Grandpa Charlie is Here

Grandpa Charlie (Nate's dad) arrived Wednesday from Massachusetts to meet his new grand-daughter and do a little fishing with his son. (Last year when he came out we fished almost every day; this year will be a little different.) In the picture he's enjoying some socialization with Claire who was doing her best to charm him with lots of smiles and giggles while he told her all about his two donkeys back home.

Yesterday evening we attended a Shakespeare in the Parks performance together; Claire's first theater experience. Montana actually has an excellent group that tours the state each year performing two different plays. Of course, I am one of those weirdos who absolutely LOVE LOVE reading Shakespeare and seeing it performed so I eagerly anticipate the performances each summer. Last night they actually did a Shaw play, so Claire will have to wait until the August performance to hear Shakespeare. (She did sleep through the whole thing I have to admit...)

Claire's First Hike--Mountain Girl!

We had our first family hike on Sunday, and it was a successful outing. No it wasn't a big peak or alpine lake, but it was a hike with a two month old! We added diapers, changing pad, wipes, burp cloth, and pacifier to our usual day pack and set off on a new hike neither of us had tried before to the Humbug Spires. The trail was a gradual grade following Moose Creek with ancient Douglas Fir and verdant Aspen groves lining the way. The area is known for its unique rock formations, though we didn't make it all the way to the biggest formations.

We hiked about two miles one way before stopping to nurse and change a diaper. (I didn't think to bring a change of outfit, and, of course, Claire wet through all her clothes...first time parent mistake...lesson learned.) Claire enjoyed hanging out in the shade listening to the wind and watching the light filter through the trees. There are some sights and sounds that just have to be experienced in person. We are hoping that by starting young Claire will come to love the sights and sounds of the forests and mountains as much as we do. Not to mention, it was VERY good for her mom to get out of the house and get back to doing, though on a small scale, some of what she used to do before getting really pregnant and caring for a newborn the past two months. I finally felt like I was living in Montana again, not just viewing it through the windows.

In other news, Claire had her two month check up today--which as most of you know meant SHOTS! Yikes, I've never heard her scream like that. She now weights 10 pounds 6 ounces (50th percentile), and is 23 inches long (75 percentile). I had to start taking out the next size of baby clothes this morning--getting those newborn onesies to snap was getting harder and harder. Everyone is very impressed with her ability to hold up her head and her great sleep patterns. She made it until 6 AM this morning! Go Claire!

Landscape Projects

I have to use this slide show to brag a little bit. Nate just finished a privacy fence by our front patio today, and it looks great. It's his own creative design and a mixture of cedar and corrugated steel "rustically rusted." We have the same thing alongside the deck as well. We've spent the past two summers putting a lot of time and money into our landscaping, since, as you can see from the "before" photo, when the house was done we were left with one big pile of dirt. Also, remember this is prairie, so adding trees to a landscape of sage brush and native grasses is a big deal. (And, having grown up in Washington, I really wanted some trees!) Except for the sod and sprinklers, we've designed and done all the work ourselves. This involved a sharp learning curve since neither of us really had any experience with landscaping.

We spent a lot of time wandering around the house trying to figure out where everything would go and how to build it. Two summers ago I got some serious muscles just shoveling sand, gravel, and rocks out of a trailer for weeks. Nate has spent more hours than he'd like to count digging holes for fence posts and trees and bushes. Adding the trees, bushes, planters, and perennials has been more fun, especially this year as they are really beginning to fill out. I'm still a little amazed that everything survives considering our cold winters and bright, hot summers. I now can enjoy going outside to water my flowers, and we can enjoy hanging out on either the patio or deck with some privacy from the road while enjoying all the greenery. We think we are done with all the major projects...but knowing my husband, I'm not holding my breath!

Two Months Old

Claire is two months old today. Nate and I were discussing last night how those two months have flown. It seems like it was just last week we were getting ready for Grandma Norris to visit, and here it is June 20 (which reminds me--tomorrow is our 4th anniversary!) I was holding Claire last night excited for all the upcoming stages but also not wanting her to change from this cute, cuddly little bundle in my arms. She is definitely becoming more aware of her world and loves to be held over my shoulder so she can look around. Her neck is getting stronger every day; she likes to lay on the Boppy and look at books. We aren't making it all the way through the night yet, but we are getting closer, sometimes she'll make it until 4 or 5 AM before waking up. When we get to 6 AM, I'll be dancing in the streets!

First Father's Day

For part of Nate's first Father's Day gift, Claire and I told him to "Take a Hike!" (ha ha) We sent him off for the day, hopefully guilt-free. He climbed up Brownback, one of the peaks in the Tobacco Root range that we can see from our front windows. Nate and I had tried biking up the trail last year and found the grade a little steep, so he decided to hike it yesterday. He had some great views of other peaks in the Tobacco Roots (seen in the picture) and of the valley as well. He said he could almost make out our house from the top. Soon enough Claire will be scrambling up these peaks with her dad on Father's Days in the future.

A Changing Baby

Over the last week we have enjoyed seeing Claire get more social and interactive with us. She will be 7 weeks tomorrow and now really gives us big smiles, makes eye contact, recognizes our voices, and coos at us and her toys. Yesterday we read some books together and she definitely focused on the pictures in the books; I guess it's a little too early to expect her to read along, right? (As an English teacher, of course, I am trying to foster a literary sensibility early!) As first time parents, all these changes are exciting to see and wondrous to us.

A wonderful visit with Grandma

Nate's mom just left today after a wonderful visit. She loved meeting Claire, and Claire loved all the love, attention, and gifts from "Nema." We had one beautiful day when we took a long walk and enjoyed some sun on the patio and deck. Then a few rainy days when we stayed inside and spent time admiring Claire. We also got some errands done--it's much easier for me with a little help, and I was even able to get an eye appointment in . We had some great meals and conversations as well. It's hard to see family go, knowing it will be a few months until we see them again. We wish we lived close enough to just pop over for a visit, but we make the most of the time we have and fill it with love and lasting memories!