Clara's 9 months

Clara's 9 months

{I did this post months ago and never uploaded the picture, so here it is}

9 months has come and gone.  You are fully mobile now.  Crawling faster and faster everyday, some days your arms just can't keep up with your legs!  Pulling up has been your newest accomplishment.  All fun for us to watch, but more fun for you I think.  Just today, I watched you maneuver your way up a step. Such determination.

You babble constantly.  Creating your own little language.  It's adorable.

At your 9 month check-up you weighed 17lbs 4oz and were 29 1/2" - 85th percentile, this was not the case for your weight.  You are still in size 3 diapers and wearing 6-12 month clothes, though most of your leggings in this size are being worn as capri pants.  Time to update for fall!

We are spending a month in Memphis while I'm on rotation here at The Med doing adolescent gynecology and hoping to make a great impression!  It was an adjustment for all of us, but you seem to be back on track and sleeping through the night again.  Hopefully, our transition to Michigan next month won't take quite so long.  But if it does, we'll all be ok.  We are looking forward to a few weeks at The Fishers house with some honorary siblings! 

Happy Fall y'all!

Frozen Fun

The last two days have be so much fun.  They feel like stolen days.  As you may have heard, Mississippi and most of the Southeast have been getting winter weather.  Everything has been closed - schools, daycare and most of the clinics around town - including the dermatology clinic I'm rotating at this month.  What a treat!!  {Poor Bo, the hospital is, of course, open so off to work he goes.  We sure wish he could be home to enjoy in the festivities with us!}

Clara and I've had to get a little creative.  Taking walks were a little tricky with icy sidewalks - do you know a Mississippian with a shovel?  None in sight around here...

Yesterday we bundled up and ventured into the "snowy" front yard.  Clara was a little skeptical, this her first run-in with the white stuff.  

She eventually figured it out.  

Kind of.  

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Today we attempted finger painting with some 'edible' paint {recipe here}.  The paint was so good, Clara found it more fun to eat.  We'll keep trying.  Maybe in the bath tub - I think she's pretty conditioned that the highchair = time to eat.

The best part?!? We'll be home again tomorrow!  This is really unprecedented, I can't believe how lucky I am to get three free days at home with Clara.  Looking out to the horizon is pretty overwhelming.  I can't really imagine what residency will look like.  I'm so thankful for this stolen time with Little Girl.  

She's just the best ever.

Clara's Winter Onederland

Clara's Winter Onederland

This party was so much fun.  

Though I both dread and love party planning, as we all know, everything always works out. With a only a short time to get ready - I took a board exam in Philadelphia the day before Thanksgiving, invites didn't arrive until a week before the party, etc - I think all turned out perfect.

I let the invitations set the party tone.   Here on Etsy from ThePartyPaperFairy.  I also ordered cupcake and smash cake toppers and a banner.  All looked great.

It helped that a little shop downtown had these great decorations which were the perfect addition to our little winter onederland theme.  Clara and I picked them up on Black Friday - our only shopping excursion for the day. (Well, other than a little online shopping...)

To streamline my lack of time, I ordered chicken spaghetti from a local caterer and whipped up a salad and some appetizers myself.  Easy. Peasy.  

Cake and cupcakes were ordered from our local baker, Home Bake - delicious.  Flowers done the day before at our local florist, Blooms - exactly what I pictured.  And with our Christmas decorations up, we were set to party!

As we also know, when you feel the most unprepared for a party - everyone says "Yes, we'll be there."  But this was perfect.  With the three of us gone for a month in Michigan while I was on an away rotation, we were excited to see all our Hattiesburg friends.  

Clara was truly the star of the show.  

She was a little unsure of herself at first, but in no time she was performing for everyone - the pinnacle being her smash cake.  She reveled in everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her.  

What fun we all had.  As you can see, Bo and I were pretty giddy ourselves.  Proud parents, what can I say.  

Even if I could have, I don't think I would have changed a bit.  Now, to begin planning for next year, right?!?

P.S. If your ever wondering what to get a one-year old?  Tissue paper.  

Happy Birthday, Clara

I'm just not even going to try to explain the lapse in this blog.  It. Has just been. Busy. Period.

In other news,

Happy Birthday, Clara, 

you stinkin' adorable one-year-old.  

You have two seriously happy, really giddy, parents who love you to pieces.

(More on the birthday party to come. Promise.)

Clara's 8 months

Clara's 8 months

Well, my dearest, I've missed your 7th month post.  

Alas.  Eight.  Months.  

Wow.  

You are becoming this little person.  Your personality is booming.  

You are about to be mobile.  And we can't get enough of it.

 

This past month you weighed in at 16lbs 7oz and 26 1/2 inches long.  We have size 3 diapers on the way from Honest.  You are wearing all sorts of sizes in clothes right now.  Some of your 3-6mo stuff still fits, rompers and such.  You are into 9mo in Target-brand stuff and Carter's.  In Gap and Old Navy, you are wearing 6-12mo.  I'm really holding on to the under 12mo stuff, I really can't image you graduating to the 12-18mo.  Ah!  I don't even think I can utter those words out loud.

Our house is full of your fun little squeals and screeches.  You haven't mastered your Ms to say Ma-ma yet, but you definitely have the D-sound down pat, as well as most of the vowels sounds.  Your most vocal time is while pounding your fists on your highchair tray--we just can't seem to get the food in your mouth fast enough!  We get to hear lots of little giggles when we show you stuffed animals of any kind.  Also, your dad has started putting you up his shoulders and you can't seem to get enough of this--squeals galore.

Tummy time has been taken to a whole new level now that you can get up on all fours.  We've extended the quilt out like a runway, but your little motor seems to only go in reverse so far. No rush though--what do I do with this teetering bookshelf in the hallway?!?

In the past week you've also started to pull up while holding our hands and even once on your own in the crib.  Daycare tells me you just sit and giggle at one of your buddies as he has just mastered pulling-up on his own.  Giggling and learning some new tricks, I see.  Well, bring it on.  We love normal, healthy milestones around here.  And speaking of milestones, you are also getting pretty good at your two-finger grasp.  Lots of practice at dinner time with HappyPuffs.

You had your first ear infections this past month.  And with that came your first round of antibiotics.  But at seven months old, I feel like we are pretty lucky in the illness department.  Knock.  On.  Wood.  Your sleep was a little disrupted during this time, but we got back on track.  Back on track, that is, after a good stretch of night terrors.  I certainly didn't expect you to have these crop up this early.  But, sure enough.  Screaming.  Rocking and rolling in bed.  All with your eyes closed.  We made the mistake of picking you up the first time it happened.  Didn't make that mistake the following nights.  Then you seemed to work your way through this and we've been terror free for a week.  Fingers crossed that was the end.  Though, I have a feeling they may rear their ugly heads again...

We've all been enjoying the neighbor pool this summer -- its been hot.  Ugh.  You love sitting in your floaty playing with toys.  I'm still amazed at your ability to entertain yourself; I know we are really lucky you do this.

Overall, we've had a really great summer.  Our trip to Minnesota was a success.  I'm looking forward to completing Level 2 of Boards in two weeks.  A little extra anxiety around the house, but boy does a happy 8 month old help me de-stress at the end of the day.  That happy, smiling, giggling face can cure anyone's ailments.

A few {ok, more than a few} pictures from our trip to Minnesota at the end of June.  Clara was great on the plane and we couldn't make enough memories while we were there.