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!