Claire's Top Five

Newest feats

1) SHARING- Claire has discovered that she loves Cheerio's and that Cheerio's are a fabulous offering for poor, patient Abbey. I suppose this is a win-win for a silly baby and a dog who has not relished taking a backseat to the baby.

2) FRIENDSHIP- Claire goes to school with a few other babies. This morning, she and a little boy crawled up to each other and proceeded to gab! It was as if they were catching up after the weekend! They love to sit by each other and play!

3) CRUISING- She goes all around the furniture and from couch to chair, chair to table. Hands free is coming!

4) CLAPPING- She does this on command now. Today she began clapping along with a song. It was impressive.

5) SWINGING- Claire loves it when I pick her up and swing her around. She also loves hanging upside down.

Stats- 19lbs, 6 oz., 28 in. long

The jacket in the pic above was her daddy's.

New Year's Resolve

I don't usually aim to set 'new year's resolutions' per se. It is just too easy to shrug it off under the guise that life is about constant improvement and the year does not matter. Be a better person (vague, but doable, right?), the standard weight lose (bleh), do something for myself from time to time (not so easy when you mommy, wife, work and student). We'll see how I do on any of that this year.

If I had to take a stab at Claire's goals, I'd guess never sleep in- ever, life is too short for naps, explore everything in the house, gain total control of the remote, get my own phone, and push every button in the house.

This year will bring many changes. Claire will learn to walk and talk. She will have a first birthday. She will wean. I am incredibly bittersweet about this, but it will be time. She is already becoming too independent to sit still that long and focus. Now, if only she didn't treat sippy cups like weapons. She can pelt them with the best of them!

Will keep you posted and post more pictures soon!

Almost a year! OH MY!

Lindsay

Sweet Delinquency-- my posts, that is, Claire is mostly well behaved!

My Baby Gap model

Standing!

our little family

Daddy, multi-tasking

Such a cute leopard on Halloween!

Oh, blog! How you have been neglected!

The stats on our sweet girl are as follows:

standing with help- check
pulling up on still objects- check
opening and closing doors and drawers- check
crawling at what has to Olympic speeds- check
eating all levels of baby foods- check
starting chewable solids- check
taking a few steps when holding onto a person or furniture- check

Claire probably weighs 19-20 lbs. We will know for sure at her nine month check up soon! She is beginning to outgrow 6-9 month clothes and 12 month clothes are beginning to fit her. Some how, we've made it nursing. It is strange to think of when we started (and I planned to go 3-6 months) and where we are today. It has been my honor to do this for my sweet girl, and as much as I am looking forward to going to Victoria's Secret and buying real bras, it will be an incredibly bittersweet ending.

Because of my blogging delinquency, Claire has passed both Thanksgiving and Christmas without any update. Both were nice and included visits from my mom. Her first Christmas will live in infamy, as Christmas 2009 came with a blizzard, leaving us trapped in our home for several days. In spite of the cabin fever, it was very nice.

Today, Claire had a play date with Luke Kern, two year old son of my long time friend Amie. The "experts" say babies and young kids do not play together, but instead, side by side. I beg to differ! Claire and Luke had a great time playing together. They chased and laughed. Claire tackled Luke and giggled gleefully. This is great practice for Luke, who will become a big brother this spring.

Believe it or not, Claire's first birthday is less than 3 months away! Looks like will will have a family and close friends celebration at the house on Saturday, April 3, 2010. I am thinking about a cupcake them. Not real reason aside from me thinking cupcakes are cute! I am also having a sweet little outfit made for her. It will be exciting!

As I must be certifiable, I will be returning to UCO on Monday to pursue my Guidance and Counseling M.Ed. I will be working on it around Claire's schedule (to the best of my ability) because I do not want to miss a thing! I will only take 1 class during fall and spring semesters and I will take 2 over the summers. My graduation will be spring 2012. When I search my heart, I know this is something I need to do for me, but mostly for the betterment of my family and our futures. Michael will finish his M.Ed in Adult Education next winter.

I am down 30 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight! I am very excited about this and eager to slim down further. I had no idea how big I'd let myself become and now I am determined to ensure that I am NEVER that big again. When the weather was nicer, Claire and I walked 2 miles everyday. I'd kill to do that again, but the weather does not permit. I am looking into alternative exercise options, but nothing is in place yet. I considered the Wii Fit, but HOLY COW! It is $100! $100 I do not have since I am paying for my kid and my college on a teacher's salary. We'll see.

There is a chance I will soon have fancy new teeth! My teeth are not awful, however, they are chipped and have shifted, leaving gaps. They make me self conscious and I hope my insurance will pick up most, if not all of the tab. C'mon Health Choice, don't let me down! My dentist said I was a good candidate for porcelain veneers. I was elated, as I'd only expected a couple of caps and a retainer.

New adventures are afoot and good things abound. Will keep you posted.

Love,
Linds

Way overdue

It has been 2.5 months of procrastinating since my last post, so here is the latest:

August

My beloved step mom, Cindy, passed away at the beginning of the month. I am still dealing with my sadness that she never met Claire.




I also returned to work, which continues to be a struggle for me. I work hard to make the most of the time I get with Claire and I am grateful for the breaks that I get.

September

Just before she turned 6 months old, Claire got, not one, but two teeth! Such a big girl! Not the best picture, but hopefully you can see the teeth!


She also met Corrie. Corrie and I have been friends for 17 years now, so this was a sweet get together.

Pretend like the lines of my sweater are straight and not accenting a small bulge. Cor and Claire look great though.

October

Claire weighs 17lbs and is 26in long. This means she she more than doubled her birth weight and grown 6 inches! This does not cease to amaze me! Claire was also able to go to UCO Homecoming this year. I was so excited to take her to our alma mater, the place where mommy and daddy met, a place of so many beautiful memories, I literally cried on the way there.

Daddy and Claire making each other laugh

Claire and her Uncle Dan


Delta Zetas and there little legacies- me and Claire, Kera Don and Tanner, Andrea and Kenzie

Claire and I also visited the pumpkin patch with good friends, Lindsey and Landon (4 mos old)

Sorry some of the images are small. Maybe I can fix them later! Saturday will be Claire's first Halloween, and being determined to be a better blogger, I plan to post pictures in her costume soon!

Thanks for being patient! Whenever I feel overwhelmed and frustrated, I just remind myself that God has blessed me with the best baby girl. Michael and I are crazy about her and thrilled to watch her grow up.

xoxo,
L

Apparently, August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month

Cheers to all my nursing momma friends, past, present, and future. It is not always easy, but it is always worth it!

Oh, Motherhood

I admit, though I like my job and I am grateful to have a job, I feel a deep sense of pain when I think about only having one more week at home with my sweet baby girl. I feel like, now that many of the challenges of having a newborn have eased, I have to return to work in the height of things becoming incredibly fun. I love my girl's smiles and coos. The idea of spending so much time away from her is tearing my heart in two.

This poem is pretty widely circulated, but definitely explains the emotions surrounding motherhood.

Before I was a Mom…
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom…
I slept as late as I wanted.
I brushed my hair and my teeth every day.

Before I was a Mom…
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was Mom…
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spat on, chewed on, peed on,
or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom…
I had complete control of my mind, thoughts, my body,and my time.

Before I was a Mom…
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom…
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.

Before I was a Mom…
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom…
I had never risen in the middle of the night,
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

Before I was a Mom…
I had never known the warmth,
the joy, the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment,
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom!

Summer pictures