| Profil de Our FamilyA Family On The GoPhotosBlogListes |  Outils  Aide |
|
22 mars Spring is Here! So I've decided that since I will never catch up, I'm going to skip over all the time that has passed since Christmas and just pick up where we are now! Easter is tomorrow, and we've been having fun preparing. The girls had a party at school last Friday, and got to go on an egg hunt. They both had a lot of fun. They are looking forward to more Easter fun at Meemaw and Papa's house tomorrow, after church in their special Easter dresses, of course! I'm sure some day they will stop enjoying it, but for now I have a lot of fun dressing them in cute matching outfits, and they are adorable! I think it is one of the fun things about having little girls! Last weekend I had them in matching dresses, too, and I'll post some pictures. They even let me fix their hair, which is a rare thing. Amelia has really embraced talking, and has a bunch of new words that she seems to add to every day. It is a relief that she is finally learning to express herself in ways other than screaming. Clara has been very helpful in teaching Steve and I what Amelia is trying to say -- she is incredibly intuitive when it comes to Amelia and seems to really understand what she is saying. Amelia is also working on cutting the last few teeth she's missing -- all incisors since she already has all the her molars. It makes her a bit fussy, but at least she's filling in the spaces that make her smile look a little funny. We've decided Amelia is our little daredevil girl. She can climb just about anything, and has no fear. Last month she managed to dislocate her elbow, which means we all have to be extra careful now so she doesn't repeat that injury. It is only a matter of time before she ends up in the emergency room -- she's a lot like her dad in that way! He spent lots of time there as a child! She also is obsessed with figuring out how things work, which is fun to watch. We're going to have to keep a close eye on that one! Clara is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to Amelia's independence. She doesn't always like to share, and seems to feel a bit threatened by Amelia as she does more and more big girl things. She's also taken to acting up a bit at school -- hitting and kicking like a lot of the boys in her class -- so we're working on that. But she is also becoming a great helper around the house. She sets the table at mealtimes and even helps cook sometimes. She also helps with other little chores, and keeps the cats and her sister in line. Clara is really excited about the new baby coming, and can't wait to be mommy's helper with everything. I am really looking forward to seeing her in that nurturing role, since it seems to come so naturally to her. Even as I type this she is cradling one of her stuffed animals -- it is so cute! She says the funniest things, too, as her vocabulary becomes more and more grown up. We are really enjoying watching her grow and learn. Steve and I are both doing well. We finally have everything ready for the baby, which is nice since baby should be making an appearance anytime now. My official due date is Monday, but since both girls disregarded theirs and came a few days later, I am guessing the same will be true this time around. We'll just have to see! Clara is really set on having another sister, and most other people seem to think we're having a boy. Only time will tell! We found out we'll be able to move to a bigger apartment in May, which will be so nice. We will be a little cramped here in our two bedroom for a while, but once we can move all the kids can have their own rooms, which should help us all feel a little less on top of each other. I'll try to stay on top of this blog better while I'm out on leave so you can all stay up to date with the new baby and how the girls are reacting. We are definitely excited about baby coming and all the fun things that go along with that process. I'll also post some current pictures of the girls so you can all see how much they have grown! 13 janvier A Long Overdue Christmas RecapI can't believe it is already the middle of January -- I've been meaning to do an update since Christmas, and then when that didn't happen, since New Years! Well, better late than never I guess.
Things have been busy since the holidays wrapped up. Work picked up again as our student staff came back in for training and move-in prep, Steve has been in "real" job mode at work which has been a little stressful, and as we are realizing how close little Invader is to making an appearance we have a super long list of things to get done. We broke down and traded in our beloved Saturn Vue for a soccer-mom van last Saturday. It was painful, but I must admit that there are a few things I am learning to like about the new car. We've also been trying to get in some good family time before Steve's work schedule changes to have him working Saturdays in a couple of weeks. We all went to the zoo yesterday, which was a lot of fun. The girls as always loved the animals. The highlights, though, were when Clara tried to pick up and feed the goats their own poop pellets, and when Amelia ate some of the fish/duck food. Yep, those are my daughters.
But back to Christmas! The excitement continued to build up to the big day. The girls has a big party at school, and Clara enjoyed handing out ornament gifts to all her teachers. Steve and I both took Clara out shopping for each other's gifts, and she managed to keep those gifts secret for about 10 seconds. It was really funny. She also told Amelia what she had for her, not that Amelia was all that impressed. The Saturday before Christmas, we took the girls to my parents' house to bake cookies -- didn't want to take on baking in my tiny kitchen. They both helped in their own special ways. Amelia marked a couple cookies by grabbing and mangling them, and Clara got flour on her and had a little meltdown. But Clara did enjoy making the cut-outs, her favorites were Christmas trees and candy canes. And everyone enjoyed sampling!
Christmas Eve morning Steve had to work, but Clara, Amelia, and I went to the church to help decorate. Clara was very helpful with the poinsettas. Amelia was not helpful at all, and in fact had such a bad meltdown that we left a little earlier than we otherwise might have. Luckily they both took good naps after! I got them dressed up in their cute dresses and took them to the children's program at church at 4. Steve met us there. Amelia wanted to run around and cause trouble, as usual, but Clara seemed to enjoy the program. The girls were reasonably good during mass considering it was right around dinner time, and Clara was very impressed to see Santa come for a visit. After mass, we went to MeeMaw and PaPa's house and had dinner. Then there were cookies to decorate, special Christmas pajamas to wear, stockings to hang, snacks to leave for Santa and Rudolph, and other such important Christmas traditions. Uncle Matthew arrived from his long drive down from Seattle right in the middle of the festivities, which was fun. Steve read The Night Before Christmas, and we thought he did a good job even if it wasn't as colorful as PaPa's version. The girls ended up going to bed VERY late. Scott and Felecia came by late after spending time with her family, so we all got to spend some time together. Us grownups waited for poor MeeMaw to get back from work, so we were all up very late!
Even though the girls slept in until almost 8am, it still felt way too early! We gave the girls some "special" Christmas ceral, and then were told to come downstairs. I will never forget the look on Clara's face when she saw how many presents were around that tree! Opening gifts was fun, even Amelia got into it which I didn't really expect. It took a really long time -- Santa and all his agents went overboard! The rest of the day was pretty laid back. The girls played with their new toys and the grownups tried not to fall asleep on various couches and chairs. We had a nice dinner of ham and macaroni salad, and pretty much everyone went to bed early!
The day after Christmas the girls and I went to the zoo with Uncle Matthew -- he got us a family membership as a gift. It was great to spend some special time with him, as we don't get to see him as often as we would like. And since it was windy and a little chilly, the Texans were all scared off so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Poor Steve had to work, so he missed out on all the fun!
We had a short work week, then on to New Years! We did a little party for the girls - we made some finger foods, wore silly hats, and blew on noisemakers. No, they didn't stay up until midnight! I almost didn't -- Steve had to wake me up a little before midnight as I fell asleep on the couch! I was on duty so it was a little annoying, but not as bad as it could have been.
And now we're mostly back to normal. Clara was sad to see the Christmas tree go -- Jack had his "special" surgery and kept trying to rip his stitches out by climbing it. We had to explain that Christmas will be back, probably not as soon as she would like, though!
I hope you all had great holiday fun with your families, too! 11 décembre Christmas is Coming!What a great weekend we had! On Saturday, we took the girls to MeeMaw and Papa's house for the day. After naps, we all went to the mall and saw Santa! Clara was really excited and Amelia was really upset. But at the end we got a very cute picture of both girls smiling, so it all worked out! Clara told Santa she wanted an elephant for Christmas -- I guess no one told her we live in a small apartment!
 After seeing Santa, we went and picked out our new ornament for 2007 -- a Mickey and Minnie which is very appropriate considering how much both girls love them. We went back to the house and played in big piles of leaves. Both girls had a blast and we got some really fun pictures and videos. It was one of those great days we just don't have enough of!On Sunday, we went to buy our tree. Although Amelia pretty much just wanted to run off in the opposite direction we wanted her to go, Clara was a good helper. She hugged the tree several times while we waited to check out, and was pretty concerned about whether or not the tree would fall off the car as we drove home. She was excited to see the tree go into our home and wanted to immediately decorate. Luckily we had McDonald's to distract her!
We did decorate the tree Monday night, and again, Clara was a help and Amelia just drove us all crazy. It is hard to be small and not understand! Clara helped Steve hang the star and at least picked spots for about half the ornaments. Amelia hung one ornament and then tried to take all the other ones down. They both love the tree now that it is finished, and Clara helpfully reminds Amelia that we are supposed to look at the tree, not touch it.
Steve is hanging our outside lights as I type this, and once that is done I think we'll have this place about as decorated as we can get it. There are a lot of things we don't have space for this year, but I think it looks pretty good. And Clara is really enjoying everything, which has made this year so much more fun than others. She knows the words (well, at least a close approximation) of Rudolph and is learning Jingle Bells and Frosty.
Can you tell I'm excited? Can't wait to see what fun is next for us as we get closer to the big day! Hope you all are enjoying this time as much as we are! 2 décembre Be Watching for Pictures!It has been a pretty mellow week in comparison to the last few. The only real excitement has been starting to get ready for Christmas. There have been lots of TV specials in the evenings, and we've had many conversations with Clara about Christmas trees, Santa, and Jesus' birthday. Hopefully, we'll get some decorating started today.
We took the girls for their pictures yesterday, and they did really well. I'll share when I get my e-mail versions sent to me.
Amelia is really working on getting words out. It is fun to watch Clara helping her along by telling her what she should say and how to say it. Amelia is quite the climber, too, and has finally managed to make it up on the sofa, the top of the toilet, you name it, she can climb it. Very scary for us, and explains why we had to reschedule our pictures three times due to facial injuries!
Clara has decided that she wants to get rid of her pull-ups at night and wear underwear all the time, so she's trying really hard to stay dry at night. We told her she had to practice first, and she's doing great. We're at three nights in a row now, and she's FINALLY getting herself up to go potty at night. It is very exciting for her, and I will be happy to see those pull-ups go when she's got this whole night time potty training down.
Steve's new job is going well. He's still in training but starting to do a little of his "real" work. And things are good with me, too!
Have a great week everyone! 25 novembre Thanksgiving WeekendWhat a start to the holidays! On Wednesday after work we headed out to MeeMaw and Papa's house and spent the night. MeeMaw and I started prepping food that night --yummy! On Thursday we all watched Macy's parade in between food prep. Clara loved the big balloons and both girls marched along with the bands. Clara even practiced her high-kicks with the Rockettes! And then of course we got to see Santa! Clara helped MeeMaw stuff the turkey. We thought she'd resist since she had such a hard tim with gutting the pumpkin for Halloween, but she was totally into it. I think she was very happy to have her hands washed afterwards, though! Papa got home from work about mid-afternoon, and then when Clara got up from her nap they went on the traditional Thanksgiving treasure walk. Clara found a deer neck bone, again, a blast from the past since we used to bring back all sorts of weird stuff from these walks! Uncle Scott and Felicia came over for dinner, and we all had a great meal. Both girls ate a TON of food, and Amelia even managed not to throw any food around the dining room. After clean-up, we all had pie -- again, both girls are big pumpkin pie with Cool Whip fans!
We stayed over again Thursday night, then left Friday morning. Steve, the girls, and I went to the Witte Museum to see their dinosaur exhibit. We all had a blast. Clara was a little bit scared of the dinosaurs at first -- they were very large and animatronic -- but we went through a second time and she seemed better. They had a little sand pit where you could dig for bones, which both girls enjoyed, and a build your own dinosaur activity. The museum also has an interactive science tree house, which had lots of great things for the girls to do. I think their favorite was the percussion section at the top! After the museum we went to McDonald's for lunch and then had a nice afternoon at home.
Yesterday we did a little shopping, and since Texans are scared of a little cold rain, the stores were not busy at all! Today we're planning on going to church and then doing some crafts this afternoon. All in all, a fantastic long weekend as a family! Steve and I were talking, and this is the longest time we've all spent together as a family without one of us being at work for a very long time, and it was long overdue!
Next weekend the plan is to do pictures of the girls for Christmas cards, so keep your fingers crossed that I can get both girls looking their best and sitting still at the same time! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! 18 novembre Here come the holidays!Things have been really busy since my last post. Grammy and Grampy visited the first weekend in November, and since it has been a long time since we've seen them it was good to catch up. On Friday of that weekend, Grammy and Grampy took care of the girls while Steve and I worked, and then on Saturday we went to Sea World. Both girls seemed to have a really good time, and Amelia enjoyed being able to get down and walk more this time. On Sunday we went to church and did a bit of shopping for the girls, which is always a good thing. All in all, it was a nice visit, and we look forward to the next time they're able to come see us!
Little Jack the kitten is settling in well. Both Weldon and Emily have accepted him. He and Weldon are fast becoming friends -- they are really cute to watch as they play. Clara and Amelia both adore him, and he is getting used to their sometimes rough way of showing affection.
I was out of town at a conference last weekend, so Steve had the girls all to himself. They didn't like Mommy being away, and gave their daddy a pretty hard time. The highlight of the weekend, though, was that Papa took Clara to see Sesame Street Live on Saturday. She had a blast! Their seats were incredible, and from the pictures, I think that she was really into the show. She also enjoyed the fun activities they had for the kids. It was really good to see both of them on Sunday when I got home.
All of us have been sick at one point over the last two weeks, which hasn't been fun. Yay cold season! Poor Clara got car sick on Thursday on the way to school, so I had to take her in to work with me (after cleaning her up, of course!) for the day. She had a good time and wants to come back again, but I'm hoping not again soon!
This weekend I worked on Saturday, so the girls had a quiet day with Steve. Today we went to church and pretty much just hung out this afternoon. We're gearing up for Thanksgiving and the begining of the holiday season, though. Clara is already talking about Santa, so I'm really excited to see her get into things this year. We'll be heading to MeeMaw and Papa's house Wednesday night to start getting things ready, and Scott and Felicia will be joining us on Thursday for dinner. It should be a good time with lots of great food!
An early Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! 4 novembre Halloween, New Kitty, and Visitors!So we all had a fun, if busy, Halloween. The girls got to go trick-or-treating twice -- once at the residence hall here on campus on Tuesday night, and then on Wednesday night in MeeMaw and PaPa's neghborhood. Clara got a little overwhelmed by all the masks -- she found them a little bit scary -- but once she realized there were boys and girls under them she was ok. She also helped PaPa give out candy for a while. Uncle Scott and Felecia were there, too, which was fun! I have pictures posted of the girls in their costumes.
On Tuesday a small orange and white kitten found us, and we've decided to keep him. Clara has pretty much decided his name is Jack, and who are we to argue? She LOVES that kitty -- they are already playing and hanging out together. He's a sweet little kitty, and not nearly as spastic as Weldon was. Our other cats seem to be getting along with him well, too. So we're back to three cats, including an orange one!
On Thursday, Grammy and Grampy arrived from St. Louis for a weekend visit. On Friday, the girls got to spend the whole day playing with Grammy and Grampy since Mommy and Daddy both had to work. We all went out for dinner Friday night, which is always a fun change of pace. Saturday morning we went to Sea World. The girls again had a great time watching shows and seeing the animals. I don't have a lot of pictures, but we did get a picture of Clara with one of her favorites, the penguins!
Today we plan to go to church and then see what the afternoon brings. It has been a really fun week! 28 octobre A Full Two MonthsWow, so much has happened in the almost two months since my last post -- it doesn't seem like it was that long ago! I'll do my best to get you all caught up!
Parish Homecoming Celebration
After several weeks of anticipation, the day of the celebration came! Clara got her face painted, rode on a barrel train, jumped on a moon bounce, and played carnival games. We all had a blast!
Uncle Matthew's Visit
The girls enjoyed getting a quick visit from their uncle! The highlight was when he gave Clara an early birthday present -- a pretend doctor set! She gives us all regular check-ups now! Clara's 3rd Birthday
Clara was very excited about her upcoming birthday this year! She wanted a Mickey Mouse party, which we put together for her. We invited some family and close family friends over to MeeMaw and PaPa's house for the day. It was so much fun. She really got into the party this year, loving her presents, cake, and all the fanfare. The girls got to play in the pool, too, which is a bonus of having a mid-October birthday in Texas!
Amelia Is Getting To Be A Big Girl
She's now walking full time -- doesn't even bother with crawling anymore. And climbing a lot. We're pretty sure she's going to be our child who ends up in the ER at some point! They also moved her up to the toddler classroom at school, and she loves it. They have a great little playground for them, and lots of climbing/pushing/exploring type toys in the room. She's working on words and probably has about a dozen or so she uses regularly, and her favorite thing to say is "this" as she points to everything! Her explosive temper is becoming more and more dominant -- she throws full-body temper tantrums now and pretty much makes us crazy. At least she's cute!
Clara's Social Life
That's right, she's getting old enough to have a more exciting and active social life than I do -- not that it takes much! Clara has been to two birthday parties this month, one at a bouncy place called Pump It Up, and another home party with a dress-up theme. Lots of fun! She loves playing with other kids and is really very good when she's out.
Getting Ready For Halloween
We took the girls to a local pumpkin patch, with all the fun and photo ops you might expect. Clara has a princess costume that she loves, and Amelia is going to be a little fairy. We have a couple of costume fun options, not the least of which being a party at school (Clara can't stop talking about it) and trick-or-treating both here on campus and in MeeMaw and PaPa's neighborhood. Should be lots of fun!
Upcoming Fun
We're also looking forward to Grammy and Grampy's visit next weekend, as well as some family day trips to the zoo and Sea World. Should be fun!
Changes Are Coming . . .
Steve starts his new job on Monday, so our schedule and dynamic will be changing again -- I have to start doing housework again! We even finally went ahead and bought a second car! We'll keep you all posted on the latest!
9 septembre Sea WorldYesterday we went to Sea World to give our new season passes a try -- a very awesome early birthday gift for Clara from MeeMaw and PaPa! Amelia was somewhat underwhelmed at several points during the day, but Clara LOVED it! She even helped feed fish to the dolphins, which is a big deal for a little girl afraid of everything who hates dirty hands! I think Clara's favorites were the penguins, but she also really enjoyed when the whales and dolphins splashed up out of the water during the shows we saw. She also liked the sea lions (even though she said they were really noisy) and the sharks. Yes, the girl who freaks out when a fly lands near her was not at all afraid of giant sharks!
Although it was hard juggling camera and girls, especially the small squirmy one, we did get a few pictures. And I'll add a couple cute home ones from the last few days, too. 7 septembre Amelia's Birthday RecapWe had a great time celebrating Amelia's birthday last weekend! Sunday Amelia was a little cranky for her party here, and wouldn't even eat her cake! Monday went much better. She seemed to really get into her presents, and did finally eat a little birthday cake. Clara had a tough time with Amelia having presents, but I think overall she did well.
I wish all our family and friends could have joined us, but for those of you who couldn't be there, here are some pictures from our party at MeeMaw and PaPa's house on Monday. Enjoy! 2 septembre Happy Birthday, Amelia!It is hard to believe, but Amelia is 1 year old today! Wow! We have lots of fun planned for her. We're having a party here on campus for our friends and family in this area, and then we'll have another party at MeeMaw's and PaPa's tomorrow. Lots of cake, good food, fun, and I'm sure lots of surprises! Clara is having a little bit of trouble sharing the spotlight, but that's to be expected.
Just in time for her birthday, Amelia has started walking on her own. Her record is about 10 steps without help, and she loves trying to walk for long distances! It's fun watching her concentrate and work so hard. She also has a growing vocabulary. Her words right now are: mama, dada, kitty cat, doggie, uh-oh, and up. She's also working on a rough approximation of drink, but I don't count that one yet. She's a great dancer, more bounce than Clara had at her age, waves well, plays peek-a-boo, and blows kisses. But her favorite game is still giving big hugs to her toys, daddy's shoes, or anyone really.
She also started at school on Monday, and is doing great. She seems to really like the teachers in her room, and of course loves all the new toys and kids. She's one of the older kids in the baby room, and we don't think it will be too long until they move her up to the toddler room. She's completely off the bottle now, drinks very well with her cup, and we'll probably start working her off the pacifier in the next couple of weeks. Such a big girl!
I know this is supposed to be Amelia's post, but Clara is doing some pretty neat things, too. She started in the 3-year-old class on Monday, and is doing well with the older kids. We had to buy her scissors, watercolors, and pencils for class, so I'm sure she will be doing all sorts of new stuff. She's a good helper with Amelia -- she likes to encourage her to walk and say all sorts of new words. We're still struggling with potty training during naps and overnight, but I'm sure we'll get there. And she's turning into such a girly-girl, it is very disturbing. She's afraid of bugs now, wants "prettys" in her hair all the time, and doesn't like to be dirty. Ah well, maybe it's a stage she'll grow out of.
Well, I'm off to finish getting the apartment ready for our party this afternoon. We'll post some birthday pictures after all the festivities! 6 juillet Clara's a Big Girl!Lots of neat milestones for Clara over the last week. On Monday she started at her new school. She seemed a little apprehensive at first, but when Steve and I left, she was happily playing with Weebles with some of the other kids. After school, she always seems like she's had a good day -- she does artwork, music, outside play time (when it is not raining, which I suppose hasn't been that often lately!), and she even gets to watch movies!
Wednesday was the 4th of July -- a day off for me so we all headed out to my parents' house for the day. Clara, my Mom, and I went on a "special big girl trip" which included shopping, McDonald's for lunch, and the big event -- Clara got her ears pierced! She got to pick out her earings -- pink sparkly ones -- and she did really good during the actual piercing, too. She was obviously a little upset when her lollipop eating was interrupted by the two women piercing her ears, but she stopped crying after only a few moments and had a lot of fun looking at her new earings in the mirror. We went back to the house, she had a nap, and then she and Amelia went out on the porch and played in their sandbox. The highlight was when Clara shoved a fist full of sand into Amelia's mouth. Ah, sisterly love! Clara also got her first taste of splashing in puddles with her MeeMaw. All in all, it was a wonderful day with good food and fun family time.
And then last night we finally had enough of a break in this unseasonably rainy weather to go to the complex pool. Both Clara and Amelia had a blast. Clara had her special floaty swimsuit, and I actually got her doing a little kicking and "crawling" in the water. Her head went under several times, but she thought it was funny, so no problem. She also enjoyed playing catch with her beach ball in the water. Amelia enjoyed the floaty she had -- lots of happy baby kicking -- and was immensely entertained by the rest of us splashing around. It was a great evening -- the kind of time that Steve and I had really been missing while in Houston. Tonight we had more fun family time -- singing and dancing, and then splashing in puddles on the way to check the mail. This is a huge reason we moved here and switched professions, because we want to have more of this great time together. It's great to have things working out so well!
1 juillet We Love Our New Home!Moving is always a lot more challenging than it should be. And a lot more unpleasant. But the good news is that it ends eventually. The girls and I came out to San Antonio the second weekend in June. Steve had to work at the zoo until the 14th, so he came out with our stuff the following weekend -- Scott, Felicia, and my dad helped get everything loaded on the truck. After about a week, we finally had everything settled enough at the apartment to bring the girls, and we've been trying to get things finished ever since. The biggest challenge is going from a 3 bedroom house to a much smaller 2 bedroom apartment. It is certainly testing my spatial reasoning skills!
I started work at UTSA on the 15th, and have been loving my new job. Residential Life is the kind of field where you jump right in, and summer is a busy time of planning for the coming year, closing out the previous year's billing, and hosting summer conferences. I'm happy to be busy, though, and it certianly helps me learn the school and systems more quickly. Everyone I work with seems really great, too, and it is fun living next door to my boss and his kids. That is making things better for the girls to have other little ones around.
Clara and Amelia are both getting used to sharing a room. We had a couple of rough nights intially, but I think we're all getting into a good routine for bedtime and naptime. The room turned out really cute, I'll have to post some pictures. Clara has been missing school quite a bit, so luckily she will be starting at her new place on Monday. It is a little sooner than we had hoped for financial reasons, but I think it will be good for her to be back in a steady routine that involves the structure of school. I am really pleased with the center we found for her. Amelia doesn't have a space yet, but she should in a few weeks, and she can stay home with Steve until that happens. Amelia is growing fast and learning lots of new things. She does "so big" now, claps, waves, and loves to blow raspberries as much as possible. She's also begun really cruising around, so I'm sure walking isnt' too far off. Lucky us! She is up to 5 teeth, and may have cut another one last night/today although I can't get her to sit still long enough to check. She also had her very first McDonald's meal yesterday, and polished off a whole cheeseburger and a bunch of apple slices. She's a very good eater, especially if it is meat-related.
Clara has had a challenging couple of weeks. Since she's much more aware that we've moved than Amelia, the change has been much more difficult for her. Mostly it has made her fussy and obnoxious, so we're all ready for her to feel a little more settled. She's also picked up a bad habit of putting just about everything in her mouth -- fingers, toys, you name it. We're working on it. I think she'll be doing a lot better once we get her started in school again and bact to a normal routine. She's a great helper around the house and has started to do some chores here and there -- sweeping, laundry, cleaning up. She's pretty obsessed with being a doctor, and we all get regular "exams" now. She has also enjoyed having cable TV again and loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. We haven't been able to hit the pool yet due to all the rain lately, but she's looking forward to that. And she loves going on walks around the complex -- she'll push Baby in her stroller while I push Amelia. It's a fun way to work off her energy and spend time together.
Steve is still job searching, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that things work out for him. They do need a lot of teachers here, so it shouldn't be long before something comes together. In the meantime he's enjoying spending extra time with the kids and is busily trying to get things done at the apartment. It's nice to have a house husband!!
We got to visit with Matthew this weekend at my parents' house which was fun. Clara loves celebrating birthdays -- especially the cake and ice cream! We've also been enjoying seeing more of Scott and Felicia -- another good reason for being here in San Antonio. We officially joined the parish at St. Brigid's today, which is really exciting. It will be nice to be able to go to church as a family in a nice, open community. We're looking forward to being involved and active in the parish.
I think that's the news for now. I'll post some pictures up, too!
3 juin A New Look for a New Beginning (Again!)We're getting ready to move to a new city where we can try again to find a place where our family can be happy and balanced! Steve and I had hoped being here in Houston and working at the Zoo was going to work out for all of us, but it didn't allow us the kind of work-life balance we are looking for. We want to be make our family our priority, with our careers supporting that, and not the other way around. So, we're one the move again! On June 15, I start a new job back in Residential Life at UTSA, and Steve is looking to get back into teaching. We move to San Antonio in stages over the next couple of weeks.
We're going to do our best to keep this up to date with all the latest news on our family! 12 novembre More MilestonesBoth girls are actually sleeping at the same time, so I thought I would take advantage of the quiet and do an update on here! How does time always get away from me so fast -- I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month!!
I started back to work on October 24, and although it was really hard to leave Amelia, it was nice to see my friends at work. And it was eaiser since Daddy got to take two weeks off to spend with Amelia while we got her used to having bottles during the day. She did great during this time adjusting to the bottle and also to not spending all her time with Mommy. She had her first day at daycare on November 7, and it was much harder on Daddy and I than it was on her! She is doing great -- eating and sleeping well, and enjoying play and snuggle time. Clara is very funny when we drop them off -- she wants to show Amelia to everyone, and if she's sleeping, she tells everyone to be quiet.
Speaking of Clara and school, she is doing very well. She did her first poop and pee on the potty at school, and continues to have a few potty successes every day. It is strange to think about how excited well all get by her bathroom activities, but she sure is proud of herself whenever she goes in the potty and not in her pants! She's also starting to learn her letters at school. Her teacher is so thrilled with how well she does her colors and animals -- she's a smart kid! We've been doing more coloring and painting at home, which she loves, and making things out of playdo. She's also continuing to be a good helper around the house. She cleans up all her toys at night before bed, and also helps out with Amelia's baths now.
Amelia had her two-month check-up at the doctor. As we suspected, she is quite the chunker at 11.5 pounds -- in the 75th percentile for weight! She's average for heighth and her head, while still in the 75th percentile, is no where near as big as Clara's was! Her stump FINALLY fell off after the doctor put more silver nitrate on it, so we were able to start giving her real baths. She loves her baths -- she kicks and smiles the whole time. Amelia is also holding her head very steady -- she loves to sit up and look around, mostly at whatever Clara is up to. She just loves watching her big sister! Amelia also can do full push-ups now, and is trying to roll over.
We all had a fun Halloween. The weekend before, I took the girls to the zoo for their Halloween event. Clara enjoyed showing off her princess costume to everyone, and got to see her Daddy doing a keeper chat at okapis. After he finished up for the day, he took Clara though the Happy Haunted House, and she had a blast! Somehow I managed to keep her to one piece of candy, too!! We got some great pictures of her that I'll put up. On the actual day of Halloween, Clara had a little party at school and had waaay too much sugar, so she was pretty hyper when I picked her up. She and Daddy made a jack-o-lantern for the house, and although she hated the guts, she liked helping to collect the seeds, and really liked the finished product. After dinner she got to get back into her costume and help hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. She seemed to have a really good time. Even Amelia got in on the fun, which you'll have to see the pictures to understand!
We're looking forward to a visit from Mee Maw and PaPa this weekend -- the guys are going to a football game on Sunday, and us girls will do something else fun! Clara is due for another haircut, too, which should be fun.
Enjoy the new pictures -- I'll try not to let another month pass before posting next time!! 17 octobre Baptisms, Birthdays, and other ExcitementOther Excitement: At Home
On October 2nd Clara, Amelia and I were at the doctor's office, but not for Amelia's one month milestone. No, Clara had come down with both pink eye and an ear infection. By some miracle, no one else in the family got sick, thankfully. Needless to say, Clara couldn't go to school that week, so we had a lot of girl time at home. We worked really hard on potty training, but with no real luck.
Other Excitement: Visiting Family in San Antonio
On that Thursday, we headed off to San Antonio. We arrived in time for dinner, and boy was Clara excited to see Mee Maw, Papa, and Buddee! That night we had a little more adventure in the bath than we would have liked -- Clara slipped and gave herself quite a bump on the head. Luckily, she has a nice hard head so it looked much worse than it was. Late that night, Uncle Matthew came in, and surprised Clara that next morning. She was very confused to see a person who wasn't there when she went to bed, but once she realized how fun he was to play with, she adapted quickly. Friday evening Grammy and Grampy arrived. Clara was glad to see them, but didn't have much time to play between the adults eating and her getting ready for bed. Late Friday Aunt Cathi, Uncle Eric, and little Aeden arrived. Clara again missed their arrival, so was again surprised/confused in the morning.
Baptism
Saturday was very busy! In the morning, everyone except Mee Maw, myself, and the kids went off to do a little sightseeing downtown. When they got back, it was time to start getting ready for the big event. We all managed to make it to the church on time, which was quite an accomplishment for our group. Uncle Scott and Felicia met us there, and it was good to see them. The baptism was wonderful. Amelia didn't make a peep during the ceremony, not even when she had the water poured on her head -- she did let a fart loose, which was pretty funny. Clara was as good as you could expect an almost-two-year-old to be. Luckily, there were many people around to take her during her restless moments. After mass, there was a beautiful reception in the hall, and it was great to visit with people from the church community. Clara amused herself by walking around and begging for chips from anyone who would pay attention, until Uncle Scott finally took charge and got her some real food. We took many pictures, I'll be sure to post some. Amelia also received many gifts -- everyone was so thoughtful!
Clara's Birthday Party
Since Saturday was all about Amelia, Sunday was all about Clara! She had a lot of fun playing outside most of Sunday morning while I got her Elmo cake ready to go. We had fajitas for lunch (Clara had macaroni and cheese instead -- one of her favorites!) and then did her birthday cake. She went right for Elmo's eyes with her spoon -- very funny. Cake is definitely something she enjoys! After a much-needed nap, Clara opened her presents. At first it went a little rocky since she was still groggy, but once she realized the bags and packages had neat things inside, she got into it. She got many great gifts, and has been having lots of fun with all her new things. Aunt Cathi, Uncle Eric, and little Aeden had to leave soon after the gifts, but not before we got a few more pictures. Clara had a great time playing with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. Hopefully we'll be able to have them all play together again soon. After they left, Clara and her Daddy got to go outside to play in her pool, always a favorite for her.
Other Excitement -- Goodbye San Antonio
On Monday morning, Grammy and Grampy enjoyed one last breakfast with Clara before heading off to the airport. Clara and Amelia are both looking forward to the next time they get to visit! Luckily, Uncle Matthew was still there, so Clara had a couple extra people to play with. She had fun playing while we got all packed up for the drive back to Houston. It was a great visit, but we had to get home. The drive was very calm, which is always nice.
Other Excitement -- The Past Week
As much fun as she had that weekend, I think Clara was very happy to get back into her normal routine on Tuesday. She had a great week at school, as always, and we had fun nights of discovering all her new toys and they were put together and batteried up. Amelia surprised us all by rolling once from front to back. Even if it was just an accident, it was still neat to see. She is becoming much more active, grabbing at toys and scooting herself around with her legs. I won't be surprised to see her doing more rolling around very soon. She's also smiling and "talking" all the time now, which is really fun.
Clara's Actual Birthday -- October 13
We kept Clara home from school on the big day, and started our morning out with a trip to the doctor. Clara is 27 lbs and 33 inches tall -- we knew she was growing but it's always impressive to see the actual numbers. As anyone who knows her would guess, the doctor said she is a healthy kid and doing all the things she should be at this point. She did great at the doctor, probably mostly because she didn't need any shots. We have to take her back for two in about a month, so we'll see how that goes. After the doctor visit, we all went to the zoo. Daddy had arranged for her to go behind the scenes to feed the giraffes, okapi, and tapirs, and she seemed to really enjoy getting up close to the animals. She wasn't so sure about the long tongues, but that's understandable. We were able to visit with some of the volunteers I know, and both Clara and Amelia got a lot of attention. We also did her zoo favorites -- monkeys and the children's zoo goat yard. When we noticed Clara falling asleep in the stroller, we headed home. Oh, in case you were wondering, Amelia slept pretty much all morning, only waking up to eat and poop.
After Clara woke up from her nap, we did a videoconference with Mee Maw -- Clara proudly told her (and everyone else we saw that day) that she was "2" and it was her birthday. And then the biggest surprise of the day -- Papa came to spend the weekend with us! He even left work early so he could come out to dinner with us. We went to Red Robin, one of our favorite spots. Clara got lots of special treatment (singing, a balloon, and a sundae) and even got to meet the Red Robin mascot. She thought he was a chicken, which was pretty funny. After dinner, Clara got to open more presents from Papa, and was in a much better mood about it this time. She also got a call from Uncle Aaron, and surprised us by actually saying a few words on the phone, which is not something she normally does. I think she had a great birthday!
Other Excitement -- Weekend Up to Today
On Saturday we went to Trader's Village, the big flea market, which of course is one of Papa's favorite pastimes. The weather was gorgeous, Clara had fun, Papa found some treasures, and Amelia slept -- all in all a good time. The rest of the weekend we hung out here at the house. Clara got a lot of good play time in with Papa, and Amelia got lots of snuggles. It was nice having him here, as usual.
Monday was a little bit of an adventure due to the heavy rains. Papa hit the road between storms, and had a mostly uneventful drive back to San Antonio. Poor Daddy had to work, and had a very soggy day. Amelia and I were here at home, hoping not to float away. Our part of town didn't see the worst of the storms, but we did get over eight inches of rain, and at one point half of the back yard was flooded with a couple inches of water. Picking Clara up from daycare took twice as long as usual, and I had to drive through water up to the curbs in places. But we all made it home safely, which is the important part.
Whew, lots of updating to do! I need to fill you all in on some of Clara's latest games, but I'll do that next time -- my fingers are tired from all this typing! Be looking for pictures, too! 1 octobre This Week's MilestonesWell, it has proven to be an exciting week here! Amelia will be one month old tomorrow, and we can't believe how fast this time has flown! She is really growing fast, too! She's starting to grab things and is really good at getting her little fist in her mouth when she can't find her pacifier. As she becomes more sturdy, we've been able to let Clara interact with her a little more closely. Clara gets to hold her now (with Mommy's help, of course!) and they can sit together on the couch after feedings, which I think both of them enjoy. A few days ago she and Clara were sitting on the couch, and Clara was helping Amelia read a book. We weren't able to get pictures, but it was a very sweet moment that has reinforced my belief that Clara has what it takes to be an awesome big sister! I can't wait until Amelia's stump falls off so we can give her baths in her tub, and Clara can help.
Speaking of Clara, she is working on a couple milestones, too. We're still looking forward to her first real use of the potty (so far we've done a lot of sitting, but also a lot of cleaning out her big girl shorts after accidents!) because we're pretty sure that once she finally does it, everything else will fall into place. Her big news, though, is that she now sits at the table in a big girl chair instead of a high chair. She seems to enjoy it, and does she ever look grown up eating at the table! The other thing Clara is working on is her manners -- she is getting much better at remembering to say please and thank you.
Yesterday we had a fun family outing to the zoo! It was Amelia's second visit, since we went last week to show her off to my coworkers, but this was the first time for her to actually go around the zoo. She didn't see any animals, though, since she slept the whole time. Clara, on the other hand, loved the animals. She got very excited about pretty much everything we saw, but especially loved the goats. I posted a couple of pictures of her brushing them. She also enjoyed all the hoofstock, since she knows all their names from her Daddy. At the end of our trip, we took the girls to the end of the volunteer meeting and showed them off. They were quite a hit!
Clara is going to stay home with me next week so we can continue work on potty training, and also so she can get lots of rest for our trip this weekend. We are all looking forward to seeing family and friends, having Amelia's baptism, and celebrating Clara's birthday. 26 septembre A Busy Few WeeksWell, as most everyone knows at this point, we welcomed Amelia into our family earlier this month. She definitely knows how to make an entrance, as labor with her was so fast that we almost didn't make it to the hospital in time. Luckily, though, she waited until we got there so she could be delivered by our doctor and not her daddy -- I don't think he would have liked that too much! She was a peanut at birth, only 7 lbs 40z and 19.5 inches long, so much smaller than Clara was. She was very healthy, though, and VERY angry to be out of the womb -- we didn't think she was ever going to stop screaming! It is a strange coincidence, though, that both Clara and Amelia were born 3 days past their due dates, and labor started 2 days past.
Amelia has been a great baby so far. She's a very good eater -- she was nursing only a few minutes after birth and hasn't slowed down since! She's also a very good sleeper. On her first day, she was already sleeping 3-4 hours in the night, a patter she has continued since coming home, which of course Steve and I appreciate! She has great awake periods during the day and is very alert. And is she ever strong -- she's been picking up her head since day one, scoots herself forward and in circles with her feet, and is already doing baby push-ups. I have a feeling she'll be rolling and crawling before I know it!
Clara has been doing great with Amelia. At first she mostly ignored her, but little by little she has started taking an interest. She loves to put her pacifier back in her mouth when it falls out, helps with diaper changes, and loves to say "it's ok Amelia" to comfort her. She also gives kisses and hugs, and tries to pick Amelia up (which is a little scary) although she doesn't really want to hold her in her lap yet. She tells everyone that Amelia is her sister, which is really cute.
Clara has been busy with many other things since the last post, too. She's talking up a storm, and is starting to put words together very well. She loves singing, dancing, and going down her slide. Clara is now in her big girl bed, and is doing very well, although she still won't keep the covers on and gets into the strangest positions during the night. We've made the first steps towards potty training, and will continue to work on this. She's good at sitting on the potty and wiping, but she hasn't got the middle, most important part down yet. I guess these things take time, but I'm sure she'll get the hang of it soon enough. The backyard is one of our favorite places, either playing in the pool or sandbox, coloring with chalk, blowing bubbles, or just running around. We've also been enjoying the cooler evening temperatures and going for walks as a family after dinner. Clara has also discovered play-dough, and she loves it, especially making silly faces and squishing it. She got another haircut and looks like quite the grown up little girl now, especially on those rare occasions that she lets me put a clip or two in her hair.
We really enjoyed all our new-baby visitors -- my mom and dad (aka Grandma and Grandpa) and Aaron and Lisa (aka Silly Uncle Aaron and Lisa). It is always fun having guests, and Clara especially enjoyed all the extra people she had to play with.
The next big thing for us is Amelia's baptism coming up in about a week and a half. We'll all be going to San Antonio to have the baptism at my mom's church. All of Steve's family will be joining us, as well as a few of mine. It should be a good time for all of us.
I'll put up some pictures -- enjoy! 25 septembre Changes!Well, there have been some changes to this blog because there have been some big changes in our family! I have a new sister, Amelia. She was born on September 2, and I have spent the last few weeks getting used to having her around. I finally have decided that I like her (mostly) and to prove it, I've decided to give up ownership of my site and share it with her from now on. Mommy will post about both of us here (I'm getting way too busy to keep up with it anyway -- being a toddler is a LOT of work!) on as regular a basis as possible. I'll make sure she does a good job!
Look for the first update soon, maybe even later today . . . 13 août 22 Months Old Today!!Can you believe I'm almost two? Mommy sure can't -- the time is flying!!
Lots has happened again since my last post. Let's see if I can remember it all . . .
Grandpa came to visit me for a couple of days in early July -- it sure was fun spending time with him!
Grammy and Grampy came to visit shortly after. I enjoyed playing with them and getting a week vacation from school!
Mommy's birthday was at the end of July. Daddy took the day off work, and we all went to the Children's Museum. What a fun day -- I had a blast playing with all the cool stuff at the museum, and it was so nice having both Mommy and Daddy home at once. I hope we have more days like that soon!!
We've all been doing lots of work to get ready for the baby. I like playing in the baby's room, and pointing out where the baby will sleep, sit, and play. Mommy and Daddy have been trying to teach me what the baby's name will be if it's a boy or a girl, but I'm pretty sure the baby will just be Elmo! That would be great -- I could have Elmo to play with all the time! But Mommy says that's silly!!!
School has been lots of fun. I am learning so much and even got to meet Ronald McDonald! I was one of the only kids in my class who wasn't afraid of him, too!!
One of my new favorite things to do is help out with chores around the house. I help Mommy with the laundry, and every night I help Daddy feed the cats. I can even pick up my own toys now, although sometimes I leave them for Mommy and Daddy just so they don't get bored!
Grandma and Grandpa got me a new sandbox, which I tried out for the first time today -- it is so fun! I like to put the sand in and out of the buckets, and even dump it on Mommy's leg!
Mommy says this afternoon we'll go out in the pool -- yay!!! She also says that the baby is coming soon, which will be a whole new adventure for all of us. Stay tuned for the latest!
|
|
|
