Clara and Everett

Clara and Everett

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Week 15

This week of work was slightly easier. Every ounce of me still wants to be home with my darling but I'm also neck deep in test prep with the kids and OH BOY did they miss three months of quality instruction. So, I feel obligated to be there to get them back on track.

Also, this Wednesday was Andre's first day at home with Clara. I felt great going to work that day, guilt free knowing she was with daddy in the comfort of her own home. Andre had a great day with her. She was very happy with him all day. He had to fix his phone so they ran around town some and she was a good girl so he could put his phone back together.

She had a great week with Elisabeth and Tiffany too of course. They take such good care of her. Tiffany is very much on the go so Clara goes all over town, I don't know how she does it with a pregnant belly, two toddlers and Clara. She takes amazing pictures for me, I couldn't be luckier! Ivy and Tyler love her so much and are so happy she is there with them. Tyler was dancing for her with her rattle making her laugh but didn't like that she was looking at Ivy's shirt instead of his moves. Both kids were going to the "bank" to deposit their "blocks" and Tyler told Clara not to cry, they'd be right back. He is so sweet to his little cousin. Tiffany had Clara sleeping on her at one point and she put her down and when Tyler noticed she wasn't there anymore he was very concerned about her whereabouts so Tiffy had to show him, she was sleeping in her bassinet. I love that he is with his cousin and around other wonderful kids that are like family. I loved growing up with my cousins and I know she will too! Elisabeth has a more structured routine and has stayed at home. She said she may venture to the library for story time at some point or even to the park but it's been cold and rainy. Clara thrives in both settings and I think being taken care of by different people in different ways helps her become a flexible little girl. She is pooped by Friday with all the fun and I have never been so excited for my weekends, which also means I've never been so depressed on Sunday night thinking about leaving her again Monday morning. Summer can't get here soon enough.

I got sick already. I usually get 3 sinus infections a school year in the winter and I was as healthy as could be at home with Clara this winter. Not even two full weeks back and I'm already clogged with snot and it pours out my nose and runs down my throat. Between the kids germs, no sleep, and stress from work I'm not surprised. It's not full blown yet so I hope it's just a touch of it. Andre and Clara both have a little something too. This is Clara's first stuffy nose and cough. :( She doesn't have it bad yet either but it is very hard seeing her not feel well, my poor baby. I don't want to know how I'll feel when she is very sick. I just want to take it for her! She goes for her four month check-up next Friday and we have shots again, yuck!

This Friday had Dennis, Maryellen, and their granddaughter Faith over for dinner. Andre, Steven, and Juliane grew up with their son and Dennis and Maryellen were close friends with Andre's parents. They are so sweet and so much fun. The kids loved playing together and with Dennis! Poor Faith got spit up on by Clara, she was too sweet to mind. We ate a delicious dinner that I bought from Marzano's Italian Market since I wasn't up for cooking. Who am I kidding, I haven't cooked in quite some time. Their lasagna was delectable of course, with a delicious salad from Publix. We had red velvet cake that Lisa gave me and a cheese cake from Publix. Andre cooked some fillet from Sams for an appetizer and got some Vermont cheese which is as close as we can find to Cuba cheese down here. It's pretty close, very sharp! We had goat cheese for the steak. Needless to say, no one left hungry and the best part was there was lasagna left over! They brought Clara a book and some neat blocks/rattles that she loves. I've already read the book to her numerous times.

Saturday Sandy, Sharon, and Mary Jane visited. Also, later in the day Becca and Jane stopped over. They all love to see Clara. She is so loved. Thank you so much for taking the time to come visit. Sharon has made it clear she is willing and wanting to watch Clara which is so nice. We hope to use her on a Wednesday so Andre can have the whole weekend. How nice!

Clara is such a sweet girl. She is so happy. She has been sleeping like a champ (well, for her...knock on wood) she goes to sleep at 7ish until 11-1ish she'll get up, eat and go back to sleep until 5-6. Once in a while she will want to stay awake but it's rare. So she is up technically once a night since I am now up with her for work in the morning. I've been putting formula and cereal in her breast milk to help her sleep longer. She is a mover even in her sleep so I don't know how long it will be until she sleeps from 7 though the night, I think she has a fast metabolism too because when she wakes up she is HUNGRY! When she eats before bed, between 5 and 7 she will drink 7-8oz which is double what she drinks during the day. When she gets up around 12am she eats the same and chugs it! When she gets up in the morning she will only eat 2-3  oz still kind of full and throughout the day 3-4oz. At least she helps me out and packs it in before bed and sleeps longer!

She is loving tummy time now. She stays for quite a while, picking her head up high and turning her head in all directions. She is even picking her feet up too, it looks like she wants to take off flying! She has many favorite toys now. Her #1 is the elephant from Ana and Theresa, it has rings and makes crackle sounds in his legs and ears. She is entertained by that for a long time while daddy gets ready in the morning. She loves being in her gym playing with the rings above her. She loves the ball with holes that also rattles that Kate, Ryan, and Liam got her. She can put her fingers in and get a good grip. It's rubbery which is good because she hits herself in the head with it. Everything is going straight to her mouth already. She LOVES her hands, eating them, playing with them. She loves holding "hands" aka, fingers. When she eats she loves to hold our fingers or she will make big tight fists still, like she is starving and can't get it down fast enough. She loves to grab at her bib so lately I've put one of her little stuffed animals with the blanket attached on her chest and she grabs at that. She still loves her pacifier of course. It's a blessing and a curse. Blessing for the most part, but when she naps or is sleeping and it falls out and needs it back she will search for it, thrashing her head back and forth until she wakes up. So having her sleep next to me is still very helpful. I'm not ready to put her in her crib yet. I still like her by my side. Mainly because I'm comforted with her there, knowing she is okay. Also, I told Andre until we have a security system she will need to be there. Last, convenience, when she needs her pacifier it's an easy fix. She busts out of her swaddle and starts rubbing her face until she wakes up and I can easily reswaddle her. When I get up to pump and get her bottle I can have Andre roll over and keep her happy until I get back. It keeps both of us from getting up and walking across the house numerous times in the night. She naps in her crib sometimes, and sleeps anywhere so I'm not worried about the transition, it's not like we are co-sleeping and need to break her away from us, that's the good news. Her hair is getting long, her bows are now not just decoration but they also keep her hair out of her face and eyes. She goes to the dr. for her 4 month check-up Friday, Valentines day, and gets shots. I chose Friday just in case she gets a fever again, we will be home with her over the weekend. She is growing too fast. Slow down pumpkin!

 Her sitting in her bumbo chair. Don't worry, I don't walk away while she is in this up high. ;) If you can see the mess around her I was "organizing" our junk pile.
 


Dennis, Maryellen, and Faith with her cute black sweater before Clara spit up all over it.

Tyler loving to hold his cousin "baby Clara" even though he was with her all day. What a sweetie.

Faith, the sweetest little girl, sharing her ipad with the boys. They never even argued over who gets to play with it. What good kids.

Sandy, Mary Jane, and Sharon loving on Clara!

Napping on the couch with mommy and daddy! She lasted about 15 minutes there before I had to scoop her up and snuggle with her. My time is limited these days, I can't help myself.

Belly time. She drools a ton on her belly.

My happy girl. What a beauty. Mama loves you so much!

Our favorite place.

In the morning with daddy. She had a mild fever the night before so I swaddled her nakie once the Tylenol kicked in so she didn't get too hot from being all wrapped up.

Playing with her favorite toy! Too hard. Passed out. Daddy had to wake her to pack her up to go to her sitters.




I remember sitting at our bar "ta home" when I was little. Takes me back.

My favorite picture. Andre got pooped on. Thankfully and not so thankfully Clara is back to pooping all throughout the day. The bonus is she is pooping out her diaper less, not bonus is having to change poop all day. Good one Clara, you got daddy good. He was so mad I took a picture instead of cleaning them both up. Ya have to! Look at Clara watching TV, she could care less. Haha.

 
 







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