We've had 11 precious months with our Claire Lucille. Okay... technically it's been 11 months and 10 days because life has been crazy!
As you might be able to imagine from this picture Claire is on the go these days! I put her down for our picture and quickly snapped this one as she was rolling over. I never got her to lay down again! I love it because it totally captures her current stage.
Here are a couple of other pictures from this month (and our old house!!) that capture this time of movement and discovery.
This month Claire has mastered standing on her own and has attempted steps- she is so close! She is getting into everything and I have to keep a very careful eye on her because she is not afraid!
This month has brought so much change for our family. We had VBS which meant that Momma wasn't home for bedtime 3 nights in a row, then we packed up and drove a very long drive to Galveston for a few days, then we stayed at my parent's house for a week, and then we stayed in a hotel for a couple of nights, and then we finally moved into a new home!! During that time Claire got her second bottom tooth, and learned to share a room with her sister! She also went to 3 different churches in this month and was loved on by both sets of grandparents plus great grandparents! Lots of change, but we are grateful to have so many special people in our life. We are also grateful for our new house in Edmond!
Here are a few pictures from our trip.
Claire loved naps in her stroller the most on her first beach trip. Can't say I blame here.
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We celebrated her first Fourth of July at the beach house with my parents.
The girls with their MiMi and Gramps.
I was so in love with this moment. Kate and my mom were playing with chalk on the driveway and my dad and Blake were watching Claire in the swing. It was Claire's first time to visit Houston. :)
And here we are at our new house! The girls weren't quite sure what to think as that was a pretty crazy day! We love our shady front yard thanks to 3 beautiful oak trees.
Claire enjoys the swings at the park. She loves watching her sister. She is on Kate's toes and it's cute to watch, even though it does cause strife sometimes.
She still rests in her swing sometimes. All that movement gets her really worn out! The swing is a nice way for her to just be still now and then. I'm really thankful that ours holds up for the bigger stages!
Bath time! So Claire is so funny to watch in the tub because she wants to crawl and walk around- and she actually can. She can really keep herself steady! She doesn't like water poured on her head, which is new for us because Kate was never bothered by it. She usually doesn't stay in the tub too long these days because she is so active!
She hasn't tried a lot of new foods this month, and is eating about the same. I made a goal to make enough food to take on our trip plus for two weeks after we got back and I did it!!! Homemade food isn't essential, I don't think there is anything wrong with the store bought stuff. I've just really enjoyed making it for Claire plus it saves a lot of money. It felt like a huge accomplishment. I didn't feel like making it once we got settled into our new house but I'm now back in my groove. :) She is also eating chewing on teething wafers, sipping water, and nursing like crazy.
The month has been exciting but challenging at the same time. Our Kate thrives on routine and I struggled to have the emotional and physical energy to care for both girls the way I wanted to. I had so much help from Blake and our parents. I've never been one to think I can do it all on my own, but this month I was especially humbled as I relied on others for so much. It's as if God had me in his arms the whole time and whispered, "Don't you worry, sweet one. I won't let you go on this new journey by yourself. I'm here."
We love our Claire so much. I'm so grateful for the joy she brings to our family. Oh, these last few days before her birthday are ones to savor!
