Golden Rule!!!

The Golden Rule of parenting:

NEVER wake a sleeping baby!!!
This face, and Medusa hair, was the unpleasant result of
breaking the golden rule.

There have only been a few RARE occasions that have required us to wake Clare up ahead of her body's natural alarm clock.
Hopefully we'll keep it that way.

Many of the comments we've received on our blog mention something about Clare's perpetual smile. While that is usually the case, we wanted to show you that she does have another side.

Homemade Jerky

Phil had a hankerin' for beef jerky, and he wanted to make it from home. Here is the tale of our homemade jerky.After all the meat was prepared, and the smoker was hot, Phil realized that we didn't have any skewers. Fear not! My eagle scout husband went into the backyard and clipped some bamboo to fashion his own skewers.
He measured and cut the skewers to fit perfectly inside the smoker, and Clare watched (oh so intently) from her throne.

He skillfully filled the skewers with the meat...

Then he strategically lined the shelf with one slice per opening.

One row done...a few to go...

This was just a little while before the finished product.

The waiting game...

First bite...YUMMY!

Second bite...even better!

Snacking on jerky!

And they all lived happily ever after!

Woodchuck!!!

Notice the HAPPY mouth FULL of teeth...
Notice the position of her mouth in relation to the crib...

Look carefully at the side of the crib...

We don't have a dog!
Our little Woodchuck, Clare Ann, christened the crib with her very own chompers.

We literally found Clare with crib shavings on her pajamas one morning. This is one of a few spots that looks like this, and we now understand the purpose of crib guards.

Making Mischief

Clare's new favorite game is unrolling the toilet paper and shoving it in her mouth. Who taught her that?
I've learned two things: 1. Close the bathroom door at all times. 2. If it gets unusually quiet, assume that I forgot #1, and head to the bathroom.

You can see a piece in her mouth. Yummy! You would think that she was underfed or something. Yeah...look at those gaunt cheeks.

BUSTED!

Playing in Daddy's Car!

Clare had a blast playing in Daddy's seat of his car. He was running a quick errand, so we stayed in the car. Who knew she could have this much fun in a matter of about three minutes?!
This doesn't seem so hard.

Hmmm...what's up here?

Of course, I have to put something in my mouth!

Showing off my teeth!
I had my 9-month appointment this week, and I only cried a tiny bit during the shots.
My weight was 19 lbs. and 13 oz. = 75th percentile
My length was 29.75 inches = OFF THE CHART!

Trying to escape! Don't I look like I'm being held against my will?

What will Daddy think when the volume is turned up ALL THE WAY!

Beach Bunny!

We spent a day, with The Clacks, on Anna Maria Island. As we've said before, Clare thoroughly enjoys the water. If it weren't for her pruned fingers and toes, and sand-filled diaper, I think that she would have stayed there ALL DAY.

A little slice of paradise!

Catching some waves!

The water was VERY warm, so she thought it was a big bath.

This sand feels neat...

I think I'll eat it!

Fun with the Clacks!

Our friends, Micah and Stacey Clack (and their three kids), are in Florida for a couple of weeks. We've been able to see them a couple of times, and we've had a LOT of fun. Check out their blog for some of the detailed stories and more pictures. Phil is strongly against bows and headbands. In nine months, this is only the second time that Clare has donned such apparel. Stacey snuck a barrette in Clare's hair when Phil wasn't looking. Clare's not so sure about the whole thing, but Phil is clearly opposed. FUNNY!

Clare is checking out Dylan...

Dylan's making a move...

Phil's in the background...ready to pounce on the frisky boy.

Clare thinks the barrette is getting her all kinds of special attention.

Different day...same love connection.

Who really wanted this to happen? Dylan or Stacey? :)

Hailey holding Clare

Micah was keeping things under control. :)

We can't wait until next year, Micah and Stacey! :)

9-months-old TODAY!

WOW! Clare has now been alive outside the womb as long as she was inside the womb. That is really hard for us to believe. She's getting SO BIG!
She loves her new bookshelf, but I think that I enjoy it even more than she does.

Which one do I want???

Is this a ladder?

Yes, I think I'll try climbing the shelves.

Thank you for the new shelf, Grandma and Grandpa!

What else can I pull off of here?