Little Needle, BIG DRAMA!

The dreaded shot!  Ugh - who likes shots?!  NO ONE!  Now days there's even MORE drama surrounding the blasted needle!  "you're shooting your baby up", "you're protecting them from bad things", "you're making a mistake", "it's for her own good"

I could go on and on and on.

The controversy and passion inoculations bring up is right up there with politics and religion.

I decided to go ahead and vaccinate my kiddo.  Doing this for a number of reasons and I know some out there disagree with me and that's okay.  Just like in the realm of discipline and what our children eat...we all have to make some kind of decision that's right for us.  And since this isn't really an argument for one or the other - time to move on!

Claire and I showed up to the doc just like any other time...only THIS time Daddy wasn't with us!  That darn carseat gets SO HEAVY with her laying in it.  I seriously just want to cart the stroller everywhere so I don't have to lug that thing around in my arms.  I need to start lifting weights so I can keep up with my growing child!!

We usually get the purple room - this time was no different.  Come in - take her clothes off, take her temp, weigh her - 11lbs 5oz - measure her head, measure her length etc...  The doctor came in and told me what to expect in the next month and from the shots.  Then the nurses came in armed and ready!  1-2-3 - - 2 shots into the legs and before Claire gets her second bellow out - the 3rd one goes in!  And before we know it - both nurses are on their way out!  That is NOT a job I ever want!  How awful to have a count of how many perfectly happy adorable babies they made cry that day!!!  I hope there are better aspects of their job!

After just a couple minutes she calmed down and we got her dressed and then into the car.  Since then she's been pretty tired.  She's spent most the afternoon sleeping beside me while I'm on the computer - waking only to eat.  Hopefully she sleeps tonight!!

Tomorrow is the daycare dress rehearsal!  I'm off work, but Brian is getting up and taking her to daycare!  I will be up observing and then will drive separate to daycare to fill out any last minute paperwork and learn how to label everything and various other logistics. 

At 10:00am - I'm going for my massage!  :)  Mommy gets a day off!

Here she is patiently waiting for the doctor

Listening to her little heart...we might have a little murmur, keeping an "ear" on it is what the doctor says - check again next month, so far nothing to worry about!

Here's my little sugar bear a couple minutes after her shots.  Calm again - phew!

Precious few days

 I have had a really good week!  Claire is beginning to sleep longer through the night! I don't think things will be perfect by Wednesday, but we are headed in the right direction.  I just had to share the cute pictures above!  She is so loveable and huggable after her bath.  She rarely smiles though...she's usually very anxious to get to the next phase of the bedtime routine - EATING!  She rarely gets tense about food, but give her a bath at 9pm and you will see a ravenous side of her.

I have greatly enjoyed my 2+ months with Claire.  I feel like I have learned so much over the past 9 weeks.  I'm figuring out when she's sleepy, what her different cries are, and how to hold her so that she feels comforted.  It has been a wild ride and it's only the beginning.  We have had some incredible help along the way too - which I will never forget!

Another enjoyable thing about being home with her is the ability to have "play dates".  Ok ok at this age I'm sure the play dates are more about the adult interaction than the child's, but still I'd like to think we both look forward to them.  Below are 3 different play dates Claire and I had with Jake and his mom Stef.  Neither of them seem terribly interested in the other.  They just sort of play independently next to each other, but Stef and I are convinced they like the visits.  hehehe. 

1st Play Date...Jake was all about action!

Claire slept through everything...despite efforts to include her, poor Jake was left to play alone.

2nd Plat Date!  Claire was still very sleepy...there were a few looks and kicks, but it was still mostly Jake moving around.

3rd Play Date - Claire is awake!!!  This time it's her bouncing around while Jake just chills. They also had a GREAT helper (Lucy) to bring them lots of soft toys to keep them company.

 I must admit I have been letting Claire sleep on me or by me on the couch a bit more this week than usual.  I am just soaking up every last second I can before heading back to work.  I'm dreading those first days of drop off, but I will say that I don't think daycare is bad...I just am not quite emotionally prepared (nor will ever be) to drop off my little girl and leave her.  I know it helps socialize and it's a good place and there are plenty of professionals, but the last 9 weeks have been all about her and I getting to know each other and having a great time doing so.  I am SO blessed by this little munchkin!

Just a quick note

I don't have much time right now because it's just about time to leave for small group!  I have had the best day with Claire!  She's SO cuddly today I love it.  Okay okay...I'm totally spoiling her today, I let her fall asleep on me in the morning, and in the afternoon she slept on the couch right next to me while I updated her "blog" Claire's Shoebox!  It's a shared site by Shutterfly.

I will post the link and let me know if you want to know more.  If not - I won't be offended lol...I know that Claire is most important to me and I think everything she does is amazing and wonderful.  Some readers have their own kids and such who they think are wonderful.  I get it.

Anyway, the link is: http://clairesshoebox.shutterfly.com/

Have a great day! Gotta run.

Super Baby!

I must say that so far today Claire really has been a super baby!  It's not every day I get her to go down for naps so easily!  Yay - mommy gets a little break.  I love celebrating the little things!  Who knows, she could be a bear tonight, but I will still be thankful for my lazy day.
I've been able to do a couple chores around the house, but am trying to take it easy because I might have overdone it a bit the last two days.  It's pretty common for me to get 4-5 hours of sleep (broken sleep at that) then I try to nap during the day.  Those precious naps are coming to an end soon, so I'm doing my best to stay up during the day!!!  Wish me luck!

Ok - what you've been waiting for, I'm assuming is the explanation of super baby.  Well - at my amazing baby shower many people chipped in and made onesies for the baby!!  Now I'm in the process of documenting her monthly milestones in these onesies.  Hopefully she will fit into all of them at the right times!  Well, speaking of the little monster - I hear her calling!!  I will leave you with month 1 and 2!

yep...she is indeed wearing a cape

I just wanted to add this one to compare...she has definitely grown!

Back to work soon...

Time is just flying by! Claire is nearly two months old and I'm preparing to go back to work. I am dreading those first days back, but I have to start somewhere, right? I must admit the adult interaction will be rather nice and I will definitely welcome the full paycheck again. The other side of the coin is taking Claire to daycare (sigh). The last 2 months have been all about her and me hanging out and "bonding" if you will. Now that time will look quite different. I look at everything that isn't really getting done around the house now...and think...how in the world is this going to work?

I'm both nervous and excited to go back to work. There have been a few changes in the office and it sounds like it's for the better! I will be assigned a certain skill set or account to cover, so it will hopefully eliminate the fighting over reqs issue. There are new hires there as well! Can't wait to actually get to know them!

Brian and I are starting by planning ahead for our meals. We went to the store yesterday and we know what we're having for dinner for the coming week. I've also started doing a section of laundry everyday. Maybe starting a load and drying it, then folding it and putting it away the next day. I downloaded this app called "motivated moms". It gives me a list of "to-do's" everyday. It really does a nice job of breaking down everything that eventually must be done in the house. It even includes things like wiping down the fridge shelves and clipping the kids nails! I have found it pretty useful so far. It's really nice to check things off as I go.

Claire is really changing! I still can't believe she will be 2 months old on Saturday! Lol wait until you see her 2 month onesie! Hehe. Oh my goodness! I just realized I haven't posted her "one month" pic! I intended to include it last time I wrote! Here it is!

I just love her little headband!! I have like 10 different colors of it! Brian pretty much can't stand them, so I only bring them out on special occasions. I wish I got a good picture without the pacifier, but it was the only thing helping her to hold it together while mom snapped a ton of pictures.

As I mentioned earlier she's growing so fast! She's 10lbs now! She no longer wears newborn size clothing and now fits into 0-3 months. Below are a few more pics!

These are my favorite pj's that she only got to wear twice!

We went shopping...these are sooo her!

Grandma Barb brought back an adorable onesie from Disney!

She's staring at our lamp...she does this on a regular basis. Has this same look for 5+ minutes

I am involve with this smile!

I just love this outfit grandma Linda brought her! Gotta love baby capris!

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We made it a month...and a few days!

Silly Face

Wow!

A whole month has gone by!  I feel like it's been forever since I've written on this blog!  I really need to get better at this if I'm going to make a book out of this blog for the year.  If you like pictures, you are IN LUCK with this post.  This post is really more for me than it is for you, but I'm sure those that browse will appreciate the pics.

I've done my best to collect the many different faces Claire makes on a regular basis.  I haven't gotten all of them, but I want to share the ones that have been collected, so here goes...

Smiling!

Milk Coma Face 

Interested...checking things out

"Blue Steel" (pooping)

Angry/Upset Face

Hungry

Posed - too sleepy to care what Mom is doing with her.

Fighting sleep...sleep is winning

Sleep won.

Happy Friday

This has been an interesting week. We are well established in our "eat every 3 hours" routine with Claire. she has nearly figured out that night time is a time to sleep. She still wakes up about every 3 to 4 hours, but generally goes back to sleep fairly quickly. She's awake more during the day and we have heard her cry more this week than any other week. I'm slowly learning the difference in her cries...but ya...it will be a while before I master that.

Since it's been super hot outside we have spent all day inside, so by the time Brian gets home I'm kinda ready to get out! We have started to take walks in the evening and really love it. The walk gives Brian and I a chance to talk and spend quality time and the outside air makes Claire pass out! Ha!

I do have a few pictures to share! A photographer came to our home and took adorable pics! It was so much fun watch them do different things! They sent me 5 preview images, so thought I would share!

 

 

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