The McSpaddens

Happy Birthday L!

2012-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

Sweet Lauren. You are now 1. What a precious joy you are to our lives. We love how you just go with the flow, scrunch your nose when you laugh, and want to be a big girl just like your sister. What a wonderful year it's been.
Here are your "stats" at 1:
- 21.6 lbs
- 30 1/2 in. long
- a rather "large" head
- eats all table food... loves carbs, cheese, meat, potatoes, fruit, and sweet potatoes. But that's about it. You eat like your daddy!
- You aren't walking yet, but you are the fastest crawling bug I know! You've stood by yourself a few times, but no interest in slowing down your speed by walking. :)
- You love to pull your bows out of your hair, pull your socks and shoes off, and you hate wearing a bib. Ha!
- You love doing whatever Claire does. You look at her in amazement and you want to play with all of the toys she plays with.
- You are a climber. Climb, climb, climb! I am calling it now... you will be our first one with stitches or a broken bone.
- Your nose scrunches up with he smile.
- I have 3 and 1/2 teeth (2 bottoms, 1 and a 1/2 on top)
- You drink completely from a sippy cup- whole milk, water, and very rarely- juice
- You take 2-3 naps a day (usually 1 short morning nap, one long afternoon nap, and sometimes a tiny evening cat nap)
- You say, "Mama," "Dada," "Pup," "Hi,""Bye" and you have a small wave that you do to say bye bye
- You sleep snuggled with your lamb and you suck your index and middle fingers on your right hand, backwards!
- You are a snuggler (we can and will not complain about this one!)
- You are in 12-18 months clothes (closer to 18 mos!)
- We just absolutely adore you!

We love you, sweet girl! Now, stop growing up so fast, okay?

And just like that...

2011-11-14T21:07:00.001-08:00

Our baby girl is 2.

It's hard to believe it! Mark and I were able to share some wonderful pictures together of the past 2 years with Claire, and we talked about how different our lives have are, now that we are parents. We just have trouble putting it into words!

I'll post b-day pics, cake and activity pics later this week, but I just thought I'd leave today with the things I love most about this girl right now... at 2.

1. She is so talkative. This girl says it all, and I love it... and her accent.
- "I do it by self."
- "Yahren. Wan me to read it Yahren. Brow bear, brow bear. Wha you see? I see puuhple cat oooking ah me."
- "I uv oo Mommy. I uv oo Daddy."
- "Is berry hot." (Talking about her new play kitchen)
- I nee go potty.

2. She is currently a "lap sitter." She wants to sit in one of our laps to do puzzles, eat dinner, read a book, watch "foooball." It's just precious. Even though there are times when we just want our personal space, we just eat up the times when she wants to sit in our laps.

3. "Aaaaamen." Claire says "Amen" so adorably at the end of her prayers, but it's the funniest because she says it every time she closes a book. I'm not sure if it's because she thinks it means "the end," or what, but it's hilarious.

4. Potty training- this kid took about 3 days to potty train the 2 weeks before she turned 2. She was such a fast learner and now we are one step closer to being a "no diaper" family. :)

5. She loves life. Claire is a lover or life. She loves playing outside, playing with her sister, going to the grocery store. She even loves taking a nap sometimes. She is just a pure joy. Anyone who is around her can see that little things make her ecstatic. Coloring, "dwahing," playing games on the ipad, chasing the dog, playing with her sister... She just has a ball, and I find myself wishing I could remember a time when life as that fun. When seeing a bubble made your world brighter. Do we ever get as excited as a 2 year old, when they are being pushed in a swing? If I can just hold on to an ounce of it, and remember that this is the life that God gave us. Uh. Special. Love it.

We could not be more thankful to God for this gift. Sometimes I think how undeserving we are to have her as our child. I can only hope that we remember that she is first and always belonging to the Lord. Thank you Jesus for letting us have these glimpses of time with her. She is such a joy.

Celebrating A Marriage

2011-10-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

I started writing this post back in August, but for some reason, in never posted...

I helped host a shower for my college friend, and post-college roommate, Kimberly, back in April at my house, and we had a lot of fun. I had some of Kimberly's dear friends and family bring recipes from their families and put them in an apron which had her new name, "Mrs. McNamara," embroirdered on it. Kimberly got each of the hostesses an apron as a gift as well. This was HILARIOUS because Kimberly and I always do this to each other. One year for Christmas, we got each other the same Anthropologie hand towel. So funny. Love her.

In May, we were able to get a sitter to go to a couple's shower at Kimberly's dear friend, Ashley's mom's house. They played a really fun "back to back" game with Kimberly and Kevin where they had to lift up their oven mits with the answer. It's hard to explain, but it was really fun to watch. It was fun to see them laughing and having so much fun. Also in May, I got to spend a weekend in Granbury with all of her best friends for her Bachelorette Party. It was very relaxing, girlie, and a ton of fun. Kimberly's sister-in-law, Nicole, did a fantastic job planning everything. I helped her out by videoing Kimberly's husband, Kevin, answering a ton of questions. It was great to hear his answer everything. It was such a fantastic time, and I am so happy that I could be there.

June was an exciting month! Kimberly's Aunt Jamie hosted a bridal luncheon at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, was just lovely. I've never been there before, but I will have to go back because I was impressed! (I don't have any picture of this that I can find... hmmm).We had a great time at the rehearsal, and then we headed to Pappasitos for the dinner. There was a really cute slideshow and of course the fajitas were amazing. :)

Kimberly is such a dear friend to me, and I was so happy to be one of her bridesmaids. She was a bridesmaid in our wedding, and it was extra special to see her walk down the aisle this summer. The wedding was just beautiful, and the reception was a lot of fun. I know that she (and many others) did a lot of planning to make that day extra special, and we were very thankful to be a part of it. Mark and I were blessed to celebrate the marriage of Kimberly and Kevin.

(Apologies for the quality on some of the pics... I used my phone instead of a "real" camera!)

Of course with all weddings we go to, Mark and I are reminded of how important the bond of marriage is, and how special that bond is.

We wish Kimberly and Kevin all the best, and we are excited to call them our friends: The McNamaras. Congratulations! We love you both!

Lauren Months 6,7, and 8

2011-10-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I can stay caught up after this post!

Lauren has been growing so quickly. I cannot believe we've already enjoyed 8 months with our sweet Lauren. Here are some fun things about L right now... and this is a combination of things from months 6-8.

- sleeps from 8-8 in your own crib in the room she shares with sister!
- still taking breastmilk (although, as of this week, L is no longer using a bottle if she takes milk. She is on a sippy!)
- eats finger foods (puffs, diced fruit, diced sweet potatoes, peas, yogurt bites, pieces of bread)
- eats cereal and 1/2 a banana at breakfast, 2 veggies at lunch with a few finger foods, and 1 fruit, 2 veggies, and cereal at dinner (she is a BIG eater!) Mommy has made all of her food in the BabyCook.
- she does NOT like broccoli. She seriously cries when we give it to her. She can keep crying. We eat broccoli, a lot. Sorry sister. Get used to it!
- She doesn't really cry. She "screams" or "grunts." It's really quite funny.
- still no teeth.
- her motor skills are amazing... have we mentioned she is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything?
- she isn't a talker. She says, "duh duh duh duh" and mumbles, but we think she's our "listener"while sister is our "talker." :)
- She is seriously one of the happiest babies you'll ever meet. I often say, "She's not a 'real' baby," because people will ask why she'll just sit quietly and play or never make a sound. We just love her.

- She is a snuggler. We love this, especially since our oldest isn't. :)
- She takes 2 small naps and one long nap a day, but she's pretty flexible. She is a "tummy sleeper."
- her favorite toys are: mommy's iPhone, a ball, clifford the big red dog, her animal book, and her bouncer
- she is over 20 lbs., in size 4 diapers, and (prepare yourself) she is in 9-12 month clothes, and most of the 9 month pants are too short. Such a big girl!
- she LOVES taking a bath. Unlike her big sister, she gets on her hands and knees and tries to crawl all over the bathtub. It's scary and hilarious all at the same time.
- Her big sister makes her laugh more than anyone else. I. Love. This.
- She is a sweet blessing.

Sister Kim and Brooke's Visit

2011-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my frister (friend/ sister in law) came in town for a work conference and I was able to spend a few days with my niece, Brooke, and the sisters.

We had a fun time running around in the backyard, around the house, and playing with the ducks. I am so excited that our kids are so close in age. I took the sisters over to my mother-in-law's house while Kim was at work, and we had a fun cousin photo shoot. It was craaaazzzzy. But so fun.

Brooke taught Claire how to "row row row your boat."

They watched a little bit of Nick Jr, so I could capture a picture. I think they watched Wonder Pets.

Playing at the sandtable...

Feeding the ducks...

Lauren and Brooke at the duck pond...

Photo shoot at Grams's house

It was crazy! We could hardly get them to sit still!

Cookies, anyone?

and we're done here...

For my 30th Birthday, Sister Kim and Stephanie (my other wonderful sis-in-law) got me a make over with a stylist at Neiman Marcus/ Laura Mercier counter. It was so much fun, and I got to pick out some makeup to take home. We wish Steph could've joined us, but we did have a lovely break from mommy time while Mark watched all 3 girls. I think he is wondering how my July Birthday has still gone well into September. Ha! Thanks Panda! I can't wait to see Kim and Brooke again. We had a great time!

Claire's First Day of Butterfly School

2011-10-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

In September, Claire started Butterfly School (a 2 day a week preschool/MDO for toddlers-PreK). She is having a wonderful time. She loves playing with all of her new friends and eating lunch at the big table. We couldn't believe what a big girl she as become. Daddy made toast with egg in the middle for her first day, I got her a butterfly cookie to celebrate her first week. I have to admit, it's been really fun making her lunch everyday. I get to be creative, which I love. I have made her sandwiches into butterflies and one day she had a duck. She may not notice, but one of the teachers did, and she told me how fun it was to see what was in her lunch everyday. If only we could get C to nap everyday. She's the only one not napping, but most days she'll nap when she gets home, which works for me. Ha!

Here's a funny conversation that C and I had after her first week of no naps, to prepare for the following week:

Me: "Claire, I am so proud of you. You are doing such a great job at school. You know how your teachers tell you at naptime, 'Claire, it's time to lay down and go nite nite' Well, you need to lay down on your monkey mat and obey Miss Carrie and go nite nite. Okay."

Claire: Go Nite nite. Lay down.

Me: That's right

The next day.....

Me: Claire, are you excited to go to school today?

C: Yeah.

Me: Well, what are you going to do at school?

C: I go nite nite.

Me: Well, let's hope.

*** Nope. :) A good effort, though. We'll see!

Quick Catch Up!

2011-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm a terrible blogger these days, and I'm sure that I'll look back and think, "Man, why didn't I write that down," so I'm going to try and catch up and do a little better!

The past few months have been a little crazy. Back in July, Claire had surgery at Children's, and it went really well. We definitely are grateful to God for keeping our baby girl safe and for healing her. It couldn't have gone better. Seriously, if your child needs to go to the ER or a hospital and you have time to drive a few extra minutes, go to Children's. They are wonderful with children and make a scary time for parents and children a whole lot easier.

Also in July, I entered my 30s. I actually feel so great about my 30s. With such a wonderful husband, lovely babies, beautiful home, special family and friends, I feel complete. I feel that God has blessed me so much in the 30 years I've been here on Earth, and I can't believe this is the life I get to live. I hope I can really enjoy my 30s more than my 20s, though. In my 20s I felt like 2 or 3 different people: college student, new teacher, new wife, new mom. I am really hoping to just take a deep breath and enjoy 30! My husband was so great to give me such a wonderful birthday present. He was my personal assistant for the day. He made us breakfast, changed a lot of diapers, scrubbed the bathtub, drove us around town, helped at the pool with the girls, had lunch with us, and then took us to Pappasitos (one of my favs).

He also gave me some time away with one of my best friends, Crystal by playing with the sisters all weeekend. We both added a new baby to our families this year, and as stay-at-home moms, we had a lot to talk about and celebrate. We laid by the pool, had a lovely dinner, and did some shopping. I even got a massage and pedicure to help me relax and welcome my 30s in style. It was a blast!

Happy Anniversary- well, in July, Mark and I also celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary. Really? Crazy. That means we've been together almost 11 years. This year, it was my year to plan, so I found a great deal on a modern-loft style hotel in the area. It was different than any other place we've stayed. We had some excellent meals (one at Jasper's- awesome) and we even had some time to relax by the pool and look at pianos. We are hoping to get one for the sisters to play, soon. It was a wonderful couple of days away. Thank you family for keeping the sisters! (I don't have any pictures of this, but we were actually having so much time relaxing, we didn't take a lot of pictures!)

We also got to celebrate the 1st Birthday of our best friends's daughter, and they had pony rides at the party. The girls had a blast. They even got to wear tutus. I could tell that I maybe hadn't quite "girlied" Claire up enough because she cried when I tried to put the tutu on her. I had to put one on so she wouldn't get scared. This is funny to me because when I was little I loved everything that was lace, frilly and ruffly, but I never put the girls in stuff like that. Weird.

Hooray for parties!

Look, horsies!

Mark is enjoying his work and has even taken time to enter a few code contests, and he has won a few of them. We are so proud of him! One of the things he was able to acquire by winning a code contest was an older version of an iPad. He gave it to the sisters to play with, so Claire has really been enjoying it! She'll say, "I plaaaayyy iPad. I play giwaffe. I play iPad." Soooo fun!

Entertaining August

2011-10-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

In August, we really stayed indoors mostly because it was so ridiculously hot here in Texas, but we found ways to stay entertained. Well, I was entertained. Claire is so funny these days. She'll just spin around and say, "I spin in circle. I march in circle. I running. I hide and seek." It's quite cute. She also loves to sing songs. She's on a "This little light of mine" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" kick right now. She's also quite a parrot. She will almost repeat anything you say. It's funny. She also loves to do "upside down" when she just puts her head between her legs. She is also really into coloring right now. Sometimes she gets it on her face, the floor, her sister... but hey, that's art, right?

Upside down!

Proud of her art!

This is one of my favorite faces... the concentration face.

sweet artist.

Claire: Our Talking Big Girl

2011-10-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

We have just been amazed at how verbal Claire has been. Around 19/20 mos, we started to notice her vocabulary skyrocket. It's so much fun. She's quite the parrot these days... Here are a few videos of her singing and talking skills. We are so proud of her!

Singing "This Little Light of Mine"

ABCs- Claire Style

Talking Talking Talking

My Lovelies

2011-09-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile, and we are quite busy, so I just thought I'd post a quick pic of my 2 lovelies. Well "our" 2 lovelies I should say. :)

Lauren:

crawling, teething, laughing, snuggly, solid-food eating, growing, blue-eyed, 7 month old, sweetheart.

Claire:

laughing, running, talking, happy, twirling, snuggly, dancing, eating, singing, growing, 21 month old, big girl.

Love these sisters...

4th of July

2011-08-02T19:38:00.001-07:00

Happy (belated) 4th of July!

We were excited to spend the 4th of July here at home with the sisters. Mark made homemade cinnamon rolls (yummy), and we went to the 4th of July parade here in town. Our friends from church invited us over to their house because their house was on the parade route. It was a little warm, so Lauren didn't really enjoy that, and she slept through a lot of it.

Claire loved the fire engine, the clowns, the band, and all of the cars. All of those in the parade gave out candy to the kids, which of course, Claire loved. :) It was a great little parade!

We opted out of fireworks because the sisters really can't stay up that long. Well, let's be honest, mommy and daddy don't really want to stay up that late either. We figure that right now, they are a little loud and we have plenty of years ahead of us to see fireworks! Mark's parents came for dinner, and we just had, all in all, a fantastic weekend.

5 Months (ish)

2011-08-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

At 5 months, we enjoyed giving L her first taste of cereal, bouncing on her knees and on the last day of her 5th month, she started crawling. There is no slowing down with this sweet girl!

Clearly, she isn't one for sitting still...

sweet feet...

She is such a sweet girl! She is trying so hard to keep up with her big sister. Can't believe we get to spend each day with this special girl. Love her!

Daddy's Daughters

2011-06-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you enough how wonderful my husband is. He does it all... works so hard at his job, spends his free time (not that he has a lot) with his family and friends, serves others, enjoys learning, prefers reading to tv, cooks, changes diapers, feeds babies, gives me an night out once a week, plans date nights, is flexible, he's patient, and he is a man of God. What a great blessing it is for the sisters to have him as a father. I am so excited each day that they get to sit in his lap and read a story, laugh with him, and look freakishly like him. Seriously, will I ever have a child that looks like me?

With Claire, Mark is so loving.

I remember the day she was born, and Mark sang, "Welcome to the World" by Sister Hazel, to her. Tear.

He'll also pull her up in his lap and read to her. One of my favorite things is when he taught her how to roll a ball and throw it. Of course her first word was daddy. Go figure! When Claire was in the hospital, he was so calm, and was always the one to make her laugh.

Also, Mark make this duck/ pig- like sound with his throat that I can't do, and Claire loves it! She's funny because she'll try and copy Daddy, when he does it. He loves sharing food with her, too!

I also love seeing Claire so interested in buckles on everything, stacking blocks and making towers, and how interested she is in making things work, reminds me so much of Mark's intelligence.

She also loves the computer, just like Daddy!

During the day, when we are eating lunch, Claire will look over at his chair, or go to grab his hand during the prayer, and she'll say, "Da-eee," and I know that even if she doesn't run to him the second he runs in the door, she sure loves her "Da-eeee."

With Lauren, there is just this soft spot that I think Lauren has for him. Wrapped around his finger, is more like it...

She smiles bigger and laughs harder when he's around. She also gives him slobbery kisses. I think that anyone who has been around Lauren will agree that she has her father's disposition.

She is extremely laid back, quiet, and attentive. Mark is really great at snuggling with her...

and always knows how to make her laugh.

Not to mention, she (just like her sister) looks just like him. :)

The Sisters have such a great Daddy. He won me over, and I think he is doing the same to them every day. I love that as they grow up, they'll be able to look at boys and think, "Well, you're great and all, but you'll never be as great as my Daddy, because he is awesome!"

Happy Father's Day, Mark. You are such a great Father to our girls. We are all so blessed that we get to spend our days with you!

4 Months and Getting So Big

2011-06-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of my most favorite ages. The 3-6 month age. I could just eat this little L up. She is so snuggly and smiley, and sweet.

I know this post is about a month behind, but they've all been that way, so I'm just going to stop apologizing from this point on! Isn't it worth the wait? Ha!

I don't know if I just don't remember Claire doing this so early, but Lauren seems to be doing everything much fast than Claire did. She's sleeping so well, she rolled over at 4 months, she's pulling up on her knees, reaching out for toys, and holding her own bottle already!

Here are her stats:

Weight: 14.8 lb.s (yep- pretty much the top of the charts)

Height: 26.8 in. (off the charts here... she's a long one!)

Clothes: Well, we are at the very end of 3-6 months clothes. She fits in 6-9 month stuff already. Sniff. Sniff. Her feet and legs are making it tough to wear "footie" and one piece things, but we're trying!

Food: Eats 4-5 times a day (still nursing) and at the end of 4 months, we started giving her rice cereal once a day. She's not really into it much, but we're getting there!

Sleep: Usually 9:00 or 10:00- 8:30 ish am (excellent!); with 1 long morning nap, 1 short early afternoon nap, and 1 long evening nap. She's a tummy sleeper all the way!

Activity: She rolled over both ways at 4 months; she loves to laugh at her big sister, she loves kicking her feet and when you hold her up to put pressure on her feet. She also enjoys grabbing anything that is near her- toys, your hair, a spoon. All of it!

Other fun facts: Lauren is not much of a "paci" kid. She's actually more of a self-soother, which I can't complain about. She's also a snuggler. She really loves being held. Lauren is also full of life and expressions.

Sister Alert: Lauren LOVES Claire. Claire makes her laugh more than anyone else, she stares at her all the time, and she gets really "kicky" when she comes around.

Health alert: This month, we did a VCUG test on L, and unfortunately, she has kidney reflux just like big sister. We'll find out soon if her prognosis is the same as Claire's.

Since she's almost 5 months old, now, she's even bigger and more expressive, but 4 months was a lot of fun! Can you believe she' already this big? Oh my!

Our little Claire at 18 Months (a few weeks late...)

2011-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are just so amazed at how much our sweet Claire has grown. I think the 12-18 month age is a time of immense growth intellectually and physically for kids. She is a little sponge.

Claire's Stats:

Weight- 22 lbs. ( 25%)

Height- 33 1/2 in. (95%)

Long and Lean!

Food: Claire is such an exceptional eater. Her favorite foods are: any fruit (mostly strawberries, oranges, and kiwi), fish (she really likes salmon), most other meats, she prefers sweet potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes. She drinks her whole milk 4 times a day, small juice/water once a day, and water several times a day.

Sleep: Claire is 100% in her big girl toddler bed. She shares her room with her sister, and sleeps from 8-8 every night! Such a big girl!

Words: Oh, the words. Claire is such a talker. Her new words are: "Idknow" (I don't know), meat, bubbles, "byba" (bible), hoot-hoot (owl sound), robot, "howiwaawaa" (How I wonder- from Twinkle,Twinkle), "Reeee" (recycle), "Peeze" (please), up, down, roll (she does a dance from Yo Gabba Gabba), Hepp (Help), NO! (Yep, she's always known the word no, but now it's in all caps b/c she now yells it quite often. :()

Claire is everywhere right now. She is pretty much a runner now. She loves running after balls and kicking them.

She is such a helper. She always asks to "Hepp" with dishes or "Reee" the bottles and boxes. She also loves splashing in her pool.

She's also a great big sister, and gives her sister lots of kisses hugs, and reads to her. I can't wait until they are big enough to really play together.

She also learned how to spin and twirl during dancing today. She tilts her head when she does it. Precious. We just love her energy, her spirit, and her abilities to make us laugh everyday.

How did we get so lucky to have this little gift?

L at 3 months

2011-04-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, our little Lauren is 3 months old (about a week ago), and she is getting so big! She weighs about 13 lbs. and is currently wearing 3-6 month clothes.

Right now we find ourselves amazed at how L is just so mellow. Honestly, she really just hardly ever makes a sound. She just looks around, taking in the world around her. I wonder if one day she'll just start talking and never stop, or if she will just always be slow to speak and quick to listen. Either way, she warms our hearts.

L can pretty much hold her head up on her own, she likes sitting in her boppy, and loves kicking her feet on her activity mat. I like to call her "kicky pants."

She is sleeping about 8 hours at night and takes about 4 or 5, 30-45 minute naps a day. She has finally outgrown her swaddle (because she is so long) and is now sleeping in her zipped sleep sack. She also moved to her big girl room with big sister this month, too, and it is going really well! If L ever does cry at night, C sleeps right through it (just like daddy- ha!) She also makes these precious "coo" and "ahhh" sounds that are like angels in your ears. It is so sweet to hear her, but she only does it at night when it's really quiet. :)

She eats about every 3-4 hours during the day, and next month we will get going on rice cereal.

I can't believe it's been 3 months. This girl is just amazing. She smiles all of the time, pushes off with her feet, and is quite the snuggler. She fits in so perfectly, and I feel so blessed that I have had 3 months to get to know her and love on her already. Such a gift...

We love you Lauren Su.

Cherishing the Moments with My Moms...

2011-04-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

The past few months I've really enjoyed watching my mom and Mark's mom with the sisters. Each of them bring special gifts to the girls in their own way.

My Mom, Nana, has this warm approach to the sisters that I can't really explain. It's kind of like I'm her little girl all over again, and I'm reliving it through them. She will sing silly songs to Claire and dance around with her, chase her, read to her, and it immediately takes me back to sitting in her lap, playing with her necklace and listening to her read to me. I'm sure that sisters will remember Nana's "S" necklace on her neck, just like I do. I just love the the sisters are getting time with Nana.

Mark's mom, Twyla, or Grams, has this way with Claire, especially, that I can't describe. It's fun to watch her teach Claire how to play the piano, pick lettuce and spinach from the garden, and how to sit down on the kitchen floor when she wants a drink. She is so patient and calm with both of them. It's precious. I know she wanted granddaughters so badly, and the sisters are so lucky to have her as a grandmother.

I hope that I am able to be the kind of mom that these two women were and are still. I have excellent models to look up to, and I feel so blessed to be called a mommy to these 2 precious little ladies.

What a gift! Cherishing the moments...

Keeping Up with Claire

2011-04-10T04:16:00.000-07:00

This girl is everywhere. She walks at turbo speed, she is very inquisitive, and lights up any room. We just can't get enough of her.

Now that she has big girl teeth, I just think she is so "grown-up" looking. Right? She weighs about 22 lbs. now, and is in about the 90th %tile in height. Those long legs are hard to keep up with these days!

Now that the weather is nice outside, Claire will just stand by the back door (most of the time with Myko) and say "ball" or just talk loudly. She gets so excited.
We started experimenting with crayons, and they make these crayons now that toddlers can hold in the palms of their hands to grip better. She really just tried to eat them the first time, but she is starting to understand that they are really for coloring. I think she was more interested in flipping the pages in the sketch book.

Another one of Claire's favorite things to do is to get into the drawer in the entertainment center and pull everything out of it. It really should be called "Claire's drawer" because everything in there is "Claire friendly" and she loves to run around with things from that drawer. Namely, the "mo- mo" which is "remote." She is quite funny when she points it at the tv.

She looooves eating ice. She usually says "I, I, I" and I'll have to give her crushed ice when she gets it, but it's a fun treat!
Sometimes I wonder. Where did the time go?
Oh. Claire. Don't touch that trash. She sometimes will help by throwing diapers in, but sometimes it gets a little full, and she wants to take things out of it. About a month ago, I started teaching Claire what it means to recycle, and what we recycle. She's so funny about it, too. I'll say, "Claire, wanna help mommy recycle?" and she'll run to the garage door and try to open it, and then she'll reach out for the box or bottle that we are throwing about. So fun.
I am sure that in no time she'll realize how to open all of our "sealed" cabinets.
Oh and naptime. Claire is now in her toddler bed. Yay! At first (before we started putting everything in there out of reach) Claire would just destroy everything in her room during nap time instead of sleeping. You can see how that looked. Shortly after we rubber banded every cabinet and door and put baskets where she couldn't reach.

We are so proud that she loves books so much. She will come and bring you a book. Bring the baby a book, and sit on her floor and just read. Melts. My. Heart.
She's such a good big sister, too. Her favorite things to do with Lauren is to help me burp her and put L's paci in her mouth. Of course she usually ends up putting the paci in L's eye, but she tries to help, nonetheless. She also likes showing her how toys work and loves jiggling the activity mat.

Bathtime is still her favorite. If you ask her if she wants to take a bath, she'll run in there and say, "Ba.Ba.Ba." The elephant is her favorite, now, and she'll say, "EEEE" everytime she sees one.

What a joy this sweet girl is.

Lauren at 2 Months

2011-04-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'm officially tardy on every blog post. I will be good to have 12 months of photos for L on here. We are just crazy busy, not that anybody believes me. Ha!

When Lauren was 2 months old, we had a little cold bug floating around our house. We all got it and L had a fever of 101, which in newborns 3 months and younger- means an ER visit. Luckily she was fine, and after about a week and a half, things were back to normal.

At 2 months, L-

* Weighs about 12 lbs.

* Is about 23 inches long

* Is sleeping 8 hours (on average) a night! Woohoo!

* Eats every 3 hours

* Smiles a ton (smiley pants)

* likes grabbing and looking at objects on her activity mat

* holds her head up like a champ

* is enjoying the bumbo seat

* has 100% outgrown newborn clothes, is a little snug in 0-3 month clothes, and has moved into 3-6 month clothes :)

* is such a joy!

One Year Ago Today...

2011-03-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

We were at Children's Hospital on Claire's 4 Month Birthday. We are just so thankful that God pulled us through it.

For those wondering, we have a follow up appointment in April to retest her (a VCUG test) to see if her kidneys are still dilated and if she is still susceptible to infections. Most likely she will continue a preventative antibiotic until she (Hopefully) grows out of it. We haven't decided whether or not to have Lauren tested, but we are pretty sure that we'll be a little more prepared this time. We feel so blessed that a year later, we have this sweet, energetic, girl to brighten our days and bring us such joy. Thank you Jesus!

Lauren- At One Month (Late!)

2011-03-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right?

We don't really have one month stats on L because she doesn't go back to the doctor until she is 2 months old, but I have stepped on the scale with her and around one month she was about 9-10 lbs. Crazy! She is also quite long. I am amazed at the length of her toes and fingers!

At one month, L was already in 0-3 month clothes, and all the newborn clothes were getting pretty tight. As for eating, L was on the "every three hours" schedule and we would get an occasional 4 hour in between feedings to sleep. She is all in all a pretty sweet, calm, baby.

She's pretty gassy, but hey, who isn't. Right? She smiled around one month, too, which was just precious. She had great head control, too!

I can't really tell if she looks as much like Claire when she was born, or if she is started to look more like me... we'll see! Ha!

Happy (Belated) One Month, Sweet Lauren. We love you L-Belle.

Claire Bear... 15 Months!

2011-02-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

I started this post over a month ago, and I am just now getting around to finishing it...

Sometimes I wonder where the time has gone. Now that Lauren is here, I look at her and it's like I'm looking at Claire as a newborn. Not just because they look alike, but because it seems like Claire was JUST a newborn herself.

Well, she is getting so big! At 15 months, Claire is really becoming such a fun little lady! Here are some fun facts about our button right now...

WORDS:

Claire is very verbal! Here are her most commonly used words: momma, dada, baaaaaby (baby), bye bye, moo, raarrr (roar- lion), neigh, oooh-ooh ahh ahh (monkey), baaa, blub blub (fish), puhpuh (please), hi, fower (flower), moon, Mote (remote), Wawa (water), pup pup (puppy), Maaaayyy (amen), nana (banana and Nana), Papa, Poppi, Baath, (and just recently) Dora (which is weird because we never watch Dora. She just recognizes her), Noah, Jesus (Jeeee), and hummm (home), and my personal favorite: Awwvvoo. (I love you.)

MEASURING UP:

Claire is a tiny thing. She weighed about 20.8 lbs. at the last appt. and 31 inches long. That would be the 10% in weight and 75% in height. Long and lean! She's pretty much in 12-18 month clothes, although some pants fall off her waist and are too short! Ha! Love it.

WALKING:

Well, starting the week before L was born, C started walking. She is soooo fast! I love it. She kind of hobbles every once in awhile and she still needs our help going up and down steps, but it's quite cute, and there's no stopping her now! I think yesterday, I even saw her run a little bit.

EATING:

She pretty much will eat anything. She loves her veggies, fish, and pasta. She also loves any kind of fruit and lately she's been eating hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red peppers as snacks with mommy. Couldn't ask for a better eater! She also likes to share her food!

DISCOVERY:

Any drawer, cabinet, basket, bin, etc... is of interested to C right now. She likes to take everything out and throw it on the ground. She also is really into categorizing things right now. We'll tell her to go and gather all of her puppies and put them in her chair and push them around and she does it. So cute! She also watches everything we do. In about 2 seconds, she picked up on how to burp a baby (watching me) so now she burps her baby and puts L's pacis in her baby's mouth. Precious. I also taught Claire how to throw away diapers in the trash this week. Score! Although, I am wondering if things that go missing will somehow end up in the trash. Hmmm...

FRUSTRATION:

We are really working on C's frustration or "giving up" when she can't do something. I am really quick to help, but Mark is really good about teaching her not to give up and encouraging her to keep trying. She just gets really irritated! Who does that sound like? Ha!

SLEEPING:

C is sleeping from about 8pm- 8 am (ish) every night and takes about 2 1/2 hours of nap a day on average. Sometimes it's 2 short naps, sometimes 1 long nap. I'll take it! We have just started transitioning her to the toddler bed. We'll see how long that takes!

TEETH:

This precious smile of hers is just precious. Claire currently has 4 top teeth and 4 bottom teeth, and she has been working on getting her molars for what seems like an eternity. Hopefully my next post will be about those pesky molars!

LOVEABLE:

Oh my goodness. That little bear is just so huggable. She will give lots of kisses and hugs to both Mark and myself, as well as her little sister. It's just precious!

It's "Snow" Big Deal...

2011-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

This year, Dallas got another nasty ice/snow storm at the end of January/ Early February. It was fun to see Claire interact with the snow we had. Last year, she was only about 2-3 months old, so she didn't care too much about it. This year, she just wanted to eat it and try to walk around.

Daddy even taught her how to make (and eat) snow cream. So fun! Lauren stayed inside by the warm, snuggly fire.

Lauren's Arrival into the World

2011-02-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it really is true that the 2nd time around things are different. Not just the labor, but everything: the recovery, the hospital time, the personality of the baby, the way the baby eats, sleeps, getting up in the middle of the night. Everything. Here are the Q's and A's of Lauren's Arrival.

Did you go into labor on your own? Nope. I was induced 4 days early due to my gestational diabetes. She was already measuring bigger than Claire did and my diabetes was worse this time. We checked into the hospital at 8 pm on Thursday night, I was induced at 7:30 in Friday morning (with Pitocin) and the doctor broke my water around 8:30 am. That was an interesting experience. Ha!

How different was this labor than the first? Well, when I had C, I was in labor for 27 hours. I was in labor for 6 hours this time. C's labor seemed to be a slow progression, and I was so exhausted. With L, it was fast and furious. No time to rest or relax until afterwards. The recovery has been MUCH easier and quicker this time.

Did you have an epidural? Almost! I managed to have both of my girls without an epidural, and I am amazed at how the human body allows you to do that. This time, the contractions were so intense that if I wasn't dilated as much as I thought I should be around 10 am, I knew I was going to cave. I just knew when she checked my progress that it was nothing, but I was wrong. The nurse affirmed that the reason I was in so much pain was because of how dilated I was. After they started setting up the delivery station and called my doctor, I knew I was close to being done, so I just stuck it out without the epidural. You can do it ladies!

How did Mark do as a labor coach and with the whole delivery this time? He did great... eventually! Ha! I don't think he was quite expecting my contractions and labor to progress so quickly, so it took him awhile to really get "in tune" with my labor. He was really good about reminding me to breathe (although there was a point where I think he was playing angry birds on his phone, and I almost threw it out of the window!)

Any surprises? I was surprised my doctor made it to the delivery. She had a really small window- 6pm and and lunch time from 12-1pm. I thought for sure I'd deliver around 4 or 5 pm and I'd have the on-call doctor. Instead, Lauren wanted my doctor there, so she made it on her lunch break! I was also surprised at how big L was. 7.11 lbs. Yikes! She was 4 days early! I wonder what she would have been had she been on time.

Who was there? It's funny. With your first one, it seems like everyone is there. The waiting room was full for us when C was born. Full for hours. This time Mark's parents and my mom were at the hospital during the whole process. I'm also assuming that our family members didn't want to wait another possible 20 hours in a cold, stale waiting room. And it was a Friday.) My mom got there before I was induced and saw the labor in full force. Mark's mom was my doula last time, and she was really helpful again this time, but it was so fast that she really didn't have to help as much as last time. It was great having them there when L was born.

What was it like when Lauren was born? Well, I was excited that Mark actually got to cut the cord this time. Lauren screamed the entire time from the moment she arrived, until that evening. I think she was a little angry that we made her join us so early. Ha! When our parents walked in, we were excited to finally share her name, Lauren Suzin. My mom teared up a bit (because it is her name) and everyone was happy to finally meet her. I asked for some pain meds shortly after I delivered, so I was pretty out of it afterwards. I didn't even finish my lunch before I fell asleep, and I barely remember getting to the recovery room. It was nice to rest afterwards for a few hours before visitors came. Our friend, Kathy, who kept Claire at our house brought her to the hospital to see her little sister. It was around nap time, so she wasn't all that interested.

So, how about Baby #3? Oh, dear. I don't know about that. The door isn't closed all the way, maybe just cracked a little, but it will hopefully be shut or cracked for at least a year. I mean, I have been preggo for 2 years, and I know that Mark and I would like a little break. :)

It is surreal to know that we now have 2 girls. It just seems like there is no way time can go that fast. Just no way! We are so blessed.

Just the Four of Us...

2011-01-29T03:04:00.000-08:00

So blessed!

The Sisters

2011-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

We've decided that when we refer to the girls together, we will call them "The Sisters." My friend Tonya (whom I used to work with, and I miss dearly) used to call her twin girls, "The Sisters," and I loved it!

Claire met Lauren the first time at the hospital, but it was crazy, and she didn't really interact much. This video is from the night Claire came home from Grams and Papa's house and she got to interact with Lauren for the first time. She was very sweet. And then she pushed her away.

I can't wait to see the bond that grows between them over the years. There's nothing like having a sister!

What's in a Name?

2011-01-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

Well, our little "L-Belle," "Ladybug," "Lauren Suz,""La," "Lala" is here! We've gotten a lot of questions about her name, which is fun and, of course, expected.

It took a long time to finally decide on a name for our sweet girl. We spent about 4-5 hours in the car coming home from Pittsburgh discussing names. There were a few requirements:

1. The name needed to be something classic, traditional, or a name that would "hold up" over time. Nothing "trendy" or too "popular." We didn't want a name on the "top 10 baby name list."

2. It needs to be a good "adult" name. Not just a good "baby" name. Would it be a good name for an adult with a good job, as a wife, etc... If this makes sense at all.

3. We tried for 1 syllable. This wouldn't work. We tried every name!

4. It needs to go well with the name "Claire" obviously. We didn't want their names to have the same letter (Chloe) or rhyme with Claire (Blaire, etc...)

5. The middle name needed to be a family name of some sort, preferably after my mom, because Claire's middle name was after Mark's mom and grandmother (Marie). Our first born was girl, and since Twyla (Mark's mom) had all boys, and really wanted granddaugthers, we wanted to honor her by naming the first granddaugther after her. It has been neat to know that Claire's middle name is after her Grams, who is an excellent example of a Godly, Proverbs 31 woman.

6. We wanted her name to have a good meaning, or at least not a "weird" or "bad" meaning. We really liked the name, Emily, but it meant "rival," and we didn't want our 2nd daughter to rival our first. We also liked Leah, but it meant "weary," and we just didn't want a weakling of a daughter. Ha! So, we also decided that a name that was "neutral" was okay.

7. Pronunciation- it had to be a name most people couple pronounce. I mean, as a teacher, I can't tell you how frustrating it was when names were weird or weird to pronounce. Now, Lauren is often pronounced "Lawren" or sometimes "Lowren." We decided that it wasn't a big deal to us if that particular syllable was said differently. I even asked a few Lauren's how they pronounced their name, and if they cared that other people pronounced it differently. They all said that it didn't seem to matter.

8. A "Good" Student- Okay, so this was my stipulation. No names of former students that drove me nuts. This was easier for girls than boys, but either way, I was a cheer coach, too, so I've had some "sass" and I wanted my daughter's name to have a good taste in my mouth from my teaching days.

9. It needed to be a name that couldn't be shortened. We liked Jillian and Lillian, but we knew people would call her "Jill" or "Lilli" and we just didn't really want that. So, that shortened our list a bit.

10. We had to both agree on the name, and we both had to have a peace about it. :)

So... we decided on her middle name first. Suzin. That is an interesting name, right? It's pronounced, Soo-zine or Soozeen (not soo-san or soo-zen) and it's my mom's name. My mom has been a living example of how faithful the Lord is, and how much he loves us. We have been encouraged so much by mom, especially in the last few years, and we felt like it would be really neat for Lauren to be able to explain her middle name and how it's after her Nana, who loves her and the Lord dearly.

Next, her first name. Man, it was tough. Honestly, it wasn't until around January 5 or so that we decided on her name. We were down to 2 names, and the other name made it on the "Top 10 Girl Names of 2010," and after about 2 weeks of hearing of about 10 baby girls with that name, we decided to go with the name Lauren. We loved the fact that it was a classic name and went with Claire really well. Also, we really like that Claire and Lauren have the same number of letters and so does Marie and Suzin. Symmetry!

Well, that's how her name, Lauren Suzin came to be. Here's hoping she likes her name when she's older. Look at all the thought we put into it. How could she not love it? Well, we love it, and we love her!

Feet

2011-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Where have your feet carried you lately? :)

Photos from Lauren's First Days

2011-01-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

Ready to Meet McBaby Girl #2!

2011-01-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

We have reached our final countdown, and now we are counting down hours. I can't believe that by tomorrow we will be a family of 4. This pregnancy has flown by, and I am trying to remember what it's like to have a newborn again. You'd think that I would remember it, as it was only 14 months ago that Claire was a newborn. Amazing how your mind just moves on, you know? Here are some pics of sweet Claire, our first baby girl, getting a picture of how big her little sister will be.

We head to the hospital this evening, and we they will prepare me for induction tomorrow morning. I am nervous, but excited at the same time. I didn't have an epidural with Claire, and I am hoping I can do the same with this one, however, like before, I am just going to go in with an open (but determined) mind. We have such wonderful support from our family, friends, and church family, and we feel so blessed that God is trusting us with another sweet gift of a child. The next post will probably be our announcement, so stay tuned!

Let's hope she's as excited about her little sister as she was about this watermelon... ha!

Our Little Walker

2011-01-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, she is officially walking. I would say January 11 was the day I would call her a "walker." Although, she does still prefer to crawl quite a bit (only because she is lightening fast as a crawler). I don't know how we'll keep up with her now, but it sure is fun to watch!

Claire... Meet, Claire.

2011-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

2011-01-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry this post is so late... Better late than never! This will probably be the last post before our new baby girl arrives. So exciting! Here are some highlights from our Christmas holiday this year. It was so wonderful to see Claire interact with family, friends, gifts, and all things Christmas. It will be so much fun to see both our girls at Christmas, next year!

We started out the holiday season with the annual cookie party at the Kolendo's house. We've been doing this for 4 years now (I believe), and it was fun to let the kiddos join us for a bit. Claire had her first Christmas cookie with Daddy (fitting) and LOVED it! We had a blast.

Thanksgiving... Belated...

2010-12-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, it was quite a week! Mark and I shared a camper with his brother Keith, his wife Kim, and baby Brooke. The weather was wonderful except for Thanksgiving (bummer), but we enjoyed being outside most of the time.We really liked the travel camper we had, as it had heat (until the last morning), a restroom, shower, and tiny kitchen. Much better than a tent, I will say!

We ate lots of yummy food (well, small amounts of it thanks to Gestational Diabetes- ha!), visited with friends and family, and endured some interesting events. Kim and I worked on the meals we were bringing to Thanksgiving (broccoli salad and stuffed mushrooms) and the boys helped with the Turkeys (there were 3 of them, and they were deep fried- yummy).

The picture below is right after Mark took Claire away from Grams. She was very unhappy. She became really attached to Grams this week! I love it! :)

Claire got to sit in a camping chair for the first time and she just looked so cute. We really had to bundle her up because it got quite chilly.

Now for the "events"... Claire also learned how to nap somewhere other than her crib (or shall I say we learned how to get her to nap somewhere else). Sometimes it was in someone's lap... other times we had to practically hold her and lay with her.

I was stung by a yellow jacket (in one of my lady lumps... boo), I got a UTI the day after thanksgiving and had to go to urgent care (didn't want to wind up back in the hospital for another kidney infection), and then after the best day of camping (Saturday- games, great food, perfect weather, family nap time), I fell going down my in-laws' camper and sprained my ankle. Nice. Apparently your joints are loose when you are preggo. Luckily Mark's brother, Keith is a pediatrist and made "rounds" to his mom's camper to check it out. 3 weeks later I am finally able to walk on it with a boot or brace. Whew!

Let's just say it wasn't in our top 10 most relaxing weeks of the year, but we did have a good time, we learned a lot, and it was great to see Keith, Kim, and Brooke, the rest of the family, and our friends. We felt blessed that we were able to share the holiday with them, even if it was crazy!

We'll see if we make it camping next year. We may camp in our living room with our girls next year. I mean, girlie living room tents and fireplace marshmallows are cool, too. Right?

Brush, Brush, Brush Your Teeth...

2010-12-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

Our big girl with her first toothbrush experience...

Now that Claire has 5 teeth, we thought it was time to start introducing a toothbrush. She seems to really like it for now. We'll see how long it lasts! It blows my mind how big she is getting!

Sweet girl! Here's hoping she has excellent oral hygiene from here on out... none of that "pretend" brushing. A mom can hope, right?

Such a Joy

2010-11-20T21:34:00.001-08:00

I Just have to say that this little girl is such a joy...

I mean, we are just eating her up right now! She's so verbal, it's crazy! Today she was repeating "flower," "moon," and she already says, "bye bye," "mama," "daddy," "mml" (milk), "moo," "boon" (balloon), "night-night," "eieio." She wants to turn all the lights off in the house to conserve energy (well, not really- she just likes flipping the switch), she gets SO excited to eat fruit, it's just hilarious.

Also, Claire does stuff like this, and you can't help but laugh. Her "gigglebox" is contagious! Daddy sure knows how to make her laugh!

McBaby Girl #2... Update!

2010-11-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we have reached the 30 week mark with our second baby girl. This has been the fastest pregnancy ever! (Well, for me it has been... not so sure Mark agrees.) The baby weighs about 3 lbs. ish right now. The doctor informed me that I indeed have gestational diabetes again. Boo. Although, I do agree that I should be eating more like this anyway. Well, I will be cutting back on sugary and carb-ish foods and taking my blood sugar 4 times a day. After having a kidney infection (brutal), I'll take this, any day! Here are a couple of recent belly pics of our sweet, 2nd baby girl. As for names, we have 2 that we are playing with. We set a date of December 1 to have her named, but we won't disclose the name to anyone but Claire until she arrives!

I can't believe we only have 10 weeks left. I'm sure it will fly by with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's in there. Yikes! The pictures below were taken around Halloween. McBaby Girl #2 was about the size of a head of cauliflower. She's much bigger now, or at least it seems that way. Ha!

Anyhow, we've been enjoying the little kicks from this sweet girl, and although Claire is only interested in my belly button and not the baby in my belly, I'm sure she is gearing up in her own way to be a big sister!

Our Sweet Girl is One!

2010-11-14T18:51:00.001-08:00

One year ago, today, the Lord blessed our lives with this sweet little girl...

And what a blessing she is! Life has been so exciting this year, and Mark and I have learned so much about ourselves and have grown closer as a family. It's been wonderful!

Claire's First Birthday "Button" Pajama Party:

We had a family/friend pajama party on Saturday morning for Claire. It was a "button" themed party because we have always called Claire our little "button." We feel so blessed that our family and friends (mostly) are local and could share this special day with us. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful through all of our many ups and a few downs this year, and we felt honored to have so many of our family and friends share in Claire's big day. It was amazing!

I was determined to make Claire's cake... I think it turned out pretty cute. She LOVED It!

I also made "button" cupcakes with the help of Kimberly. Yummy!

I made Claire a "button" bow to match her big girl pjs. I also found these fuzzy slippers for her. She was very snuggly...

Claire loved spending time with all of her guests, including her boyfriend, Kaden. :)

The "after" of the cake...

Nana brought balloons, and they were a hit! Claire lit up every time she saw them!

Claire loved all of her presents!

Love this smile...

These pics were hanging from our windows.

We draped pictures across our fireplace of Claire from the day she was born until now.

Is it naptime, yet?

Rise and Shine Birthday Girl!

I decided it would be a fun tradition to be like "Santa" on Claire's Birthday... have something in her room in the middle of the night so when she woke up on her Birthday, she would be excited to start her day. Claire LOVES balloons, so I tied a balloon to her crib (1 balloon because she's 1!) I may do balloons and add one for every year, or maybe something different, who knows. I have another year to decide! :)

Before church, we took C to breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast places near our house. We've never ordered from the kids menu, and C hasn't had chocolate, so we thought it would be a lot of fun. Boy were right! It was so fun...

Once we got to church, her sugar high wore off. Right before the sermon started, C fell asleep in Daddy's lap. It was precious. A very sweet moment on this special day, I must say...

Church Friends Party

After church and lunch we had our friends from church over for dessert to celebrate C's special day. Our church has been a HUGE part of our lives this year. The day to to day, prayers, watching C for us, sending meals when we've been sick; they have been wonderful.

Mark and I with our 1 year old girl!

Cake! Round 2...

Have you seen anything cuter?

She was still smiling after all that fun!

And that's a wrap! It was a wonderful day. One that we will never forget! We look forward to so many more moments of laughter, tears, and memories with our sweet girl(s). It's hard to believe that she is one, and she is now considered a "toddler." It's going to be a fun ride...

Happy Birthday Button. We love you so much! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Family Photos and Gearing Up for C's Birthday

2010-11-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up for Claire's First Birthday... sob. It's just so bittersweet. We are so excited that we have survived and enjoyed a year with our sweet girl, but at the same time, it has gone by so quickly. Time seems to zoom by when you have children... I mean lightning speed.

Last weekend, we were blessed to have family pictures, Claire's one year pictures, and maternity pictures taken by a great photographer, Averi Blackmon. This session was actually a gift from Keith, Kim, Josh, and Stephanie when Claire was born. It was initially supposed to be a newborn session, but Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to be so close to when she was born, and we felt like it would be more fun to capture her interactive moments anyways. So, we rescheduled for June. Well, then I found out I was pregnant, and we just decided that we could do "3 sessions- in - one."

Well, she did a great job, and we had a great time capturing this time in our lives. Knowing that this was our last few months with only one child, to be expecting, and to have our sweet girl turn one... it was very special. Here's the link if you want to see the rest. http://blog.averiblackmon.com/the-growing-mcspadden-family/

We are so blessed!

Our Little Pumpkin... Our Little Lady Bug... Our Little Aggie!

2010-11-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Wow! October was a busy month... obviously. :)

Our Little Pumpkin...

We had a great time introducing Claire to pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. She had so much fun!

Our Little Ladybug...

We were excited to have "pre" trick-or-treating in College Station and Claire got to go to 3 houses when we got home. She was the cutest ladybug I've ever seen!

Our Little Aggie...

Last weekend, we headed to College Station to cheer on the Ags (well, not really) and see Keith, Kim and Brooke who were visiting from Pittsburgh. We were also excited to stay with our good friends, Matt and Bree and their new baby, Jonathan. We got to introduce Claire to bubbles, tailgating, Blue Baker, and all things maroon. She loved it!

What a fun month it was! Blessed, blessed, blessed!

Mommy McSpadden Must Haves (Months 3-9 and beyond...)

2010-11-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, my first "must haves" post seemed to help a lot of my friends at the beginning with baby, so I thought I'd post the things that I have used since, or at least that I still used up until this point. If you have a friend that is expecting, you may direct them to the early blog post and then this one. Again, this is just what I used and have LOVED. Everyone is different! Happy reading...

Feeding:

1. Cereal- We started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk (then formula w/ cereal, then water with cereal). We didn't start C on cereal until she was 4 mos. old. We didn't put it in her bottle, but rather, gave it to her in the evening in between her late afternoon and evening bottle. We bought this kind.

2. Baby Food- I decided to make my own baby food, thanks to help of my mother--in-law, her sister, and Nanny. They bought this BabyCook machine as a shower gift with this Baby Puree book, and it was wonderful. You could store the baby food in ice cubes and then put in plastic bags, but we bought these containers for the freezer instead. We had 4 trays of them, and we still use them now. The BabyCook machine is kind of pricey, and I've heard that Babies R Us has a cheaper version that steams and purees together similarly to the BabyCook. You'll just have to chance it with this one, as I've only used and loved the BabyCook.

3. Formula- Fortunately I was able to nurse C for 8 and a 1/2 mos., but then when I got pregnant, it wasn't a possibility anymore, so I switched to formula. We used this formula and had NO problems at all. No tummy issues, etc... great! We also use this formula dispenser to take the formula on the go. It has been great. Thank goodness we are almost done with formula!

4. Feeding Utencils- We started with these spoons, and then we moved to these when she got bigger. These snack cups and snack trap have been great for snacks and food on the go. Just make sure you get the lid that is sold separately to cover the snacks that you want to keep fresh. You'll see it next to the snack trap.

5. Cups for drinking- Claire stopped using bottles around 9 months. If you are still using bottles, make sure that you switch to the nipples that are level 2-4, depending on your baby. We started giving her sippy cups around 6 mos to practice with water and juice, and then, once she got the hang of it, we gave her a sippy cup of milk once a day, then all but the last feeding, then the last feeding. It wasn't very difficult to transition for her. Here is the Born Free Cup-the first cup we tried (she preferred a softer spout for teething), then these Tilty cups, then these Avent ones with the hard top (they do make them in the soft tops now). Now, C didn't like handles. My suggestion to save you money and time is to buy the ones that have removable handles just in case. Also, think about what size your baby's bottle is, and try to find a sippy cup that is similar in size if you can. Right now, we have about 4-5 sippy cups that we use and these are Claire's favorites. She just moved to the cheap take and toss kind, which is nice. It also comes with a travel cap. All babies are different...We are hoping to move to regular cups, soon!

6. Sippy Cup Grip- this was great for attaching to sippy cups so they don't get lost. I also use it to attach snack cups and toys to her stroller. :)

6. Travel Booster seat on the go- We have a table booster for home, but it's pretty bulky for travel. This Munchkin booster has been AWESOME for travel. Not a necessity by any means, but if you go out a lot, send your child to grandparents or friends often, this is great.

7. Feeding Placemat- We have loved having this when we go out to eat or if we take her to a friend's house to eat with the travel booster. They make disposable ones, but we like this mat because it rolls up nice and neat in the diaper bag, it wipes clean, and is better for the environment. This same company also made a "trough" bib which is great for on the go and wipe off messes. See more about bibs below...

8. Highchair- We have this chicco highchair that I got at the jbf sale for super cheap, and it folds really compactly and has a removable tray. We also have this booster, which will be great when #2 comes along in January, but you don't need both. I would say get whichever fits your situation best. A booster you will probably get the most "life" out of.

7. Snacks- The first snacks we gave C were these organic puff snacks that dissolve. We did this snack only and added other things in (diced pears, bananas, ripe diced peaches, etc...) once she started to crawl or we could tell she could chew or handle things in her mouth. Then, we added these corn puff snacks (which are her favorite, now... we have to limit them!)

8. Juice- Once we added in snacks (about 1-2 per day) and she was taking in less milk a day, we started her on water. Once a day or every other day, I will add about 2 oz of juice to about 2 oz of water. This is the juice we've used. I always dilute it. It has way too much sugar for a baby in one serving. Yikes! For travel, they make this type of Juicy Juice in tiny juice boxes. We take these with us when we travel.

10. Bibs- Oh dear! I didn't think we needed that many bibs, but I was wrong! Once the baby starts eating, you will be washing A LOT of bibs. Just make sure you have at least one bib with a lip at the bottom to catch food. We especially use a bib like this with spaghetti and peas. :)

11. Plates and bowls- we just recently got a few small plastic plates and bowls, which have been great to start teaching C how to use bowls and plates. This wasn't until around 9 mos though. Before that, we just put her food on the high chair tray. These plates are my favorite by Sassy because they come with a lid. Also by the same company, Sassy, we love this on the go travel container. You can compartmentalize all of your food, snacks, etc... It's great for a sitter or if you go out and about and need to take several food or cereal items.

12. Washcloths- It sounds weird but I leave several baby washcloths in the kitchen to wipe C's face after dinner. It gets messy. So, if you find a sale on baby washcloths or if you have a lot, don't get rid of them. Use them for that messy face!

Playing:

Well, once C started to move around a lot or crawl, we had to put the activity mat away. She just didn't stay on it to play. We then used a bigger blanket filled with toys.

1. Activity Gym/ Jumper- Once she could sit up, we started letting her play in this. She still uses it now and she's almost a year old.

2. C used her Bumbo seat for a while, but around 4-5 mos old., she really didn't like it anymore, so it went in the closet. It was great in the beginning when she started to sit up, though.

3. As I mentioned in my previous "must haves" post, we have canvas bins all around the house for toys, burp cloths, etc... I decided to fill one with toys in the living room and one with books. The one with toys has at least 1-2 electronic toys, some soft blocks, some stackable blocks, a stuffed animal, and some sort of teether. (see below)

4. Activity Table- My sister gave us this table to borrow (you can get them super cheap at a consignment store or on craigslist). It's great around 9 mos or when your baby starts to stand on his/her own.

5. Swing- Well, C has pretty much outgrown her swing, but she does sit in in once a week to watch a 30 min. Baby Einstein video with milk to give me a 30 min. break. Since she uses this swing once a week, I put it on here.

6. Pack and Play- I put several toys in there for her, and each day C has about 45 min. of independent play time. It's in the playroom now, but before it was in our room or living room. You could also use a Super yard or something, but this works well for us and we keep consistent toys in there to spark familiarity and creativity. (per Baby Wise)

7. Board books- hit up Half Price books or consignment sales and clean off the books, but get a ton. We have several bins of books and Claire loves just turning the pages in all of the books. You can't go wrong with books!

8. Stackable Rings- Claire thinks these are just too much fun!

9. Electronic toy- This toy is great to throw in the diaper bag and it's not annoying. She also loves this laptop. I would try to find at least one that doesn't annoy you to provide a lot of entertainment for baby!

10. Blocks- stackable, soft, etc... these blocks are similar to the ones that Claire has, and they are C's favorite, and we practice colors and counting with them.

11. Stuffed Animals- C always sleeps with a cuddly lamb, but she loves her other animals. We try to take one tiny stuffed animal with us when we travel for her to love with. :)

Teething:

1. C's been teething since month 2, so we've had Sophie the Giraffe for awhile, but we still use her. We also still use the Hyland's Teething Tablets and Motrin pretty regularly.

Car Seat:

1. We just switched from the first car seat that we were in at the beginning, and we moved to this Britax Car Seat that we got for a great price (on sale at Target).

Stroller:

We used the Snap N Go until C could sit up. Then, we got a cheap umbrella stroller because we knew that #2 was coming, and we'd probably have to get a double stroller. If we weren't having a 2nd one so close, we may opt for a really nice umbrella stroller (again you can find these at consignment sales or Craigslist for cheap). If you plan on having a 2nd baby soon, you may look into a double stroller like we are getting, or a Sit N Stand.

Bathtime: (also known as Claire's favorite time...)

1. Bath- we moved C to the "big bath" once she was too big for her baby tub. If you have a sink that will work for awhile until baby can sit up. Once C could sit up, we put a towel down in the tub so she wouldn't slip. Once she was sitting up really well, we removed the towel.

2. Frog Pod- We love this to store all of C's tub toys. Highly recommended if you like to save space!

3. Washcloths- we have several that we still use, although we stopped using the Bath Luve (that I mentioned in the last post), we still use tons of washcloths.

4. Tub toys- we have tons of these too. This includes a bath book, which is just fun to have for chewing and teething, too!

Baby Proofing:

1. Outlets- we needed 30 outlet covers in our house

2. Double Touch Plug Outlet covers- These are great for things you can't unplug (computer, tv, etc...)

3. Cabinet locks- We wanted these locks, but they wouldn't work with our cabinets, so we settled for these cabinet locks instead.

4. Fireplace covers- this was to protect her head from the brick. We also got cushions similar to this (only in khaki) to put on top of our fireplace for extra seating and protection.

5. Baby Gate- We use this infant gate in our playroom now, but it can be used in other rooms if need be. I bought it at Once Upon a Child for next to nearly nothing!

Well... I think that's all for now! I'll get back to you after year one with my Mommy McSpadden Must Haves after year 1 (and Must Haves for 2 babies!) Email me or message me if you ever have any questions. Of course these aren't necessarily things you "need," they sure do make things a lot easier! What a blessed society we live in...

Happy Mommy (and Daddy) time!

11 Months... Really?

2010-11-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm getting the tissues ready for tears in a few short weeks. :( I can't believe that our girl is almost 1!

Things have been crazy around here with me in the hospital, Claire being sick again, and preparing for new baby girl. I forgot to post her 11 month pics with all that she is doing now, so here goes...

At 11 months, Claire...

- weighs 17. 4 lbs. (tiny but tall!)

- is a great eater! She is starting to develop a preference of fruit over veggies, so we have to hide her fruit and give her veggies 1st. She is on all table food now!

- is into everything! She especially likes to open and shut doors, cabinets and drawers.

- is quite the talker: mama, dada, mmmm (myko and milk), pppp (please), EIEIO (after you say old macdonald), bye, baby, says "moo" when you ask what a cow says

- she waves hello and goodbye

- tries to pull all of her bows out

- will stand on her own for a bit and then sit right back down

- walks with assistance (holding hands or using a push toy)

- loves being outside, especially in her new swing

- gives kisses (open mouth to her stuffed animals and sometimes to mommy and daddy)

- sleeps 12 hours at night plus 2 naps (one long and one short) everyday

- had 3 teeth (and 2 that are close...) 2 bottom, one "vampire" tooth, a front tooth that's almost through and a vampire tooth that is almost through.

- laughs at almost anything

- is a complete joy!

We love you button!

10 Months Old and Still Cute as Ever!

2010-09-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that in less than 2 months, our sweet girl will be 1. Where has the time gone?

At 10 months, here are some things that we have been able to enjoy with Claire:

1. She is crawling AND pulling up everywhere! She'll even stand on her own for a few seconds before realizing it, and then sit down.

2. She is a WONDERFUL eater. She loves veggies, meats, cheese, fruit, etc... Strangely, the only thing she really doesn't like are potatoes. Strange, right?

3. She sleeps 12 hours a night with 2 naps a day. Excellent. (well, with the occasional teething wake up here and there).

4. Speaking of teeth- she has one on the bottom and one on the top= Finally!

5. She talks all of the time. Her favorite words: Dada, Momma, MMk (myko and milk), Bye (souther style) and she'll repeat sounds like crazy!

6. "Just Dance"- if you ask C to dance, she'll shake her shoulders and her head like she's dancing. It's hilarious!

7. She waves hello and goodbye. Precious.

8. She plays with Myko by taking his bunny, yelling "MMMkk" and then moving it around. So sweet.

9. She loves giving kisses. Of course they are open mouth, slobbery, and could range from your mouth to your cheek or shoulder, but they are so sweet to receive.

10. She giggles and laughs so much everyday, and it is such a joy to hear!

Did I mention she also lets us dress her up in crazy bows, outfits, and dresses? She's such a trooper. We love you button!

Claire's First Tooth and Spaghetti Dinner

2010-09-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well, she finally has a tooth! It only took 9 months and a trip to Pittsburgh. Ha! The above picture where you can kind of see it poking out on the bottom. A couple of weeks ago, I made C her first entree of spaghetti with mushrooms, onions, carrots, and garlic. She LOVED it. She couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough. That's our girl!

It's A...

2010-09-01T15:59:00.001-07:00

Well, it's that time again! While Mark, Claire, and I were in Pittsburgh, we decided it would be fun to open the gender envelope and find out if C was going to have a little brother or little sister. All of my cravings and the way I was growing really made us think this one was a boy, so we put a blue boy in C's hair just to prove our suspicions... Well, it's a...

Girl!

We couldn't be more thrilled!

So Long Pittsburgh...

2010-09-01T11:45:00.001-07:00

Well, before we knew it, it was time to go...

We had such a great time with family and it was so relaxing. We decided to make it home in 2 days instead of 2 and a 1/2, which was exhausting but the way to go.We decided to stop in Nashville on the way home to eat dinner and stretch our legs. We let Claire play in the water in the square downtown. She had a blast!

We also ate one of the best bbq sandwiches we've ever had at Jack's BBQ. We may have to make a day trip to get one of those sandwiches again!

We were sad to leave Keith, Kim, and Brooke, but we are excited that we get to see them again soon. Home sweet home!

Up next... is it a boy or girl?? Hmm.... be patient and stay tuned!

Pittsburgh Zoo

2010-09-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

We were also able to take Claire to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. This was her first zoo experience, and she had a great time. The weather was in the 70s and perfect for the zoo. It was so fun watching her get excited when the animals near her would jump around or move- especially the monkeys.

Mark and I were pretty surprised that she was awake all day and not at all fussy. By the end of the day, she was out!

We can't wait to take her to the zoo again. Maybe next time, she will be able to make the sounds that all the animals make.

Up next... Headed home!

Fun times in Pittsburgh

2010-09-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful getting to catch up with Keith and Kim, and get to know Brooke. They have a beautiful home, and we were able to have some excellent dinners and just hang out, comfortably around the house.

While Keith was working at the hospital, Mark decided to watch both of the baby girls for us so that Kim and I could get a pedicure. It was so relaxing! Mom's rarely get at break, so it was perfect. Thanks wonderful husband!

It was so much fun seeing Claire interact with Brooke. She is going to be a great big sister!

Up next... Our trip to the Zoo! And heading home...

Arriving in Pittsburgh... Finally!

2010-09-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to finally make it to Pennsylvania.

The weather was wonderful, and it was so great to see Keith and Kim, and meet Brooke for the first time. She and Claire are 7 Months apart, and we know they will have so much fun growing up together!

When we arrived, we headed to the Pirates game for both of the babies first baseball game.

I think the boys were proud to have their girls there. :)

It was a little warm for the babies, so we scooted out early. Keith was off on Monday, so we headed to Pamela's for breakfast. It was amazing! If you are ever in Pittsburgh, you have to try it!

Kim had a double stroller for us to test out in her rather "hilly" neighborhood. It was good practice for January. :) (Update on that coming soon!)

We decided that if we didn't do anything else besides visit with Keith, Kim, and Brooke, we had to spend time outside each day. I mean, we left Texas when it was 106 degrees, so the high 70s and 80s were definitely a welcome change.

Claire enjoyed her time outside as well!

Up next... more fun in Pittsburgh!

First Family Road Trip: On Our Way to Pittsburgh

2010-08-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! We survived 28 hours (ish) in the car, traveling through 11 states from Texas to Pittsburgh to visit Keith, Kim, and Baby Brooke. It was tough at times, but all in all, the car trip wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it would be. Claire did great!

It's not to early to teach C how to drive, is it?

On the way there, we stopped to make sandwiches in Missouri and we even took a detour to see The World's Largest Rocking Chair. Good times!

Then we headed to St. Louis to see the Arch. Although it was ridiculously humid there, we had a great time!

What an amazing piece of architecture...

Up Next... Arriving in Pittsburgh!

9 Months Young

2010-08-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe Claire is 9 Months old. Time just flies! She is so close to walking, it's not even funny. Since she's finally old enough, Mark put this toy together for her to play with and practice walking. She's having fun figuring it out!

This week, Claire has officially ended her relationship with bottles, and she is now fully on a sippy cup. She is starting to eat so many foods on her own, and she is really great about trying new things. This week we'll try chickpeas, spaghetti, and fish. She still has no teeth, although she is seriously drooling and chewing on everything.

We gave her a bite of a popsicle, which was a bad choice. The lime was too much acid for her, so her little mouth was red for a few days. Yikes!

This little girl is such a joy. Mark and I are daily blessed by her sweet giggles, curiosity, and just love of life. Happy 9 Months Button. We love you!

Apples to Apples

2010-08-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm about 4 months ish preggo, so it's time for another update! Claire has been wanting to help understand things with the new baby, so we've decided to get her in on the updates. The baby is about the size of a small apple right now, and I am starting to feel that! I know Claire is going to be so helpful with new McBaby gets here. In just a few weeks, we'll now if C will have a baby brother or sister. So exciting! Mark and I (of course) are predicting boy (again), but of course we thought C was a boy. Boy- were we wrong. She is all girl!

Let me also add that this week Claire has learned how to pull off her bows. Don't worry, I just put them right back in and the battle continues. I will NOT give up! Those bows are too cute. She'll get the point, right?As if you haven't heard, Claire is also completely crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything, and has an attraction to all things that look remotely dangerous. (ie: outlets, cords, anything electronic, glass, etc...).

I've had to put her in her pack n play for the times when I can't chase after her. I bet you can guess what we are doing this weekend. Ha!

Have a great week!

Lake House Fun!

2010-08-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we spent some time with our dear friends, The Kolendos at their lake house.

Claire got to ride on a boat and swim in the lake for the first time.

Here are all the girls in the water!

The boys had fun with the kiddos on the boat.

Crystal and I are really excited that our 2nd babies will be close in age. She's due in September and we are due in January. Fun times ahead!

It was really relaxing for all of us...

including Myko!

We had a great time, and we look forward to more memories with friends!

Daddy's Girl

2010-08-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I knew it was coming... Claire has said her first words. "Da-da." Well, technically, she's been saying da-da and ma-ma and other things for awhile, but yesterday Claire said "da-da" to Mark as soon as he got home from work and greeted her. Precious! I mean, she has a great daddy, so who can blame her. She is so lucky to have such a wonderful daddy, and she just loves being with him. So do I!

Blue Eyed Baby at 8 Months

2010-08-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our sweet girl will be 9 months old in a week. Crazy! We went to the lake house with The Kolendos last weekend (more pics to come) and I captured some outdoor photos of Claire. She's the easiest baby to take pictures of because she has such a joy about her that will brighten your day. What a blessing this girl is to us! Love you button!

5 Year Anniversary

2010-07-23T06:46:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been 5 years since Mark and I got married. Time really does fly! It's really neat to look back and think about some of the amazing things that we have experienced over the past 5 years. We feel so blessed that we have had this time together. We are looking forward to many more!

Here are some of my favorite moments in our 5 years of marriage...

Our wedding...

Our Honeymoon in Mexico...

Our first Thanksgiving... in London!

Our 1 Year Anniversary, eating the top of our wedding cake!

Our ...

Trip...

to Europe!

Buying our first home!

Bringing home the Myks. (I don't know if Mark would count his as a "favorite moment," but we were really excited!

Christmas in Chicago...

Our trip to Lake Tahoe

Finding out that we were going to have a girl!

Preparing for Baby Girl...

Claire's Arrival...

Our First Thanksgiving at home. With baby...

Watching the Lord heal our baby girl...

Special...

Moments...

With Claire!

Finding out about McBaby #2!

Excited about the road ahead. May we be blessed with 5 more years, plus 5 more, plus 5 more, etc...

Mobile on Land and Water

2010-07-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

She is starting to master the land...

Well, as I posted earlier, Claire is crawling now! So fun!

Here she comes!

See me mommy?

How about now?

And now, the water!

Claire is a fish. A dolphin. A sea creature, perhaps. We started swim lessons this week and will continue next week. We had a great time. I think that I was more exhausted after the lessons than she was. Ha!

The point of these lessons was really just to get the babies acquainted with the water by kicking, splashing, and blowing bubbles in the water. Claire was really great at kicking her feet and splashing her arms. It's a lot of fun! Mark was off the day of our first lesson, so he was able to come and document all of her hard work. Here are some more pictures of our little fish, Claire!

On the boogie board!

Our little noodle with a water noodle.

Going after the swim toys...

Scooting off of the lily pad.

We had a good nap after our first lesson! We are excited to see how C does the rest of her lessons and how much she learns every time. I don't quite know how I will do this with 2 babies, but I'm sure I'll figure it out! Happy Summer to all!

McBaby #2

2010-07-05T19:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I am starting to feel MUCH better, and the first trimester is really close to coming to a close. Mark is glad that I am starting to feel well enough to do dishes and cook a little, and Claire is happy that Mommy can play during the day instead of nap and be sick. :)

Here is a belly shot at almost 11 weeks. Now, for all of you "1 child mommies," let me just warn you... the 2nd time around you wake up the 3rd week or 4th week of pregnancy the 2nd time and boom. Nothing fits. I mean, your body is like, "been there, done that." It is crazy! I just popped right out!

Claire wanted to help show everyone how big her new brother or sister is, so she added a visual...

In this pic, she is saying, "Mommy, the baby is a bit bigger than this grape. Can I eat it?" Um no, sweet girl, you'll choke and mommy will have a heart attack, which will harm the baby. This is for a picture only.

But don't worry sweet girl, you are my first baby, and of course I will let you have grapes one day. Oh, and I love you very much.

Kisses for mommy...

Love both of my babies!

Crawling Claire

2010-07-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Guess who's ready to go???

This was Claire's first attempt at crawling or "scooting" about 3 weeks ago.

And look at her now! This was about a week ago. There's no stopping her now! She's getting so big. Time to baby proof our house, huh?

Claire Has an Announcement

2010-06-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Claire has some news...

and she's reaaallly excited about it! :) On January 25 she'll be a big sister! Here are some things that she has been asked recently:

How far apart will you and your brother or sister be? 14 mos. and 11 days (if the due date holds up).

Were your mommy and daddy planning to make you a big sister? Yes! Mommy is a twin, and daddy's brothers are all pretty close in age, so they wanted a close family. :)

Are your parents crazy? They may just be.

What is the plan for you and your brother and sister for day care? Well, I'm really excited because mommy just finished teaching, and she is going to stay home and take care of me and my new baby brother or sister.

What if the new baby turns out to be twins? Well, mommy and daddy said there was just one heartbeat at the doctor, but you never know...

How is your mommy feeling? Mommy is feeling pretty yucky right now. She doesn't like to eat much of anything except for potatoes, plain pasta, chicken nuggets, and fruit. She said it's a lot like when I was in her tummy, but this time she's a little more tired. I think it's because she is taking care of me, too!

We can't forget daddy. How's he feeling? Daddy is excited about another baby, but he is spending a lot of time helping around the house. He does the dishes, gets food for mommy, and he has even been taking me to the park and on adventures away from the house to give mommy time to nap. I love daddy.

What does Myko think of all this? Myko was a little bummed because he's going to be outnumbered again. Mommy said that she had a feeling she was expecting because Myko was acting crazy, but he's always crazy to me.

What do you think about all of this? Well, I really am just focusing on putting everything in my mouth, trying to crawl, and eating big girl food. I haven't had time to focus on it, and mommy doesn't think I'll even remember, but I'm pretty smart. I'm excited to show my new baby brother or sister how much fun it is to be a McSpadden!

It's About that Time

2010-05-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Claire has now entered the world of baby food. We started with rice cereal a few weeks ago and now we've moved to green beans.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, her sister (Jenene), and her mom (Marie- Nanny) I made C's first "real" baby food tonight in this cool machine called a Babycook. It was super easy and great. I am really excited about using it!

Here are some photos of Claire trying cereal and green beans. I bet you can't tell which feeding is what! Ha! (once I figure out how to get a video to load on here, I'll post video:)

Homebuilders Retreat

2010-04-24T19:53:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late posting these photos, but I guess it's better late, than never, right?

A few weeks ago, Mark, Claire, and I went to our church Homebuilders Class Retreat at Lake Texhoma. It was such a beautiful weekend, and we had a great time with our friends from church. Claire slept great both nights, and we all really enjoyed the weather. This was C's first experience with sand, so we decided to capture the moment. Let's just say she ended up with an "ear" full, and much more. So precious!

Here are some photos of our time at Texhoma. We feel so blessed by our church and our wonderful friends. Happy Weekend!

Too cool in her shades...

Our happy family.

She LOVED the water!

We played random games and had a great time!

First time in the sand.

Tummy time in the sand...

Face plant in the sand...

Mommy. Sand does NOT taste good. :(

Precious feet in the sand. Love them.

We had a WONDERFUL time!

McSpadden Family Favorites Friday- April 23

2010-04-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

There aren't any "photos of our favorites" this week, but we wanted to include pics, so here's a pic from retreat a few weeks ago. C was distracted, so we didn't have many where she was looking!

Now for the Favorites...

Mark's Friday Favorite this week...

Chocolate- Yes, chocolate. I am just as surprised as you are. Mark typically chooses anything but chocolate to eat, but for some reason this week, chocolate is the winner. In his words, "maybe it's my time of the month or something." Nice, very nice.

Claire's Friday Favorite this week...

Children's Zyrtec- Sadly, this is her favorite thing this week. She's had terrible allergies all week, and the very tiny, baby dosage of Zyrtec has helped her sneeze left and laugh more.

Shevawn's Friday Favorite this week...

Michael Kors Perfume- I knew this was my favorite this week, because I forgot to wear it one day, I felt like something was missing. It bugged me all day. When I got home, I put a "dabble" on my wrist, and it was lovely.

McSpadden Family "UnFavorite" this week...

Pollen, continued. You see, Pollen. Twice in a row you were listed as the unfavorite, and you even caused a sweet baby to need medication. Boo on you.

This weekend, we will be showering Sister Kim and the coming arrival of Baby Brooke. Can't wait to see her and celebrate her. Have a great weekend full of favorites!

Here's another pic of C to start the weekend off right!

Wednesday Laugh

2010-04-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

I had to share this pic. Words cannot describe how funny this baby girl is in person. I love the mess out of her!