Albertson's

I often think of great blog entry ideas at the least opportune times, like in the shower or driving to work. The idea of this entry came to me yesterday; I was so excited to document our much-needed trip to the grocery. Now that I have the photos and am sitting down to write it’s not all that exciting.

Clare slept thru most of our grocery shopping adventure; the produce section left a lot to be desired in the mind of a 3 month old I suppose. Someday I hope she enjoys grocery shopping with us, picking lots of fruits and vegetables and trying new foods. I figure the grocery store will be a great place to practice colors, don’t they say a good balanced diet can be eating all colors of the rainbow? Fortunately Jeff is open to trying, and cooking, most foods. Wonder if someday she'll ask him to make tofu or eggplant or maybe some other food we don't normally eat because she thought it looked good; I'm sure he'll happily do his best to make it taste good.

We bought 5 of the items in the picture, can you guess which ones?

We also bought avocados and tomatoes for quacamole, yumm!

Of course she's awake in the chip aisle, wanted to make sure we bought more Tostitos Crispy Rounds.

Wonder if Grampy would like a Pecan Sandie?

I can remember shopping with my Mom, it was a big outing to go to Cub Foods, the big grocery store where they had candy in bulk and you had to bag your own groceries. I recall one trip where I was driving the cart and accidentally ran into Mom, needless to say that didn’t go over very well. I can't stand pushing the cart now, thankfully Jeff doesn't mind and is happy to drive. There was also the time when I was allowed to get a prize from the quarter machine at the exit; you know the ones that come in a little plastic capsule. I for some reason thought it would be a good idea to put the capsule around my mouth – I ended up with a ring around my mouth, not a cute look, especially when Kindergarten pictures were the next day :)

Jeff says he doesn’t recall grocery shopping as a kid and is sure he wasn't ever allowed to get anything at the check out. He does remember eating a lot of canned or frozen vegetables. He hates peas still today because of having them from a can as a kid; too bad since peas are one of my favorite foods, although we had them from the freezer. Wonder if he had the classic canned fruit cocktail and if so who got the cherry? I will say I never liked fruit cocktail, and dislike pears because of it.

So, there we have it, a blog entry about our trip to the grocery. I’ll keep working on creative ideas.

If you were inside Jeff's head you'd hear two things.

1. Put the damn camera down!

2. Thank goodness you went back to work this week so you can help pay for all this food!

Thank you Jeff for always doing the cooking and providing us with good food night after night.

A few photos from the past few days...

Jeff and Clare enjoying the barnyard jump-a-roo

Kai of course wanted in on the play time.

Can you see how wet my shirt is from all the drool??

Kai generally doesn't pay much attention to Clare, however occasionally she'll come around a check her out.

Sisterly love...

Until then...

Well, we made it through the week, the first week of daycare. Karen will be watching Clare Tuesday-Friday; hopefully after Jeff hires his vacant assistant position he’ll be able to take Friday’s off and she’ll only be there Tuesday-Thursday. So far Clare doesn’t seem to mind staying with Karen; although she does look curious as you say goodbye, a look of why are you leaving without me? There are four other kids there on various days, Kinnan, Lillie, Asa, Lyla, and another little boy whose name escapes me. Lillie seems to be the most excited about Clare, apparently she enjoys being Karen’s helper and helping with Clare.

Jeff was the stronger one and took her the first day, I had a hard enough time I don’t know that I could have done that without a tear or two. I went into work early so that I could leave early, my new philosophy. When I went to pick her up she smiled at me, I think maybe she was as happy to see me, as I was she. It had been the longest period of time that we had been apart; it felt like eternity to me, I couldn’t imagine how it felt to her. Seeing her smile at the end of the day makes the workday seem not so bad. Her gummy grin melts my heart every time.

I’ve realized the one of biggest reasons I dislike leaving her with Karen is because Karen gets the best parts of the day. Clare is at her best late in the morning. She likes to sleep in, sort of take catnaps all morning before really getting up for the day. She doesn’t really take a good nap in the afternoon so the evenings, starting around 5pm, can be difficult. Bedtime is generally 8pm so we only have a few hours together before bed. I’ve been trying hard to make the most of that time, holding her and talking with her. Weekends have taken on a whole new meaning, I now cherish my weekends, and I can’t wait to spend all my time with her and Jeff.

I suppose that this new routine of ours will get easier, that someday I’ll look back and read this entry and remember when… Until then I’ll keep telling myself that she is happy, enjoying her time with Karen, playing with the other kids and that it’s OK. Until then I’ll continue to go to work, work hard, and hope for the day when I don’t have to work anymore. Someday I hope one of us will be able to stay home with her; that is the full time job I’m hoping to have one day.

Activities Galore!

Grandma Gail and Grandpa Greg were in town this past week, staying with Clare as I started back to work. They had a great time and enjoyed spending the week together, if only time didn’t go so quickly!

They had a busy week, each morning they played on the floor and practiced reaching for toys and sitting. Clare has just become interested in her toys, actually reaching with purpose. Her favorites are the cellophane book, the giraffe that chimes/rattles, and her ‘My First Doll’. Gail was a great napping partner; she helped Clare nap each morning and afternoon. Gail also taught Clare how to truly enjoy a bath; every girl deserves a good bath after a long day, or morning as the case may be. Clare has also started talking a lot more, Gail swears she said 'I love you'.

Gail and Greg bought Clare a jump-a-roo this week. Greg put it together and declared that there were activities galore, perfect for Clare. She still has a bit of growing to do before she can touch the floor, until then we've put a pillow under her - she has yet to figure out just how to bounce, but she does put weight on her feet.

Clare has been taking to eating her hand, we're not thrilled about this so we've been replacing her hand with a sucker each time she does it. (Neither of us are fond of the words pacifier/paci or binki so we call them suckers - no we're not giving her candy just yet :) )

I caught Jeff teaching Clare how to play the PS3 this weekend. It helps with her hand eye coordination, right?

3 months

Happy 3 Month Birthday Clare!!

Survival

This week marked the first week of a new chapter in my new life; I returned to work on Monday. I knew the day would come, just not so quickly. I tried to prepare myself, but nothing could prepare me for the emotions I experienced this week, and may continue to feel. I am happy to report that I survived the week and feel a tiny bit better about returning to work.

Sunday night was hard, I sat in her room holding her and watching her sleep, I could have held her all night. I tired to drink her in; the feel of her skin, the softness of her hair, her smell, the look on her face as she fell asleep and dreamt sweet baby dreams. I wanted to remember every little bit of her, make a memory to take with me.

As I walked out of her room for the last time, I tried to leave at least a dozen times, all I could think about was how on earth was I going to leave her in the morning. For the last year she has been with me all day everyday, how was I supposed to walk out of the house and leave her behind? I knew she would be in good hands, Gail and Greg were here for the week, but I felt as though I was going to leave a piece of me behind. I finally fell asleep, but only after tossing and turning for most of the night.

Monday morning came early; I woke up a few minutes before she did for the first time. Her voice early in the morning has become my alarm clock, the first alarm clock I’ve actually welcomed the sound of. When I walked in to see her she smiled at me, she was so happy to see me, it melted my heart. We followed our new morning routine but took our time getting ready; I wanted to spend every moment I could with her. After a few extra kisses and a long hug I decided I just needed to do it, the sooner I left the sooner I could come home and be with her. Gail was happy to take over, and Clare was happy to start her day of playing, napping and being cute.

I can’t say I was very productive at work. I spent more time thinking of Clare than I did thinking about work, fortunately there were a few things that needed to be done so I had some distractions. I couldn’t get home fast enough, I needed to run an errand but decided it could wait; I just wanted to be home with Clare. I’ve never been so happy to get home. Walking in the door and hearing her voice, seeing her smile and holding her was the best feeling.

Everyone tells me that this will get easier, and it may, but for now it’s hard. I wish that it were possible for one of us to stay home, but it’s not. I keep telling myself that daycare will be beneficial to her; she’ll have friends, learn new things, experience things she may not otherwise, and most importantly she’ll be fine and will have fun. It’s going to be more difficult for me than it will be for her.

So, I survived my first week back at work. I don’t enjoy leaving her each morning, but seeing her smile when I come home makes it all worthwhile. This week she will start going to Karen’s Tuesday-Friday (I’ll take Monday’s off). I’m anticipating this week being difficult as well; stay tuned for that entry.

Pictures

When Clare was little, 3 weeks old, we had some professional pictures taken. Ann is a very talented photographer and did an amazing job capturing Clare and her cuteness. She took some 200 pictures, narrowing it down to just a few was nearly impossible; how does a mother choose which pictures of her child she likes best? Here are a few of the pictures she took.

Our first family photo.

When I look at these pictures I can't help by get a bit teary, how has my little grown so much so quickly? Three months has passed faster than I could have imagined, where is the slow motion button and how can I keep her from growing up too fast? I suppose I'll be visiting Ann a lot in the future, I want to preserve every moment and memory. I may be biased but Clare is the cutest baby I've ever seen, how can you not love that face, her tiny nose and sweet smile.

Clare and I will be visiting with Ann again on Monday for some 3 month pictures, I can’t wait to see Ann create more beautiful pictures of Clare.

~~~All photos by Ann Goldenberg Photography~~~

Drought

My apologies to my readers for the recent drought in entries. Clare and I are working on more entries, please stay tuned.

Rolling over

Clare allowed me to play with the new camera today. Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Rolling over Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Grammy and Grampy

Grammy and Grampy were here last week to celebrate their 40^th Wedding Anniversary; it was so nice to spend an entire week with them, typically their visits only last a few days. We had plenty of time to visit the outlet malls, go to the mountains, take a walk, catch a Rockies game, and enjoy both Jeff’s cooking and eating out. It was like summer vacation without leaving home! Andrew and Sabrina were also able to join us for lots of good food and laughs. Sarah, we missed you!

Here are a few pics from the week.

Maybe Clare looks surprised because all three of us are in the picture; typically Mom and I are behind the camera.

Clare with her Grammy and Grampy. Andrew is behind me trying to make Clare laugh, he also made Mom laugh :)

Andrew is good at making Clare laugh, he's a pretty funny guy.

Clare having a Chinese lesson with Aunt Sabrina, I believe she learned the words for 'pot' and 'Rockies'.

How cute is that face?!?

Waiting for everyone at the Rockies game. You can't beat the Wells Fargo seats, our favorite place to sit at the game.

Check out Clare's new ride thanks to Grampy. It's a much better stroller for taking to the ball game and will be very nice for flying. Jeff asked how many strollers we needed and if I'd buy her as many cars when she was 16. Each stroller has it's purpose, and I only have 2 that we use, it's not like I have 5!

Dylan the Duck was a huge hit, she was grabbing at the dolphin and actually playing with it - first toy she's really played with.

We all enjoyed some ballpark food, probably more than our share, but it was good! Clare even got a helmet sundae, Grammy helped her eat it :)

We had a wonderful week and were so glad to have had the time to relax during this visit. My parents will be coming out again in September as part of their annual Glacier Park trip. Clare can't wait to see them again, maybe she'll be sitting on her own by then.

Spider Kai

You have to see it to believe it.

Stats

Clare had her 2month check up on Tuesday, a bit over 2 months but close enough.

She weighed in at 10lbs 7.6oz; which is in the 75%. Stands 23 inches tall, 77%. And; should she need a fitted Mizzou hat she would look for one that fit a 39.7cm head, 50%. Overall, she measures up just perfectly and is growing like crazy.

Dr. Dan said that she looked great and that her trunk control was some of the best he’d seen on a child this old; I suppose she’s preparing for her future swimming career. Clare does bare weight on her feet occasionally, and did for Dr. Dan; maybe she’ll be an early walker like Jeff was. Her head control is getting better and better every day, she will now hold her head up if you carry her on your hip, or chest as the case may be, and when she’s sitting with support.

The 2month appointment was a killer for Mom and Dad, or it was for me at least, as she received 3 shots and 1 oral immunization. She didn’t cry too much, more because the nurse was pinning her legs down than anything. Jeff was the hero and held her hands while I turned my back, I couldn’t stand to see her hurting, thank you Jeff. The rest of the day wasn’t too bad, she was pretty sleepy and seemed to need extra cuddling, which we were both happy to provide. We did end up giving her some Tylenol, or Target brand Tylenol as the regular stuff has been recalled, which seemed to help. She did run a low fever for about 24 hrs, but nothing over 101.

We’re Dr. free until 4months when she’ll receive more shots and get another stats check. Until then we’re free to keep on keeping on. He did suggest that we give her a Vitamin D supplement since breastfed babies typically don’t get enough. He also suggested, per the 2month pamphlet he gave us, that she shouldn’t be watching TV; Jeff thought that Rockies Baseball and the Food Network were exceptions to that rule.

Dr. Dan finished up the appointment by saying that she was the most perfect baby he’d ever seen and was thrilled at how she was growing. He commended Jeff and myself as the worlds best parents and congratulated us on such a perfect little girl. Basically, he just reconfirmed everything we already knew :)

Kai

Kai is a good dog, for the most part. She will chase a ball as long as you’ll throw it and she’ll be the first to greet you at the door. She is always willing to eat the leftovers that nobody wants and never complains if the hot dogs are a little burnt. Occasionally she does something less than desirable, such as taking Curious George into the backyard or reminding Gail of her presence when we go to Joplin by having an ‘accident’ on the carpet. This week she has added a new ‘trick’ to her list of less than desirable tricks.

The past few days Kai has taken to practicing her escaping techniques. I say practicing because she has a history of escaping from Greg and Gail’s deck – she was able to knock down the piece of lattice and then open not one but two doors to get back into the house.

Last week we received a phone call from our neighbors indicating that Kai was at their house, they had come home to find her in the front yard. The next day Jeff went out and tried to figure out just how Kai had gotten out, even tried to get her to do it again. He figured maybe she learned how to unlatch the latch – jump and hit it and maybe it would come undone. He used a bungie cord to close the gate, hoping this would keep her in her yard.

My parents are in town this week, and came over Thursday morning after visiting Pikes Peak – good think Clare and I didn’t go with them as children under 4 months aren’t allowed at the top. I told them that I would leave the door unlocked and to just come on in. They arrived and apparently Kai greeted them at the front door, she’d gotten out again! I did the whole ‘bad dog’ routine and told her that escaping was not OK.

A few hours later my Mom went out to the car, Kai decided to see if she needed help and escaped again! This time my Mom made her go back thru the gate and discovered some fur on the wire fence – how she was fitting thru the second level of the fence is beyond me.

Today, my Dad went to Home Depot to see about some wire fence or a piece of wood, something to fill the space where she was climbing thru. He added a piece of wood between the top and middle pieces of the fence, making the space far too small for her to climb thru. Jeff served her dinner on the back patio while we left for dinner with my family, thinking surely she’d be there waiting for us when we got home. Well, she was waiting for us alright; on the front porch! Another set of neighbors got her this time, and apparently were trying to lure her to them with dog bones which are now all over the drive way and porch.

So, we’re back to the drawing board. Who knows how she’s climbing, or jumping, over the fence – she won’t even jump into the back of the car for crying out loud! Fortunately she hasn’t hurt herself too bad, a few scrapes under her arms and legs but nothing too bad. I’m guessing tomorrow we’ll be checking into what else we can do to Kai-proof the fence. If you see her wondering the streets please let us know, Jeff's number is on her name tag, thank goodness!

Too cute

Just too cute not to post!!