A Holiday Tradition

I often tease my mother about her love for "knick knacks," but I am glad that she likes Christmas ornaments or else we wouldn't have anything interesting to hang on our tree. While we were growing up every year my mom would buy each of us a new ornament and mark it with our names and the date. (The oldest "surviving" one I now have is from 1981.) When we were officially "on our own," she gave each of us all of our ornaments from the years gone by. As a result, every year when I get the ornaments out and decorate the tree, I have a connected feeling to my family and to all the Christmases past that I decorated trees with my siblings (which my mom redecorated after we went to bed). I'd like for Claire to experience the same tradition, so I bought her first ornament (the silver frame on the left--yet to get a picture). The bell on the right is my ornament from 1982, when I was 8!

The Cloth versus Disposable Debate

Yes, that's my washer with cloth diapering materials piled on it. A few weeks ago as I hauled yet another garbage bag filled with disposables to the trash bins, I decided I was ready to make the leap to cloth diapers. When Claire was first born, the idea seemed too overwhelming in addition to all the other parts of the new baby world we had to figure out. Now, however, inspired by my friend Elisabeth, I feel like I can do my part to help the environment and our budget by using cloth while we are at home. (I don't use them overnight, when she's at daycare, or when we are running around town.) I did a little research online, got totally overwhelmed by the cloth diaper marketing machine, called Elisabeth for some perspective, and decided to keep it as simple as possible. So far, so good. It is a little extra work, but when I'm at home in the afternoons it's nothing we can't handle. By the way, my other "green" crusade lately has been using these great reusable grocery sacks instead of the plastic ones you get at the store. Nothing revolutionary, a little extra effort, but we all have to start somewhere, right? (Those of you who lived with me at Auburn may be remembering the water saving plan I implemented in the toilets right now. I think these are a little more practical!)

Early Christmas with Nema

Nate's mom was here this past weekend for an early Christmas as we will be travelling to Washington this year for the Holidays. We had a great long weekend together, and, as usual, she spoiled ALL of us rotten--not just Claire. This time we don't have to wait long for the next visit as she'll be joining us in WA for Claire's baptism on December 30.

We all took a hike together in some winter weather on Saturday. This is Nate with his mom and Claire.

Nema and Claire playing with one of her new toys.

Susan, Claire and I went swimming on Friday afternoon after some errands. Claire loves the water. Isn't she cute in her little suit?

Christmas Stroll and "I Want My Mommy!"

Last night Nate and I decided to attend the Three Forks Christmas Stroll for the first time despite the 10 degree temperature. We didn't have high expectations (good thing!) as downtown Three Forks is an eclectic (but not "hip" eclectic) mix of businesses; however, we figured we could at least give it a try. We bundled Claire up in her down snowsuit, threw on our long underwear, and headed into town. Half-way there I realized we forgot the Baby Bjorn and would have to use the stroller on the icy sidewalks, and I also forgot the flyer with all the information on where all the festivities were located. Regardless, we didn't turn around. I don't have much to report in terms of highlights, unless you count a cheerful glass of Wassail (what is that stuff anyway? warmed up Tang?) and a fine culinary experience at the "Taste of Three Forks" which consisted of meat, more meat, meat, and a potato. I don't mean to paint a dismal picture of Three Forks; it's just not where you'd head for any kind of cultural experience...though Nate likes to remind me it has potential. The picture is blurred, probably because my teeth were chattering.

Claire and I did spend a nice Friday afternoon at the Bozeman Hot Springs swimming with my mom's group. She was quite the little water skipper, and after a week of sickness in our house, the soak felt great. The "I Want My Mommy" comes from the rough week we had of being sick while trying to care for a baby. I called my mom and told her I really, really wished she lived closer this week!!

Seven Months Old

Claire is seven months old today. I'm using it as an opportunity to post some of the great pictures my mom took while she and my dad were visiting a few weeks ago. Some highlights at seven months:

• Claire is sitting up on her own now with fewer and fewer face plants (unless she's desperate to get a toy just out of her reach).
• Check out her long eyelashes--I've been jealous of them since she was born. (See the bath photo for the best look.)
• She's quite mobile by rolling herself all over the floor; unfortunately, that means we can no longer contain her many spit-ups to a blanket on the floor.
• I'm slowly but surely winning the nap-in-the-crib battle. She still screams bloody murder when I put her down, but generally it lasts only 10 minutes or so now instead of 45 minutes.
• All food is Claire's friend. She loves mealtime and hasn't refused any of the foods I've tried with her yet.
• Those of you who are Calvin Alumni will appreciate the souvenir my parents brought back from a conference they attended at Calvin. Of course, they also had the latest tuition figures...frightening.

Two Kills in One Day

After a few months of being, as they say around here, a "hunting widow," Nate filled both his elk and whitetail deer tags in one day in the mountains about 40 minutes north of our house. He shot the elk in the morning, packed it out with his friend Scott, brought it to the butcher in Helena, and returned to the same ranch at nightfall when he shot the whitetail buck. For those of you not familiar with hunting, this is not a normal occurrence. It is, however, a result of much time spent in the woods and also a little bit of luck. Claire and I are glad to have Nate home again... well except for waterfowl and upland bird seasons.

Visit with Grandma and Grandpa

We've enjoyed another wonderful visit with parents. My parents arrived Thursday afternoon from Washington to enjoy a three-day weekend with us. I put my parents right to work watching Claire while I rushed off for an evening of parent-teacher conferences, but then I had Friday off so we were able to have three uninterrupted days together. Claire, of course, loved the extra attention, and I loved having extra help around the house. In the past few days Claire has really found her voice and has started chatting and babbling up a storm. She's also discovered she can scream in frustration, especially when she's convinced Mom's arms are the ONLY place good enough for her to be at a particular moment. It's fun to see her get more and more personality--which my mom described as "intense." She's in constant motion and enjoys looking at the world while upside down. (I'm trying not to read into that one....) While the house seems empty again now that my parents have left, we can look forward to a visit from Nate's mom in early December and then a trip to Washington over Christmas to see my family again. (I don't have many pictures from this weekend because Grandma took most of them; I do have a family picture we took while they were visiting though.)

Pumpkin Time

Grandpa Charlie is visiting and brought Claire the cutest little cat ears, so, of course, I wanted to get the perfect pumpkin, Halloween picture. We don't have a costume for her other than the ears, so this is as dressed up as she'll get. Speaking of pumpkins, for those of you who are cooks out there, I've included a link for some yummy pumpkin bread. I made it once last week and have another loaf in the oven as we speak. (I made 1/2 the recipe for one normal sized loaf.)

New Mom's Group

I think I've mentioned in other blogs that I've been working on starting a group for moms who like to hike, ski, bike, so we can enjoy the outdoors with our children (and hopefully a few times leave the kids behind with the dads). I have about 10 moms who are interested, but, as you can imagine, trying to find a time when everyone can go on an outing is impossible. Nonetheless, I have been meeting some new people and getting to know other moms with young kids which is great! This is a picture from our outing yesterday. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon, almost 70 degrees, so we (Jennifer, myself, and Claire (a mom) and her daughter Jade) took advantage of it. Claire lasted almost the whole time in her backpack (except for the last 10 minutes); however, I wondered at times as we were climbing in elevation if I would make it! Whew, the thighs were burning with the pack and all 16 pounds of her weighing me down. All I can say is if we keep these up I will be one buff lady!

Six Months!!

I hate to use the old cliche, but I can't believe how time has flown. Claire had her six month check-up yesterday. Has it been half a year already??

She weighed in at nearly 16 pounds and is doing all the requisite cooing, reaching, rolling, and drooling as a baby her age should. No teeth yet, but we have started with solid foods and so far she loves everything she's tried--cereal, banana, avocado, squash, and pear. I'll try sweet potato and green beans this week. Claire is still not rolling from her stomach to her back, but she can sorta sit up and loves to be a part of the activities in the house as well as explore different places like the grocery store, doctor's office, and outside. We tried her in the backpack again this Sunday, with a little better luck. I think it would have gone fine if we weren't walking right at nap time. Tomorrow will be a big test as I have another hike set up with my moms' hiking group that requires the use of the backpack.

Six months...only a short step on the overall path of parenthood, but so far we are loving it!!

Hmm...what to post about?

Hate to say it, not too much exciting action going on around here since Grandma left last week. I'm not saying that as if it were a bad thing; we have a good routine going with school, work, and some periods of time even just for mom or dad. However, I feel like I should post SOMETHING...I'm kinda winning the battle of getting Claire to nap in her crib, though not without some crying each day. Over the past few weeks I've been working on starting an outdoor recreation group for moms and kids. Tomorrow is our first outing, and about 7-8 women have expressed interest. I'm looking forward to meeting some moms with similar interests and hopefully developing some new friendships. What else? Nate has been busy with bow hunting season in search of a big whitetail buck and elk. I guess that's it...I like this picture of Claire; I think it shows some of her personality : )

Visit from Nema Sue

We had an eventful week with Nema Sue here from Massachusetts. She arrived on Wednesday bearing many gifts for Claire and continued her granmotherly duty of spoiling her throughout the week with new toys, books, and getting her outfitted for winter hiking/skiing gear. Thanks Susan!! We had some nice days shopping in Bozeman, visiting Helena, hosting a dinner party with our friends Scott, Eileen, and Dot, and just hanging out enjoying Claire's newest antics. Nema babysat a few mornings while I went to work so she got some quality bonding time one on one with Claire too (who loved all her grandma's singing and dancing!). Since one grandparent was on hand and we had just gotten Claire's highchair, we decided to try her first bites of cereal. Claire has been very interested in watching us eat lately, and she took to eating the cereal like a pro, having it smeared all over her face in no time. She did seem to like it, though I might wait a few more weeks before making it a daily occurrence as she isn't quite 6 months yet. All in all some great memories and, of course, very difficult goodbyes!

Best Friends...well, kind of...

Claire is fascinated by our Chesapeake Retriever, Hemingway. As some of you know, Hemmie is no model dog, though he is settling down at the ripe old age of 4 1/2. Anyway, when Hem is inside, Claire is constantly following him with her eyes and will ignore us if she's watching him. She giggles out loud whenever he gets close to her and shows no fear of a big dog getting his face right next to hers (though I do try not to let him lick her). We've discovered that he can entertain her during dinner merely by lying on his bed and licking his paws. As for Hem's interest in her, it's basically centered on trying to lick up her spit up before I get to it (gross, I know) and grabbing her toys, especially a pacifier, if he's trying to get OUR attention. As she gets mobile, hopefully he'll be patient with her grabbing at him!

(This is an old picture by the way.)

Does she look like she's having fun??

Well, we did the trail test of the fancy new baby backpack. Not exactly a successful venture. First, it was hot and smokey (when will it ever snow??). Second, Claire lasted for about 3/4 of a mile before going totally ballistic, right as we were climbing uphill. After a diaper check, nothing there, back into the pack she went. Still ballistic. Then, mom and dad both tried carrying her while carrying packs and trekking poles and the dog leash. Still ballistic. We finally get smart and decide if she's going to scream, we might as well carry her in the backpack. With about 1/2 mile left of our short loop, she finally fell asleep. The picture was taken back at the truck since we didn't have any "kodak moments" on the trail. We aren't sure if it was the weather, her mood, or the pack, but we weren't the poster family for children in the great outdoors today.

Okay, maybe I am a baby gear hog...

Some of you know how I vowed before Claire was born to be a minimalist in terms of baby gear. Of course, I'm mostly eating my words (a glance around the house right now reveals an exersaucer, johnny-jump up, play mat, and bouncy chair). However, considering everything you COULD buy for a baby these days, I give myself a B-. I do have to admit to being very excited when our newest baby gear arrived on Thursday, mostly because it's OUTDOOR baby gear which means we can use it to get back into the great outdoors with Claire. The latest purchase is a baby hiking backpack by Sherpani. (I did get it at a great price from REI outlet with a 20% off coupon for members.) A test run out around the yard on Thursday night proved a hit with Claire. Let's hope she feels the same way when we get it out on an actual trail!

Ten signs you are out of the Newborn/New Mommy Phase

1. Your back is getting out of line from carrying baby on your left hip.

2. Instead of rushing over when baby cries, you spend ten minutes trying to get a picture of her temper tantrum face because you think it's funny. (Still didn't get it, but see picture at right.)

3. You actually look in a cook book for a new recipe instead of wishing you had bought more frozen food when you last grocery shopped.

4. You actually follow through and cook the new recipe (maple roasted pork ribs).

5. When you sit down with husband to enjoy the meal, the sounds of the baby crying in the swing along with the swing's canned classical music have become normal background noise to a "nice" dinner together.

6. Dad has figured out how to make the Baby Bjorn into a beer holder. (see picture below)

7. You sometimes forget to change a diaper and are amazed they really can hold about a gallon of liquid!

8. Instead of trying to keep the dirty ol' dog away from new baby, you are trying to get the dog used to baby grabbing handfuls of his hair. (Dog isn't particularly excited about this new experiment.)

9. You no longer feel obligated to dress baby in pink when going out so strangers will know you have a "cute little girl." Instead, you reply to their questions about gender with, "Girls can't wear pink everyday."

10. The only clothes that don't have spit-up stains are the ones that you still can't fit into because those last stubborn 5 pounds haven't gone away yet and your resolve to do crunches until they do never matches your craving to sit on the couch when you get a minute to yourself.

Back to School

Although I've been spending the past week and a half at school working to move my classroom and in meetings Monday and Tuesday, today was the first day back with students in front of me. I have to admit it felt good to be back in front of a class again, and I enjoyed seeing all the kids in their "first day" outfits and attitudes, joking with them, and being "Mrs. Cutler" again. I have two sections of 7th grade English and one section of Advanced Placement English. The seniors in AP English were my first 8th grade class when I started at Three Forks, so it's fun to see them now again as 17 and 18 year olds versus the 13/14 year olds they were four years ago.

At the same time, I was glad to leave after third period and retrieve Claire from daycare knowing I still had most of the day with her. I've managed my separation anxiety with few tears so far and only one small neurotic session obsessing about changing bottle nipple flows. She is adjusting to daycare, not entirely thrilled about her bottle there, but managing to eat everyday. This afternoon for the first time she rolled over from her back to her stomach . She's really a little sunshine every day for us.

Four Months and Full of It

Claire is four months old today (16 weeks). She had her four month check up and shots last week weighing in at 13 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 24 inches tall. All her little rolls and dimples makes me smile, especially remembering the scrawny legs and arms she had her first month of life. Claire is full of smiles and giggles for anyone willing to talk to her, and she wanting to spend less time in her bouncy seat and more time in the exersaucer and hanging bouncy seat where she can be more active. She rolls up on her side, but hasn't made it all the way over yet. When she doesn't have a pacifier, she likes her first two fingers in her mouth (as seen in this picture). I think she's already itching to walk because she loves to stand if we hold her up and gets impatient with reclining positions now. Nate says she's showing some of my character traits because she gets frustrated when she can't figure a toy out or get it into her mouth fast enough; of course, I don't know what he's alluding to. My biggest challenge this month will be getting a more structured nap schedule and getting her to nap in her crib. (Right now she prefers the swing or my arms.) As school starts next week I'm hoping the more consistent schedule will help with this...I may need those afternoon naps for grading!

Trip to Washington

After two weeks away in Washington, I arrived back home last night. The trip was a wonderful chance to spend some quality time with my family and get away from the heat and smoke that has been plaguing Montana this summer. We enjoyed the overcast and cool Washington weather as well as the green trees and gardens of the Skagit Valley. Claire got to meet a whole new round of cousins, aunts, and uncles; there was never a shortage of arms wanting to hold her! During our time there we had several great meals with the family, took Claire to her first Red Sox game (at the Mariner's stadium--Safeco), shopped with grandma, took a few walks, Nate fished for salmon and worked on my parents' addition, and, thanks to grandma's babysitting we were able to ride our mountain bikes. (It felt great to get back to a pre-baby hobby!) Claire is at a stage where she seeks out social contact and loves being talked to, played with and held, so this made it fun for everyone wanting to hold the newest addition to the family.

We enjoying taking the scenic route home through northern Idaho and Montana, trying to avoid the Interstate a little and check out some new places. However as we got farther south into Montana the smoke got thicker and the temperature rose...it made us immediately miss the fresh sea air we left behind. Yet fall is coming; I am back to school in a week and a half...so it's time to change gears a little and start thinking about work again and leaving Claire behind for a few hours each day. (I'm only teaching from 8-11 this year.) I'm going to do a few trial runs next week at daycare to get used to it.

Trip to Washington

On the Road Again...

Claire and I are hitting the road and deserting my patient husband once again. We leave tonight for Washington where we will spend time with my parents and siblings. Nate will actually drive out to join us this weekend and then spend the next week there. (We decided a 12 hour drive with an infant might be better to do just one way.) The hot, smoky summer we've had here makes us eager for the cool (and even RAINY) Washington summer weather. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa we should even be able to get away for a bike ride or hike just the two of us! !

Trip to the Chicago Area

Travels to the Chicago Area

I just returned from a week-long visit to the Chicago area with Claire. We first visited my sister Christina and her family in Crown Point, Indiana. Claire met her cousins Jordan, Alyssa, and Jessica. Alyssa and Jessica loved entertaining Claire and helping me pick out her outfits, change diapers, give baths, etc. Claire seemed to enjoy watching their antics, and we had several good day trips all together. I was also able to visit briefly with a good friend, Jessica Groen, from college who is expecting a baby in September. (This is the year of babies for my college group.)

On Saturday I met up with Dan and Elisabeth Cooper and their new baby Simon to head to the Chicago area. It was wonderful to have a longer visit with them and see their new home in Geneva as well as share in the new fun of parenthood together. I also got to spend time with Sara Leys, another Calvin friend. (Elisabeth, Sara, and I roomed together our sophomore year in the dorms.) Sara had her second son, Cameron, three weeks after Claire, so we were busy with four kids between us! We graduated from Calvin ten years ago (YIKES!), and we have maintained our friendships through first jobs, graduate school, marriage, and now kids. I loved having a long visit with them and sharing part of this new stage of our lives together. Leaving caused me to get all teary eyed because I really do miss those girlies!!

Claire was a great little traveller. Thankfully I was NOT one of the people on the plane with a screaming baby that everyone either feels sorry for or is annoyed by. She slept well in different beds and handled a varying schedule well...She made her mom so proud!

More of Claire and Julia...LIVE!

Here is a little video of the cousins interacting. This one is specially for Nema!

Claire meets Cousin Julia and Tia Sarah

Nate's sister Sarah and her daughter Julia (who is only 5 months older than Claire) arrived from New York Friday for a weekend visit. We have enjoyed seeing the two cousins together and doing lots of talking about babies. It's a hot weekend here, so we haven't been able to do much outside. We did take a scenic walk around Three Forks and window shopped in Bozeman yesterday. Sarah and Julia leave tomorrow morning, and, once again, we're conscious of the distance and time between visits with family whom we'd love to see more. Claire also would have loved to meet her Uncle Bruce and cousins Sammy and Will, so we'll look forward to the next visit when she'll get to meet everyone!

A Little "Live Claire"

I'm trying something new. I discovered yesterday that our digital camera can take little mini-movies. We'll see how they work on the blog. We tried to get Claire to really smile in this one, but she wasn't entirely cooperative. Those of you with dial-up might not be able to view it well.

Not too much is exciting around here these days, unless you count painting our bathroom "celery" last weekend. We are, however, enjoying daily life as Claire's parents. I am surprised at how into being a mom I am, having never considered myself a baby person or even very maternal for that matter. (I always handed babies back to their mothers at the first signs of spit up, crying, or filling a diaper, and when students start crying in my classroom I generally send them to the bathroom to "get themselves together" rather than offering a hug or some other "motherly" action.) However, I now find that I can spend hours watching Claire and talking to her, and I am incredibly amazed and amused at her increasing development. The other day I woke Nate up from a nap so he could see her trying to get her fist into her mouth. (It looked like she was licking an imaginary ice cream cone.) I don't mind the diapers or the spit up or the crying or the early mornings (well mostly). She seems to me (not having another child to compare her to) extremely good natured and great fun to be around. She's more aware of her world every day which makes me all the more eager and excited to share it with her.

First Camping Trip

We decided to be brave and take our 2 1/2 month old camping Tuesday night. We headed down to the Big Hole River Valley about 2 hours from our house where our friends from Idaho are camped for this week. Although we vowed to keep it "simple," the Subaru was packed to the gills with tent, cooler, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, chairs, fishing gear, bassinet, bouncy seat, diaper bag, and enough clothes for Claire to last a week. In the early afternoon we headed down so we'd have enough time for dinner and for Nate to hit the evening hatch on the Big Hole. Claire took it all in like a champ; she hung out in her bouncy seat or my arms most of the time and slept part of the night in her bassinet and part of the early morning with me in my sleeping bag. (I have to admit we weren't totally hard core as our friends had a trailer we retreated to when the bugs got bad at night.) Nate caught some trout that evening, and after having breakfast with Whitney and Doug's family we headed up river where Nate had another couple hours of good fishing on the river. Of course, after getting home, I was exhausted, and we decided for right now while we are tent camping, one night at a time is good enough!

Is that a trout??

While Nate's dad has been visiting, we've tried some different activities to avoid the ever-increasing masses that are invading the rivers and trails around Bozeman this time of year. We spent one day in Helena, visiting the state capitol building and historical museum; Nate and his dad also spent a few days fishing for carp on the Missouri River just up the road from our house. Some of you may not know this, but around here trout is king and every other kind of fish is scorned by the serious fly fisherman. Never being ones to follow the crowd, Nate and Charles decided to fly fish for carp. (One of the comments they got at the fly shop when they went to get flies was, "They won't be making A River Runs Through It about that any time soon.") Nonetheless, they landed some big fish both days, and didn't have to weave their way through any crowds along the banks! We had a great visit with "Grandpa Charlie" who is heading back home this morning.

Visit from Whitney and Zoey

Our friends Whitney, Doug, and Zoey are spending two weeks in the area doing some camping and fishing, so they came over Saturday and Sunday for some visits while they were camped just down the road. (I taught with Whitney at the College of Southern Idaho for a year, and we managed to get in a lot of hiking, biking, and skiing together between grading papers.) Zoey is about a year older than Claire, so it was fun to get a glimpse of what we'll be in for next summer around this time. In the picture, Zoey's giving Claire a kiss--her version involves a nice wide open mouth on the head!

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!

Walks, Baths, and School's Out

After much debating about the best way to get out for daily walks with Claire (she's too small for the jogger, the dirt roads are too rough for the other stroller, the bjorn isn't that comfortable...), I finally just tried taking the non-jogger stroller...and it worked just fine! The driveway is the worst part, but Vista Drive (our road) is packed enough for the stroller to roll without too much difficulty as long as I find the smooth patches. Getting this daily fresh air will do much to help me feel like I'm getting some exercise, gives Claire some fresh air, and Hem appreciates the exercise too.

Claire has also gradually been getting to like her baths. Today for the first time we made it through the whole thing with no crying. (Dad taking pictures all the while...) She is starting to interact with us more everyday, so we look forward to those times when she's awake and alert and social.

Yesterday was unofficial "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." It was the last day of school so I needed to be there to finalize grades and clean up my room for the summer. I took Claire along with me to work. (The car was filled with a bouncy seat, stroller, baby carrier, diaper bag etc. so I would be prepared to keep her happy.) She did amazing. She slept through the times when I had students in the room, and then there were so many of my fellow teachers who wanted to hold her, I never even had to use all the gear I brought. I was able to get everything put away and stored for the summer with no problems. Now I don't have to have this twinge of guilt when I watch the school bus go by in the mornings or worry about whether my classes are actually still learning something without me!

One Year Ago...

Well, I don't have any new pictures of Claire to post, so I thought I'd include a few from last year around this time. We were gearing up for the fishing season, hitting the opening of the Madison and Yellowstone Park. I was getting used to my new fly rod--a gift from Nate for earning tenure. We haven't been hitting the rivers the past few weeks, but that doesn't stop me from believing we will be out there again, even this summer with Claire in tow!

Claire had a check-up yesterday. She's up to 8 pounds 5 ounces and has grown an inch, so she's right on track. Some of her newborn sized clothes are already getting small for her. We are looking forward to an upcoming visit from Grandma Norris next week when Claire will get lots of grandma hugs, kisses, and snuggles!