Johnny-Jump-Up

Hannah and I were out for a drive today...really just trying to get her to take a nap. We stopped by and saw her friend Bella. Bella was done with her Johnny-Jump-Up so she gave it to Hannah to play with. Hannah has been a bit fussy today since we both have colds so I though a new distraction might do the trick for awhile. She loved it! She was able to be upright (standing) all by herself and could spin around and look anywhere she wanted. I think she's really going to enjoy it the stronger her legs get.

Playing Outside on Labor Day

Smiling at Daddy

Peek-a-Boo!


Smiling at Mommy

Gus the rock picking Border Collie. Too bad we can't get him to pile them outside of the yard.

The Watch Dog

Hannah and I were getting ready for a BBQ on Saturday when I snapped this picture. I laid her out on a blanket in the yard so that I could get some outside things done. She loves to be outside and I couldn't keep her on the blanket. She must not mind the grass too much since she was constantly rolling into it. When I put her down Gus immediately came over to guard her. He will make a good playmate for her when she gets older. He definitely feels responsible for protecting us and our things.

4 Month Check-up

Hannah had her four month check-up on Monday. Everything went well. She weighed 13 pounds 2 ounces and was 24.25 inches long. She is average, or in the 50th percentile, for all of her measurements. She seems to be developing well and is ready to be more mobile. I'm not sure I'm ready yet. She can sit up while being assisted. She is rolling over and over or scooting on her belly or back to get places. She loves to be as upright as possible. Standing being the preferable position. In the last month or two she has found her voice. She is definitely learning to communicate, mostly by yelling at the top of her lungs. Overall she is a happy baby that you can't get to quit smiling!

Hannah Hiking @ 4 Months Old

Hannah was four months old yesterday. My Mom has been inviting me to go hiking with her all summer. She finally talked me into going yesterday and I thought it was a good excuse to get out of the house and forget about all the things I needed to get done. The plan was to walk into Notasha Lake (also found as Natasha Lake) in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. Notasha Lake just so happens to be one of the purest lakes in the world.

So as I'm packing our bags the night before I'm thinking about how enjoyable this hike really is going to be with an infant. Packing in too many diapers and changes of clothes only to have to pack out dirty diapers and poopy clothes. Hmmm...sounds like fun already!

Hannah and I got up early and got on the road. We got to the trail head somewhere around 10:30am. I'm thinking to myself if I can change wheel lines with her 3 times a day I can do this hike. We loaded Hannah in a back pack where she could sit up and face forward and strapped on the diaper bag. Note to self: pack fewer diapers and more food for Mom. Hannah absolutely loved the hike and looking at all of the trees. The hike was manageable and actually fun. We got to beautiful Notasha Lake and were ready for a break. We got unpacked, ate lunch, and cooled off. I decided now was a good time to take a swim. I really should have gone swimming right when I got there to cool off but somehow a hungry baby took priority. The water was a cool 65 degrees on the surface. Once I got used to it, it wasn't too bad. My Mom had packed in a small raft so I took it touring out into the middle of the lake. The water was so clear you could see large rocks at the bottom of the lake where it was at least 20 feet deep. The lake is much deeper but that's about as deep as you can see. I didn't feel comfortable taking Hannah out in the raft since she can't quite sit up and I had to row with my hands. Had we capsized I probably would have drown myself trying to save her. All in all it was a great day! We hiked about 6-7 miles round trip and I only got a little sunburn. Hannah was pretty tired by the end of the hike but she seemed to enjoy herself. Funny how all my housework was waiting for me when I got back!

Sorry the pictures aren't great quality. They were taken with a camera phone since we didn't want to carry the extra weight of a big camera.

Hannah & Cole

Hannah got to meet another new friend this weekend. Cole and his parents Andy and Katie came down from Monmouth for a visit. Cole is one month older than Hannah and we hadn't met him yet. Hannah and Cole had fun smiling at each other. Hannah is definitely more vocal than Cole. She has been exercising her voice and was so loud at one point that she scared Cole. We are already seeing that she is a true female and really enjoys talking! They both are enjoying chewing on anything they can get into their mouths. We hope they aren't teething YET!

Getting Inoculated Early (ie. Eating Sand)

Hannah is getting more and more mobile every day. Before we left the beach I put her on a blanket to hang out. I literally looked away for seconds when she got a handful of sand and thought she would try eating it. I know some of you out there are already wondering how I could let her do this! :) Living on a farm it probably won't be the last time, so brace yourself. She seems no worse for wear and she'll probably have a good immune system as a result!

On The Beach

We got brave on Wednesday and decided to take the girls to the beach. Kim had another friend visiting too so the adults and kids were evenly matched. Katie definitely had a lot of fun. The water was cold! The kind of cold that chills your blood and makes your whole leg ache. Hannah enjoyed watching the waves crash on the beach and the seagulls run around. It was a nice day other than the freezing cold water.

Beach House in Lincoln City

Hannah and I (Erika) got to spend 3 days this week in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast with Kim, Katie, and Peyton Cushman. Peyton and Hannah are about 1 month apart with Peyton being older. Kim used to live in Klamath Falls but moved with her husband Trevor to Bonners Ferry, ID a few years ago. We haven't seen each other much since and so I took to opportunity to meet them at the coast. Hannah and Peyton got to meet each other for the first time and Katie (20 months) got to play with a new baby. A lot of people that we passed asked if they were twins. We don't think they necessarily look alike but they were just about the same size. They had lots of fun but you may not know it by the look on Hannah's face in the last picture.

First Time on the Swather

Since 2003 we have rented out our field to farmers in the area. This year we decided we wanted to take a more active role in farming our ground. We have been working with Laurence Bagg to establish our field to alfalfa. Today was the day to swath the first cutting! Hannah and I spent several hours on the swather today. We got to see the fruits of our labor since we did get to run the wheel lines across six times since the middle of May. It was her first time ever on the swather and my first time for this year. We had fun. Hannah sat on my lap and watched while I drove and she took a little cat nap in her car seat. It seems like she will make a good rider in the future. Notice the dark sky in the background. It looks a little like thunder showers. Hopefully the hay doesn't get rained on tonight. I also posted a bonus picture of Hannah doing tummy time after we got in from the field.