Look-alike

Ahh haha! Mom wins by a small margin!

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family name

In other news, Claire weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz at the doctor's this morning. She is gaining ground on the weight chart but losing ground on the length chart. A mere 24 inches long she fell to the 4th percentile. Dad explained to Claire that she will just have to get used to it... she isn't going to be breaking any height records with us as her parents.

6 months!

Claire hit the big 1/2 year mark yesterday. Can you believe it? Six months old! She has been working on sitting on her own. She much prefers to stand so she hasn't been all that keen on sitting but within the last four days she has gone from not being to lift herself up after bending at the waist to sitting straight up with only the help of the Boppy.

She is still battling the cold and we think she might be teething. She seems to be drooling a lot more than her normal quart a day. And she has taken to chewing on dad's hand, her keys and just about anything she can put in her mouth. She's always been a chewer but not typically on other people's hands.

She continues to eat her cereal well and finishes the amount we give her. Sometime in the next couple of weeks we'll start with the pureed veggies and fruits. Mom is thinking she might like to try making some of it on her own and freezing it since all the freezer space has opened up as Claire continues to work through the milk stock.

We can't wait to see what the next six months bring!

Solids & Stuffiness

Claire came down with a cold late last week. Mom and dad have been chasing her around the house with the bulb sucker. She is very patient and only rarely gets upset. Maybe she understands that it will make her feel better. Mom & dad are watching her to make sure it doesn't escalate into anything serious (like RSV). So far, no fever and she continues to eat, just not as much as normal. 

That didn't stop mom & dad from starting with 'solids'. Solid is a relative term... The first time we mixed the cereal with her milk most of it ran down her chin and onto her bib. Dad mixed it just a bit thicker the next day and she took all of it and then continued to finish her bottle. We tried again this evening but didn't have as much land inside her mouth. Claire tends to slow down how much she eats at night so we didn't have high expectations. Nevertheless, she smiled a lot and continued to open her mouth. All signs mom & dad like to see! 

Look at these chunky hands. Looks like Claire is eating plenty.  

Chunky Monkey

Claire takes a nap on mom last week. Dad took this right after she turned her head, hence the lines on the side of her face.

Claire tells her paparazzi father to step outside. Who likes getting their picture taken in the bath tub with a chunky belly?!?

Claire gets ready to cheer on the Vikings. She's just a wee bit bigger than the football.

Thanks for Claire

We headed to Grandma Joanne and Grandpa Jim's for Thanksgiving. This was the first family event away from the house since July and Claire had a rough go. We think she was overwhelmed and out of her element. Cranky and distracted she didn't nap well and didn't eat well. She didn't even calm down when Grandma picked her up (a rarity). When we got home she zonked out after a crying jag and slept like a rock. Friday she was still recovering but seemed to be doing better.

Lately she has been grabbing onto her toys when offered. Yesterday, while watching some football, she actually held onto one of her animal friends for several minutes. Well... chewed on one of her animal friends is a better description. She's like a little billy-goat, this one.

Mom swears Claire is also singing. She has noticed that when the music is on or when mom is singing to Claire, she begins to babble. And when the music stops or if mom stops, Claire stops not long after. It's a hoot ~ she just babbles along, whether she knows the song or not. Last night we spent some time singing old Schoolhouse Rock Songs.

It was a busy weekend with many pictures but mom hasn't had a chance to do anything with them yet. We'll post this 'old' one of Claire with Alex to hold you over.

Nap? We don't need no stinkin' naps.

Nap schedule? Never heard of it. On the Myers-Briggs, Claire must be a 'P' like her folks (mom floats between P & J). She clearly does not like the idea of being tied down to a nap schedule. This makes things somewhat challening for mom & dad as they try to plan out events that inlcude Ms. Claire. Plus, by the end of the day she is quite tired and has a hard time calming down to go to bed. Yeesh! She continues to sleep through the night, however, so mom & dad are still counting their blessings.

Saturday we headed the a photo shoot at Red Ribbon Studio with mom's friend Maribeth. She was doing a fundraiser for Peace House. We were able to get a few shots of the whole family (mom, dad, Jordan & Claire) and some of just the girls. Can't wait to see how they turn out. Claire will have her own photo shoot later this week when Maribeth comes to the house. Dad pointed out that Claire is so used to having a camera in her face that she knows just what she should do and starts smiling.

Claire's excema seems to be doing better. Every night before she goes to bed, she gets slathered in Aquaphor. Mom is hoping that the use of the Elidel will be minimal.

Claire says hello to Mr. Lion after her diaper change. As you can see, this is why Claire is no longer changed on top of the changing table.

Enjoying her time in the exersaucer

A milk-drunk Irish girl in her Ireland PJs.

In her Kick & Play yesterday

In her Kick & Play in July. Look at how much she has grown!

Itching, Rolling and a Dozen pounds

Claire headed into the doctor today to check on a rash she has had for the last couple of weeks. Turns out she has eczema. She was prescribed an ointment to treat the infected areas and dad picked up a new moisturizer. We will also scale back on the number of baths she gets so we don't dry out her skin. Hopefully she will grow out of it like her cousins Nate, Liz and Adam did. On a better note, she weighed in at 12 lbs 8 oz. Mom & dad estimated low and were excited to learn she is even higher on the growth chart.

Her new favorite thing to do while under her activity gym is to roll onto her side. She has gotten so good at it she can no longer be changed on the changing table without a hand on her. Mom has taken to changing her on the floor. It's only a matter of time before she rolls all the way over.

She has also become quite the faucet. The burp cloth is a constant companion. Dad asked the doctor if Claire might be teething early. The doctor didn't think so but said it could be that they are coming in early.

Mom & dad are 'fighting' to keep Claire's thumbs out of her mouth. While she will take the pacifier when she is really tired but her favorite soothing activity is to suck on her thumb. We try to substitute the paci for her thumb but despite being tongue tied the little stinker can really push out the paci when she doesn't want to use it.

In the name of the father, son and holy ghost. Ghost??

Claire has had a very busy late October. We headed to grandma Jackie & Papa's for the annual Whitcomb Pumpkin Carving gathering. As you can see by the photo the kids like to carve a lot of pumpkins. Since Claire isn't able to weld a carving knife yet her cousin Adam stepped to the plate and carved a pumpkin for her.



The next day we got up early and headed to the church for her baptism. Claire was the only girl to be baptised at this mass. She wore a dress that was originally for mom's second cousin Maggie. Many of the kids in mom's family have worn it, including mom and aunt Karey. Claire was not immersed and didn't seem all that surprised to have water dumped on her head. Mom & Claire have been practicing during bath time so she wouldn't cry.

Claire's first Halloween was a bit colder than mom would have liked, so Claire stayed inside to help pass out candy in her costume. She received many compliments from trick-or-treaters.

Looks like Claire got into the candy dish!

Ouch!

Claire rests up for the Viking game yesterday. Too bad she didn't get to see a win.

Claire headed in for her 4 mos check up this morning. She received her next round of shots and this time wasn't as easily quieted. She was mad and let mom know it for a good 10 minutes. Whew. She weighed in at 11 lbs 13 oz and 23 1/2 inches. She is doing really well and her doctor is very pleased with her progress. On some levels she acts like the 4 month old she is (sleeping) while on others she is more like a 2 month old (hand coordination). Like her dad said, she seems to have taken things to a new level last week. She likes spending time on her belly, showing off how high she can lift herself. She has also made an effort to control her hand while grabbing her keys and does the same when she sits in her kick & play with her spinner. Claire laughs at her friend wormy.

Claire attended her first Gopher football game on Saturday. Despite the loss, she seemed to take it in stride. When we first arrived she was overwhelmed by the noise and sights so she went right to sleep. After a bit she woke up and she and mom went to the ladies room for a little more quiet space to eat and get changed. After that she was awake and looking around, taking it all in. She handled the train ride really well, looked outside for most of the trip watching the landscape fly by.
Claire relaxes with dad after the Gopher loss on Saturday.

Claire spent Thursday with Jordan as Jordan was off school for MEA. Big sister was in charge (while dad worked downstairs) feeding, changing and entertaining. Mom is really glad they got to spend some time together just the two of them. According to dad, so was Jordan as she has to 'share' Claire with other family members when the extended family gets together.

4 Months Old

Claire showing dad how well she can lift her head during tummy time.

We can't quite believe it but Claire is 4 months old today. Time seems to be flying by.

After a couple of nights of waking in the middle of the night Claire has once again taken to sleeping for long stretches. Claire was waking up not because of hunger but because she would scoot herself out from underneath the blanket. Once we figured out that the sleep sack is the ticket we were back in business. And mom promptly went to buy a couple more!

To ring in her 4 month birthday Claire moved into the next diaper size. She is now wearing #2 diapers. We put away more clothing this week - seems like each week she is growing out of one or two items.

Last weekend mom and Claire headed to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch with cousins Ryan and Alex and Aunt Karey. It was a very hot day but Claire seemed to enjoy being out of the stroller as we walked around the corn maze. However, when it came to picture time she was ready for a nap.

Alex shaded Claire's eyes without any prompting from us. Such a smart cookie - making sure his little cousin is OK.

Claire's Smiles

With all the sleep Claire has been getting she has been very smiley.


Earlier this week she moved from the small bucket we were using for her baths to the larger one we can put in the tub. After her bath in the 'big girl' tub
Claire under her activity gym. Smiling at Mr. Smiley

Her father's genes

Apparently Claire got her father's genes when it comes to sleeping. She has slept 8+ hours in a row the last three nights. We thought it might have been because we wrapped her up like a burrito in her blanket the first two nights but let her 'free' last night and she still slept for nearly 9 hours.

We didn't expect this until much later in her first year (mom thought it would be closer to 8 months based on her gestational age). We realize this will likely come to an end in the not too distant future as she ramps up her eating again for the next growth spurt. However, for the time being, we will enjoy it. She wakes up smiling and cooing - well rested with a VERY wet diaper. The folks who make infant diapers don't expect babes to sleep through the night.

Claire continues to show off her skills. She can now hold her head up on her own and doesn't lose control as much as she used to. She also has gotten a handle on her 'spinner' on her bouncy chair. This toy came from a friend and we strapped it onto the chair so she could work on her motor skills while hanging out in her chair. She whips that baby around sometimes!

Her favorite 'toy' is now her activity gym. Not because of the many toys that surround her but because of the smiley face at the top of the gym. We place Claire on her back, turn on the music and watch her face light up when she sees Mr. Smiley. She talks to him too. Just cracks up mom & dad.

Picture Time

Claire at the PKD walk 9/15/07

Claire with Jordan at the Whitcomb Family Reunion

The Whitcomb Family

New Schedule

Mom went back to work on Thursday of last week and Claire stayed home with dad. She begins her new schedule this week. On Mondays she will spend the day with Aunt Karey, Alex and Ryan. Mom & Claire headed to their house last week for a 'test run'. Claire is going to have to learn how to nap with a lot of noise around. Mom & dad think it may help her associate quiet time at night with longer sleep periods! Wednesdays, Grandma Joanne is coming up to spend the day with Claire so dad can get some work done. Mom and dad imagine Grandma Joanne and Claire are going to spend a lot of time playing and reading.

Claire has been keeping up with longer stretches of sleep at night. She usually goes down between 7pm and 9pm and sleeps for 5-7 hours. For a '7 week old' (her adjusted age) that's not too shabby. She's gotten hooked on being swaddled. Until recently she didn't like being wrapped up but as of late she seems to enjoy being snug in her blankets.

She continues to enjoy bath time and smiles when she is put into the water after getting her hair washed. Mom likes to pretend Claire is getting baptised and hopes this will prepare Claire for the real thing (no crying!).

Lately, she has taken to 'standing' while being held facing mom, dad or Jordan. She puts her weight on her legs and holds herself up while being braced. Dad has also had success with Claire's tummy time, getting her to push herself up higher and lift her head to see him. She is doing really well holding her head while being held. She has also made the transition to the Snugli as long as she is facing forward and can see the world.

Claire went to Uncle Joel and Aunt Martha's last week for her first 'offsite' babysitting adventure. Mom & dad went out for dinner and it was easier to bring Claire to their house with the hectic schedules of her cousins. Per Uncle Joel, Claire did well. Didn't even know mom & dad were gone.

Claire met many of her extended Whitcomb family on Saturday at the family reunion (pictures to be posted later) and was a trooper. She really does seem to enjoy large family gatherings.

3 Months Today

Our little girl joined us three months ago today. We can't quite believe it has already been three months. We recently discontinued the formula supplement with her milk since the doctor said that was OK. This way we can keep the samples we have been sent and the stash of preemie formula we got from the hospital for when she moves off breast milk. Claire seems to actually be eating better without the formula. We knew without it she would want to take more as it wouldn't be as filling but she might also be going through another growth spurt.

We still don't have a consistent sleeping pattern. This is one of the areas where Claire's 'corrected age' really is evident. She behaves more like a 7 week old. All attempts by mom & dad to create a pattern have been for naught. Mom would have liked a more consistent pattern in time for her return to work, but oh well.

The weather has been iffy as of late (hail yesterday for a spell) so mom & Claire went to the mall to get out of the house. This was Claire's first shopping trip (outside of Target and the grocery store). Claire was a trooper and slept the whole time. This didn't stop her from coming home with some cute outfits.

Claire ready to head out for her trip to the mall. She obviously does not know what excitement awaits her.
Claire and Tabitha

Modeling for mom

Let the brainwashing begin... Claire wears her Gopher cheerleading outfit on Saturday.
Claire sports her pink shoes from Jen E. Claire's shoe collection is a little light in mom's standards (only 4 pair!)
Claire has been a good sport this week as mom snapped numerous photos. We're pretty confident those eyes are going to stay blue.

Nearing 3 months

9 lbs 9 oz. That's what the little chunky monkey weighed in at yesterday. Mom & Claire made another visit to the doctor to check on Claire's congestion. All is well, no issues with her ears or lungs so our doctor feels it will eventually go away. Claire has small nasal passages so any amount of congestion makes her sound like she can't breathe.

This hasn't stopped Claire from heading out on the town. Mom, dad and Claire visited the great MN Get-Together last week. Next year mom imagines Claire will make her own food requests but this year she was stuck getting what mom wanted (pronto pup, gelato, fries, cheese curds and mini-donuts -so healthy!). Claire lasted for about 3 hours in the stroller before she said enough! Feed me and get me out of this thing. Claire took her bottle in the shade and since sunscreen is a no-no we threw a blanket over her head and walked the rest of the way to the car.

Sunday we headed to the marina to visit with some of the Whitcomb family. Grandma Jackie and Papa have a slip in Bayport. Claire stayed in her stroller while we were down by the boat but came out for a visit when we got back up to the parking lot.

Wednesday Claire and mom headed out to lunch with Dianna and new babe Riley (one of Claire's future boyfriends). Mom heads back to work on 9/20 so she is packing in visits with friends and spending as much time as she can with Claire.

Little Chick

Claire in her hand painted onesie from her second cousin once removed (??) Amy Wood Thomas.

Out of the bassinet...

and into the crib. Claire made the decision to begin sleeping in her own room the other night. Actually, she spit up after one of her middle of the night feedings and the quilting needed to be washed so dad put her in the crib. Since she did well mom & dad decided it was time to make the move official. She had been napping in the crib during the day to get used to the room and the crib.

The first night was fine for Claire, but not for mom. Up every couple of hours for feedings and to check on her. Mom is having some issues with not being able to hear Claire breathing. Last night went better (as Claire pulled another long stretch of sleep) but mom still went in to check on her multiple times.

Chipmunk Cheeks

Some closeups for Kim in FL.



And one of her cute little tootsie.

Congestion

Ms. Claire has a cold. Mom & Claire headed to Grandpa Jim & Grandma Joanne's for a couple of days while Dad and Jordan went on their annual camping trip. Thank goodness family is nearby as mom would have been very stressed without the sage advice of Grandma Joanne.

Claire seems to be stuffed up but is fairing better today. Hopefully the worst of it will pass and she can begin to recover. Her appetite has not been impacted, she is just sleeping more than her norm. Mom hopes that it passes quickly so she can quit worrying about additional breating issues and things like pneumonia. How unfair to be 2 months old and dealing with a summer cold. Curses.

2 Month Visit

Claire went in for her 2 month check up and shots today. Mom and dad estimated her weight a bit low. We thought she would be around 7.5 pounds... she weighed in at 8 lbs 9 oz! No wonder mom's arms are toning up! This put her at 3.7% on the growth chart. She hasn't gained any ground on length but considering the size of her mom she may be destined to be on the low end of the curve. She gained quite a bit on the size of her head (she's getting pretty full of herself, eh?). She was actually barely on the growth curve relative to her head size previously but she jumped all the way up to the 6th %-tile. Mom attributes this to her massive brain development :)

Claire took her shots like a trooper. She cried but calmed down very quickly and has been sleeping most of the day. Mom had a very hard time with the shots too so she was glad when Claire returned to her peaceful sleepy self before she even finished dressing her. Tough girl!

Social Butterfly

Claire had a very busy week meeting friends and family. She was quite the social butterfly.

Wednesday she and mom headed to a shower with mom's softball team. She met fellow new softball cheerleader Meredith and had a chance to hang out with several members of the team. Many thanks to Tammy M for hosting!

Thursday Claire and mom hooked up with mom's former MENTTIUM coworkers Judy, Julie, Mary Kay and Margie for lunch. After lunch we headed up to the office to see the rest of the MTTM ladies. Congrats to Julie - Claire can't wait to meet Julie's twin boys when they arrive in January!

Friday Claire, Aunt Karey and mom went to Aunt Denise's for a shower with the Whitcomb and Helget families. Claire met many of her extended family members, including her Great Great Grandma Lorraine. Claire had a great time in her cute little white dress.



Saturday Dad, mom, Jordan and Claire attended the Helget family reunion in Hudson. Despite the rain, it was a great day. Claire met more of her extended family and stayed very warm while cuddling up with everyone.

Claire has started smiling when mom nuzzles her cheeks and in response to dad and Jordan. The smiles don't last long but we know they aren't gas and that she is just test running before she flashes a radient grin.