Monday, August 31, 2009

words...

Claire is talkin' up a storm! She says the basics, "ma ma", "da da", "hi", etc. My favorites are, "yeah". She says that all day long and it's so sweet to hear it. Her inflextion is priceless.

My other favorite comes with a story. I never really thought how she started to say it until I read it in a letter my MIL sent to my BIL on a mission: Claire gets into things she shouldn't and whenever she gets into electrical stuff (ie, the entertainment center or electrical outlets), Nick will point at her and say "Bad Dog!" One day she was in the entertainment center and Nick came around the corner to find her there. I was in the kitchen (which is super close by, so I heard it, but didn't see it). Claire pointed up to Dad and said: "Ba Dah!" You know how you try not to laugh at things that you don't want to encourage? Well, that idea went out the window. We laughed for a good 5 minutes. And then apparently Nick told his mother but I hadn't heard about the pointing part (which I think adds 10X to the story). I laughed for an additional 5 minutes for that.

My baby is so dang cute!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

trampolines and ice cream cones...

We went to Nick's first big boy work party. It was called: Mosquito Fest 2009. BYOR (Bring Your Own Repellent). There were a few kids there other than Claire. This one jumping on the tramp is a little fireball named Samantha. She's a riot. She's so TINY! She's like seven months older than Claire and she is a little shorter and weighs the same.

They had fun playing on the trampoline. Claire just really loves to be outside. You know, she's a sitting in the dirt, eating bugs kind of kid (you know a girl who is NOT prissy NOR into pink...te he). Soon after we had cleaned her up from dinner, a woman that Nick works with wanted to play with Claire. They were soon sharing ice cream and then Jeanie (the adult in the photo), was teaching Claire how to jump really high. It was hilarious.















Nick's job is just what we expected. A GREAT opportunity with a lot of work that is hard, yet rewarding when finished. We're so grateful. We sat with the 'peons' (their words, not mine) for most of the evening and were reminded of how blessed we really are that Nick hasn't even officially graduated and he has a full time job with benefits. I have insurance! I can hardly BELIEVE it! We are so grateful for this job and the many ways that we are blessed. Claire being number 1 on that LONG list of blessings. Thanks for thinking and praying for us. Know we think of you often and pray for you to be blessed in the ways you need as well.

Friday, August 14, 2009

newspapers...

I receive six newspapers every sunday for the coupons in them. Nick really likes to read some one or two of them (five of them are the same newspaper...te he), but it has been interesting to me to know how to distribute the wasted newspapers. I came home from choir practice a few Sunday's ago to find this:





Dads really are the best. Claire used to never give loves and now she will walk up to you with her hands in the air waiting to be picked up for a love. Then she wants immediately to be put down and off onto exploring something new. I think she wanted to be with Dada a little longer this day because she stayed there for a whole two minutes!

Apparently reading the news with Dada is way more fun than reading a story with Mama.

I love this kid.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

beards...


How is it that every thing new a baby does is just so darn cute!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

think, think, think...

Claire Bear can think like Pooh Bear!

The pictures are for G Gramma Carol. She gave her this ADORABLE dress, but it's too big right now. She trips over it when she walks. When she tries to crawl, she stays pretty stationary because she gets tangled up in the skirt!