because it allows me to give Hugo my breast milk. Hate because I have to use it in the first place and it determines my schedule, every 2-3 hours each day every day for the next six-to-twelve months (or however long I can take it).

5

The most number of consecutive hours Hugo has slept in one night so far – go Hugo!!

He has the most beautiful eyelashes, just like his daddy.

4

Most miles run post-Hugo.

6

Times I have been peed on while changing Hugo’s diaper. I must have missed that Memo too. Have since learned a pee-protection technique that has been deployed successfully on the changing table.

Cheers & Happy Holidays from The Heftis!

Well, The Hefti Family has survived over a month. As I type, I hear Hugo Bear’s soft coughing/grunting noises coming from the crib. Which means he’ll be up soon. Which means a slapdash eeeeeep post – so here goes:

Top seven observations from our first month (because ten would take too long and I’m tired)

1. When changing the diaper, make sure that you point the penis DOWN before closing the diaper. Otherwise you will get a wet baby, soaked onesie, and soiled crib sheets (thank you, YouTube, for helping us figure this one out).
2. When baby starts to cry, insert pinky finger into mouth: you have now earned yourself an extra ten or fifteen minutes of quiet so you better find some breastmilk wherever you have it stored – in the breast, in the bottle.
3. If you want to get anywhere on time, add at least an extra 30 minutes.
4. Projectile pooping mid-diaper-change happens. Excellent hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes are crucial in minimizing the impact to the surrounding areas.
5. Crying typically means: change me, feed me, pay attention to me, I’m gassy. Not sure about the order. I’ll have to get back to you on that.
6. When out in public, you are a walking target for moms. Be prepared to answer the following questions: How old is he? What’s his name? And be prepared to smile and listen to the Mom Stories that ensue. It’s actually quite endearing if you have the patience and time (the former I am learning, the latter I have nothing but these days).
7. Laundry… << insert something witty and clever about doing laundry every day because your newborn poops and pees and pukes. The sleep-deprived brain is shutting down… >>
8. You have no time for yourself, not a second. You are crazy busy all day but then at the end of the day you wonder what the hell you did all day…Rinse and repeat…

Hugo is growing like a champ! His last weigh-in was 10.5 pounds! (and yes, we like patterns in the Hefti Household).

Mom and dad came out to visit and got to meet their first grandchild!! Taking one for the team, mom put up with the airport ridiculousness (this is huge for those of you that know her) in order to meet Hugo. True love right there, people.

Getting out for a run on a beautiful Fall day.

Myra photo-bombs like a pro.

Trying out the baby-carrier. We love the Boba Wrap but this little carrier is much easier to use – slide the baby in and you’re done.

Hugo is not a particular fan of the carseat (I think it’s because he has to be strapped down) but once the truck is moving, it’s nighty-night for the little man.

We have had the most amazing outpouring of support from our Life Flight girls – Veronica, Nicole, and Kathy. Not only have they shown me some advanced holding techniques (not to mention the invaluable move: the “butt tap”) they have been so kind to stop by and give me a few breaks here and there, as well as a little company. Love my Life Flight girls!!!

Mommy multi-task: chilling with Hugo Bear while getting a little work done. It usually doesn’t last for long though – Hugo requires movement if he’s in the carrier – standing still will simply not do!

Shopping for books at The Briar Patch – thank you Dave & Elaine Blue for the books! We bought the first five Beatrix Potter books!!!

Checking out a new trail.

And as the cries have now moved up a level from minor to premium, it is time to attend to the my little schnacki (that’s snail in German). Here’s to another month!

He has many names:

The Curve-Breaker (coined by our group because he is so amazing at pretty much everything)

AirWolf (remember that 80s high-tech helicopter show?)

Bug

And in the last two weeks, a new one has emerged:

The Magic Coffee Table

Yes, you read right. The Magic Coffee Table. Just check out this short video and you will start to understand why:

The Magic Coffee Table

Having lost three times the normal amount of blood during delivery along with the typical wears and tears (literally; ouch) that occur with a natural birth, I was pretty wrecked and exhausted once Hugo joined us. The second we arrived home to Hurd House, the day after Hugo was born, Stéphane was in instant caretaker mode.

Knowing how I hate clutter, he is in a constant buzz around the house: folding baby blankets, re-arranging pillows that had been tossed to the floor after failed breastfeeding attempts, and washing Hugo’s pee-stained onesies (we’ve since figured out the penis has to be pointed DOWN before closing the diaper; the pile of pee-stained onesies has greatly diminished since this breakthrough).

Chef Hefti working on his latest bread masterpiece.

Stéphane zooms around the house in constant work mode: sweeping up the never-ending piles of Myra’s hair, baking amazing oatmeal and walnut breads, making homemade yogurts, and cooking up fabulously tasty, nutritious meals. Washing clothes, dishes, floors, and butts (Hugo’s thankfully, not mine); caring for Hugo so I can catch up on sleep and get my strength back.

Some of Stéphane’s bread experiments – the middle one is a pain d’épi – you can pull apart each section and it is made to look like a stalk of wheat.

Another of Stéphane’s fabulous bread creations. It would have been really nice with a glass of the Chianti too, except we are still in Parenting 101: Survival Mode. The alcohol/parenting combo just seems way out of our league at the moment.

The second he learned that the proper position for breastfeeding is 90 / 90 (ninety degrees at the knees and then again at the back – straight posture), Stéphane disappeared down to the garage. The whirring of drills and other such tools ensued and a short time later he emerged with a stool – topped with a scrap of carpet – for my feet: to help me attain the 90 degree knee bend while sitting in the La-Z Boy chair (my legs being too short otherwise).

The La-Z Boy chair + stool ready for action.

Homemade mixed berry yogurt, homemade oatmeal bread, and some fabulous eggs. SUNNY SIDE UP – finally get to eat runny yolk again (yum!)

Yet another amazing meal – roast in a red wine sauce with brussel sprouts and homemade bread.

Waking up for the fifth time that night for my hourly pumping, I entered the living room which had been transformed into a calming environment: la-z boy chair prepped with boppy pillow and supporting pillows, fire going, mellow music playing softly in the background. Lactation tea in a mug next to my pump, and a zip-lock baggy holding buttered, homemade oatmeal bread as a snack and delivering a special message: I Love You! You may think “cheesy”, but let me tell you, when your body is torn up and exhausted along with your emotions and you are trying to figure out how to take care of an actual human being that you grew; throw in a little sleep-deprivation and hunger and make it 3am:  tell me THEN how amazing that zip-lock baggy and its message becomes. It’s all about perspective. And it’s looking pretty fabulous from mine.

Ziplock baggy delivering food for the body (consumed immediately) and a little for the heart 😉

Hard-boiled eggs and homegrown tomatoes (courtesy of Dave Burr – thank you very much sir!!)

A list of foods that reduce milk production. Always looking out for me.

So yes, this post is super braggadocious on my part but I am just so proud of Stéphane; proud to call him mine and proud of the amazing husband and father that he is. The Hefti Clan of Maine, now numbering three, is hanging tough and figuring it out.

Some more pics of our sweet little Hugo:

Hugo’s first bath!

Hugo sleeping (he sleeps a lot – they tell me this is normal for a newborn).

Testing out the Boba Wrap. It’s hands-free except I don’t want to take my hands off him!

Posing with the little man; fall colors / Phillips Lake in the background.

More posing with Hugo.

Our new little family.

So, I was thinking that all I needed to lug Hugo around was a Boba Wrap. We were given a hand-me-down stroller for when Hugo is bigger but didn’t think we needed a stroller for newborn. WELL, let me tell you, getting this one was a game-changer. It is a jogger (for when Hugo is bigger) and we can click Hugo’s car seat into it and GO. This stroller thing – what a fabulous invention! BIG shout-out to Ma and Pa Stew for the gift of this jogging stroller – we are calling it the StewMobile 😉

And one more of Hugo Bear.

So very much more to say on this topic but at the moment I have the use of just one arm – the other is engaged in infinitely more important business: holding our son.

So to be brief: Hugo Jürg Hefti joined Stéphane and I Monday morning, October third at 11:46. I was able to have the natural, non-medicated birth we were hoping for (ouch) and after an hour and a half in the birthing tub and fifteen minutes on the birthing stool, Baby Cub is here.

Stéphane caught and placed Baby Cub on my chest, face down. We were so excited that BC was here that we didn’t even think about the gender until one of the nurses asked! We then flipped him over and…

Baby Cub is a boy!

Welcome to the world, little Hugo.

Love at first sight.

Lots of sleeping going on.

Proud papa.

Our little man.

Mom, dad, and Hugo Bear are happy and healthy. Mom and dad are sleep-deprived but Hugo is getting tons of food and sleep and that’s what matters.

Lots more photos and stories to come.