Clara and I went to my friend Kate's house on Friday with Lisa, Nicole and Jen. Ryan, Kate's husband, and Liam their son who is 1 year and 2 months-ish were there too. He is a mover and a shaker, it won't be long before Clara is chasing him. Andre joined us for a glass of wine later in the night. Kate and Nicole are teachers at Shore Acres, the school Lisa and I moved from two years ago. It doesn't seem like we have been at Southern Oak almost two years now. Jen is a long time friend of Kate's and she listens to all our teacher banter when we get together. I don't know how she tolerates us. We don't get together enough. It was a very nice, low key, full of laughter, Friday night. Speaking of school, I'll be looping with my same class to fifth grade next year. I'm excited and nervous. I love that I'll be staying with this same group, if they so choose to stay with me. I've never taught 5th grade. It will be the THIRD year with this bunch, well, most of them. Some moved this year and I gained more kids in 4th so I have only had some of them for one year. I hope they decide to stay with me, it will be one less thing to figure out next year. It's so nice starting the year knowing the kids. That's the hardest part to figure out, how they learn, their strengths/weaknesses, personalities, parents, yada yada. Having the kids figured out will help make the year start smooth. I will be on a new team, again. I will have gone from 3rd, to 4th, to 5th with this bunch so I'm also getting to know the other teachers in the school well. I'll be moving to a portable. BOOOOO! With no bathroom. Double BOOOO! For those of you who don't know what a portable is, it's a trailer used as a classroom. I will have up to 22 kids, big 5th graders nonetheless. I really do not mind being in a portable, I was for two years at my previous school but it had a bathroom with a sink. It drives me nuts the instructional time lost when the kids have to leave the "room" to use the bathroom and also stinks when I have to pee and can't sneak in and go. I also wash my hands all day long and will have no sink either. I do believe it would be just for a year. For the past two years I've been in a gigantic brand new classroom with all the bells and whistles and most important, attached to Lisa. That's the part I'm going to miss most, not being next to her all day. I am trying to focus on the fact that we are still at the same school. But, I love being able to go to her room to ask her to watch my class for a minute so I can get more coffee from Bonnie down the hall, show her pictures of Clara that Andre sends me throughout the day on Wednesdays, sit and eat our lunch together for 5 minutes, saying good morning each day, catching up on the weekend or night and walking out each day together. That part is really going to stink. I will miss you my love!
Nicole, Kate, Jen, Lisa and myself...missing Sandy! :((
Liam playing with Aunt Lisa's phone, he is one smart lil boy!
Kids playing. Nicole brought that pink car in the back for Clara. She already loves it! Thanks Nicole!
Saturday I met Lisa at John's Pass for the afternoon. We did some shopping, window shopping and ate lunch at Lisa's Cafe (I think it was a cafe). It was perfect. The weather couldn't be more beautiful. Clara enjoyed the afternoon. She slept 2 hours in the morning and fell asleep as we were eating lunch. I love that she is so flexible, she goes everywhere with me and is never a problem. She may let out a whine before she falls asleep a time or two like she does at home but she is so happy to be going and doing. She sits, stares, talks, squirms, sleeps, and plays. She is such a great baby. I get compliments everywhere I go. Everyone instantly comments on her beauty and anyone who is around for more than five minutes says what a good baby she seems to be, and she is. That night we had a relaxing night at home, got to bed early so we aren't pooped. Andre and I watched Nebraska. It was good. We are getting excited that all the big movies on the Oscars are now coming to red box. We loved going to the movies and haven't since we had Clara. I'm just as happy, or rather happier, saving $50 and watching them at home with pizza, ice cream and wine!!!
Beautiful Aunt Lisa and her buddy Clara
Sunday morning Andre and I took Clara to the beach for her first real beach trip. She went with Linny, Lisa, Gabby and I to see the sunset last weekend. This time we went all out, chairs, sheet, beach towels, umbrella, toys, etc. First, Andre and I dipped her feet in the chilly water, it's about 66 and she loved it. She stared down at her toes as the water rushed over...curling her piggies into the sand and shells. She and I sat in the shade of the umbrella as daddy made a mermaid tail for her in the sand. We plopped her in thinking she would cry instantly, but nope, she started to play in the sand and was only sad to be pulled out. We couldn't get her to look up for a picture but loved that she enjoyed the sand so much. She is at a perfect age for sand play because she can grab the sand and was slapping it with her hands enjoying it tons, but she can't quite get her hand directly to her mouth to eat piles of it. She was very tired since she only had a 30 minute nap in the morning so she started to rub her eyes as she does when she gets pooped and rubbed sand all over her eyes and face but she didn't seem to mind. I brushed off as much as I could and packed her up to go home infested with sand, our parking ticket was only for an hour knowing we had to be quick since Selene's shower was at 2. Daddy packed everything and carried it all to the truck. Clara slept for the 20 minute drive home. I washed off with the hose outside and took Clara in the shower with me when we got home for a quick clean up. I only had 35 minutes to get us both ready for the shower.
Her onesie says, "Sunny Days" at the bottom which "Sunny Day" is one of daddy's nicknames for her. Love it!
Daddy building her mermaid outfit.
Hard at work. We stopped at CVS to get beach toys for her, daddy will enjoy them until she can use them.
Our giggly little girl!
What Mama? You're going to put me in the water?
Leaving my little footprints!
Before she was buried.
Being buried.
I'm a mermaid!
Crazy girl!
I love the beach!
(don't worry, what looks like tons of time in the sun was a very short few minutes)
Some videos:
The beginning.
We managed to only be 5 minutes late to Tiffy's house. Clara slept another 20 minutes on the way there and woke to shine about 15 minutes after we arrived. Everyone was so delighted to see her as always, having Andre's family close is wonderful, we do not see one another often enough. Selene looks great. She is due at the end of April, about a week or so before Tiffany. There were many family and friends at her shower and it was very nicely done. The food and cake was yummy, Juliane had games and Selene got many wonderful gifts. We can't wait to meet Kyriakos (Greek after Daddy's family), he will be called Kirk which is close to my heart since we have two of those in our family! Selene is so sweet and thankful for everything. She has been waiting a long time for this little one!! Congratulations Selene and George! We are so happy for them and for Clara to have more cousins her age!
Opening Gifts
Cousin Gabrielle & Clara
Harloff and Bessie
Muneca
The beautiful pregnant mommy to be with grandma to be!
More pregnant mommies and grandmas!
Juliane & Gabrielle
Clara was so good the entire time. She was on cat naps all day. Everyone mentions on what a good social baby she is, she gets passed around to everyone and smiles big for them all. She got in a 4th cat nap on the way home but woke up as soon as we got here. Everyone was asking if she is a mommy's girl or a daddy's girl, I hadn't thought much about it. She is neither really. She loves us both equally and we both make her happy the little time she is sad. She makes us both feel special!
In other news:
This little girl loves playing with her feet. She is squealing up a storm. As of late she is doing pelvic thrusts. She grounds her heals into the floor and presses up her hips, she is going to have buns of steel. She rolled from her back to her belly at Elisabeth's this week, we've yet to see it! She is so close at getting her paci in her mouth on her own. She will take it out and put it in sideways. She is all giggles. Below is a video of an episode from today when daddy was kissing her belly after the beach. She is still eating solids. I'll feed them to her once a day, usually. She doesn't like fruit, she makes a sour face and spits it out. She likes peas, cereal and sweet potatoes most. Cereal isn't her favorite but she'll choke it down. She likes to be read to while she has her bottle. She SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT...kind of. She was only up to be reswaddled and loved a little. Friday night after we got home she was pooped, she went straight to bed, was up at around 12 for a minute and got herself back to sleep. At 4:30 she woke, I thought for sure she was hungry so I made her a bottle and she didn't eat it. She just needed some help going back to sleep and she wasn't up again until almost 8!!!!! About 11 hours! It didn't happen again Saturday, but maybe this means it can happen soon! I was going to put her in her crib this weekend, but didn't. Oh well, she'll have plenty of time to sleep there away from me. Soon I guess.
I stopped breast feeding at 4 months. I started to cut back on pumping and it took no time at all. It was a struggle since my doctor put me on birth control, I was constantly fighting to produce enough, which I did but I don't miss that battle. I was pumping only since our return from NY mid January. Formula is expensive, but I was so sick of standing at that machine. I had to drink tea and take fenugreek (an herb) to make enough. I miss the connection with her and feel guilty. Feeding her has never been easy, not from me or from a bottle, she's always been a fussy eater. :( However, now I have a 15 minute lunch instead of eating on the way to pick up my students. I have my planning time back so I'm more productive at work. I don't have to stand at the darn machine numerous times a day for what feels like forever. AND I get to have a glass of wine and a cup of coffee whenever I want, it's been a year and three months since I've enjoyed whatever I want, whenever I want. I have no desire to drink like I used to, I enjoy a drink or two here and there but my focus is this little girl! She transitioned to formula without a hitch. She's such an easy little girl. Hopefully I got her off to a good enough start!
Other than needing to get back in shape ASAP for this beach weather most of me is back to "normal." I've lost hair which "they" said was going to happen. It comes out in chunks and I have an amazing receding hairline. Gross. I am going to color it blond again, I can't stand it the way it is, I think/hope the missing hair will also be less obvious when it's blond. Aunt Flo didn't even wait 24 hours to come back after I quit pumping. Andre is thrilled to have my hormones all wacky, I'm apparently as cranky as an old miserable lady. Oops. Sorry love.
Look at me grow!
Tyler got her to go fast asleep after he had her try out all the spots in the house. He tells Tiffany, "Hers wants to go in the high chair (then he realized he couldn't see her)...hers wants to go in the swing." Then he piles on his toys and helps her go fast asleep. Then he realized he had no one to play with since Ivy is in CA with her mommy. What a cousin!!
So happy! Thanks Aunt Tiffy!
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