Friday, August 29, 2008
Checking In
Hi guys,Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. The days are full lately - between being slammed at work, rushing home to spend time with the Bear before she goes to bed at 7:00, eating dinner and cleaning up, then collapsing on the couch, there isn't time or energy left in me to say anything on the internet.
I had my annual exam this week (good times) and found out that I am lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight. That makes me feel so damn good, you don't even know. Also, at this exam, I was showing the midwife (who is really great and we've become friends since I saw her so much during my pregnancy) pictures of the Bear. She oo-ed and ah-ed appropriately and then made a suggestion that I'm completely excited about. She asked me if I would frame some of my photos and hang them in the examining rooms of the Women's Center with my business card attached to get some business taking pictures of people's babies. I was thrilled to be asked and am quite excited to see what this opportunity might bring! I need to work on making a portfolio website and business cards before I bring her my work, so I've got homework this weekend!
In addition to these plans, Huz and I will be going to the Nashville Shakespeare Festival on Saturday while my friend babysits for us. I'm really looking forward to this - just the two of us getting away for a few hours and relaxing outside while being entertained. We'll have wine and a picnic in tow, of course.
As for Monday, Huz has to assistant teach because his school is lame and doesn't cancel class for Labor Day, but we'll go out for breakfast (one of my favorite activities) before he goes and might stop by the local nursery to scope out their 50% off sale when he gets back.
That's about all the exciting plans I have in store. You? |
Sunday, August 24, 2008
10 months old
Claire Bear,
You just turned 10 months old a few days ago and I'm shocked and amazed with how quickly your infancy is going, going, gone. We went to our friends' house last night and one of them said that you aren't a baby anymore. I think this made me sadder than he realized.
You're so beautiful, Claire. You have beautiful blue eyes that suck me right in. You have a lovely smile and even though I really liked your tooth-free gummy smile of a few months ago, I find that I'm really liking your toothy smile even more. It's just more expressive, I guess.
You're certainly getting more mobile, little one. You can roll over like a champ now. You can scoot around on your belly - kinda doing a backwards crawl, which often gets you trapped on table or chair legs and frustrates the heck out of you, but it works for getting you around, albeit in a bit roundabout fashion. You can also get to a sitting position from your tummy now. In fact, for the first time yesterday I walked it to get you up from a nap and found you sitting in the corner of your crib just looking at me. What's next? Finding you standing in your crib with your leg up on the railing as you attempt to jump out? I hope not. We have wood floors, after all.
Here you are finding cat toys underneath the sofa (this is mid-twist as you roll over from your tummy to your back).
Here you are scooting off the blanket to go see what that thing is with all of the buttons to push.
You're so smart, Claire. You are beginning to mimic your Daddy and I which is really cool. It's like you're a little kid just getting ready to come out of that baby's body. You hold up your hand if you want me to pick you up, you put your hand in the air to wave "hi" to yourself in the mirror, and you say "huh" in a loud voice if you are wanting attention from us. I love your breathy "mama." It just gets me every time, even though I'm not entirely convinced you've put the word and me together yet.
I think you're caring in addition to being smart. When we were at our friends' last night and they put their 15-month-old down for bed, you whipped your head around every time you heard her cry and you responded back to her in your own gibberish. We're not sure if you were yelling at her to be quiet and go to bed or if you were commiserating with her because you understand all too well the frustration of being put to bed when you don't want to. Either way, it was adorable. Even though I was shhing you so that she could fall asleep, I was giggling with pride the whole time.
Some things I absolutely treasure about you right now are:
~The way you gently stroke my hair when you nurse before bedtime. In fact, it's such a habit for you that if I have my hair back in a pony tail you wave your hand in the air feeling for my locks until I give in and put my hair down for you.
~The way you pick up your food (Cheerios or beans or carrots) like you've always known how to pinch little items between your thumb and index finger. It's so easy for you that it's easy to forget that you just learned how to do that 3 months ago.
~The way you lick your lips when I ask you if you want "mama's milk" or "numma numma."
~The way you chew with your mouth open and make little smacking noises (we'll work on table manners later. For now, it's just stinking cute.)
~The way you sit up in the bathtub and lean this way and that, desperate to get the floating rubber duck in your hands.
~The way you put up with Neville who is always in your face wanting attention. You're really good at putting your hand on him and turning and playing with your toys with the other hand. Way to placate the attention-deprived beast, my dear.
~The way you bust out the biggest smile imaginable when I walk in the door after being gone at work all day. There's nothing like that in the whole wide world.
~The way you put your head on my shoulder every night after I've nursed you and I pray for you by your crib before I lay you down. You are so sweet and cuddly and my heart melts every time you do it.
Most of all, I treasure you for being you. There is no other Claire. You are special, you are unique, you are mine and I love you.
Love,
Mama |
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Claire's First Swimming Pool Fun
Here are some photos from Sunday. It was a great, great time and we HAVE to do it again! Isn't she just adorable in her little suit and sunglasses!? I'm smitten.
|
Monday, August 18, 2008
Take Time to Play
I had a great weekend. We joined our good friends and their baby on a swimming adventure yesterday. It was Claire's first time in a swimming pool and she did great. She was in the pool for around 40 minutes or so, until she got pruney, and then? Then! She napped in the pak-n-play that we brought! For over an hour! And it wasn't even in her crib in her own room! We're so very proud. I forgot my camera, but there were some cute shots taken with someone else's, so as soon as I get my hands on them...you'll see them here.
She did have her first "being dunked in cold water" experience in Denver...we put her in a bucket in my Mom's back yard. That doesn't count as swimming, per se, but it's still adorable to see her in her little pineapple swim suit! Don't you agree?
Her grandma loves her so much.
And I think it's safe to say that Claire loves her right back.
|
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Homemade Ice Cream, Trial Three: Chocolate Peanut Butter
Oh my God. So, I made some chocolate peanut butter ice cream last night and before it was even ready (I'll scoop some out tonight for a proper tasting and photograph which I'll put on this post later) Huz and I were having mouth orgasms over it. It's so good that after one taste Huz pushed me up against the counter and dry humped me. No kidding. Sorry for the embarrassment babe, but that was such a testament to my awesomeness as an ice cream maker that I had to share.
I used the Ben & Jerry's recipe for light chocolate ice cream and added 1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter to the batch. It called for creamy peanut butter, but we don't do that in this house. The chocolate is a nice, bittersweet background to the bold, crunchy peanut butter. It is so good.
Next will be Mocha Heath Bar Crunch. Who's coming over? |
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
All I Want For Christmas...
Claire's cut her front teeth! They've been swollen masses for a few weeks with the white visible just underneath, but today I can actually feel the one on the right! Yippee! You did it, Claire Bear, and we haven't even really medicated you lately. Big girl! |Howdy
I know it's been a while. I'm so terribly busy at work that I hardly have time to check my own emails right now. Sigh.Claire is so close to crawling and it's really frustrating her and us. Why? Because when she's frustrated she cries loudly. Don't get me wrong, she's made great progress in the last few weeks. Where she once couldn't figure out how to get from sitting to her tummy without doing a face plant, she's now adept at getting in the position with one swift move. Where she once couldn't get her leg out from underneath her tummy after bending forward from sitting, she can get it out by lifting up her bottom. The problem is that once on her tummy, she pushes her arms straight and finds herself scooting backwards instead of going forwards and she cries and screams and groans...and so do we.
In typical show-and-tell fashion (which I always LOVED as a child, except for the time I was going to bring in my new pet duck only to find him dead the very morning of show-and-tell. A raccoon had busted his way into his outdoor cage and ate him. I was distraught, but that's the kind of thing you deal with in Colorado.), I present to you some of my favorites from the wedding I recently shot in Denver.
And look how good Huz looks in a tie, holding Claire, who is playing with her cousin's hair bow.
|
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Photo Reveal
I mentioned that I did a photo shoot of our friends and their daughter who is 3 months younger than Claire a few weeks ago. It was such a fun time and I'm really pleased with some of the shots - I think they were too because when I emailed them to my friend she cried! :) Now THAT made me feel good!Here are some of my favorites.
|
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Back and Busy
I'm back, but you wouldn't know it from the lack of posts around here. I'm uber busy at work with all the students back in session and me finding myself swamped with loads of work. I'm still mad that I didn't get a pay increase because I get told I'm invaluable all the time and am running around like crazy with all the courses I manage. Grr.Anyway, the trip to CO was good - but sooo hot. Who knew it could be so hot at home coming from TN!? The difference is (other than humidity) a general lack of a/c out west because nobody expects that kind of heat over there. And you don't believe in global warming!?
Claire was cantankerous on the flight back (cried/screamed for about 45 minutes - was exactly what I was dreading), but we survived and there were no catty remarks this time, thank God.
I'm tired. Don't you hate it when you come back from vacation more tired than when you left for one? I really need to learn to give myself at least a day of buffer between getting back from a trip and returning to work. It doesn't help matters when your baby is all off schedule and cries for the first 2 - 3hours of the evening and then wakes up at 4:30 two days in a row. Oy. The joys of children.
I guess you could say I'm a little grumpy today. |
