Clare's First Month

Well, our little Clare has been with us for one whole month now. It feels like longer (though that I am convinced is because I get the privilege of experiencing day and night which feels like 2 days.) We love her so much already. It's like she's always been part of our family. Hayden always wants to help with her. He actually tried to push Mommy out of the way tonight while I was giving Clare a bath because he wanted to do it. She was laying on a blanket on the floor the other morning in his room while I dressed him and when he was done and heading down to breakfast, he tried to pick Clare up from the floor to carry her downstairs, I supported her head for him and let him carry her to the top of the stairs where I took over completely. He's a sweet big brother now, but he's going to be a great big brother later. He just loves her so much and it just about breaks my heart, with joy. She is such a different baby than her brother was. Her temperament is so different. Hayden learns with a frustrated determination and can't move on until he has accomplished what he is he is aiming to and expresses his emotions all through the process. Clare who has mastered rolling over now and began rolling over at exactly 2 weeks loves time on her tummy and has a very strong neck. She doesn't cry though that like Hayden did but shows a quiet persistence in achieving milestones so far. She has also mastered her turned under lower lip when she's about to cry. Kills me. I don't know how she came out knowing how to do that. Clare is smiling pretty consistently now, and not just at the ceiling fan which is amusing to babies in general, but at me. She loves her bath before bedtime. She's a great eater (like her mama) and is putting on weight beautifully. Overall, she is just a very content baby. Its funny how two children from the same two people can come out so completely different. Anyway, we're just enjoying life as it is right now, a slow but busy and tiring pace. We are still working on the house but just in nibbles, as having naptimes to work around really cuts into a Saturday and Sunday for productivity.


















































Bathtime for Clare.










Hayden talking to Clare and Clare listening intently.









Daily outdoor activities for Hayden.









Daily indoor activities for Hayden.













Daddy has big shoes to fill, but Hayden is trying.

Halloween 2010 and other Fall Festivities

The Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkin patch we visited with the new whole family when Clare was just one week. It was a great little place that was free and had tons of free activities for kids. Hayden picked out his own pumpkin and we picked out a little one for Clare this year. It was a beautiful and warm October day (hence the shorts on Hayden.) It was a idyllic first outing for our little family of four.








I love fall. Me and my little boy.









Playing in a giant box of corn. Yes, corn.










Clare, enjoying her first fall.










A perfect sized wheel barrel for Hayden













Daddy and Hayden racing ducks.











Hayden riding a horse for the first time.


































Halloween 2010
Clare is 3 weeks and one day in this picture and Hayden is just one day shy of 22 months old. They are my little bugs. My little bumblebee and ladybug. I love Halloween because as a parent you can dress up your child in the most ridiculous outfits. It is like my own personal Christmas. Nothing cuter than my little boy walking around with his little stinger and little antennae. We went to a birthday party for the son of our friend and they got to dress up for it which is why I can justify this purchase. No trick-or-treating this year since Hayden is allergic to 95% of the candy out there and can't really eat the hard candies like Skittles and Starbursts and whatnot. He loved receiving the trick-or-treaters at our house though and stayed in his bee costume for that. Clare slept for most of the festivities with exception of the photo session.