One-Year-Old Check-Up

Claire had her big one-year-old check-up today. She is 23 and a half pounds and 29 inches long. I think her head was 19 inches . . . they don't send you home with that measurement. The doctor thought she was doing great, thriving and doing what every one year old should be doing. She was very pleased with her progress.


There will be more about her birthday tomorrow - it is late and Mommy wants to go to bed.

Happy 1st Birthday Claire Elaine!

Oh what a day it has been. Our sweet girlie is one year old. Brings a tear to my eye . . . how could it already be a year? A what a year it has been!

So this morning Claire woke at the crack of dawn and I changed her and tried to get her back to sleep . . . ha. Then Mike got up and went to work in the garden and I knew Claire hadn't slept enough especially since she doesn't like to nap etc. So we crawled back into bed like we used to when she was younger and hung out and eventually took a little nap together. Then Daddy brought Mommy breakfast in bed and we were off on our big day of adventures.

We started off with presents . . .

Her presents before she began

Her presents once she took a taste of a few *you can see a little bite out of the one on top in front)

And the unwrapping began . . . sort of . . . she was really good at Christmas with the unwrapping thing but not so much this time. :(

As you can see she is sorting out the BLUE boat. What is it with this girlie and blue?

Another taste of a present - this one was leftover from Christmas that never got opened and I just didn't feel like wrapping it again - and besides, it was to Claire and Mommy from Daddy so I didn't know what it was (he was the one who suggested we keep it until her birthday).

Opening presents with Daddy

She got a couple of pretty books that she stopped to read.

This is her new hippo stool for the bathroom that she is trying to figure out. (she doesn't know it but she got a potty too)

Trying out her hippo push car.

Stopping to crawl under the table and terrorize Hazel.

Her birthday cake that she can't play with for a couple of years but Mommy likes so much.

Here she is one her way back from visiting Hazel again.

Her cupcake to go with the theme of the week. And she had to stop and "wink" at Daddy.

Hazel's cupcake for being such a good dog and to help celebrate.

I will work on posting more later tonight or tomorrow. did I mention Claire is teething? She now has seven and from the sounds of it working on number eight. Poor little girlie.

10:07 a.m.

Claire is officially officially 1 year old - to the minute. So we took some pictures during her official minute this morning . . .

One Year Ago Today . . .

This is what I looked like . . .


I really don't know if this picture does my belly justice or not but I can't even hardly remember being like that. I remember Mike taking the picture but I don't really remember much else about the day except that surreal feeling of walking around thinking - "I'm not going to be pregnant anymore tomorrow and I am going to have a baby. Mike and I are going to be parents . . . who issued that license?" And I did find this post.

So tomorrow our sweet little baby will be the Big 1. I can't even believe it has been a year . . . maybe because we haven't had a year's worth of sleep . . .

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

Ok so it is a few days late but I feel weird posting about my own birthday in the first place. But here it is -

Mike had to work all day so that was sad. We had lunch at my folks house and Claire and I hung out at home. Mike and the girls got me a cake and some fun things.


This is the sign that Claire and Hazel made . . .


And tonight we had my favorite dinner at my folks - Manicotti and Boston Cream Pie! yum!


And the other pictures I found in the camera . . . nice to know they are equal opportunity fidgeters in front of the camera - it isn't just for Mommy. :)

Happy Days

I just couldn't resist taking a picture of Claire all ready for dinner the other day. She was just so smiley and happy. And even stayed that way when the red light was in her eyes. So sweet!


Daddy wasn't home last night when we were getting ready for bed so Claire had a sponge bath and soaked her feet to clean up before jammie time. She didn't want to get her hair wet.


This is when she was looking at us through the mirror. So sweet and smart!

T-7 days and counting

Quick update on the birthday planning . . .

1. In Progress - ready to be mailed tomorrow. Need to send email about family party.
2. In Progress - most of the cake decisions are decided and supplies are purchased. Need to still decide on flavors . . .
3. Not Started - Mike promises to hunt with my dad on Thursday. Fingers crossed!
4. Not Started
5. Completed - last box from Amazon came Friday.
6. Not Complete - need to schedule appointment and decide day.
7. In Progress - decisions made, need to clean house first . . . ugh.
8. Complete! Please see previous post. Yay Target!


Christmas time with Thor

Claire the Hippo


And the ever patient and curious Hazel-o-lantern

Dancing Queen

Claire got a new dancing outfit and shoes yesterday. She couldn't wait to show them off to Grandma & Grandpa.


Now all our little flower child needs is a disco ball.

T-15 days and counting . . .

One of my favorite pics of Claire
Can you believe it. Claire is going to be one year old in fifteen days. One year old! I don't know if I really believe it or not. So much has happened in the last 350 days . . . wow . . .

Anyway, more important things to get to. Since the public list helped me get my act together for Christmas, I am making one for her birthday. What could possibly need to get done? Plenty . . . oh plenty . . .

1. Send out party invitations for birthday parties (yes, plural . . . July 29th for just us, Aug 1st for the kiddies and Aug 2nd for the family - too many folks for the same day - popular girlie)
2. Decide on cake flavors/colors/finalize designs for cakes and cupcakes and buy supplies to make them.
3. Find dress I wore on my first birthday . . . is it in the second floor of the garage? Is it in the ballroom? Only 15 days to find it - let the hunt begin.
4. Wrap presents.
5. Buy presents (I think I am pretty close to being done).
6. Have 1st birthday pictures taken (but shouldn't this happen on the day or the day after?).
7. Decide on decorations/centerpieces and decorate house.
8. Find her some shoes that will fit . . .

I'm sure there will be more as time gets closer. Let me know if I am missing anything . . . Once this is all done I have to start on my Halloween list!

Here are some shots from the past year . . .


Couldn't quite make it through Uncle Lance's and Aunt Beth's wedding . . .


When we thought she might be a thumb sucker like her mommy was.



All clean post bath one night - take one.



I must have scared her with the flash . . take two.

Claire's Garden

This is the view from our kitchen window this summer. It is Claire's vegetable garden.


I think this is one of the best gardens we have ever had. Isn't it beautiful?

Claire to date . . .

I realized that I might not be putting everything in the blog that I should if I am going to convert this into her baby book someday. So I thought I should list some things that she has accomplished to date and I may not have touched on well enough before -

She can -
• Cruise, walk with two or one hands on an adult.
• Sit, squat, kneel, stand and stand without hands some.
• Pull herself up on pretty much anything – above her head, even with her and below her reach when standing.
• Pick up an array of objects with her hand, fingers and mouth.
• Pitch said objects out of her crib, pack-n-play, corral, highchair etc.
• Dance like a mad women to any sort of music you try while sitting, kneeling, standing and not holding on.
• Sings to select tunes.
• Tell me that she wants something to eat by using her mouth (not taught, came up on her own).
• Learned to use a real sippy cup when I said “suck on it like your goodie” and lightbulb went off and she has been able to drink out of it ever since. Also uses a straw.
• Claps, waves bye and hi.
• Makes tons of funny faces (see below)
• Social butterfly.
• Very observant and looks at the world at different angles (see below).
• Has abs of steel – I need to take lessons.
• Eats most everything given. Is protesting some new textures (see Spaghetti Wars a couple of posts back)
• Likes to touch heads and noses.
• Happy, happy, happy!

And on to the incriminating stuff . . .

Anyone who spends much time with Claire knows that she is much more than just a pretty face. She is a very smiley little girl but also makes an array of faces. So I have been trying to catch a few on film. Have I mentioned the dog is better at posing for the camera than Claire?


She has a no teeth version of this face that we have named "the old man." Any suggestions on a name for this one?



More of the same . . .



"I squint and smile at you" - usually done while standing at the edge of something trying to get picked-up.


This is Claire looking at the world from a different angle. She isn't tired, she just likes to look at you sideways. Sometimes we play a game of looking at each other sideways and switching sides.



And a sweet and innocent one in case you were worried about her . . .

Visitor from the Islands

My friend Courtney came by for a visit on Monday. She lives in Puerto Rico now with her husband and cat. She was home visiting her folks so we had lunch. This was her first time meeting Claire and they got along very well. Clarie liked her a lot.


Courtney is one of my oldest friends. We went to four-year old preschool together and then had every class together through elementary school. We parted ways at junior high (we were one of the few elementary schools that split the line - was sad) but we have been keeping in touch now that we are adults. We have a lot of stories to tell on each other and a lot of fun memories. I hope Claire has friends like Courtney when she is as old as we are. (yes, I know I am older by thirteen days. :))

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Grandma's Birthday was Sunday and she turned 29!


Claire just loves getting to go to Grandma's every Tuesday. She talks about it all week.

Happy 4th of July!