Back from the Doctor...

Grow baby grow!

Here are Claire's 5 months stats:

Current weight: 15.75 lbs
Length: 27.5"
Noggin' 16.75"

She has grown so much since her birth:

8 lbs and 2.5 oz
21 inches long
14 inch head circumference

The doctor wanted to know how tall Dan was since she is sooooo long and jumped a few percentiles in height. No wonder all her pants are "high waters." Most importantly, we have a happy and healthy daughter who delighted everyone in the office with her babbling "rah rah rah, bleeeeh." Claire didn't mind her shots today either, just gave an "uhn" sound and proceeded to chew on her toes.

 

Claire's love affair with her toes continues. She's finally able to get them into her mouth and has been sucking on her piggies for the better part of an hour as type this. She rolled over back to front yesterday and has done it tons of times since then (good thing because I missed the first time it happened).

 Claire gets pretty frustrated with this rolling though, once she's on her tummy her beloved toes are out of reach (she has yet to discover the cirque du solei move where you put your toes behind your ears while on your belly).

Here are a few photos of Claire with her Mommy. She's sporting a mohawk with what little hair she has left. Daddy put up with the papparazzi long enough for me to get a few sweet photos of him and Claire hanging out together. These are from about two weeks ago and I think she's looking bigger already.

 
 

Mommy, Daddy & Baby

When it rains...it pours

After a long hiatus, we're back. Claire's great-grandmother passed away on the 13th so we spent some time on the island helping out Pop. I was very close to my grandmother, and although I'm sad at her passing I can rejoice in the fact that she got to meet Claire. At the wake, Claire babbled at Nanny - I think she would have liked that :-)

To add to all the drama, Grandma Ca Ca took ill as well. She's still in the CCU but it looks like she'll pull through. Today she's getting a trach which should make it easier for her to be weaned off the ventilator. She is conscious though, and has been madly scribbling notes requesting books and that I not trip over anything in her room. Apparently my ninja speed makes her nervous.

Life has definitely been crazy these days. Today it's finally going to be warm enough to walk and I am going for a looooong one.

Unfortunately, we missed posting on Valentine's day, but here are the photos of Claire celebrating (you might recognize some from the "Eat your heart out" banner). I also wanted update the blog with some photos of Aunt Annie hanging out with Claire.







You can view all *60* of the photos from our Valentine's day shoot in the slideshow below, or snag 'em individually from my picasa web gallery here:

Valentine's Photos

After a long hiatus, we're back. Claire's great-grandmother passed away on the 13th so we spent some time on the island helping out Pop and Claire did her part in cheering up all around her. Then my mother (aka Grandma Ca Ca) got sick and after a few days in the CCU she's on the road to better health. When it rains, it pours.

Unfortunately, we missed posting on Valentine's day, but here are the photos of Claire celebrating. I also wanted update the blog with some photos of Aunt Annie hanging out with Claire from yesterday.

Loving All the Captions

I'll set up a vote to figure out the winner Wednesday. Get your captions in by then. I have a few favorites, but I don't want to sway anybody :-)

In other news, Claire rolled over Sunday night! I've been trying since then to capture it on video...but she hasn't done it since.

Happy captioning!

Caption This Photo Game

This should keep the content fresh over the next few days :-)

Let's play a game. Best caption gets a cute prize made by Claire. Hint - since she doesn't know how to write, draw or paint it's probably going to be a cute watercolor print of her hands or feet. I can't wait to see what you creative people come up with for this photo...I'll work on the prize, you work on the caption.

Escape from Playmat Island

Free at Last


Here I have documented Claire's tummy inchworm technique. I've seen her do this on her back, but this was the first getaway attempt on her belly. Click on the pictures if you want to see a larger version of the series below.

Jumping for Joy

Warning...very silly picture...it might make you laugh:



There is a new chapter in Claire's bouncing adventures. The jumpster has been relocated upstairs where we actually have moldings in the doorways. Claire now has a freestanding jumperoo downstairs which I can move around for when I'm cooking or doing things around the house.

Speaking of cooking, if I'm not doing anything too dangerous (like frying...don't want hot oil splashing the baby) Claire seems to enjoy talking to the vegetables I'm chopping. I put in the bjorn facing out and she has a front row seat to the show. Someday soon her chore will be cooking US dinner...or at least emptying the dishwasher.

Claire is One Year Old!

Well, sort of! I can't believe it's been a year since we found out we were pregnant. I think Claire's changed quite a bit since then and she's certainly more photogenic. So here's a blast from the past - one of our first ultrasound images where Claire (then known as "bean") measured a whopping 13 mm (half an inch).

These are the ultrasound images we used to surprise the Grealis and Seamon clans with our news. We wrapped them up with a ribbon and put them on dinner plates.

My how she's grown!

Oh! My Toes!

I'm so bummmed that the camera I was using to record these videos didn't have sound capailities :-( I'll have to narrate. "Eeeee! Ahhhh! EEEEE!" Claire has really discovered her vocal cords and seems to "sing" the most when grabbing either her toes or her tongue. That's right...her tongue.

Those hands in her mouth have finally discovered what they've been searching for - the elusive slime snake that lives in her oral cavity. It's hysterical to listen to the sounds she makes while grabbing at her tongue.

Sorry about the lack of sound, you'll just have to enjoy Claire's silent smiles as she delights in her toes and tummy time.

Toes, Part I:


Toes, Part II:


Tummy Time Smiles:

Claire & Bear

One of Dan's co-workers bought Claire this cute bear "rug." Here she is (in between nibbles) while I was putting clothes away in her room.