Mining in Montana

We just got back from our trip to Montana, where Seville got her first sunburn and a host of mosquito bites. I feel like a bad parent every time I look at her poor little spotted, dappled, and peeling face. I'm told I should get used to this feeling.

"Why go to Montana?" you ask (everyone does)(ask, that is). Jared's family has a mining claim in the Bitterroot Mountains. His Great-Grandfather was a gold miner, and the family has kept up the mining claim ever since. The campsite is where grandmother was born, the foundation of the old cabin is still there, and so is a bunch of old rusty mining stuff. It's actually pretty cool. Anyway, here is a sampling of the weekend:

Seville hangin' out safely on the island of Baby Einstein. Montana looms.

Trying to accomplish naptime in a hammock (it was too fun for napping)

The Hot-Springs gang, all clean and fresh (except for hot-spring algae stuck in our hair and crevices, but other than that)

Seville standing on Daddy's lap (and sooo proud of herself for standing)


Slideshow with more pics:

Seville Gets Cuter

We're not so good, actually, at taking pictures all the time. But you've been asking, and here they are (tip: the last picture is actually a video. If you click on it the video will play (but you have to click on the picture, not on the "play" icon)(or just go to our family youtube playlist on the right))





Next up: pictures of Montana coming soon...

She's MY daughter too!

For all you blokes who keep saying she looks just like Jared, here is my evidence that she looks like me as well. What do you think NOW?:


1975

2007

Not that I'm saying she doesn't look like Jared. She most certainly does, but I have hope for her yet. I'm crossing my fingers that she has inherited some of my feminine beauty and not just Jared's rugged handsomeness.

First Baby Backpacking Trip (oh yes, it can be done)

This weekend we took Seville on her FIRST BACKPACKING TRIP! Ochoco National Forest in Oregon. This trip was the reduction of the Sevilla, Spain trip we were planning, which became a week of backpacking in Southern Utah, which became a long weekend on Southern Utah, which was eventually whittled down to a backpacking trip in Oregon. BUT... it was super fun. And probably better to start small and work up from there, since we're first time rookie parents and we don't know what we (or she) are capable of.

Seville all bundled up and ready for her first night in the The Great Outdoors. It was freezing and Mommy was paranoid all night about her. She ended up sharing Mommy's mummy bag (which is NOT big enough for two... even if one of the two only weighs 12 lbs)

Good Morning!

Even Seville gets camping face! :)


Seville's morning games with daddy


Everyone took turns packing a little extra.

When Daddy got tired, Mommy took a turn packing Seville

When Mommy and Daddy were both tired, Seville took a turn packing Daddy (and his pack!)

Naptime was never so good. Birds are a'singin', bees are a'buzzin', the brook's a'babblin'. aaaaaah.

More fun pics at the online album:

Backpacking Ochoco

Baby Videos

Okay, so I keep going a little crazy with the 20 second videos. Rather than post them all here, I'll just provide a link to the family "playlist" on YouTube.

Chatting with Seville

In the last couple weeks Seville has started "talking" to us. It took several tries to get it on film (how does she know to stop when she sees the little black and silver box?!), but at long last, ladies and gentelemen, here she is!

SuperBaby!

This is what Seville does when you hold her in the air. She stiffens her body and legs and arms like she's flying. Funny. Come to think of it, I aughtta get her a cape. We call her SuperBaby when she does it.

Seville's got milk, do you?

Happy Easter from Seville!

Seville Learns to Bat at an Object

We figured out how to take short videos with our regular camera, so here's our first attempt. Seville has been looking at this lady bug for weeks, and since yesterday she's been trying to grab it. Today she had success a couple of times. (We didn't know our camera recorded sound until afterward, so you even get the cheesy delighted parents in the background).

8 Weeks Old

My goodness, how time flies! She gets cuter and cuter every day. Here are some pictures to prove it:

Seville - weeks 2-7

Grandma Time!

Grandma Pixton

Grandma Engstrom

Announcing... The Arrival of the Littlest Engstrom

Click one of the links below to see pictures of little Seville Megan Engstrom, born January 17th at 10:02pm, 6lbs 14oz, blonde hair, blue eyes, and incredibly cute.

Seville's First Week in the World SLIDESHOW

(skip the slideshow and see the album here)

Merry Christmas 2006

Happy New Year 2006!