The thunder rolls...

We have had 66 straight days of 100+ degree weather here in Austin and very little rain. Everything is dead- grass, flowers, trees. It is very sad. We had rain tonight. It lasted maybe 20 minutes or so. That 20 minutes terrified my sweet girl. She has never been afraid of the rain, but thunder struck and away she cried. She was inconsolable. She was hysterical.

Claire: "Mommy, hold your hand. The rain has eyes. Get me. Mommy, snuggle."
Mommy: "Claire, the rain does not have eyes. The rain is nice. It keeps the grass and the trees happy. You are warm in your bed. The rain won't hurt you." (Thunder strikes at his moment)
Claire: (hysterically crying) "What's that? Rain's eyes?"
Mommy: "No, Claire. The clouds are clapping to 'Happy and You Know It.' They make a loud noise called thunder when its their turn to clap."
Claire: "Clouds happy and you know it?"
Mommy: "Yes, Claire. They are happy that the rain is here."
Claire: "Rain at Grandma's house?"
Mommy: "Yes, it is raining at Grandma's house and she loves it! It is making her grass grow and her trees smile."
Claire: "Grandma okay? Hold your hand, Mommy." (Claire is getting upset again)
Mommy: (Uh-oh. Mommy quickly realizes that she messed up.) "Yes Claire. Grandma is great. Don't worry about Grandma. She is sleeping. Grandma loves Claire and she loves the rain. The rain is going bye-bye."
Claire: "Rain go bye-bye?"
Mommy: "Yes, Claire, the rain went away."

Eventually, I was able to convince Claire that the rain is good, that it doesn't have eyes, that thunder is the clouds clapping to 'Happy and You Know It', and that Grandma is okay and sleeping. My little girl sleeps for now until the next thunder rolls.

Night, Night Daddy

Daren was putting Claire to bed last night. Normally, I turn off the intercom so I am not eavesdropping on their special time. Last night, I was cooking dinner so I forgot to turn it off. This is the conversation I overheard:

Claire: "Night, night Daddy. Lay down." (I hear a smacking of the lips. I assume she gave Daddy a kiss.)
Daren: "Night, night Claire. Thanks for rubbing my belly. That is so sweet of you."
Claire: "Read you a book?!"
Daren: "Okay, one more, Claire."

At this point, I am intrigued and decide to grab my camera. Much to my surprise, Claire is putting Daddy to bed!!! She has placed blankets on him. Her milk is sitting nicely by Daddy's head. She is reading her favorite book to Daddy. He told me later that, periodically, she would rub on his belly. I laughed so hard when I opened the door!! What a little Momma she is... I am SO glad I forgot to turn off the intercom. I love my family!!

Baby Dos stocked up with diapers...

This past weekend, Christi, Catherine, Monica and Liz hosted a wonderful diaper shower for Baby Dos. It was so fun and so nice. We are officially stocked with diapers for a while. SO EXCITING!!!!!!! Now, we just need to meet the sweet little baby #2. There were ribbons to tie around your wrist to guess the baby's gender. I saw a good mix of blue and pink, so I am officially very confused. I have thought all along that I am having a girl, but now I am not so sure. Thanks, girls, for a wonderful party. Thanks to all my friends who joined and helped prepare us for our new adventure. We are blessed!

Move-in has arrived!

Our summer has been wonderful...chalked full of vacation in Destin, swimming lessons at Emler, trips to Houston to see Mimi, Papa and LaLa, lots of days at Grandma and Pops' house, and many workers building the fabulous new addition to our house. The workmen were wonderful and polite and all of that good stuff, but I didn't realize how nice it would be with just peace and quiet. The office is finished and we LOVE it. It is already such a nice treat! And, we are finally MOVED IN!!! I haven't blogged because we have been without a computer. Here are some things that have been going on with us in the last few weeks:

I don't know why I ever worried about transitioning Claire to a big girl bed. She loves it!! She was ready and it has been really easy. And yes, I am the Mommy who snuck in her room in the middle of the night with the camera flash on to take a picture of her in her new bed. These things are important, right?!Mimi and Papa, Phil and Julie came in town and were lifesavers. They helped us move the furniture that Christi gave me for Baby Dos. Thanks Christi!! They helped us put together the queen bed for the new guest room. They helped us take apart Claire's crib and put together her bed. They helped us put together a new desk, drawers and a file cabinet for the new office...all in 24 hours!!! Here is a picture of Mimi and Claire checking out the bed shortly after we finished putting it all together. Claire was so excited!
We have spent MANY days at Grandma and Pops' house this summer swimming, napping, avoiding workmen, etc. It has been wonderful to see them so much and to have some help. Claire has loved the quality time too. Recently as they were finishing with all the trim and "oil-based avoid it if you are pregnant" paints, we spent 5 days living with Grandma and Pops. It was lots of fun!! Pops made us breakfast every morning, we swam every day, played outside with Grandma and Pops, etc. I got a great photo of them all dressed up before they went to a wedding. I love this picture of them!! They look like movie stars. :-) They were annoyed that I wanted to take the picture because it was SO HOT that day, but now they are happy.
This is my Dad's dog, Hank. Anyone who really knows us knows that this dog is his prized possession. He goes to work with him. Yes, he goes in to banks, restaurants, job sites, stores, etc... Hank is the boss!! This was his favorite spot when I was resting at their house while Claire was resting...right on top of me! I think my Dad was jealous!
Mom spent several days at our house recently helping me clean before the baby arrives. She works like no other person I have ever known!! Man, she can get things done. She helped me clean our pantry, our laundry closet, a spare closet, and all of the baby stuff. She helped me sort, straighten, wash, fold, throw away, give away, box up, put up, set out and all other things like that related to Baby Dos's room as well as the entire rest of my house. Daren and I only thought we were fairly tidy people. She proved us otherwise. WOW! She helped me organize and get the new office space ready. Our last project before the baby arrives is to work on the hall closet. We'll see how she works her magic there. It will be quite a challenge. :-) Thanks Mom!!! It would never have gotten done without my Mom's help. I had all the best intentions to do these things all summer long, but with a 2 year old and very little extra energy I just couldn't swing it. I AM SO THANKFUL!!!! Daren and I feel liberated and freed from all the clutter and junk that is so unnecessary. We are ready for baby #2 so BRING IT ON!

Signs that she is becoming a BIG girl...

Right before our eyes, Claire is a big girl. I don't know when or how it happened but it did. It is so much fun to watch her make connections, use her imagination, etc. I love her age and all that is going on in her little mind, but I can't help but also mourn how quickly she is growing up.

No more days of Claire as a baby...
1. Claire understands and creates cause and effect situations
(Ex: She has a pretend kitchen. She was making me some soup in her kitchen, brought me a bowl, blew on it for me because "it is hot, Mommy," and then as she handed me my bowl of soup, she said "Be careful, Mommy. It might burn you."

2. She sleeps in a big girl bed. No more crib. :-(

3. She uses the potty from time to time. We are definitely not trained yet, but she will use it.

4. She shows true empathy. She will ask me "Are you okay, Mommy?" if I make a funny face, a groan, or a grimace.

5. She remembers the exact words of her favorite books, even the silly add-ins that Mommy and Daddy insert.

6. She asks "What's that?" to anything and everything.

Her brain is constantly working and she is constantly thinking. I love watching all the things she notices that are new to her. She is inquisitive. She is intense. She is a sweet, sweet big girl.

Fun times in Houston

We went to visit Mimi, Papa and Lala in Houston this past weekend. Claire always has a blast with the Nixes. She swam several times a day and played lots. One of her swimming escapades was a bit spontaneous so she enjoyed the pool in her birthday suit. Do you blame her??

The Nixes got a new puppy named Izzie. She is the cutest little ball of fur. Claire was a bit unsure of the puppy, but she was sure that her name should be "Bizzy" not Izzie. She called her that all weekend. It made me giggle.

Coldplay revisited

For Daren's birthday, Lashelle gave him 2 tickets to see Coldplay in The Woodlands. Happy Birthday to me too!! We met up with Paige and Trey and Rob and Angela. It was a great time and one of the best concerts I have ever been to. The Woodlands Pavilion was an awesome concert spot. Coldplay puts on quite a show. They were funny, entertaining and super talented. Thanks Lashelle! It was a great night with great friends. Despite waddling around at 7 months pregnant in the Houston heat, it was an awesome night!!! I LOVED IT!! And now, I am an even bigger Coldplay fan than I was before the concert.

Baby Dos Update

We went to the 32 week appointment this morning.

Baby's heartrate: 156 beats per minute
Mom's blood pressure 96/70 YEA!!!!!!!
Gained 1/2 pound?! So bizarre...

The baby is still measuring big so the induction date is set for September 15. So all the family who intends to be there, mark your calendars for SEPTEMBER 15!! When we go for the growth sonogram at 36 weeks, there is a possibility of an even earlier induction date than that. I will keep you posted on that...

But Mommy was ecstatic to hear that the baby's birthday will be sooner rather than later!!!!!!!!!!!! YEA!!!

We feel blessed. God is good. Although pregnancy may not be the most comfortable time in my life, it is truly one of God's greatest miracles.

Claire TV

Some nights even after much snuggling, books, prayers and singing together, Claire has quite the fun times in her bed after we put her down. She loves to wind down many nights with a song or two and we get such a kick out of listening to her. Last night, Daren and I watched the video monitor (I know, pathetic!) because what we were hearing was so funny! We had to check it out. First of all...some set-up will help set the scene.

Picture Claire sitting up in her bed with Cow, Kitty Cat, Itty Bitty Tigger and Blanket (all of these have become "must-haves" in the bed and Cow is a "must-have" everywhere we go)

Claire:
"Kitty Cat, where are you?"
"Oh, here you are...Sit right there." Then she sits Kitty Cat in front of her.
"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" she sings loudly, followed by a loud "YEA Claire!!" and the sounds of Claire clapping at her own singing.
Now she picks up Cow, gives Cow a hug and says "It's okay, Cow. You wanna go play?"
Singing loudly once again, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!!" followed by another "YEA, Claire!!!"
She then picks up Blanket and puts it over Cow and her head to make a tent (a game Mommy and Claire played earlier) and whispers "Shhh, Cow."
The tent goes down and we hear a new song with her own lyrics "Take me out to ballgame, buy some peanuts and racker-acks, 1-2-3 strikes, you're out at the old ball game!"
One last "YEA Claire!!!"

At this point, Daren and I decided we should let her have her own fun and we went to watch some TV, but I will tell you, Claire TV was much more entertaining. Shortly after the last song, Claire was sound asleep. Oh how we love Claire TV!

The next American Idol?

Claire loves to sing. When she knows we recorded what she sings, she loves to watch it and she says "I want to see it." She then loves to watch herself on video. She is fascinated that it records her. She giggles and sings along with it each new time she watches it. Cracks me up! We got a few of her favorites recorded for your enjoyment.

So, this is Claire's debut of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" followed by Claire saying "I want to see."


"Baa Baa Black Sheep" and you can see her reaching for the camera. :-)


You can see her watching excitement grow because she asks to see this one before she has even sang anything. Here's "Humpty Dumpty"...

31 weeks and GROWING...

I feel huge. I look huge. I am huge. I feel pretty good physically. Claire certainly keeps me busy. I don't sleep anymore so I am pretty tired. I rest every chance I get (which is not very often with a 2 year old) I guess the lack of sleep is good practice for countless hours to come where I will be up all night feeding, rocking, burping, changing diapers, etc...

Update on baby- still no name, no nursery, no gender known...YIKES!!!!!!!! Should we be worried? Christi, I promise we are trying to find a name. Daren and I have never disagreed more on any subject than we are on Baby #2's name. (in a good way) I have a feeling this one will be born nameless and will remain so until the nurses force us to put a name to him/her.

This baby moves non-stop and rarely sleeps for long. Baby #2 has the hiccups at least twice a day and they last for at least 30 minutes each time. Daren is fascinated with feeling this. Baby #2 loves music and dances non-stop if Mommy is singing. Baby #2 loves Claire bear and kicks when Claire loves on my belly. Claire is fascinated that my belly button (or as she calls it "my Bebo") is gone and she LOVES to lift up my shirt in public.

Here you go, Catherine. Enjoy! Can you imagine what I am going to look like in 9 more weeks?! Scary thought... If you don't want to see my belly, then don't look at the pictures.

Find your Wings

"I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams, and that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things. I am here for you whatever this life brings, so let my love give you roots and help you find your wings."


This quote sums up my job as a parent as beautifully as I could possibly ever articulate. Claire has completely and wholly stolen my heart. She has been pure joy from the start. Baby #2 is 30 weeks old. The top picture is profile and the bottom one, he/she is sucking his/her thumb. Claire sucks her thumb too, so I loved seeing that. There was something about it that, for Daren and me, connected them immediately as siblings. I love being a Mommy and I couldn't ask for more in my life. I think Claire will be a great big sister and I can't wait to meet the little mystery in my belly.

She talks in her sleep...

It's 4:27 A.M. and Claire wakes up crying, at least I thought she woke up. I decide to flip on the video screen before I go running in to Claire's room. Good idea...because she is sound asleep, still laying down and holding her precious cow, crying and saying "I want jelly beans." Yes, you read it right..."I want jelly beans." She said it about four times and I give her about 30 more seconds and she is back off to her sweet little dream world. I hear a few thumb-sucking noises, wait about 15 minutes and go check on her. She is sound asleep. I don't think she ever woke up.

She takes after her Mommy who also LOVES jelly beans!! Daren was sound asleep and at the tail end of the outburst, he rolls over and says to me "Did she just cry for jelly beans?" We both started laughing and he rolls over and goes back to sleep. Mommy never really goes back to sleep...oh, the struggles of pregnancy. At least Claire gave me a good chuckle to go along with the sleepless nights. Thanks, Claire bear. :-)

Mommy Getaway

We have been friends for as long as I can remember. We went to elementary, junior high, and high school together. Monica and I were college roommates too. I guess that is proof as to how much we love each other. We were all in each other's weddings. Now, we are Mommies together. It is a special bond and it is really fun to watch two of my closest friends be Mommies. We spent two days in beautiful Fredricksburg- our Moms, our kiddos and us. We ate well, played lots, shopped and enjoyed catching up and hanging out. I treasure these friendships very much and I hope we spend the rest of our lives taking fun getaways like this one.

Wynn and Curt Pitts (Elizabeth's kiddos)- One year old!
They are both busy crawling. They love to say "hi" and they talk about their sweet dog, Gauge, all the time. They are full of smiles.


Kyla Buskuhl (Monica's daughter)- 8 months old!
Kyla is already trying to walk and smiles more than you can imagine.


Claire gave them a glimpse of what having a two year old is like. She went down for her nap in a bed for the very first time ever (we couldn't use the pack n play because she is both too heavy and too long). We thought she slept like a champ and I felt so proud of her. I went down to get her from the big girl bed when she woke up from her nap and she had painted her entire face and body with my lipstick. She was so covered in makeup that I didn't know what to do or where to begin to clean her up. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it but it is almost impossible to even imagine what she looked like. Grandma and Mommy had a sleepover in the bed with Claire. It was a long night but I think Claire really enjoyed rolling one way and seeing Mommy, then rolling the other way to find Grandma. She kept saying "Hi Ga-mma," "Snuggle Ga-mma," "Hi Mommy," and "Snuggle Mommy" all night long. I am not sure how much she slept but she had a fun night. :-)

She loved walking Miss Kyla around. Can you believe that Kyla is already trying to walk?! You go, girl!! It was good big sister practice for Claire bear and I thought she was very sweet with all the kiddos.

Sadie the psycho Lab

At first sight, she looks like a sweet, innocent dog, doesn't she???
We are adding on to our house. Since they have begun construction, our Lab has begun her own construction. She ate a metal door...yes, a metal door. It looked like a scene from a horror movie. She was covered in blood and the metal was completely pulled away from the styrofoam inside the door. It was unreal. Somehow, she walked away pretty much unhurt. We even had to check with X-rays and such because her diarrhea got so bad. Imagine the bill for that one?! This picture is post-clean up so you aren't getting the full scene, but it says enough...
She vomited for days. We had to take her in to get an anti-nausea shot to keep food down. She is leaking urine because her incontinence medicine needed a higher dosage...another trip to the vet. She ate a box of Claire's markers, a full HUGE jar of Daren's protein powder, a whole package of frozen chicken breasts that were down in our sink thawing, 2 wine glasses that were on our counter drying when she decided to eat the chicken, a box of cereal including the box and the plastic bag. There is probably more that she has destroyed or eaten in the last two weeks, but I can't keep track anymore. I have spent the last hour on our play area rug with OxyClean and a vacuum trying to clean up the protein powder that she made her morning snack. Rescue me, please, before I seriously hurt this dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So picture a 7 month pregnant Mommy, a two year old running all over the place, an old PSYCHO Lab named Sadie, lots of workmen, and a sweet itty bitty Chihuahua who is now pooping in our house because someone ate her doggie door. Wanna come and visit? Someone help us, please!!