Keeping Claire Happy

Claire was lying in her pack-n-play while my mom was making dinner one evening and I was laying in bed recovering from surgery (Nov 16).  Claire was having her evening fussy time and Addison wanted to make her feel better so she went and got her storybook and read to her and handed her foam pieces. 

My mom is not great with a camera and doesn't think to take pictures very often.  She spent three weeks in our home during the time Claire was born and then another 2 months from election day to just past New Years.  She helped take care of our kids while I was on bedrest, when I had surgery in November, and then when I spent 6 days in the hospital in December.  I did a lot of recovering and laid in bed quite a bit and I started to feel like my mom was raising Claire more than I was.  I'm finally feeling better and I am glad that my mom snapped these pictures to record some of the things I missed. 

Train to the Temple

Addison loves to ride the train.  I took her downtown on November 5th from the Sandy park and ride.  We rode to temple square - walked around for less than 10 minutes - and then re-boarded the train to come home.  We took a picnic for the ride and Claire was with us - but slept most of the time.

I love her sporting her glasses on her head.  Whenever she wears them like this she says that she looks like Aunt Ellie.

My mom knit this sweater when I was a child and now Addison wears it.  She probably made it for my brothers.

Addison went running up the temple steps and then lounged on the stairs and watched the people.  

Then she went to the doorway and told me that she was going inside.  She was really sad to learn that it was locked and that she couldn't go to see Jesus.

A nice man offered to take our picture together and I think he did a great job.  Claire was there too - at the bottom of the steps happily sleeping in her stroller.

Here is the only evidence of Claire's attendance - when Addison got tired she'd sit up on the handle of our clip-it.  She can't ride like that anymore because Claire's feet actually reach the end of her car seat and Addison steps on her but Claire was only 6 weeks old when we went on our adventure.

Cousins Play

Aiden and Kyle came over to play last week and I wanted them to all sit together and take a picture.  3 our of 4 cousins is pretty good right?

This is the rocking chair that my parents bought when they had Cory, my oldest brother, and I inherited it when my dad died last June.  My mom really wants it back - but we're loving it and my mom rocks our kids in it when she comes to visit.   Aiden loves Claire more than just about anything...he loves to hold her and play with her and touch her and shake her and be all boy towards her - but it is darling!

Kyle was too busy playing to be bothered by a photo shoot - but he was present too.

Holding Her Own

Claire has shown interest on holding her own bottle.  Addison never held a bottle EVER - even when she could have - she just wanted someone else to feed her.  Come to think of it, she still is a baby bird and would prefer that we spoon her food into her mouth.  Oliver and I just made a pact that neither of us will feed her this week - she isn't going to starve - and I really need her to be more independent because I don't have time to spoon feed two kids for every meal.  

Back to Claire - this is her on her four month birthday - Jan 24th - holding her own bottle. 

As you can see it isn't a flawless event and I won't let her hold her own bottle until her feeding is over because I like to feed her but she's getting big really fast!

Matching...It Never Gets Old

Thank goodness for Christmas!  We have several matching outfits and I routinely bribe Addison to take a picture with sister - yes I'm shameless. 

 

I love how this picture shows just how much Addison loves Claire and loves to be with her!

 

(taken January 20, 2013)

Claire loves her tongue - everyone says she has her Great-Grandpa Lyon's tongue - but she sticks it out all the time and it even looks like she can lick her chin.  She also is enthralled that she can suck it in and make it click - she does it repeatedly and is quite amused with herself.  She had just woken up from her nap and gotten dressed and eaten - and you can see she puked all over her clean clothes.  But I took the picture anyway because they were so cute!  

(taken January 21, 2013)

Our Little Hobo

Addison drags a lot of her bedroom toys through our house all day long almost everyday.  Every night we walk through and pick everything up and return it to her bedroom.  The grocery cart is the best present she ever received - since Christmas she has been able to pile everything into her cart and take it back to her room that way.  The grocery cart is typically brimming but she thinks it is the best game. 

Sometimes she has to stop and snuggle her blanky before she heads to her bedroom.

It takes a bit of leverage but she eventually gets it rolling.  This is how I feel when I push 40 lb bags of water softener salt through Costco/Sam's.

Mom Clean It Up!

A constant remark around our house used to be "mom I made a mess, you have to clean it up!"  It wasn't working so great for me but Addison gets a little distressed when there is food under her chair.  I think it bothers her because she insists on getting into her chair by herself and she doesn't like the crumbs on her feet.  So now I just get out the central vac, detach the head, and hand her the wand part and she LOVES crawling around our floor and sucking everything up.  I try not to let it bother me that often she crawls through her mess before cleaning it up causing her pants to be filthy.  It will all payoff one day - at least that's what I tell myself.

(taken January 10, 2013)

Claire's First Feeding

Claire had rice cereal for the first time on Jan 26.

Claire loves to suck her hands and couldn't really care less if a binky ever came her way.  It is proving to be a little difficult to feed her because she is constantly shoving her hands into her face.  I hold her hands out of the way while I put the spoon in her mouth.  Her dad hasn't tried to feed her yet.

Of course Addison was there helping too.

Sisters

They love to cuddle after naptime and Claire still does her beady eye thing when I snap her pic.

Never Too Old

After having some more water trouble in our house (it's just what we do) Addison has been bathing in our shower and Claire has been bathing in the kitchen sink.  Well - Addison likes to do absolutely everything that Claire does.  I normally bathe Claire while Addison is napping - but yesterday Addison was awake - and so she decided that she needed to bathe in the sink as well.  Obviously she loved it!

Perfectly Nice Innocent Lady

At the end of our meetings yesterday at church the lovely 70+ year old lady sitting next to me said, "Heidi, have a wonderful week, being a mother is just wonderful and fun."

To which, without missing a beat, I replied, "It must look rosy from where you sit looking back in time because I wake up some mornings and think SERIOUSLY - this again?"

Her facial reply said enough - shocked at my cynicism and candor.  I may have overstepped just a little.  I think she was looking for a more "oh, thanks so much, it is just wonderful".

She kindly replied, "Well I currently love being a grandma and you have to be a mom first - so you'll make it through."   Then she got up and left. 

Then, the perfectly nice woman next to her came over to me and said, "I think there is truth to what you said but you'll make it."

I probably should learn to keep my mouth shut and I do love being a mom and it's a blessing, etc.  But there are times when I am cynical and frustrated and tired and discouraged and I wish that other moms would be okay with that response too. 

However,the next time a nice lately at church tells me how cute my kids are and how fun it is I will probably reply "thanks" and be on my way. 

Matching

Addison loves to match Claire.  Several people have given us matching outfits and when I remember I take their pictures together.  This was taken January 3rd after we went on a train ride downtown and had a picnic on the train.  It was freezing but very fun!  Addison's cheeks are wind burned but we think she'll survive.

It was also the first day that I got out the bumbo for Claire to sit in and help us start cooking.  She has a lot of kitchen adventures to come.  

Bangs

Addison's hair has been hanging in her face for weeks.  She is constantly brushing it out of her eyes.  I have tried pigtails, ponytails, clips, a ponytail of just her bangs - and she doesn't want to keep anything in her hair.  She pulls everything out of her hair and then she has weird kinks.  We often bribe her that she can have one M&M if she'll not touch it while we're out.  But, inevitably, I have to do her hair a second time after nap and it just isn't worth the fight.  It already takes enough work to get two kids out the door.  So Oliver took her to get her hair cut yesterday and we got her bangs.  Her hair is now done ALL THE TIME!  All we have to do is brush it - and even then - I don't have to do that if I don't get around to it.  Here's to hoping this is a much easier solution!

Getting the water warm.

All wet.

Shampoo.

Rinse.

Ready for a cut.

Maybe just a little vanity - she loves how she looks in the mirror!

Trimming the back.

Loving to get it cut and not having any trouble sitting still.  The lady kept asking - is she really only 2?

Getting bangs.

All done.

Home and playing in her room.  Look at all those curls!

Pretty cute if I do say so myself.