It's Been a While

Please pardon my short hiatus from the blogosphere, but my world has looked something like this for much of the past three weeks:

That's right, baby bikewrider has arrived! I am very grateful for a healthy and happy baby boy born on march 27th. His mom and I have taken the last few weeks and done our best to adapt to parenthood.

While we have had our share of late night dirty diapers and fussing baby, don't let the first picture fool you. Coen has been super sweet, and we couldn't be happier to have him around. I am well aware of how blessed we are to have a baby who is healthy and for the most part easily soothed. After food and clean pants he mostly just wants to be in motion, which is a better fit for us than a baby who wants to be still. There has been lots of dancing in the living room, early morning walks and maybe even a short baby bjorn bike ride in the back yard to celebrate his third birthday. But we won't talk about that because some would say that is to early for an infant to be associated with bikes (not to mention the lightning storm that was going on at the time.)

Obviously a newborn has cut into my riding time, but hasn't stopped me from riding at least a little bit everyday. The day he was born the freak dog and I were out for a short ride at 4:30 in the morning before heading to the hospital. Even better, little dudes arrival was timed such that I haven't had to miss a week of bike polo.

A recent personal highlight for me (aside from the arrival of my first born) took place this past week at polo. I began organizing polo around here last fall and the first few weeks I brought everything. I put up the flyers, I brought the cones for goals, the ball, mallets for everyone, and occasionally even an extra bike and helmet for a newbies.

This past week all I had to provide were and bike and a mallet for myself. MicD brought cones, Seanjohn brought a ball, and everyone there had their own mallet. I'd say it warmed the cockles of my heart, but according to my dictionary that would mean either an edible, burrowing, bivalve mollusk with a strong ribbed shell, or a small shallow boat. I guess I'll go with warming the mollusk of my heart, either way it was cool.

This afternoon the weather was warm and sunny, so when mom and baby went down for a nap I took off for a ride. The ride was short, but I managed to get in a few mile of single track that was in spectacular shape after some recent rain and snow.

I didn't have long to ride so I rode harder than I usually do. Felt so flippin' good get out and rally around on the trails, it had been too long. The Big Dummy is nearing completion, so hopefully I can figure out a safe way to get the little dude our riding before too long. Mom's itching to get back in the saddle too.