And the cheeks get chunkier...

All is well down here in The Sunshine State. I could write about the incredibly poopy diapers, the abundance of spit-up, the increased laundry, the new sleep schedule, or the inability to run errands without adding a dozen extra steps, BUT all of that is overshadowed by the overwhelming JOY that Clare brings to our days. A boxer???
Daddy-Daughter Time
So well fed that it looks like her cheeks are still stuffed with milk.
STRETCHING! We love watching her squirm around after waking up.

Phil does a fabulous imitation!

How does she do that?

Clare is still working on developing her neck muscles. She certainly doesn't start in that position, but she always falls asleep in the stroller...and this is how she ends up. I would need major chiropractic help after sitting like that.

A Three Outfit Day

Miss Clare kept us on our toes today. I lost count of her poopy diapers, and she soaked three outfits with spit-up. Perhaps she's eating too much, but she comes by it naturally. She recently started smiling in response to our actions...rather than a result of gas. We love watching her, and she adds many smiles to our days.
Clare and I prepared dinner together this evening. She was a LOT of help!

It's hard to imagine that those tiny fingers will ever be a full hand.

ONE MONTH OLD!!!

All dressed up for a Discovery Toys party...Clare was the star of the show!!!Someone gave us this onesie that says, "Is it me or does this diaper make my butt look big?" I think it would be more appropriate if it said, "Is it me or does this diaper make my cheeks look big?"


Early morning cuddle time! Phil got all ready for work and then snuggled with his little girl before taking off for the day.

Updates in NUMBERS!

My cousin, Kelly, wrote a fun blog recently. All of her updates revolved around numbers, and she inspired me do the same. So, here are the updates from the last two days...
4 = weeks old at our appointment with the pediatrician this week.
50th = percentile for Clare's weight
9.5 = Clare's weight (9 lbs 5 oz. at 4 weeks old)
95th = percentile for Clare's length (maybe she inherited Phil's length)
23 = inches long at 4 weeks

30 = minutes of "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD that we watched on Thursday. Dr. Harvey Karp is widely recognized for his techniques in "training" babies to be content and happy. Even though Clare is already a very content baby, we didn't think it would hurt to learn more about how to meet her needs. We learned a new swaddling technique as well as the side hold. Clare seems to love it.
9 = number of hours that Clare slept on Thursday night. WOW! That was a huge blessing, and we hope it becomes a pattern. :)
2 = number of parents who have fallen deeply in love with this little blessing.

Who's napping???

Clare spends a majority of the day napping, but she tends to be wide awake when Phil is ready for a nap. He has the ability of falling asleep within moments of resting his head on the pillow (or floor), and I can't resist capturing it on film.
Another day...another location...another nap for daddy!


I love watching Phil when he's playing with Clare. He is such a natural, and she is perfectly content. It's hard to believe that she is already four weeks old. We've all grown so much in the past few weeks.

Another day in the life of Clare Ann...

Today was ten times better than yesterday. Clare was back to her normal disposition, and she was a happy baby throughout the day. YEAH! We played with some Discovery Toys, sang random/made-up songs, went for a walk in the neighborhood, and took a nap together. Clare LOVES staring at the ceiling fans throughout the house, and that is what she's doing in this picture. Phil does leg exercises with her to help her prepare for the pool...or bike...or something of that nature. He told her that she could be a swimmer instead of a diver, but I don't think he really means it. :)

Clare is working on sitting up all by herself. Okay...mommy was hoping that Clare would sit up so that she could type something on the computer.
Obviously, it didn't work! Within seconds of being nussled in-between the couch and the pillow, she rolled right over. I suppose it's a bit much to expect my four-week old to sit up on her own. Come on, Clare...get with the program...you should be swimming laps by now. :)

A Hidden Blessing

These pictures are all smiles, but they don't capture the essence of our day. Today was, by far, the most difficult day I've had at home with little Clare Ann. I've grown accustomed to Clare's calm and happy disposition, but she threw me for a major loop today. For some reason, she was absolutely inconsolable. My bag of tricks isn't fully developed yet, but I tried all of the basic fixers (changing her diaper, feeding, rocking, singing, dancing, and bathing her). She was still unsatisfied. I endured a heavy dose of spit-up all the way down my first shirt of the day. On the short trip from the changing table to the bath tub, she pooped all over shirt number two. Unfortunately, the carpet was also on the receiving end of that "gift." Thankfully, I hadn't changed out of shirt number two when she sneezed a mouthful of milk all over me. By 1:00, we were both on our third outfit of the day. Even though I was exhausted, I continued to cuddle with her until she fell asleep around 3:00. WHEW! By the time Phil got home, she was sleeping like a little angel, and he could hardly believe that she had been anything but that all day long.
I've only been a mother for 26 days, but today was a big one for my mommy development. Obviously, there are circumstances that I simply can't control (a difficult stone to swallow for a first-born), and I may not be able to "fix" every problem. The one thing that worked throughout all of the fussiness was cuddling her close to my body. So, I can actually consider today a blessing. I had extra cuddle time with my little miracle and extra prayer time with her maker. Amen!

Clare loves...

Clare loves her daddy...and the music at church. Tonight was Clare's first time at church (since she stayed home with grandpa and grandma for the past few weeks), and she loved the music. When I was pregnant, she was always VERY ACTIVE during church. We could feel her moving, kicking, and dancing to the music. Tonight, during her first church experience out of the womb, she smiled and sat peacefully throughout the whole service. YEAH!!! Clare also loves staring at daddy when he changes her diaper. Phil is the Diaper King, and Clare is so calm and content when he changes her. It goes without saying, but I am incredibly blessed to have such an amazing husband. He does SO MUCH for us, and he's a natural when it comes to parenthood. Clare and I are the luckiest two girls that I know. :)

Little Miss Fashion Queen

These overalls are still a bit large, but they make me smile. I don't know if she likes playing dress-up as much as I do. What? Are you talking to me? Is there something that I can do for you?
This dress won't fit Clare for another few months, but we just received it from The Sangalli Family. THANK YOU...we think it's adorable, and we can't wait until she's wearing it instead of using it as a blanket.

I'm a BIG girl now...

I walked out of the bathroom to find Clare sitting on our bed like this. Phil arranged her perfectly to sit up with the teddy bear, and it was hilarious. He was waiting around the corner to watch my reaction. Oh...the fun we have with a three-week old. I never imagined writing about such silly little stories, but this is the joy of our life right now. :) Clare was a fan of the Bumbo seat...even though it is still a bit large for her body size.
Strap me in! I'm ready for a ride!
Little Miss Chunky Cheeks LOVES riding in the car. We made a trip to church yesterday afternoon (to figure out what we need to do for baptism), and Clare was out like a light before we even put the carseat in the car. I suppose it's one of those Pavlov's associated responses. We may have to try that during the middle of the night sometime.

3 weeks old

Clare-Bear is three-weeks old today. WOW! We've been settling into a routine, adjusting to a different schedule, and falling more and more in love with our little girl. Her outfit says, "HUG ME," but that comes without direction. We spend most of the day hugging on her. There is something magical about the way a newborn cuddles up on your chest. We just want to freeze time and soak up every special moment.

Our Little Discovery Toys Girl

Clare Ann has the same blessing that Phil and I had of growing up with Discovery Toys. My mom sold the toys when I was a wee one, and now I am doing the same thing. So far, she LOVES Jangles and a few of the other age-appropriate toys. Look at me...I can sit like Jangles. I even make some of the same noises that he does. :) There's so much to see...so much to do...and so much fun to have!
Check out my Discovery Toys link (https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/corriehillary - also on the side of the blog) to see the toys and my website.

Happy Labor Day!!!

WOW...it's already September. Even though it's Labor Day, Phil still had to work. Not only that, but he had to be there early (6:00 AM) this morning. Thankfully, Clare slept like a champ last night. Isn't her little cow outfit adorable? Today was Clare's first time in the pool, and she didn't know what to think of the whole ordeal. This is one of the only pictures without thrashing limbs and a fussy face. After we were in the water for about 90 seconds, she took a leak in hopes of warming the water. Needless to say, we weren't in the pool for too long, and we haven't signed her up for the 2012 Olympics.
Another napping picture. I know we have dozens of these, but they are irresistable.
Don't you wonder what she is thinking??? What does she want to say???
This isn't a great shot, but it shows the cow outfit that just cracks us up. :)

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.