Thursday, September 25, 2008

Claire's on the MOOve!

So Claire has a Carebear costume for Halloween http://starr2001.blogspot.com/2008/09/cousin-kami-visits-clairebear-cutie.html as well as a Moo-Cow outfit she got from Grandpa Brian and Grandma Vicki. Doesn't she look adorable!? This is only a 12 month size, so the legs are way too short, but it still fit! :)




She loves pushing this walker toy around, is great at steering it, and will pick it up to move it over toys, etc. I don't think she needs it anymore, but I think she likes the security of it! (That and her appendage...the pink carebear!)

Daddy thought it was hilarious to come home from work and find his baby moo-cow walking around in this!
Now, maybe I'm the one that should be wearing a cow costume, considering I'm the one lactating ;)



And here is a video of her walking around with the walker! I'll post some soon of her walking without the walker! I haven't been able to get more than about 5 steps recorded, and I want a long streak to post!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Double Trouble!!

We had Christy and Catrece over to play. Claire is concerned about her yellow bear here. Not that she would play with it. She just doesn't want to share!




This posing didn't work out as well as I thought, so we moved to the loveseat! Usually Claire runs away without a baby to interest her and make her stay!



Claire and Catrece are thinking: "Oh my gosh! We are dressed alike! I can't believe our moms are doing this to us."


Claire: "Do you think anyone will notice?" Catrece: "Isn't that the point of this whole thing?"

Both: "We are beautiful blue-eyed babies, aren't we??"

Claire: "Let's not smile and look at the same time." Catrece: "Deal!"

Catrece: "How many pictures do you think they'll take today." Claire: "(sigh) No clue.


Catrece: "So how many times did you wake up your mom last night to nurse?" Claire: "Gee, I think only 3. I better step it up or they might consider having a sibling for me sometime in the next 5 years!"

Catrece: "Ahh! This is really comfy!" Claire: "I know! Hehe!"


Leave a comment with a more creative baby dialog if you think mine's silly! They are such pretty pink snow bunnies! :)

Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa!

Josh's Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Bob came to visit this past Sunday. I made everyone Tater Tot casserole.



Claire enjoyed throwing it on the ground more than eating it, but what else is new?


Claire is here with her Great-Grandma Peggy. She's very into books right now. All the time...


Peggy is helping Claire walk here! She must have taught her well as she's walking just a few days later! :)

High Heels for Babies?

http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/babies_in_heels/35747/ Um. What?

Formula NOT regulated by the FDA

http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/infantformula080607.html Scary. And the places that make it are only checked once a year???

Ben and Jerry's Urged to use Human Milk

http://www.wptz.com/news/17539127/detail.html

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Peanut Butter Breath

Claire LOVES peanut butter. She will pick it off of whatever I put it on, though and just eat it!





And this is how she gets peanut butter smeared all over her little face! YUMMY!


Here, you want some? It's so good! I save some just for you!

And walking update: She can walk! Today she has taken several series of over a dozen steps!!! She's got this walking thing figured out! She did this with crawling too...nothing, then ZOOM!

101 Reasons to Breastfeed

http://www.promom.org/101/

US Infant Formula Deaths

http://www.babyreference.com/InfantDeaths.htm

Monday, September 22, 2008

11 Steps

CLAIRE JUST TOOK 11 STEPS! OH MY GOODNESS! I am so excited. The previous record was only 4. YAY!

Busy Week

So last week, we had a busy week! We had to unpack and catch up on laundry from the long weekend. Yuck. I hate laundry. That's no fun for anyone. And anyone who says, "I don't mind laundry." RIGHT! "LIES!" I say. Compared to, say washing windows, I don't mind laundry either. It doesn't matter if you go away for 1 night or 2 weeks, the packing/unpacking is always the same amount of pain in the butt. And now we have all this baby stuff to cram in the car, like the stroller, pack-N-play, baby monitor, diapers, sippy cups, etc...I'm surprised we can still fit us in the car. I am just glad I never had to lug around bottles and formula. Boobs are the ultimate fast convenience food!
Then Tuesday, we had the reverse osmosis (RO) filter changed and water tested. The guy said it filters out chlorine, fluorides, as well as all minerals, etc. He said you could drop a hair dryer in a sink full of water filled with RO water and nothing would happen. I said that I'd rather not. Hehe. Because then I'd have to buy a new hair dryer, I'm sure!
He also said that I should check with Claire's pediatrician and/or dentist about fluoride drops or tablets. Right, because Claire will obediently swallow a little vitamin tablet of something. Well Richie, Mom was right. This is why you got all the cavities none of the 3 older ones of us had. The only difference was that you were drinking the RO water starting at age 5, whereas we were all older. Apparently kids should have fluoride until they are 13. SO I need to ask my dentist what toothpaste to be using on Claire since the one we have is fluoride free. That seems really stupid. What's the point of that? I am also glad that I'm using a regular toothbrush on her since she had been biting my finger more and more with the little finger sleeve! I have to admit I am a bit of a compulsive hand washer/teeth brusher. You have to wash your hands all the time changes diapers anyway! We use a lot of hand soap! I hope to get Claire into the same habits so she never has to have any cavities either! I have to admit...I don't floss HER teeth, even though the dentist said I should as soon as two are touching. They aren't really touching, yet. Baby teeth are spaced pretty far apart. God had it all planned out so us moms wouldn't have to floss bitty baby teeth.
Then on Wednesday, we had our dryer vent cleaned by a guy who also does chimney cleanings. Wow. I have noticed our clothes drying much better now minus the 42 pounds of lint that had accumulated over the past 3.5 years. Claire and I went outside and watched them clean it out. It looked like it was snowing shredded towel hunks. It was not pretty.
Then onto Thursday...story time! The theme was fall! Claire really enjoys the songs, particularly If You're Happy and You Know It! We went over to Christy and Catrece's for lunch, where Claire enjoyed some lasagna! Marinara being among her favorite flavors! That afternoon I also went in for my yearly female exam. Dr. Lo enjoyed playing with Claire and even blew up a plastic glove into a balloon for her! What fun!
Claire has currently dumped out her basket of shoes and is really trying to get into it. Haha!
So then Friday Claire woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and so we didn't get much of anything done other than taking a walk. Walking or going outside is always a good distraction.
Saturday, I went shopping for food. I hate shopping on weekends or when the regular "9-5ers" shop. I sometimes forget this trend of working people crowding the stores in the pre-dinner and weekend rush hour at the stores. It takes me twice as long going through the store with Claire because we get stopped every aisle. "What a cute baby!" It's as if people have never seen a baby before. I have to admit I usually enjoy it. I just don't like it when kids with visibly grubby paws try to touch her. Where are their manners? Oh wait, they don't even have clean hands... I also hate shopping for food, clothes, etc. in general because it's a chore to me. Having been to 4 malls recently, I probably won't go again for a very VERY long time. I can't even remember the last time I went ... oh yeah! With Holly on her Spring Break from teaching!
Sunday, we went to church, a neighbor's first birthday, and then had Josh's Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Bob over for dinner. (Pictures to come!)
Today I found a wedding present for yet another fall wedding we'll be going to! (Boo to shopping again!) Claire has been taking 2 hour naps for about the past week. Yay. Curses if writing that changes that fact.
So among all these things, Claire has been getting 3 "solid" meals a day, which is another pain, as it is a HUGE mess. It takes about 45 min. from start, letting her eat/play, then cleaning up. BLARGH!

Happy First Day of Fall!

Happy first day of Fall! When did it get to be fall!?! Claire enjoys going on walks in the cooler weather. She will go over to the stroller, bang on it, and make that urgent baby noise, "Uh, Uh!"
Among other recent discoveries, she likes to shut any door she can in the house. She will open and shut the cupboards, the big doors, and the dryer door, as I am trying to load or empty it. No wonder mothers with many children get nothing done.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Happy 14th Month Birthday!

Claire cracking up last year at this time...a month and a half old. So tiny! Her she is on her Pack-n-Play changing thing.

And here she is now today! Look how tall she is! A whooping 33 inches!

Here we have ghetto baby proofing at it's finest. She can't reach the TV buttons downstairs with the exersaucer and footstool in front of it. Yay! Hopefully by the time she gets longer, she'll understand NO better.

She loves this little ball because it has a bell in it. Yay for toys that make noise!


Look at those teethies!!! She has almost 6 now. She is getting so big! And here she is playing this game that certain somebodies taught her last week. She holds something out for you to "take" then when you do, she snatches it back, smiles, shakes her head, and says "NO, NO, NO!" Gee. Where did she learn that from?

How did my little tiny newborn get to be a big 14 month old??? Where did the time go. Kids "grow up so fast!" Now I am starting to know what they mean.