4 Months Old!

Well, this will be a short and sweet post.  I have recently updated Claire's Sharesite with her 4 month "photoshoot." A lot of me wants to take her to a professional photographer, but we will wait until at least the 6 month mile-marker for that! 

Before I share some of my favorite pictures with you, I must say how blessed I am.  Seriously.  The past month has really been more challenging than I can really express.  I have been physically, emotionally, and mentally at the end of my rope.  I am not sure I have experienced that type of exhaustion on all levels before.  So much so that I felt incompetent to be anything, including a parent, employee, or even a wife. Everything in me wanted to shutdown and essentially not exist any more.

But...

Praise God for friends and family.  Words cannot express how incredibly blessed I am.  There's nothing quite like going through the thick of the storm and having your friends literally run to your rescue.  I must admit, I was very leery about having kids in Chicago.  We are at minimum 4 hours away from any grandparent and both sets of grandparents are very busy!  Our friends' lives are hectic as well, but it's really amazing to see how God used each of them in a special way to help us through the difficult time.

Now I will leave you with Claire's 4 month progression!!!  I chose a few different pics from the bunch...

Newborn

 

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Daily life

Let me just start by saying that we are blessed with the best friends anyone could request! The past month has been filled with challenge, sickness, and everyday difficulties. Claire has spent quality time with anyone who will take her this month! After the stomach flu, colds, coughs, and emotional breakdowns...I think we are slowly on our way to recovery.

My little peanut is just getting over a bad cold and the hubbs is currently walking through it. We've tried to make sure to wash our hands as much as possible, but nothing seems to keep us from kissing her cute face.

Today is my brother's, Matt, birthday! It's the last year of his 20s!! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday Brian and I were meeting some friends for tapas to celebrate my 30th. Ha! How time flies, right?

Well, I will leave you with some daily recent pictures of the cutest baby ever.

Trying on hats at Baby Gap!

She's always soooo happy when she stinks!

Ahhaaahhhaaaaaaaa.... Aaaaaaaeeeeeaaaah.... These words are really I love you so much in 'baby-code'

Pretty sure she's already embarrassed by us.

Shy about eating nowadays....

 

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It's been a while! Trip to MI!

HELLO!!!  It's been so long since I've had a chance to update everyone!  So much has happened, but before I go into all of it I must post about our (long past) trip to Michigan over Labor Day. 

Claire got to see her new cousin, Ayden, and she met the Tuckeys for the first time.  While we were out visiting the whole family got together and we had a couple professional photographers come and take pictures.  It was so much fun.  Barb and Les have such a great property that we didn't even have to leave the comfort of their own home.  

 Liz is getting so grown up!  I just can't believe it - stop looking so much older!

 The barn made a great backdrop for the pictures...here's grandma and grandpa and the kiddos.

 Here's "the peanut gallery" ha - always have something to say...and we were working hard to make Nate smile.

 Here's the kids getting set up for the next picture.

 HA - Brian is always a character.

Brian juggling for Kate and Viv.

 YESSSSS!!!!  More grill stuff!!!

 Happy Birthday Barb and Brian!

Claire and Ayden side by side - I can't believe how tiny he is!!  Was Claire ever really that small?!

Mandy made a wonderful cake with lemon curd in it...it rivaled her dreamsickle cake for sure!  We had a wonderful time celebrating and spending time with the family.  The weekend was over all too quickly.  Can't wait until the next time! (CHRISTMAS!!!!)