Holiday Season 2012

We had a wonderful family filled holiday season!


Starting in October, we had a great first Halloween with Claire.  She, of course, was an Angel.  It was a pleasure (for the most part) making her costume.  I purchased rolls of silver and white tulle to make a tutu, baby doll wings attached with Velcro to the back of her onsie,  and a thin feather boa glued to a bangle and attached to a sequin headband.  She looked adorable!  I will have to look back at these photos next year when I am spending countless hours sitting at the sewing machine to making Claire's next costume masterpiece and remind myself why it is worth while ;)  We spent Halloween night at home handing candy out to trick or treater's and having family over to visit.

 In November, we enjoyed a multitude of Thanksgiving dinners.  We started off the holiday the Sunday before at my Dad's for a tasty traditional meal, followed by a late lunch Thanksgiving day at my Mom's and dinner at Jason's parents.  Claire loved giving to try so many new foods! She loved Aunt Heidi's homemade mac and cheese, my maple sweet potato casserole, Grandpa Trish's dinner rolls, and Grandma Kent's watergate salad.  Of course, given the fact she is my daughter, there wasn't a single dessert she didn't enjoy :)

December was wonderful, as we were very blessed to spend much of Christmas week with the majority of our family.  We started the Sunday before by celebrating with the extended Dodd family.  It was so wonderful to see family members we hadn't had the opportunity to see for many years.  We spent Christmas Eve with Jason's family, all of which were in town except David and Brittney- whom we missed dearly!  We enjoyed their traditional finger-food dinner, followed by a game and story time with all the kids.  It is so much fun to watch all of them in one room playing- so long as you don't mind noise and the occasional role of referee ;)  We had a very laid back Christmas morning at home, just the three of us, as we enjoyed Claire opening all her gifts.  We followed that up with a delicious brunch and gifts at Grandpa Dodd's.  We spent Christmas evening enjoying a dinner with the extended Kent family, where Claire had a great time socializing with everyone.  Our last Christmas celebration was the day after, during which we hosted a casual dinner with my Mom and siblings.

New Years was not much of a celebration this year.  I worked the holiday, enjoying a mid-night baby bottle toast of sparkling apple juice with co-workers.  Jason and Claire enjoyed an evening visit to see Grandma and Grandpa Kent, then headed home to get some rest.

We are excited as we enter 2013 for all the excitement this year is sure to hold! First up: Claire is turning one! We have two short weeks until her birthday and are busy planning a party to remember :)

Happy New Year (a little late)!

Jason, Crystal, and Claire

"Mom-petition"

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook and I couldn't help but share it here. One thing I have learned since entering the parenthood game is that there are far too many people out there that will happily jump at the chance to judge the choices you make as a parent- especially if they are different from theirs.  Unsolicited advice is around every corner and I make every attempt to take it gracefully. I had a beautiful  epidural free delivery that I would have loved to (hold your gasp) have done at home, therefor I am kicked out of most birth conversations as "crazy".  As a breastfeeding hippy, organic, cloth diapering Mom who works in a Pampers, formula, prescription filled NICU, I can see both sides of the fence. Lets follow the advice of this author and get over it- if only for the sake of our sanity :)


excerpt from Out Of The Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load
by Jen Hatmaker


An ode to the marvelous woman called “Mother”
 
Though not one of us is exactly like another. 
From the second we’re born to the minute we die 
Our preferences are as limitless as stars in the sky.

We might have been perfectly gracious before 
But childbirth entered us in the Mommy War. 
Rather than letting everyone else be 
We criticize parenting that isn’t exactly like . . . me.

So once and for all let me put this to rest 
None of us owns the title of “best.”
Natural childbirth does not make you a hippy 
Epidurals are not just for women who want to feel trippy.

In a bathtub with a doula or in a hospital bed
We all got a baby with limbs and a head. 
Nursing is great if nothing goes wrong
But some nipples turn inward and refuse to play along.

This is a choice for each mom–it’s her route
So it’s just A + B and everyone else can C their way out.
Schedules and timers do not make you cruel 
Feeding on demand does not make you a fool.

In the nursery with a monitor or in the family bed
Every chick gets to pick where her baby lays his head.
If I see one more mom roll her eyes at “organic . . .”
“Partially hydrogenated” throws some of us into panic.

But neither judge Sonic burgers and fries
Some of us just want to enjoy food before we die. 
Preschool, home school, public, or Montessori
Listen, my friends, and I’ll tell you a story:

Two moms differed on favorite school trends
Their kids turned out pretty much the same. The end.
If a girl gets the title of “mom” accidentally 
The worst thing we can do is treat her judgmentally.

How about some love, some help, some advice?
She needs our love and we shouldn’t think twice.
Discipline through various methods will prevail 
Look, we’re all just trying to keep our kids out of jail.

These things are just preferences, not right or wrong
What matters more is teaching our kids to get along– 
To love and to share, to speak gently and kind, 
To obey so that mom won’t go out of her mind.

Showing them Jesus is our common ground
Teaching them how he can always be found
He’s present in public school and Waldorf (so trendy)
He’s over at Whole Foods but also at Wendy’s.

Jesus never cared about these sorts of things
It’s our hearts that he wants and the worship we bring.
It’s time for us moms to declare a truce 
Regardless if we buy Capri Sun or 100 percent juice.

My way is not your way, and your way isn’t mine 
But both of our kids will turn out just fine.
Rather than judging and looking down our noses
Let’s enjoy the common ground motherhood poses.

As believers, we all love the same good Lord
We all have children who tell us “I’m bored.”
We all need more sleep than these tiny five hours
Most of us struggle to find time for a shower.

We haven’t been to the bathroom alone in an age
Our mothers have all told us, “Relax, this is just a stage.”
We all love our babies so much we could die 
We’d take a bullet for each one without batting an eye.

Though we are different, we’re in the same tribe 
Motherhood requires a similar vibe– 
Love and affection, sacrifice and grace 
Laughter, which keeps the whole mechanism in place.

Though different, by the grace of God, I suspect: 
ALL our children will rise up and call us ... collect.

Claire's 4th and 5th Month

We have been busy enjoying our summer and totally dropped the ball on giving an update for June, so here is a little of what June and July have held in the world of Claire :)

Claire is FIVE MONTHS old! Well, now 5 1/2. I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. I feel like it was just yesterday we brought her home.  She is getting to be such a big girl! (Bittersweet sniffle). I love watching her conquer new feats daily. I look at things completely different now as I experience her taking in every detail of the world around her- to which she pays extra close attention.

Claire is getting big! Well at least to us... She is still weighing in at around 13 pounds, hanging out in the 5-10th percentile.  We just this week were able to start putting her in her extensive 3-6 month summer wardrobe.  We were stressed it wasn't going to get much use, but with temperature above 100, there is no end of summer in sight. Our pediatrician has given us continued reassurance she is growing just fine, it is just her genetics- both parents being the runt of the litter :)

Claire is so incredibly alert! She perks up to every noise, will pause to listen anytime someone speaks, and loves music toys. She also loves to talk- we wake up every morning now to her sweet little voice gabbing away in her crib and quickly report to her side to hear about (what we assume are) her dreams from the night.  Claire is full of smiles, kindly giving them out to everyone she sees for free or, complete opposite, will get in moods where you have to really work for it (jump, sing, or just look like a total goof!).  She has also started laughing fairly regularly and has become quite ticklish.  Claire will laugh at everything from a simple diaper change to moments in a conversation to make you feel as though she had to of known what was said.  She will also quickly jump into a talking a frenzy if you create an awkward silence by just staring at her :) Claire adores her growing library of books and has even lately taken to anxiously "turning" the pages.

Here is great video of her laughing- unfortunately, it took being a "goof"...

Here is Claire telling bedtime stories

Along with turning those pages, Claire's motor skills have grown tremendously! She is rolling all over the place, which is now her mode of transportation.  She is a pro at her baby push-ups, ensuring she never misses a thing.  Claire has also developed her own (what we call) opposite army crawl- she walks her legs up until her little bottom is high in the air then pushes forward (while dragging her face along the ground/crib/etc.) with her feet.  She has a favorite end of her crib which she has to turn sideways and travel a couple feet to get to, but makes it every night.  Claire is starting to attempt to sit up, unfortunately only when being strapped in her car seat and eating. Her true preference is standing, which she wants to do alllll the time! While standing she has made it a habit to "walk" backwards.  During playtime, we have most recently had to take away several hard toys and rattles due to repeat self inflicted abuse from over excited flailing arms.  Claire has no teeth yet (or evidence of any soon!), but LOVES to chew on everything from biting at Dad's nose to attempts at devouring an entire hand or foot.  She has been known to attempt fitting her entire hand in her mouth at the cost of choking.

Here is a video of her in action

Here she is playing with her new toy

Other things Claire has come to enjoy are her sippy cup and food samplings .  Jason was never able to have much success with her bottle feeding, so we decided to give a sippy cup a try- thank goodness! She is a pro at (again) chewing on the spout and swallowing what she gets to leak into her mouth.  Unconventional, yes, but it works!  Claire has become quite the mooch and wants everyone else's food and drinks- especially if it is accessorized with a straw! Since she expressed such interest in food, we have gone ahead and let her start sampling one food item per week.  So far she has tried and loved bananas, peas, pears, carrots, and peaches.  I hope this liking for all foods continues :)

Here is a link to our updated summer photo album on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150852714868925.409274.680153924&type=1&l=73d13ad512

We hope you enjoy the videos and pictures! We will surely have more coming soon :) Also, please forgive Claire's lack of clothing in all the videos- she has more clothes than we do, it has just been one hot summer! Make sure to watch for a blog post about our cross country venture to Seattle with Claire in just a few short weeks for her Uncle Owen's wedding.

Jason and Crystal

P.S. I found this on Pinterest and loved it! We can only relate to a few right now, but I am sure the rest is to come :)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-smokler/50-lessons-parenting-young-kids_b_1577298.html

Pictures and Videos!

Finally, I have found some time to post some pictures and videos of Claire from this month.  They are full of her new found voice and smiles :)

For pictures, here are links to albums currently on facebook.  For some reason they won't work as active links, but will work if you copy and paste into your browser.

Here is album full of pictures from Mother's Day and family get togethers.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150852714868925.409274.680153924&type=3&l=73d13ad512

Here is the full album of three month photo shoot

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150729828788925.403512.680153924&type=3&l=ef6f5a54c6

And now for all the videos:

Claire enjoying her mobile

Claire telling me stories on Mother's Day morning

One of our favorites of Claire chatting :)

Claire startling to Dad's silly noises

Claire watching cartoons

Enjoy!

Jason, Crystal, and Claire

Claire is 3 Months Old!

It is official, we have reached the three month milestone! It is such a bittersweet point in our journey with Claire- on one side I am so excited to see Claire's personality and personal feats grow daily, but it also means big changes for me as I head back to work.

First, the positive!

Claire is getting so big- with the "step on the scale with baby" method, Claire is weighing in at around 11 pounds.  She is now officially fitting decently into her 3 month wardrobe (almost too decently) and the newborn clothes are packed away (there were no tears involved in that packing. ha!).  Her hair and eyelashes are also coming in very nicely, as well. In fact, I am quite jealous of her abundant eyelashes :) It is amazing to see the difference in her sweet little hands and feet, which can now wear newborn size shoes!

Socially, she loves to smile and talk, almost half as much as listen, but only when she feels like it.  If you want a smile, you had better plan on working for it! I think this a direct result of having Jason as a father- he is just way too entertaining :) Otherwise, she will always smile at the T.V., when she first wakes in the morning, or (surprisingly) when you change her diaper- it is as though she is thanking us for a clean tush.  Her changing table is also where we have some of our best "conversations".  Claire is a huge fan of the television! She will relax in her rock n' play to watch intently and chat at it as though the characters are speaking to her. Her favorite these days is the Backyardigans.... I give Jason full credit for her loving television!

Then the negative...

I am officially back to work.  The work isn't so bad, it is the leaving Claire that has led to few to many tears :( I do feel as though I look at patient situations much differently- especially ethical dilemma/quality of life issues. Honestly, I fared much better the first weekend than the second, but maybe that had more to do with her mixed temperament when I am gone.  Jason and Claire have a great time playing and doing things their way without having Mom hovering :) The only downfall during their bonding time- Claire refuses to eat when I am gone! She would rather starve than latch onto the plastic foreign object intruding her mouth.  Jason has resorted to feeding her with a medicine dropper or just spraying the bottle into her mouth. I hope for both of their sake she gets it all figured out. I am just so blessed and thankful to have a job where I can support our family and only be away two days a wee. I could imagine working full time right now and missing out on the joy of waking up to spend every week day with Claire.

Claire is calling my name for playtime and a much needed diaper change, so it looks as though pictures will be on separate blog post. I will (hopefully) get that done today :)

Jason, Crystal, and Claire

These are a few of my favorite things :)

Being new to parenthood, we have developed a love/hate relationship with the immense amount of baby paraphernalia that has taken over our home, car, and life in general. Don't get me wrong, Claire is more than welcome to take over every aspect of our lives and all our belongings (i.e. our couch that has been victimized by a few to many bodily fluids to count), but there are some things we thought "we couldn't live/be parents without" that are nothing more than dust collectors. Here is a collection of our favorite things that have been nothing short of lifesavers!

1. Chicco travel system- We love our Chicco car seat! From it's simple base installation, wonderful newborn insert (Claire is actually still using), and #1 is its simple strap tightening. The stroller harness is still a little big, but we have been able to use it as a 3 point harness and with the car seat. Best of all, it one of the highest safety rated options for newborns :) http://www.chiccousa.com/gear/car-seats/keyfit-30-cubes.aspx

2. Fischer-Price Rock n' Play sleeper- This has been a life (well at least sleep) saver! Our sweet little snuggle bug fights sleep into the wee hours of the morning due to her waking up every time we would try to lie her down.  Plus, she still has a tendency to spit up if she is flat soon after eating.  This snugly cocoon, with its mesh sides, provides a safe, inclined, cozy sleep spot where she is happy to lay when our arms aren't available. Another great feature is how compact it folds for easy portability- we toted it from house to house on Easter to give Claire a cozy familiar place to relax :) http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=900004&e=storeProduct&pid=64684

3. Boppy pillow- This thing is incredible! We use it for everything- from positioning while she eats, plays, enjoys story time, sleeps (this is a no no- only allowed when I am sitting there), and most recently it is our tummy time pal.  We have one pillow and two covers, which meets our laundry day needs, ensuring it is always available :) http://www.boppy.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21/products_id/84

4. Bamboobies- Sorry if any Dad's are reading... These are wonderful for nursing Moms. They are so amazingly soft with the velour side, great absorbency due to the hemp layer, leak-proof (they really are!), and who can resist the heart shape (which actually fit quite nicely). Best of all- they can't be seen through clothes! http://www.buybamboobies.com/Breast-Pad-Day.html


5. G diapers- It took a lot of convincing to get Jason on board with the idea of cloth diapers, at least until I found this hybrid diaper.  They are so easy to use and really not as huge of a burden to launder and care for as anticipated.  The best part is how wonderful they are for Claire's sensitive bottom- they are so breathable, we have not had a single rash while using them! Plus, I love the flushable inserts for when we're on the go as opposed to toting around a dirty diaper. You also cant beat how adorable they are :)  http://www.gdiapers.com/

6. Chicco You & Me Deluxe infant carrier- This infant carrier wins out for one big reason- lumbar support! I know she is still small, but I can carry her for prolonged periods in this without getting even the slightest backache. Also, the several adjust options (carry high or low, forward or backward facing, etc.) make it something that can really grow with her.  The other huge bonus is how easy it is to get her in and out- we have strapped her while sleeping and she was none the wiser :) http://www.chiccousa.com/gear/backpacks-carriers/you-me-deluxe-carrier/you-me-deluxe-carrier-black.aspx

7. Babyganics product line- In the beginning, we had a love/hate relationship with this company due to its name and branding leading consumers to think they were organic products, which is not true. Reading more on the products we learned they are a natural derived product we prefer to the highly chemical alternatives. Best of all, they work wonderfully! One of my favorites is the stain remover which even removed set in stains from a year ago. We also use the dish soap,fabric freshener, multi-surface cleaner, and diaper creme (made her rash  from wearing Pampers in the hospital disappear in less than a day) http://www.babyganics.com/

8. Aden and Anais muslin blankets- These blankets are so amazing! Beyond being to softest we found (they actually get softer wash after wash), they are a great larger size. This makes for super easy swaddling or a substitute nursing/car seat/stroller cover.  They are on the thinner side, but I feel this makes them that much more versatile- we fold them for a warmer blanket and keep them a single layer when only a light blanket is needed. We use them more often than all her other blankets combined.  http://www.adenandanais.com/shop/itemdisplay.aspx?ID=18&SKU=2023

9. Skip Hop Via Messenger bag- After much searching, we finally found a diaper bag that met both of our (very picky and particular) needs.  Jason insisted on a messenger bag in a neutral style, while I insisted on simple organization and durability- this bag meets both! It looks great, has pockets galore, easily wipes down, and has a great strap design (padded shoulder and stroller attachments). I don't mind at all packing my purses away to sport it :) http://www.skiphop.com/product/21000.html

10. Bebe Au Lait nursing cover- Again, sorry Dads... This cover is wonderful! It is a great size to provide plenty of modesty, bowed neck to keep an eye on Claire, two terry cloth pockets (great for storing bamboobies), and several great patterns available. Even with the plastic bowed neck, it folds small for great portability.  The thicker fabric is great for it keeping its shape and staying in place, but can get a bit warm at times.  http://www.bebeaulait.com/products/bebe-au-lait-nursing-covers/papillon

11. Bright Starts Ingenuity Automatic bouncer- This is one of the only entertainment toys Claire will actually calm with.  We were skeptics, but it really does bounce on its own! The soothing sounds and hanging toys help her to love it that much more :) http://www.kidsii.com/brightstarts/p-212-ingenuity-automatic-bouncer.aspx


I hope this list can be a help to new parents, as well as those with experience, in the market for baby products. I am sure there will be many more products we come to love as Claire (and we) continues to grow and has ever changing needs- we will be sure to share when we find others we find amazing :)

Crystal and Jason

Claire is 2 months old!

It's official- Jason and I have been parents for 8 weeks now! It is incredible to think that our sweet Claire has already been here that long. At the same time, I cannot seem to remember being pregnant, much less life before she entered it and changed everything :)

I must brag a little and say that Claire is still the most amazing baby with the best disposition. She rarely cries-only if she is hungry (an easy fix since she nurses like a champ!) or bored (which is quickly fixed with a snuggle, kiss, playtime, and walk through the house). Claire is also incredibly aware of her surroundings! She loves staring at artwork on walls, intently listening to whom ever is speaking, looking for the source of any sound, and if there is light in the vicinity, she will find it! This makes for great entertainment when we take her out on the deck. Claire also enjoys spending time each day on her play mat, reading books, as well as playing with all her rattles and toys. I hope all this is sign of future intelligence :)

Claire is also sprouting in her physical abilities. She is a rock star during tummy time- that is as long as she isn't flat on floor which quickly turns into nap time :) We have resorted to tummy time on the Boppy pillow or Dad and Mom. She is quite the climber, too! She will lay on our chest and push off our hands with her legs until she makes it up as far as she can our shoulder. This climbing ability got a little scary the other day when I let her sleep on her tummy (I know- tisk, tisk! but I was in the room watching her like a hawk) and she first turned herself sideways, then shifted all the way to the edge of the couch! Needless to say, she now only naps on surfaces with walls ;) Claire spends some time each day practicing "standing" in Dad's lap, as she loves to straighten her legs.

Here is a fine example of her climbing/self positioning skills

Here is her enjoying tummy time on Dad and the Boppy pillow

Claire's personality is also exploding! She wakes up everyday in an incredible mood full of smiles and talking. She has perfected scowling (which is often the result of Daddy making silly noises), raising one eye brow (usually used to look at us like we are crazy when talking to her), and pouting (new just this week, usually followed by the sweetest whimpers). Her sweet little "talking" noises have doubled in frequency.

Here is one of our favorite videos of her :)

She has so sweetly been (kind of) sleeping through the night the last couple weeks. I say "kind of" because it is 6-7 hours at most, usually 3-4 nights a week. I will take anything over waking every 2-3 hours around the clock like she had been doing since birth. She still has yet to spend a night in her room, but has taken naps in her crib during the day. We have been using the Summer Infant "Rest Assured" sleeper when she is in our bed and the Fisher Price "Rock N' Play" sleeper in the living room- both of which I highly recommend.

Overall, parenthood has been the most wonderful gift I could have ever received! I have grown and learned more about myself during this short time than I would have ever imagined. It is amazing to look at our sweet little girl and know that she is truly a piece of us, something we created. The level of selflessness, patience, and love that goes into everyday with her has made us truly appreciate what a blessing and miracle life truly is. We are looking forward to continuing to watch her grow and conquer this new world she has blessed with her presence :)

Crystal and Jason