Who has junk in her trunk?

Today was Clare's cloth diaper debut. We're thinking about using cloth diapers, so we bought a sample pack to experiment. As you can see, the trial pack wasn't quite the right size. Not only were they bulky, but they were a size too big. Her tiny body looked hilarious in the huge diaper. Everything is a bit out of proportion...
...and this is what she thinks of the whole ordeal. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER!

My ROLLERCOASTER day!

Yesterday was quite a day for Mama Corrie. I woke up with a fever and headache, but I thought it was due to lack of sleep. I ignored it throughout the day, but it kept getting worse and worse. By mid-afternoon, my temperature was 101.8 and my whole body was aching. I waited for Phil to get home, and then I made my way in to a walk-in clinic. After sitting in the waiting room for over an hour, they spent less than two minutes with me before sending me to the ER. My temperature was 103.1, and they said that they couldn't treat me with a fever that high. I thought the hour wait at the walk-in clinic was bad, but that was NOTHING compared to the ER. Thankfully, my dear friend, Sarah (in the picture below), came to be with me. Phil was at home with Clare, and I was incredibly grateful that I didn't have to be alone for the multiple hours I spent in the ER. To make a long story short, I was eventually diagnosed with mastitis (an infection caused by nursing). It took an X-Ray, catheter, tons of blood work, and an IV to finally come to that conclusion. I finally made it home a little after midnight. I was VERY thankful to see Phil and Clare after the long night. I've never been away from Clare, so it was a night full of intense emotions. Thankfully, I was given an antibiotic that should help clear things up within the next few days. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Sarah! You are a true friend, and I truly appreciate you. The crazy evening was more endurable because you were with me. THANK YOU!

Clare loves her Boppy chair from Aunt Elissa and Uncle Adam.

Two-Weeks Old!

We can't believe how quickly the past two weeks have flown by, and our little Clare changes on a daily basis. We love watching her, smiling at her, and learning more about how to be parents.
This (daddy-daughter nap time) is almost a daily occurrence. I just can't resist taking pictures of my two favorite people in such a peaceful place.
I LOVE it when Clare smiles in her sleep. I think she's probably filling her diaper, but it's still adorable!!!
Even though she looks like a rag doll, she actually loves being held like that. Thanks for the trick, mom!
We just updated our Shutterfly albums, so you can view pictures from the past few months. You may access it from the link on the side of the blog or by going to this website: http://hillary777.shutterfly.com/

Just the three of us!

My mom and dad went back to Michigan yesterday, and Ann is back in Qatar, so it's just the three of us now. Clare is getting bigger and more expressive every day, and we LOVE watching her. Phil is on his weekend right now (Tuesday and Wednesday), so we've been enjoying some family time...and NAP time. YEAH!
Clare helped Daddy and Grandpa grill dinner on Saturday evening. She loves being outside.

The last few days...

Today is the tenth day of getting to know, and love, our little Clare-Bear. We've been busy learning how to best meet her needs, and we we're adjusting to the new adventure. Our little bundle of smiles! She makes us smile all day long...even when she's sleeping. Nap Time
Napping (again) on Mommy's lap.
Today was our first time out of the house.
Time with Grandpa Hillary
Tummy time with Grandpa Durham

Playing with cousin William...

look at the difference that three months makes.

Clare's first time in the swing. She LOVES the swing

(thank you, Mann Middle School)!

Daddy-Daughter Time

Phil loves snuggling with his little girl.

There's nothing like it!!!

One Week Old!

Clare is already a week old. WOW! The past week has been an amazing blur, but it feels like we've had her for much longer than that. It's impossible to describe the joy that she's added to our lives in just seven days.

Bath time with Mommy and Grandma went much better this time around. The first bath was a bit traumatic, but she actually "liked" this one. :)
Daddy trimmed Clare's nails while she was asleep. No more face-scratching!
As every day continues getting better and better, we can't wait to see what the second week will bring.

Rewind a few days...

It's hard to believe that Clare is almost a week old. Several people have asked for details about our labor and delivery. So, for those of you who actually care, here is a brief summary of how we ended up with our precious daughter on Wednesday, August 13th.



I had a doctor's appointment, at 10:30 on Wednesday morning, because I was five days post-due. The doctors wanted to make sure that everything still looked okay. Phil was back at work, so my mom joined me for the appointment. As the doctor did her typical exam, I said something like, "I sure hope I'm further than 2 cm. because I've been there for over five weeks." She gave me a strange look and said, "Are you feeling contractions?" I told her that I had been feeling Braxton Hicks for a while, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. She then told me that I was 5 cm. dilated, in active labor, and that I needed to go directly to the hospital. WHOA! I wasn't expecting that at all. Phil and I were registered at the "premiere birthing hospital," but that was 40 minutes away. She told me that I needed to go the local hospital and that I didn't have time to go home and grab my bags. DOUBLE WHOA! My mom (the first-time-expectant grandma) started crying with all of the excitement. I called Phil, with our emergency page code, and told him that it was baby time.

My mom helped me check in to the new hospital, and my sister grabbed all of my bags and hospital stuff. Phil, my dad, and Ann made it to the hospital around noon, and I was already between 6 and 7 cm. dilated at that point. Things were moving quickly, and I was VERY THANKFUL to see my hubby's face. Phil was a magnificent coach, and he helped me through every contraction. For several reasons, I was bound and determined to give birth without any medication. Therefore, I had to employ other strategies (my favorite CD..."Fruits of the Spirit" - thank you Eric Schrotenboer, breathing techniques, etc.) to make it through the labor, but I truly couldn't have done it without Phil. By 2:45, I was ready to push that little babe out and see her beautiful face. The pushing went "well," and it was actually a relief to be in the final stages of labor. The last few contractions resulted in some earth shattering screams. Since I hadn't screamed during the first couple of hours, all of the nurses knew that is was time to have the baby. After pushing through a few contractions, the doctor said that I needed an episiotomy. I was hoping to avoid that, but it really helped. At 3:10 PM, Clare Ann was born on the very next push.

After Phil cut the cord, they placed her directly on my chest. There aren't any words to describe that moment.
For the past six days, we haven't been able to take our eyes off of her.
My mom and dad...the proud new grandparents.
The stork is a tradition in The Hillary family. Keith and Wendy kept the tradition alive by storking us while we were still in the hospital. It was a fun surprise when we arrived home on Friday evening.

We're a "LITTLE" camera happy!!!

So, who does she look like? We found a baby picture of Corrie. Can you tell who is who???

Of the countless pictures that we've taken in the last five days, these are some of our favorites!

Clare loved spending time with Auntie Ann. Unfortunately, my sister had to head back to Qatar this afternoon. We miss you already!!!
Nap time with Auntie Ann
All smiles!!!
Incognito!!!

I'm TIRED of taking pictures. Please just let me sleep!!!

Now I'm ready to pose for the camera!

Daddy trying our the Baby Bjorn. It's still a bit big for her.

Clare with a few of her cousins. Keith and Wendy are in Florida for a little vacation, so Clare got to meet three of her cousins: Gabe, William, and Maria.

Three generations: Grandpa Hillary, Daddy, and Clare

Our Little Clare-Bear

All is well with The Hillary Three! We arrived back home on Friday evening, and Corrie's family had dinner all prepared. Three cheers for something other than hospital food!!! Clare is getting used to all of the new sights and sounds, and she slept very well last night.

Her little outfit (which is actually quite big on her) says "Daddy's Girl," and that is an understatement. I love the way she stares at him...although I can't blame her.

I think she's Mommy's Girl, too. I love our snuggle time!!!
Sound asleep in her bassinet...thank you Grandma and Grandpa Hillary!!!
Welcome Home, Clare-Bear! (Even though we're not in Fremont anymore, she's still a Gerber Baby!)

Who does she look like?

This is a picture of Clare (taken this morning) and Phil (taken 29 years ago). We are anxious to get a picture of Mom soon to compare features. We think that Clare has Daddy's eyes, hair, and chin, and she has Mommy's nose and lips.

Her second night was better than the first, and mom and dad even got some sleep! We are anxious to get her home this afternoon and settle into our own routine.