Zane

Zane Christopher Merkley

10/18/11 at 11:38 am

9 lbs 1 oz

21.5 inches

We are so happy that our little boy is here!  Zane is already such a good baby. He is content most of the time and hardly makes a fuss. Noah is so excited to have a little brother and is already planning on teaching him to play soccer, climb trees, and go hunting. Emma isn't sold on him yet. She likes to help, but doesn't want mom or her grandmothers to hold him. She'll get the hang of it, we hope!

 Our Family Picture

Another one bites the dust!

So I've been trying to get my dad onto a critter to shoot with his bow. Animals finally started coming into my "honey hole". I went up last night, 10/14/2011, to try to shoot an elk. I went into my spot at about 1:00 pm and sat until about 7:00. Didn't even see a critter at all. Dad called me at about 5:00 and told me that he had made it up and would be coming in to where I was sitting. I had seen deer on the trail that he would be taking and was hoping that he would spot them and get a shot. There had been four decent bucks in the area and knew it was just a matter of time before I or my dad would fill a deer tag. Well, my dad finally came into where I was sitting and I was happy to see him. I met him not far from where I was sitting and asked if he had seen any animals. He stated that he hadn't seen anything and I could tell he was a little bummed. We started the hike back to the truck since it would soon be dark. The whole way back my dad and I were talking and shooting the bull, not really thinking we would see anything. Just at legal shooting light and about 50 yrds from the truck Dad stopped on the trail and peered out into the bushes. I asked what he was looking at and after a short while said "nothing". He started walking toward the truck and I looked to see what my dad was looking at. As I looked I saw a decent little 4x4 buck looking right at us. I told Dad that there was a deer there and told him to hold still and not to move. I thought the deer was going to take off. I ranged the buck and found him to be 52 yrds. The buck was broad side and provided a great shot. I knocked an arrow and let one fly.


Instantly I heard the "thunk" like I had just punch the chest cavity. The "thunk" was a definate hit sound and I knew my arrow had found it's mark. I nudged my dad and gave him the "how about that luck" kind of look. The arrow looked to be a perfect shot.

We waited about 5 min before going and looking to see if there was blood where he was standing. It was getting dark quick and I knew we had little time to find the buck. We found were he was standing but didn't find an arrow or blood. We continued to search around the area and about 50 yrds from where the buck was hit, I bumped him. It seemed as if he was not feeling well and bedded down. He jumped up real quick and took of like a bolt. It was too dark by this point and I could hear him run. It didn't sound natural. I could tell he was sick. We could hear the buck running off into the bushes then stop. I found a puddle of blood where he was beded and where I had bumped him. We decided to back out and come back in the morning.

After a sleepless night, morning finally came. I picked up my dad and we headed to my "hole". I went straight to were he was bedded the previous night and started searching. There was very very minimal blood so my dad, myself, and my brother-in-law started walking the grid. I decided to walk toward the bushes I had last heard the buck in. Not five minutes after walking toward the bushes....I found the buck. He was piled up and looked as if he was running and then collapsed over dead. My arrow was sticking through the other side with about 6in of fletching still in his side. While cleaning him out I discovered that the arrow took off the aorta right at the top of the heart. I couldn't have asked for a better shot. I was totally surprised that he lasted as long as he had.

I've never harvested anything while hunting with my dad and was so glad that he was there from start to finish. Not the biggest buck in the world but a "goodun" and it has a special meaning sharing it with Dad.
Enjoy the pics and happy hunting!

time is flying

I am behind again on blogging, mostly because we have been so, so busy. July, August and September have been crazy and now October is FINALLY here! We are anxiously awaiting our baby to be born. I am 38 weeks today and ready to have my baby here and my body back to myself. The kids are really looking forward to him coming too. Just today, I recorded Emma hollering at my belly, "Come out, baby! I wuv you baby. I told you to come out!" If I can figure out how to get it from my phone to the computer, I will.

Our quick recap:

July - we went to Mt. Rushmore and then did a quick turn around to Jackson Hole. Busy, busy two weeks. When we got home, we found out we were going to get the house across the street and be able to move by about the first week of August. So...

August -  we pack and move a whole 200 ft. Which I think may be harder then moving far. Everything was stuff and fluff and we still haven't recovered. The basement of our house is unfinished and functioning as a ginormous storage unit. The end of August brings some pre-term labor for me. I am in and out of the hospital, getting betamethisone shots and getting really freaked out by tests that say I could have the baby any time. The test, it turns out, is not very accurate and turned out to be a false positive as I am still pregnant. That sure was fun.

Noah started a preschool program two days a week and I am already seeing the difference in him. He loves to learn and is learning to write all his letters. He can already write his name, Emma's name and the baby's name, which may or may not stick.

Emma started tap and ballet lessons. It was a rough first month and she wasn't sure she wanted to do it, but now she is loving every minute of it. She gets a very proud smile on her face when asked to do first and second position and is glad to perform.

September brought the hunting season in full swing and Luke spends his time hiking all over tarnation. No success yet. I am sure he will post his stories once he has them.

I had another bit of a scare with the baby being breech and possibly being to large to flip on his own. My doctor was preparing to do either a Version (flipping the baby manually, OUCH!) or preparing for a c-section. However, our good little boy has flipped, and everything is great! I remember waking up in the middle of the night thinking I was having the baby right then because the pain and pressure was pretty intense. I am so glad that things turned out the way they did and I didn't have to try the version. It was painful enough to have the baby flip on his own, I can't even imagine someone pushing on him from the outside to try to make him turn.

I am back at the doctor on Friday to see how things are progressing. I am feeling as large as a house and very, very clumsy. Definitely not graceful. About 3 weeks ago, the doctor was guessing the baby was about 7 lbs. If this guy is large, I am hoping his head is at least in proportion. Noah's head was, AND IS, big and that was some hard pushing.

I am just working, slowly working, at getting the house ready and put together before baby arrives. Waiting for life to slow down a bit and I am afraid it won't. After the baby comes, it is Emma's 3rd birthday and the holidays will be here! Time sure is flying. Can't wait to see what it will bring!

I am sure our next post will be of our new little guy. Thanks for stopping by!!