Thursday, July 30, 2009

official stats...

Height: 29 inches - 45%
Weight: 18.5 lbs - 25%
Head: 17 cm

5 shots today...sigh

QUESTION for MOMs:

It usually takes 2 hours for the whole trip to the doctors. We wait in the waiting room for 20-30 mins. then the nurse takes us back and does a few things and then we wait for another 20-30 minutes for the doctor to come in. (We really like the doctor---he's young, he's fresh, researched and always asks for second opinions, so its like we get more than one doctor.) Then we are with him for 20-30 minutes. Then we wait for a good 20-30 minutes, sometimes longer, for the nurse to come back and give the immunizations.Then she makes my baby scream (who is already fussy because we've made her not do so many things---ie, crawling on the gross floor with throw-up stains, that are icky in a place where people are regularly sick) with shots---not that she can help it, but it's been such a long wait! Nick is ready to look for another doctor, not because we don't like this one, but it takes up the majority of the morning/afternoon going to this one.

IS THIS NORMAL!? What IS normal?

1 year mark stats...almost

Today is Claire's one year checkup! I'm scared to death because I know she will not like the shots much. :( She also conked her head on the hard floor about 10 minutes before she went down for her nap. I can only imagine that exacerbating the coming shots. my poor girl. I'm typing this now because I'm not sure I'll get another chance to! she is a little coo-coo after shots and I doubt I'll have a moment of rest for the next few days if she is anything like at her six month check up. I'll just have to do a brief one when we get to it for the REAL stats.

Claire has seven teeth (we are still waiting for that bottom right one to come through, Krista. Don't know what happened to it). I think that's a bit of an odd number to have (well, odd in the number sense and odd in the strange sense, too...ha ha...I made a pun).

She has been cRaZy the last two days. I'll be doing sit ups and she will come up right between my legs and plop on my tummy for a giant hug (with her classic pat, pat). She has started to wrestle without me instigating it. Where did she learn that one! LOL it is hilarious! I'm trying to get all of these things on video, but she really has become so fasinated with the camera, it makes it impossible.

Gramma Mimi (rosi0---my momma) gave her a play kitchen for her birthday. She won't leave the thing alone! Lots of things in the kitchen sing, so she'll start the thing singing and then dance to it. Her arms a-waving. She has also found that climbing is fun! AGH! she climbs up on this kitchen. I have to watch her more carefully now and I keep the bathroom door closed because I'll find her in the tub while I'm trying to do a bunch of things that keep me more occupied than it should. She's a riot. I can't get enough of her. Well, that's not entirely true. I do love it when nap time comes. It's a little break from her busy-ness. I'm sure it will only get worse when she's a full time walker! AGH!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

watching baseball...sort of

Claire is back to taking very measured steps every where she goes. Whenever i try to hurry her along, she sits down and crawls. We went to a local A1 baseball game last night and Claire had an awfully hard time walking on the uneven grass.

There were some kids that were 3-4 years old playing near by and she did everything she could to get over there to play with them. At one point (I just stood by to make sure things were okay, I tried not to interfere), the oldest little boy was pulling another along without watching where he was going. He was headed...right over the top of Claire. I yelled a warning (okay, you have to interfere if a child is almost injured, right? Especially yours...or even by yours...), but he was too late in noticing her. They both sat right up, Claire with a whimper and a frown and the little four year old sat up and turned to her and said, "are you okay?" to Claire. Talking about melting a mother's heart. What a sweet little boy to care about someone else at that age! What a mother to teach her kid that!

Claire was back at it again, trying to follow those kids around. She was a riot! I love my baby! The kids never included her, which was fine...not their job, but I remember so well the cousins that she does have that are much older that include her. I'm so glad she has some to play with and has been ABLE to play with them, too!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

running...

Claire's form of walking is to run as fast as she can before she falls down (this is all done on her own, without help of me or any furniture). It is hilarious to see. Last night though, I put up some goggles on my eyeballs and she wanted them, so she stood up and walked right to me (on unsteady legs, but still). It was like eight steps with a break in between when I started clapping because I finally realized (nick had to point it out) that she was walking! Go claire!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

IYDV

Yes, I just got back from Diva camp...I acted like a teenager myself almost the whole trip! It was three weeks of incredibly intense vocal technique, food prep, programs to design, pleasing people, cleaning up after 24 students and 25 even more dependant faculty (except my mom, of course, he he). there were Coffee cups in mass quantities...Sadly, they even reduced in numbers when the students found out where the coffee was coming from and Daniel (one of the students) started making the coffee for the teachers (he was much better at cleaning up the messes).

I was able to take voice lessons and sit in on acting, Italian Diction, staging, light design, JT 101, etc, from some of the most famous teachers of today. it was MARVELOUS! But I have learned that they are the most high strung people around!

Claire met all of the students and became the Institute's mascot. When she wasn't with me, she was with my dear friend Melissa and also my AMAZING!!!!!!! SIL Amy. I don't know how either of them handle more than ONE child for a day, let alone Melissa's four and Amy's three + Claire! WOW! You two are amazing and i really appreciate your help, so very very much! It was a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and understand a bit more why I'm a mom not a diva (well, maybe I am in my own way). Then there was my daddy, who was always willing to pick her up or drop her off at the babysitters! thanks AGAIN, you guys... I sure appreciated it.

I have three knew best friends: Kelli (they say she's shy, but really she's a MONSTER! She has a great "ode to a roast beef sandwich" and she taught me the words: "Swoob, Croob and Hoob!),
JT (loudest man alive with the computer hacking skills that Napoleon can only dream of), and
Chandler (AKA Miss Chanandaler Bong)

All of these people kept me sane enough for the three weeks! the students were great, too (for the most part---they are Diva's after all, I guess that can be their excuse).

I'm SO glad I'm home, I'm SO glad to have Claire full time, I'm so glad to have my hubby back (who has been such a trooper to survive on his own for 2 1/2 weeks), I'm so grateful for my Mother In Law who came to take care of my baby for the last three days. She came from Colorado to watch Claire. Not only did she watch Claire, but she CLEANED MY ENTIRE HOME FROM FLOOR TO FLOOR!

thanks for everyone letting me be a little bit selfish! It was wonderful and I miss it already...

back to life...well, at least MY life...te he...

Oh, Chandler and JT: that's what she said....

Friday, July 17, 2009

painting and waxing...

My SIL Amy secured her and myself a free waxing of lip or eyebrow. We went to this little production and decided that we really thought it was pretty cool. Lots of things there to make you feel okay about yourself. Except for the WAY too small clothes! sigh

She has also been watching Claire a few times a week while I've been doing this institute for young dramatic voices. This morning, I'm getting Claire out of bed (after a very long night for amy---I'm SO sorry!) and notice that Claire has her toenails painted! I never even thought of that, but I'm so SO not a girl, but I need to be better at being a girl! That was so cute!!! Thanks Amy!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

birth day...

Claire is now one years old! I can hardly believe the time has gone so fast, looking back. I wanted to share the birth story because I wasn't blogging yet when I had her and because it is mostly for Claire that I write, I wanted her to know her story before I forgot it.

Pregnancy was not an easy thing for me. I was barffy almost every day. So much so that I never WANT to be prego again (we'll see if that actually happens...ha ha). My sister Becky decided to get married on June 28 in Yellowstone National Park. My OBGYN was totally great about my going up there to share her special day. He always said that he was as good a doctor as any. So, I went! Nick and I researched the hospitals along the way in case Claire decided to come early.

Becky had a BEAUTIFUL! wedding. My whole family came and even my dear Aunt Dixie and her clan. It was great to meet Adam's family and get to know them a bit better (they live in Florida, so I'll assume we'll get to meet seldom). I did receive a lot of flack from all my extended family for deciding to go. "You really decided to come?!" was a common phrase. It became a joke and we decided that if Claire DID decide to come that we would name her "Tatonka" (you know, from Dances with Wolves...It means buffalo) Yellowstone Sorensen. Nick didn't love the idea, but I think I TOTALLY would have done it if she were to have been born there! What a great story! And I would have called her Toni (Well, I would have said it TAW-NEE).

But, she didn't...She waited for me to come home and have a few more days of sleepless days and nights, barfing...bleh.

July 4 came and went. The next day was a car show and you know that Nick has to go see the cars! So we went down and looked around for a few hours. In the heat. Worked like a charm. Later that night (at about 2am). I started feeling the contractions. It was a Sunday, so Nick was up early to get to Church meetings. I told him we were close and I would call him when I was ready.

We went in around 10am. I was dilated to a 6' and the doctor (who was not MY doctor, because he was not on call for this particular Sunday) broke my water and found it to be miconiumed. I waited and waited and waited. Finally when I was at an 8, I couldn't stand it anymore---especially because the nurse (and dang doctor) kept saying things like, pushing could take up to 2 hours, are you SURE you don't want an epidural. Grrr...So, I took one, and in the nick of time, too!

I pushed for about two hours (and I'm no dainty girl! I was pushing!) But she wasn't really coming. So, finally they noticed that her heart rate was going up around 200 (supposed to be about 90-120) every time I pushed, and she wasn't really progressing. They sent for the doctor. He cam in and noticed that she was posterior. He tried to turn her, but she wouldn't budget. They kept threatening to do a c section, but she would always start moving just enough to convince them to wait until the next contraction. I was so bugged too because they sent in eight nurses due to the miconium, the increased heart rate and the fact that she was posterior. i'm a "shy" (about my body, I know I'm not shy about much else!) girl so I kept telling them, "Could ya just leave!?" or "Stop looking at me!". Drugs and pain...what a wonderful way to make friends...

She was delivered at 7:15pm, after 3 1/2 hours of pushing! The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck a few times, which is why the doctor couldn't turn her and why she was posterior and couldn't be turned. She popped out at 7 lbs 5.9 oz, 21 1/2 inches long. Her ratings (that I never remember the name of) were an 8 and a 9. She she was great that way...

Nick and I got a few pictures with our beautiful, naked, sticky girl and then she was whisked away. They were worried about her lungs.

They stuck her in the NICU for a week, monitoring her pneumonia from the inhalation of miconium. This really wasn't too scary. Nick kept everything in perspective. The hardest part for me was the feedings in a foreign place with so many dang people trying to help me learn how to nurse. It was another 'shy' moment for me and I had to share it with like 15 nurses! I also didn't love the fact that nurses were telling me what to do! GR! Already being an emotional wreck from all the hormones only added to the flame and I was easily offended by all of the nurses. Sigh...what do you do? I've decided I could never be a NICU nurse because I hated all the ones Claire had (but one...) and i would hate to stick a baby so many times with those dang IV's! I remember one night it took about 8 sticks with a needle to finally get one to take! AGH! I hated to hear her scream for those sticks. I had to leave and let Nick deal with it.

Our baby is now a year old and WOW! She is the most independent thing I know! Mimi (Grandma Rosi) calls her Dora the Explorer because she is ALWAYS on the move, finding things to get into! The other day I found her sitting on top of the open door of the dishwasher! I and turned my back to put a pan away and she climbed right up! Beware of sharp objects!!!!

I love you, baby! You are sweet with the biggest belly laugh I've ever heard from a little thing! You do love to explore and you love it even more when you get to hold something I don't normally let you hold (keys, forks, etc) and whine and whine if I take it away. You are the fastest crawling machine there ever was! I love to hear the sound of your little hands and feet as you go from one room to the other in the biggest hurry you'd think there was a fire or a spider. Your daddy loves to chase you around and play hide 'n seek with you. If I could get you to hold still for more than a second, you might actually like books or even to learn your body parts, but you won't hold still if you can help it! Then it's just a battle of wills. You do love to give me a hug, but then want immediately for me to let go so you can do whatever it is that you want to do. You love games that involve hiding something for you to find (this includes hiding Daddy). You converse with yourself and others on a regular basis. Just jabbering away like it was the best conversation you've ever had with your stuffed dog.

We love you so much, Claire-bear, Cmonster.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

pat, pat...

It's a wonderful feeling when you go to give your baby a great big hug to give her comfort for pulling a box on her toe and she ends up patting YOUR back as part of her comfort...

could you be any sweeter, little one?!

Monday, July 6, 2009

video of wasatch back

So my teammate Tiffany for the Wasatch Back, put this video (this word is a different color to indicate that clicking on it should take you to the link...if you need this information...;) together...So grateful, Tiff! It's fab!

I knew some of you were looking for these pics or anything about it, so here ya go!