8 Months

This is going to be a short post. I'm just posting her 8 month photo so I don't feel completely horrible about it. I promise a long catch up post after tax season with plenty of photos. For now, here is Claire at 8 months. Still as serious as ever, but now she will hold her own sign up thank you very much.

7 months

Claire is now 7 months. Time to start planning her first birthday. I wish that I was kidding, but I have already started a pinterest board for her. It's been an event filled month with Claire's developments. She started clapping which I think is so so adorable. She sits on the floor and just claps. Also she interacts more with Lilybelle and Sophie. Sophie is really good with her too. Claire is also getting more independent. We can put her on the floor and she plays with her toys and then rolls around to get to different things and places. The other night I put her on the living room floor while I did the dishes and when I went to go check on her she had rolled into the dining room at one point and then the next time I checked on her she was starting to roll into our bedroom. Granted all three of those rooms are REALLY close in our house, but I was impressed nonetheless. 7 months also meant that Claire had enough hair for a bow. I was excited. It's not like Lilybelle has hair enough for a bow. sigh.

Now onto the picture. The real reason I think that my parents read my blog. This is the first picture that she doesn't look like a deer in the headlights. It's so funny to take her picture compared to Lilybelle. Lilybelle was so smiley for the camera. Claire smiles all the time except for the camera. So I finally got a half smile from her this month. It's not a great picture, it has shadow, but I love her expression in it so I chose it.

 I'm also going to post some photos of our photo shoot because everyone got involved in it this time. Lilybelle helped Claire smile, helped me with choosing the spot, and Sophie was my warm up pose. Poor Sophie. At one point she was the star in my blog photos, and now not so much.

Things are getting busy in our house. I went back to work full time for the start of tax season. I'm glad that it will only last until April, because I miss my part time schedule. I've been studying for the second part of the Enrolled Agent exam and hope to pass it at the end of February. If all goes according to plan I should pass all three parts of the exam by July. Until next post, which if I don't procrastinate will be Tim's 30th birthday post.

6 months a little late

I know, I know, Claire has been six months for a little while now. But I'm just getting around to posting her photo. I took it on time and even edited it that day, but I'm just feeling lazy when it comes to my blog. We've introduced Claire to the world of solids and she loves it! So far we have tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas, and carrots and she's liked them all.

For Christmas this year, we stayed home and my little sister and parents came up and celebrated Christmas morning with us. Later that night we went to Tim's mom's house and had Christmas dinner with his family.

5 months

I almost forgot that Claire turned 5 months today, but luckily I remembered and took her 5 month photo before the day ended. Looking through the lens of the camera, I realized how much she has grown. She looks so big to me! Just a month away until we can introduce food. Guess I need to get the food processor going again.

Gobble , Gobble

I am constantly trying to figure out what we can do as a family that won't break the bank, but will still be fun. So when Tim got an email about turkeys at Rancho San Rafael, I said why not. With little expectations, last weekend we went to Rancho San Rafael to see the turkeys. It was a fun little event. They had four turkeys, chickens, painting activities for kids, coloring activities, story time, and toy trains (Lilybelle's personal favorite). They even let you get in the pen with two of the turkeys and take photos.

Lilybelle when we first arrived. I had originally planned for her to wear jeans, but she was of another mind.

Claire fell asleep on the way there.

The famous toy trains

The fam with the turkeys.

Making turkey feathers with stamp pads. I shouldn't have dressed her in white, but she didn't get any on her shirt!

4 Months plus Halloween

Claire is four months now. I can't believe it. Time is going by so fast. She's playing on the floor now and grabbing at her toys. She talks to us constantly and her favorite game is peek a boo with Lilybelle.  In fact her favorite person is Lilybelle. No one can get her to smile like Lilybelle.

Both girls are doing well at their school. Lilybelle has become so more outgoing. She can count to ten and say her ABCs with help. It's been great to see her learn new things and to be excited about learning them.

For Halloween this year, I dressed the girls up as bees. I can't get over matching them in matching outfits so Halloween was no different. For my friends' Halloween party I went as the queen bee, the girls were bees, and Tim was the beekeeper. Our best group costume to date I think. But sadly, there is no photographic proof because my two year old decided that she didn't want to put on her costume until we pulled up to the party.Oh to be two and rule to world.

This was the first year we let Lilybelle go trunk or treating at our Ward's Trunk or Treat. She had a blast! Her cousins took her and did a few carnival games with her (the cake walk was her favorite) before the actual trunk or treating. When I took her outside to go get candy she wasn't sure at first, but by the third car she knew what to do. After she did one round, she went inside, sat down, and immediately checked out her candy. I don't know who had more fun, her or me.

For actual Halloween night we stayed in since the forecast called for rain. We didn't get any until midnight, but it was really windy. We got a pumpkin and I thought it would be great if we carved it as a family. Well it turned out to be Tim's activity. Lilybelle didn't want to wear her bib to help carve, and Claire chose that moment to wake up and demand to be fed. Oh well, better luck next year.

3 Months

Whew. I made it. I'm getting Claire's three month photo up before she turns four months. I had a hard time posing her this month mostly because she's found her fingers and like her big sister she believes that fingers are for sucking. At this rate I'd better just start saving up for braces for both girls because I don't think I will be able to break them of the habit before it ruins their mouths. Oh well.

Claire is such a talker and it has only become more common the older she gets. She's rolled over from her tummy to her back. She loves her big sister. Yesterday when we went to Target I had Claire in the Ergo baby and Lilybelle was running wild. I picked up Lilybelle and when she was eye level to Claire, Claire got so happy and couldn't stop smiling. Lilybelle can make Claire laugh or smile just by looking at her. Lilybelle loves Claire too, and makes sure that I know when she is crying by saying, "baby crying" as if I can't hear it in our approximately 750 sq foot house. I seriously think we need to upgrade, but with housing prices rising I don't see it happening any time soon. Plus a two year old can't get far in a small house.

I can't wait to see all her monthly pictures together to see how she has grown. I guess I better get working on her year one photo book now. And the family photo book too for that matter.