Monthly Archives: May 2012

First Mother’s Day

Posted on by
Reply

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.

2 Months

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Clara Says Hi

Posted on by
1

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]

Trip to Alabama

Posted on by
Reply

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.