albania rocks!

Four reasons to consider visiting Micah in Albania:
4. You will certainly go for walks.
3. Three words: cocoa and rolls.
2. You can catch up on your Idaho geography..."Greenleaf is ____ miles from Nampa?"
1. Someone might make your baby adorable, fluffy accessories like these.

Thank you Micah for the very stylish booties, beanie and scarf. We love you.

weekend update & my big brave girl

We spent the weekend at the coast with The Millers. It was such fun to see them become a family while our own family grows bigger. We visited antique shops, walked on the beach and slept a lot. For two weary new parents, sleeping in until 10 AM is amazing! Claire even reluctantly cuddled up in her sling for the first time. The sling was one of those items that I had to have while I was pregnant. I had visions of my tiny baby curled up close to my heart during church or walks. It seemed ideal. I picked the prettiest fabric and was sure that the baby would love the sling as much as I did. Instead, each time I tried to lower her body into the beautiful sling she would kick and scream and attempt an evacuation. Something about the vacation put Claire in a festive mood and she agreed to nestle into the sling while we walked on the beach.

In other news....Monday was Claire's 2 month well-baby doctor's appointment. She's weighing 12 lbs 14 oz, if you were curious. She was in a wonderful mood all morning until the nurse introduced the vaccinations. My heart broke as her face turned a deep red and she began to cry fat tears. I held her tiny hands and Nate patted my back while my girl and I cried. What amazed me was that she didn't hold a grudge. Even though mama took her to this bad place where doctors stabbed her chubby thighs, she jumped right into my arms and let me comfort us both.

a letter to my 2 month old baby girl

Dear Claire,
It is quiet here this morning. Auntie Scoobs took you for a walk so I could finish my homework before my noon deadline (thank you, Sar). I finished in record time. You'll be two months old on Saturday and we'll celebrate with your first trip to the coast. This has been a month of firsts. This month, you fell in love with your pacifier.
You started wearing bigger tiny clothes. You started cooing and laughing and smiling. You slept through the night (twice!) We started taking a bath and reading a story every night, which we both love. We continued to take walks each day, and now you're a regular at the Wednesday Farmer's Market. I watched as you looked with wonder at your first dragonfly...your huge eyes got even bigger and you gave me a look of "we didn't have these where I come from!" One final first worth noting, this month you started your exercise routine. Here you are after a workout. You're such a fun girl and I'm loving watching all of your big and little firsts.


I love you,
Mama

baby's first movie

Sunday we went to the drive-in and saw "Cars." Claire slept for most of the movie but cuddled with Julie for a bit in the back of the truck before it got dark. Her adorable jammies are from our friends in England. Thanks to Auntie Hayes for the international cuteness.

quote of the week

"One thing I like about babies is how they don't have any teeth."
-Eve Gefke, age 9.

we will. we will rock you.

Claire has this tiny pair of pajamas that were the first thing I put her in when she came home from the hospital. That first day she seemed so small and the jamies were so big. All of her clothes seemed big then. It was such a surreal feeling having this baby in my house with no nurses around to tell us what to do and check how many times she'd pooped in the last hour. Already there's a little less room around the feet of those pajamas than there was a few weeks ago. Every time I put her in them I am reminded that it won't be long and she'll outgrow them.

I am telling myself this because Claire had a rough day today. She wanted to be held every second and was fine as long as I rocked her. Today I had an actual little fantasy dream about mopping my kitchen floor. It did not happen. Babies teach us about living in the moment. It won't be long and those polkadot pajamas with feet will be in a box in the attic or handed down to another baby. I am telling myself this because the day will come when she'll move too fast to nap with her mama. I am telling myself this in order to pay attention and not miss it.

good day. sunshine.

In August, I took a home pregnancy test to confirm what Nate and I already knew- we were going to have a baby. That same day I also calculated what my age would be when this baby (who I couldn't even imagine at the time)would graduate from high school- In case you're wondering, the age is 47. Having a baby is quite a gamble. Sight unseen, you invite someone into your home, your family, your life. I've had roommates, and I found myself wondering, what if this baby is a slob? What if she loves some cartoon show that I can stand? What if she begs us for a CAT? Months later, I sit here with my small girl curled up on my chest, snoring away and already I can't imagine our family without her.

This picture was taken by Nate on Monday morning to mark Claire's sixth week outside the womb. She's sleeping in 4 hour stretches at night, is loving daily walks in her stroller and continues to make our life wonderfully messy.