Welcome to the Newest Member of Our PT Adventures Travel Team:

Kinley Maybelle Stockhausen

 

On August 24^th we welcomed our daughter into the Stockhausen Family in Durango, CO. She joined her two dog sisters, Layla and Cayenne, as the third girl in our family.  To say she has filled our hearts is an understatement, and it’s about time she gets a proper introduction!

What’s in a Name?

When we adopted our two rescue pups, Layla in 2013 and Cayenne in 2016, we decided on their names by the time we walked out of the Humane Society and into the our home not even 3 miles away – and they fit them perfectly.

The excitement and pressure of deciding our daughter’s name was not such an easy task! As soon as we found out that we were expecting a girl, we started brainstorming names… I think Steve, the creative one, actually generated most of the ideas. We spent many conversations discussing what we wanted for her before deciding on some sort of  “Mountain Name” that would portray strength and beauty. We wanted a name that would be unique, but at the same time not so far “out there” that it would be impossible to pronounce, spell, or remember! Finally we decided on the perfect name for our daughter:

Kinley: Strength – “Fair Skinned Warrior”

There is so much that we hope for in our little girl, even before she arrived! We want to raise a strong girl – strength of mind, character, and body. Given our love for the mountains, we settled on this “strong, mountain name” as a nod to Mt McKinley in Alaska, or Denali as it’s name has now officially returned. The tallest mountain peak in North America standing at 20,310 feet, Denali (formerly Mt McKinely), is an iconic memory of our amazing stint in Alaska, and of one of our favorite views there. The commanding presence of mountain majesty, pristine white in all seasons, is a strong and pure landmark on the Alaskan landscape.  Out of all the names we discussed, this is the only one that both of us were equally excited about!

“Let her sleep for when she wakes, she will move mountains.” – Written on the plaque above Kinley’s crib.

Maybelle: “Beautiful One”

Kinley’s middle name is a blend of names that my mind stumbled upon in the midst of a dream while living in Tacoma.  Steve had wanted to incorporate the name Mabel, in honor of his Grandmother… and I just couldn’t indulge him! I on the other hand, wanted to name her for my Grandmother, Edna, an amazing, loving and supportive woman who was a pillar of my childhood and a proponent of both PT school and my marrying Steve! In my sleep I was pondering names, and remembered that Papa had always called my grandmother Edna Bell – a Southern remnant of their upbringing in Kentucky – and gradually came to the combination of Belle with Mabel… In the morning I shared my idea with Steve and that was that – Maybelle it was!

Her Arrival

Early on during pregnancy, we decided we wanted to deliver Kinley in our home base – Durango, Colorado. We have a huge support system of amazing friends there, and one of my close friends there is a practicing OB-GYN – I wanted to have our little girl with Brie! We couldn’t think of a better place and community to greet her. And we’re happy she is a Colorado Native ☺

This plan was already in the works long before we found an amazing doctor while on assignment in Washington. From conception in California, pregnancy visits in Washington, birth in Colorado and Pediatrician visits in Kentucky… navigating the healthcare system as a traveler has not been as difficult as one would think! I’ll be sharing more details in another post…

I think the absolute best perk of traveling therapy is the freedom to control your schedule. With a little planning ahead, we were able to save enough to allow both of us to take a full 2 months off to welcome, adjust to, and bond with our little girl. What other job allows for that?! We feel very fortunate that this was an easy option for us!  Our last contract in Tacoma ended at 37 weeks of pregnancy – afterall, we didn’t want to cut things too close, just in case something went wrong, but we felt comfortable in making it to full term at 37 weeks. The three weeks leading up to her birth we spent catching up with friends and exploring trails in and around Durango, which was a really special time for us to bond together and prepare for her arrival without any work distractions.

One thing I learned while giving birth: Never over estimate your own tolerance for pain! Despite a relatively easy birthing story compared to some others I have heard, giving birth to a baby is by far the most painful experience I’ve ever had! I would rather complete 5 Ironman races or run 500 miles than go through the pain of childbirth… Thankfully everything went very smoothly. She arrived within 7 hours of being induced in the hospital with Brie. My three goals were met: there were no epidurals, no C-sections, and a she arrived a healthy happy baby at 7lb, 3oz, and 20” long! Two of my favorite memories were when Brie could see my baby’s head and yelled at me: “You’re at mile 23 of a Marathon! You can do it!” And of course the priceless moment when I held her on my chest for the first time, she was soaking wet and screaming while I could only fight back the tears, my whole body shaking while holding her. There really are no words to describe that moment.

Join the Adventure, Kinley!

We have found ourselves inundated with recommendations for raising a child, and though we are thankful for all the well-intended advice, one in particular has resonated with both of us. Counter to the child-centric theory that is currently popular, is the idea that Kinley has joined OUR family, and not the other way around… That she should be included in what we do as a family, and it should not be US molding our lives to HER.  When we adopted the dogs, we were trail-running non-stop. They became trail runners and have adapted quite well. So well, in fact, that now we are living 20 minutes from the closest trail (instead of 2 minutes) they are miserable! We’re already finding ways to include her (with some adaptations!) into our family adventures.

Two days after Kinley was born, we loaded her in our Ergo Baby and took her hiking with the dogs – she did great! She was on trail nearly every day for the next month in Durango, completing some of our favorite hikes that neither of us experienced till our late 20s! By one week old she made it up to Gudy’s Rest on the Colorado trail. By 2 weeks we snagged some family photos at Little Molas Lake where we were married and hiked up to 12,000’ elevation hiking on Molas Pass. By three weeks she caught her first glimpse of Ice Lake near Silverton, and by four weeks we made it to Blue Lakes, between Ouray and Telluride.

Back in July, we had signed up for our second Trav Con, a conference for travelers in Las Vegas every September. Although it would have been WAY easier to stay home with a 3 week old baby, we decided that if we started using her as an excuse now, that might become our M.O.  and she would always be an excuse why not to do _____. So we packed her up and headed to Las Vegas! She loved it! – sleeping through the conference and vendor booths in her baby wrap, partying at the top of the Stratosphere, walking the strip, accompanying us as we were treated to a steak dinner at the Bellagio and enjoying the Chihuly gardens and Bellagio water show.

She does great on road trips and actually seems to enjoy them! We visited Horseshoe Bend for the first time with her on our way to Las Vegas, and she visited her first National Park as we detoured through Zion National Park on our way back to Durango.  When we are on the move, she is happy. We’re amazed and grateful for how well she has adapted.

These last two months have been a whirlwind, including a move across the country for Steve to start his next assignment in Kentucky. Suddenly we found ourselves at her two-month MD appointment this past week! Along with her first round of vaccines, she weighed in at 10lb 12 oz, and 23” long. We are incredibly grateful for a strong and healthy baby girl. And while we aren’t yet sure who she most closely resembles, one thing is certain: she loves to be active! All of us, including the dogs, love having her as our newest tag-along on family adventures. We look forward to many more to come.

 

Written by: Ellen Stockhausen