Claire's 2 Month Milestones

2 month milestones - 2/22/12

Height - 21.5"

Weight - 11 lbs 4 oz

Sleeping - This month was a rough one in the sleep department. Around 4-5 weeks our friend colic hit. Yep, he just couldn't stay away. We tried everything. Gripe water, mommy cutting out dairy, tomatoes, and chocolate. Nothing worked. Mommy was exhausted, daddy had to sleep in the extra bedroom to get any sleep and you were so miserable. During the day you were fine but from 6-10 every night you screamed and cried. So we started looking for other remedies. Nonna and some other friends suggested a chiropractor. Nonna googled chiropractors in our area and found Dr. P. I called and he said we could come right in. He started adjusting you at 6 weeks and we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Mommy also noticed you won't take a paci and gag on bottles so we are looking into that.

Funny thing is in all this, you sleep for about 6 hours after the screaming ends. Then wake up to eat and go back to sleep for 3-4 hours. During the day your naps are 30 mins to 1.5 hours.

Eating - you have been eating like a champ! Every 3 to 4 hours during the day and go for a 6-7 hour stretch at night.

New discoveries - your hands, your bath, you don't like it when mommy eats lots of salads,

New accomplishments - you smiled at 6 weeks! You slept for 6 hours straight around then as well.

Places you went - to OK for Uncle Daniel's birthday and Grandad's 80th birthday celebration. Mim and Papa came to see you.

Special Memories - seeing you smile for the first time. Rocking you night after night praying you would settle down and sleep. The peace you felt when you finally were able to sleep. Your first Valentine's Day and playdate with friends. Celebrating Grandad's 80th birthday on Leap Day.

Dear Claire- this month was a little rough for us all. Colic is no fun and we all had to learn to adjust because of it. Hopefully next month will be better. You did have some wonderfully sweet moments. I love that you will nap in my arms and are so at peace. You are growing and changing so much. You are so different than your sister and it's a good thing. Keeps me and Daddy on our toes. :) we love you so much sweet baby girl. Praying God continues to watch over you and that we are the Mommy and Daddy you need.

~Mommy & Daddy

Panic. Otherwise known as the day I started going gray.

I am so behind on the girls monthly updates and blogging in general. Life with two and as a stay at home mom is so busy, fun and tiring. Totally worth it but blogging doesn't have a top priority right now. Anyways, I had to document this event for my memory and hopefully to share with Avery someday when she has kids.

Today, Friday, March 16, 2012 you Avery Harrelson locked Mommy and Claire out of the house. You aren't even two yet! Really?! We had run to Target for some things and when we got home you left your taggie "blankie" in the car. I started dinner and you realized you forgot blankie. You came to me and said, "Blankie in car." I remembered you had left it and said I'd go get it for you. I was wearing Clsire in the Moby Wrap and the car was in the garage. I went out to the garage and closed the door behind me so you wouldn't get into Daddy's tools in the garage. I walked to your side of the car opened the door and got blankie. I had the fleeting thought, "I hope she doesn't lock me out." and of all times I didn't have my phone with me. I walk back to the door and sure enough you had locked it. At this point my brain was trying to figure out how to get back into the house and every option I could think of wouldn't work. I opened the garage door because it was getting warm and I had Claire. I could hear you saying "mommy" and laughing. I kept trying to get you to unlock it. I tried Daddy's way of getting in but it didn't work. He says I didn't do it right. I'd almost given up and was going to head to the neighbors to call Daddy when you unlocked the door. Thank you God! I kept praying you wouldn't hurt yourself while we were waiting to get the door opened. I also was running through a list of things that I should have done to childproof better. Silly I know but I was worried. You thought the whole thing was a game and laughed when I opened the door. I know you didn't mean to but I think you gave Mommy a few gray hairs today.

I love you punkin-doodle but please, PLEASE don't ever lock me out again!

P.S. The whole episode took maybe five minutes. :)

Avery - 21 month milestones

(This is a month late. I thought I had posted it, but I didn't. Doing a little catch up blogging today!)

21 Month Milestones - 2/4/12

Height - 30.25"+

Weight - 21 lbs+

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 7:30 or 8. You sleep til 9:30 or 10 and still take a 1.5 to 2 hr nap in the afternoon. You still sleep all night without waking so we are very blessed in this area.

Eating - Breakfast is usually eggs with cheese and fruit, oatmeal with frozen blueberries, or a waffle with yogurt and fruit. You can finish off 2 scrambled eggs with no problem. Depending on when you get up, sometimes you have a mid-Morning snack of cheerios, fruit, or crackers. Lunch is either left overs, chicken nuggets (5), or our muffin tin lunch. After nap time, you have a snack (again) and usually munch on something until dinner. For dinner you mostly eat what we have but occasionally you won't touch it. I found out you love carrot sticks and sliced cucumbers. Really you will eat pretty much any veggie if we give you ranch to dip it in. You call it "honey" and we aren't sure why. You also now have 16 teeth, 8 on top and 8 on bottom.

New discoveries - You have been talking a lot more this month, or it seems that way. You talk in your own form of sentences. Usually we can only understand two or three of the words but they make perfect sense to you. I wish I could just remember all the words you know and write them down.

Not really a discovery but for the record this past month has been really warm. We have spent several afternoons outside with our ball and chalk soaking up the sun. Crazy when you think about a year ago when we were iced in. For a week!

New accomplishments - you learned your first song and "sing" it with mommy. Mommy will sing "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands/say amen" and you respond with a little high pitch "amen" every time. Cutest thing ever!

You started to love to dance. The songs on Tangled (which you request multiple times a day) always get a little dance out of you. You especially like it when Mommy or Daddy dance with you. You like to "rock out" to Thousand Foot Crutch in Daddy's truck too.

Places you went - Not many. We were pretty much quarantined to our house since Claire was so little.

Special Memories - Seeing you learn to love your baby sister. Watching you become more of a toddler and less of a baby.  Watching you and Daddy during bathtime - that has become your special time with Daddy.

Punkin-doodle - you are growing up so much. I think I'm noticing it more since sister is so little. :) I love to see you learn and explore and grow, but wow! It truly does go by so fast. Thank you for being patient with Mommy as my attention has been divided between you and Claire. You are wonderful at playing by yourself while Mommy cares for Claire. I do love our special lunches/playtimes while Claire is asleep. It makes my love for you both grow so much.

~Mommy & Daddy