It’s official. Clara can roll from stomach to back and back to stomach, and she did both before reaching four months. That’s our girl! She’s been rolling all over the place for the last week, and I finally managed to catch it on video. She’s changed so much over the last month, but more to come on that later.
Clara Rolls Part 1 from Courtney Champion on Vimeo.
Clara Rolls Part 2 from Courtney Champion on Vimeo.
The past few weeks have been filled with fun for us. We had friends from Orlando here one weekend and then family from Alabama here the next. We were so excited when our friends Marlyn and Chris told us they were planning a trip up here. We hadn’t seen them in over a year, and it was fabulous to spend a few days with them. Their daughter Genevieve showed us all the things we’ll need to do in order to make our house baby proof. 😉
Christa, Zack, Christian and Blair came to visit the next weekend. We cooked out a couple nights, played a ton of Wii and got to celebrate Blair’s seventh birthday (complete with cupcakes). It was so amazing to have them here. Clara definitely enjoyed getting to meet her aunt, uncle and cousins.
It’s tough sometimes being so far away from everyone, but we’re so glad last month was filled with visitors. It’s crazy to think about how big Clara will be next time we see my family this fall, and then Christa will be the one with a tiny girl.
I guess my standard intro to these monthly posts will go something like, “I can’t believe Clara is already ___ months old.” That’s how I feel. I can’t help but be a little sad, even though I’m obviously happy that she is growing and thriving. She’s outgrowing her 0-3 month clothes, at least in length. Some of them still fit, but the sleepers are starting to slip down her shoulders. It’s crazy to me that we’ll soon be packing away a good part of her wardrobe.
She’s changed so much since last month. She now has almost complete head control. She smiles more and squeals, too. She can grip things with her tiny fingers, and she can also pinch with her toes (that’s a trait she got from me, I think). She loves being on her play mat, and apparently the cats like it too. There’s a dangling bird that makes a chirping sound, and I came downstairs this morning to discover Chloe batting at it. She’s started putting her hands in her mouth, which can be frustrating when she tries to do so while eating. She’s gotten good at pushing up on her arms when she’s on her stomach, and I know she’ll be on all fours in no time.
My first Mother’s Day was the epitome of a perfect day. Clara slept seven hours before waking up to eat around 5:15. We stayed up together for a bit after she finished her first breakfast, then she fell asleep for another three hours. During that time, I kept her in the bed with us, and she snuggled right up to my face. When I opened my eyes, she was so close that I could barely focus on her! It was seriously the sweetest thing in the world. While she and I were snuggling, Eric got up to make breakfast. We had baked bacon with brown sugar and cayenne (my favorite) and purple potato home fries. Eric made a pot of French press coffee with freshly ground coffee beans, which he used to make delicious Vietnamese iced coffee.
After breakfast, we went to a craft store to pick up a few things for projects I’m working on, and then we decided to stop at a local nursery. I’ve been wanting a succulent garden for quite a while (since I saw one on Pinterest, of course), so we got everything we needed and came home to plant. I love the way it turned out, and I’m excited to see how it grows and changes over the next year.
Being a mom is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love Clara more and more each day. She is our most precious and wonderful gift, and our life is better because she’s in it.
Clara celebrated her two month birthday while we were in Alabama last weekend. I snapped this picture when we got back, so it’s technically a little past two months. I was planning to redo it since she smeared the orange chalk everywhere, but then I decided against that. This picture shows her personality so well. Smile on her face after making a mess. 😉 By the end of the shoot, she had smeared most of the chalk and had it all over her sleeper (thankfully it washed right out).
At her checkup yesterday, the doctor was really impressed with Clara’s neck strength. We’ve noticed her holding her head up for longer periods of time, so it’s just a matter of time before she’s got complete control of it. She was 23.5 inches long and weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces. The doctor also gave me a pat on the back for Clara gaining over a pound since her last visit. She’s had at least one growth spurt since last month because there was one day that I felt like all I did was feed her. She just keeps getting longer, but her tummy and thighs are still so small!
We’ve noticed her trying to “talk” more, too. When I talk or read to her, sometimes she’ll move her mouth as if she’s trying to figure out how to make sounds come out. It’s adorable. Her hair seems to be lightening and getting a bit longer. She has also discovered her hands and fingers and really enjoys (loudly) sucking on them. She could take or leave the pacifier, but she loves her hands. It seems she’s learning or doing something new each day. Our girl is growing so fast!
The next several weekends are going to be awesome. This weekend, I’ll be celebrating my first Mother’s Day. Next weekend, our friends Marlyn and Chris (and their daughter Genevieve) are driving up from Orlando for a visit. The next weekend, Christa, Zack, Christian and Blair arrive for a short visit. We’ll also get to celebrate Blair’s seventh birthday that weekend, and of course I’ll be making a cake or cupcakes to celebrate. We’ve got a wedding to attend the next weekend, so it’s going to be a busy few weeks. Before we know it, summer will be halfway gone! We’re so excited, though, and are looking forward to spending some much needed time with family and friends.
I am well aware that Clara can’t actually talk yet, but she’s started making lots of vowel sounds. Whenever we’re talking to her, she starts moving her mouth as if she’s thinking, “Hey, maybe if I do what they do, sounds will come out of my mouth too!” Our favorite one sounds like “hi.” It’s completely adorable. The video is sideways, but what matters is that you can hear her say it. 😉
[FMP]http://cooklikeachampion.com/threearethechampions/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Clara-Says-Hi1.mov[/FMP]
Just before her two month birthday, Clara rode on her first airplane. I was 17 before I flew, and Eric was 22, so Clara’s got a good start on growing up to be a well-traveled girl. She did wonderfully on the plane ride there (not so much on the way home, but more on that shortly). We flew into Atlanta Wednesday morning, and Eric’s sister was sweet enough to pick us up from the airport. After lunch and a couple hours in the car, we made it to Crystal’s house just before Eric’s dad and stepmom arrived. This was Clara’s first time meeting anyone in our family, and it was really special. She was a little disoriented, though, and wasn’t sure about being held by people other than her mom and dad. Still, we’re glad they got to meet her. The next morning, Eric’s grandmother, aunt and cousin came to visit for a few hours. We’re glad they were all able to make the trip to Crystal’s to see us and meet Clara. Of course, we didn’t get a single picture with our camera the entire time we were in Alabama, but here’s one from Eric’s dad’s. We didn’t get to spend a ton of time in Birmingham since the main reason we were in Alabama was for a wedding, but we’re very thankful for the time we did have there.
Friday morning, I left to bake cookies for the wedding reception while Eric packed our things and washed Clara’s diapers (yes, we successfully traveled with cloth diapers – woo!). The rest of the day was a whirlwind. We met our friends Melissa and David for lunch and then drove a couple hours to get to the wedding site. When we got there, it was time for the rehearsal and dinner. The wedding the next day was beautiful, and we had a fabulous time. We got to see so many friends we haven’t seen in such a long time (2-3 years). As you can see, Clara slept comfortably through the rehearsal and ceremony. 🙂
We left early Sunday morning and had breakfast with our friend Amanda before heading back to Atlanta. We were in the car about four hours, and Clara was not happy by the time we got to the airport. Thankfully, the TSA agents were kind and helpful while we were going through security. After a plane delay, we boarded the plane but waited on there for quite a while before takeoff. It was hot, and Clara and I were both sweaty. She was really unhappy and cried off and on for most of the ride, but at least it was a short flight. We were thankful to finally be home Sunday after a long day of traveling. Overall, I think Clara did wonderfully. I know it must’ve been overwhelming for her to be around so many new people in so many different places. We don’t have any plans to travel far away again in the near future, and I’m hoping it will be easier for all of us the next time around.
Eric and I absolutely love singing to Clara (and Abby, too). We’ll sing songs in their original form, but often we change the lyrics to be about them. It’s a silly thing that we do, but it’s special. When Clara is having trouble falling asleep, I like to sing to her. I’m not sure it actually helps, but I enjoy doing it anyway. I started singing “Rockabye Baby” to her last night and realized the lyrics are kind of morbid sounding. So I decided to sing her a song from an album I just downloaded from Scars on 45. The song is called “Heart on Fire.” As I was swaying and walking around the room singing this song to her, one part in particular stuck out at me. It goes like this –
When you’re standing on your own
And you feel you’ve got nobody around you
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
When I first heard those lyrics, I thought they were our anthem for Clara. Then, as I sang them to her last night, it hit me that she’s never going to feel like she’s on her own. We won’t let her. The lyrics apply more to Eric and I than they do to Clara. Though sometimes we forget, Eric and I can conquer almost any problem when we’re together. We’ve been through a lot in our seven years, and I have no doubt that we can handle just about anything life throws our way. So take that, world. We’re stronger than you think.
Eric got off work early on Good Friday, and we went shopping for a few treats for Clara. We quickly realized that we have way too much fun shopping for her. We found all kinds of cute, educational toys at Barnes and Noble and had to practice self restraint in order to avoid getting all of them. We have our eyes on this adorable wooden block set for when she’s older. Also, I think we have a weakness for Melissa & Doug toys. Most of the ones we saw were for ages three and up, but that didn’t stop us from looking at them for a while. There are wooden ice cream and cupcake toys! Wooden toys = totally adorable.
We started Easter morning by checking out the goodies she got from Easter Bunny. She got three books, a pair of pink sunglasses, two diapers, a Janie & Jack onesie, mini Reese’s Cups and a chocolate Peter Rabbit. She especially enjoyed the Reese’s. 😉 That night, we went to a cookout at our friend Erin’s. Other than needing to eat a few times while we were there, Clara was pretty happy most of the time. We had a fabulous time, too, and the weather was perfect for sitting outside enjoying the company of good people.
At her checkup last week, she weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces – almost two pounds over her birth weight! The girl is definitely good at eating (wonder where she gets that?). She’s smiling even more and making the most adorable little sounds. She is constantly observing the world around her, and I hope that curiosity continues throughout her life.
Clara turned one month old yesterday. It’s hard to believe it’s been four weeks since she was born. Eric and I are still enamored with her, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. She is doing wonderfully. She eats well and is already a pound over her birth weight (as of her last checkup a week ago). Her official one month checkup isn’t until next week, but I have no doubt the pediatrician will tell us she’s right on track. All the doctors we’ve seen and even some strangers have commented on how alert she is. We obviously have nothing to compare her to, but she does seem alert for her age. When she’s awake, she is constantly looking around. She seems to be a very curious girl. She’s started to make little squeaking and cooing sounds, and we’ve even seen some smiles. She’s most alert early in the morning, and I love snuggling with her and talking to her before we come downstairs to start our day. We’ve had the best time getting to know our little girl. It’s such a strange feeling to be excited for her to grow so we can do more things with her but also to wish time would slow down. It’s been an amazing month, and we’re so glad that we have this extraordinary little person in our family now.