Fall Fun

We took Clare to an apple orchard in Illinois this past weekend - we thought since she was four months old she needed to travel to her fourth state. This orchard was insanely crowded. Of course, it helped that it was a beautiful 80 degrees and sunny. There was tons of fun stuff for kids, so we might go back when Clare is older. We got apple cider donuts, apple cider, and a bag of delicious Honey Crisp apples. What a great way to spend a beautiful day - we need to enjoy them while they last!

Clare sees her first pumpkins!

Clare as turkey.

Oh my God! What is this amazing thing? (No, she didn't get to eat any of the donut.)

Daddy's baked potato with chili looks okay, but I think I'll just stick with eating Daddy's thumb.

Milestones

We knew she had done it, because we found her on her stomach when she woke up from her morning nap. And then, later, we had proof:

Hmmm...I think my mom wants me to do something.

I guess I will perform my new trick.

As a reward, I will eat my toes.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be this excited about a baby rolling over, I probably would have rolled my eyes. But oh, it is so exciting when it is your own baby doing these things! I can't wait for the next milestone.

Four Months

Four months! FOUR MONTHS! When I was pregnant, I thought the baby would never arrive. And now here I sit, with a FOUR MONTH OLD!

 A few weeks ago, we were sitting around the dinner table at my parents’ house. Clare was in her car seat, on a chair pulled up to the table. We noticed she was staring intently at the toy dangling from the handle. She had never really paid it much attention before, but she was definitely focused on it now. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched it. The she reached out and grasped it and pulled, hard. Her eyes and mouth were open in amazement. “Wait," she seemed to be thinking, "These hands are attached to me and I can control them?” Her mind was blown. Ever since, she has been much more interested in toys and books than she was in the past. She smiles at her froggy rattle. Then she tries to eat it. She loves her soft Curious George book. She tries to eat that, too. She stares at herself in the mirror in her crib, and swats at the ball attached to it. She has yet to try to eat the mirror, as far as I know. It is fun seeing her become more aware of and interested in these things. Oh, and she LOVES the television. Is this a bad sign?

She is doing well at daycare. They say she is happy there all day, which is nice. I miss her like crazy when I am at work, but so far it seems to be a good balance. I like having adult interaction, but I still get my time at home with her during the week.

This has been another busy month. We traveled to the Twin Cities, Clare went to her first birthday party, and attended her second wedding - this time it was her Aunt Katie getting married, and she slept through the whole thing (Clare, not Katie).

Oh, and yeah. She was sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night. Now, not so much. For the past week, she has been waking up for two feedings a night. Fellow moms, any thoughts on why this might be? I am anxious to put a stop to it.

She still seems tall for her age, but what do I know. Her 4-month check up is next week, so I’ll find out then what her stats are.  On to more pictures!

Clare and her friends Archer and Alice.

Recovering after Aunt Katie's wedding.

Reading her favorite soft book.

Tummy time!

My Little Sister Got Married

This is how tired I was after celebrating at my sister's wedding last weekend: On Monday night, I pulled out the dental floss I was going to use, and then chucked the entire container into the toilet.  I don't know why. This sent me into a fit of hysterical laughter, and I couldn't calm down for several minutes. Ben looked at me like I was a crazy person. Which I am.

 

The wedding was wonderful. Katie looked beautiful and everything was perfect, despite the flower girl insisting that "the wedding is messed up" when we weren't immediately lined up in the correct order to walk down the aisle.  Clare slept through the whole ceremony, which was a relief. Some other kids were loud, but at least they weren't mine. She did cry through my toast at the reception, though. I tried not to take it personally.

I am so happy to have my new brother-in-law as part of our family. He is a great guy, and perfect for Katie. I really lucked out with my siblings-in-law. We all get along, which is wonderful.

I was going through my photos, and realized I don't have any of the ceremony, and hardly any of Katie and Andrew at the reception. I guess we'll have to wait for the professional photos for that.

Clare at the end of the rehearsal dinner. She had enough. But aren't her tights fabulous?

The Bride and the Chief Bridesmaid, after our hair appointments and a mimosa or two.

Par-Tay Bus! We took pictures at the Capitol and then drove around and drank Miller Lite. Ah, Wisconsin.

The Bride and Groom with my grandparents, who have been married for 66 years. The band asked them what their secret to a long, happy marriage is. My grandpa: "Don't talk."

The Newlywed game with shoes. They got 6 out of 6 correct. Katie's dress was gorgeous, I'll post a better picture when I get one.

Hmmmm...I see someone got a hold of my camera.

Bed time for Clare. Ben was so sweet - he took Clare up to our room and let me stay and celebrate with my family. I danced and danced, and then spent a half hour pulling bobby pins out of my hair. It was great.

Pink

Last week I took my dress for my sister's upcoming wedding to a tailor in Janesville. Clare was along for the ride, and after a minor meltdown in the car (by Clare, not me), we managed to make it inside the shop. The tailor and I discussed whether or not I would be able to nurse in the dress (not). She glanced  at Clare. "Oh, will he take a bottle?" She asked. "She will," I said.

"Oh, you're a girl! Your mommy needs to dress you in more pink!"

Um, no. Now, don't get me wrong, I like pink. And Clare has lots of pink, girly outfits that I am happy to dress her in. I didn't say anything in response to that comment, but I was thinking to myself, "Lady, you need to change your world view."

I am probably guilty of making many of the same assumptions, and this is not the first time someone has thought Clare was a boy. And I don't really care about that, because really, at this age, you can't tell. It just bugs me that little boys can wear red, blue, yellow, green, and brown, and everyone will assume they're a boy. But if a little girl wears anything but pink, people assume she is a boy.

I know this is not a big deal, but it seems like even for a 3-month-old, it is a man's world.

The Yoop

Clare is excited to stay in her first hotel room.

I wanted to post these pictures last week, but housework, work-work, and this whole taking care of a 3-month-old thing kind of got in the way. Over Labor Day weekend, we attended the wedding of a lifelong friend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Clare got to visit her third state (after Wisconsin and Minnesota), and we got to have our first family vacation.

We stayed at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, near Copper Harbor, MI. I love the smell of pine in the north, and when we stepped out of the car in Michigan we were hit with that wonderful sent. The day of the wedding was sunny and warm. Clare had to be taken away from the wedding due to crying. Hopefully she will not repeat that performance during Aunt Katie's wedding in a few weeks!

On Sunday, we went on a scenic drive with views of Lake Superior, saw the start of a mountain bike race, and ate pasties. It was a fun trip, except for our incredibly loud and drunken neighbors. We didn't get much sleep. Clare did great on the 8 hour car trip, even when her parents' discovered they couldn't follow simple directions and ended up driving the wrong way. On the bright side, we drove home through Green Bay and I got to see Lambeau Field in person for the first time. Just driving by on the Interstate, but still, there it was. On to the pictures!

Her majesty sleeps while her parents scramble to get ready on the morning of the wedding.

The view from our hotel room in Hancock, Michigan.

Clare and Daddy and a beautiful sunset. Of course, this picture does not do the sunset justice.

The beautiful bride and me. We have known each other since we were 3 years old.

Yeah, the weather was not so nice the next day. Clare did not like the wind.

Lake Superior. Brrrrr....

Grandma Jo, Daddy and Clare waiting for our pasties.

Clare lounges by the fire in Grandma and Grandpa's cabin at the end of the day. The rest of us drank wine.

Three Months

Last month I wrote that Clare was very stingy with her smiles. That is no longer the case. This morning, she was giving Dad a huge smile. And then she gave the wall a huge smile. She especially loves people with glasses or facial hair, so Grandpa Steve is a big hit. (He has a very thick, bushy mustache. And glasses. Obviously.)

This has been a big month for Clare. She went to two new states (Minnesota and Michigan). She met lots of future friends and current family members. She went to the Minnesota State Fair. She was Baptized. She attended her first Brewers game. She was at part of her first wedding (until she cried and had to be taken away by Daddy). And she started daycare.  She has been there twice - so far, so good. Tomorrow will be her longest day there yet, because Ben can't pick her up so she will have to wait until I can get her after work (!).

Clare is getting better and better at holding up her head. She still hates tummy time, but is willing to try to pick up her head for a few minutes to humor me. She is trying out many new voices, and likes to be able to see the world around her. Her favorite color seems to be green.

Last night, she sat on her Grandpa Ralph's lap during dinner. She could see me down the table, and started to get whiny. She was hungry. I kept eating and she kept looking at me and whining. I love that she knows where her food comes from. She perks up every time she hears my voice. Of course, like I said before, she smiles at the wall, but I still like to feel special.

This month brings big changes for me, too. I started back to work yesterday. When I first got there, it felt like I'd been gone forever. Then, I sat at my desk and logged into my computer and I felt like I'd blinked and the summer was over. I am only back part time, so I am off again today.

The weather has changed to fall, so now I am worrying about Clare having enough warm clothes. I think another day of shopping is in order! It is hard to know how much to buy in each size, because she is growing like a weed.  She doesn't go back to the doctor until next month, so I'll have updated statistics then! Now, back to laundry. I am not at work, but I am certainly working all day.