Claire's First Christmas

Claire had a great first Christmas! She is taking a lot more steps - 18 steps is her record. We are traveling back to Buffalo tomorrow, we will post this weekend with photos from the week.

Merry Christmas from Cory, Julie and Claire

From our family to yours, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We thought that would be our only post for tonight, until one Claire Rose decided to take more than one or two steps unassisted. The video isn't of her first steps, we sat in utter awe and shock as she did it two times prior.  Then we remembered we own like 15 cameras and a video camera and we should get them to document this event. This was her third time taking independent steps. And because of this, dad wins the bet that she would take her first steps by Christmas.

Countdown to Christmas

We have been busy getting ready for Christmas: decorating the house, wrapping presents, and starting to pack for our trips to Rochester and Buffalo.

Claire is doing a lot of standing. It is still surprising to see her standing on her own, one minute she is crawling, you look away for a second and she is standing.  She is attempting some tentative steps, she can take 1-2 before falling down or crashing into one of us.

In other Claire news she can unscrew the tops of some jars.  Cory found this out the other morning when she grabbed the peanut butter jar and got the lid off.  She was almost elbow deep in peanut butter before he stopped her.  I was changing her diaper this morning and she grabbed a bottle of lotion and managed to unscrew the top.

She can also say what sounds like 'bye', when we leave daycare we wave bye to her teacher and say 'bye-bye'.  For 2 days in row she said 'bye' back.   

Claire likes to make out with the window: 

Fascinated with her reflection:

Couscous is fun to shake: 

Monday Crusing

 'If this had a keyboard it would make it easier to text'

Twas the week before Christmas

I know, I could not believe it either when I realized that Christmas is less than a week away.  It seems like since Claire has come around I am only focused on making it to the weekend to spend time with her, and the time seems to go by much quicker. It was one year ago that we put the finishing touches on the 'Baby's' room, and I'm not sure if it seems longer ago than that, or just yesterday. Last year at this time we were on full on baby prep.

I took Claire to the doctor on Friday, since her cough wasn't improving. After listening to her lungs they put her on Albuterol and a Z-pack. Luckily neither one is flavored like bubblegum, so she is taking them like a champ. Her cough has been waking her up very early in the morning, and Saturday was my turn to get up with her. Claire and I were playing in the family room before the sun came up, and I may have closed my eyes for 4 or 5 seconds (really just a long blink) while I was laying on the floor with her. Claire decide I wasn't paying enough attention to her and took her tums bottle and hit me over the head 4 or 5 times to make sure that would not happen again. She found that tums bottle in my work bag about two weeks ago and we haven't been able to take it away from her, she likes the rattling. I'm sure its nothing but dust inside it by now. Also much to our surprise she kept these Christmas socks on the entire day.

Videos for a Friday

Tonight Julie is out with friends, so Claire and I got to play. She really enjoyed her apple for dinner and once she got a hold of my cheese stick, she didn't give it back. She is getting really good at standing, and wants to be standing up at all times. It is cute, when she gets tired she puts her head down on me to cuddle.

One other thing I have noticed while reading to Claire, the mother of the 5 little monkeys book probably should have had child protective services called on her after the third monkey fell off the bed. Doctor's have answering services because of monkey mothers like this...'Really your fourth child did the same thing as the last three and you are still calling for my advice?'

10 Months

Claire at 10 months:

• Stands up on her own without any assistance.
• Cruising machine, she can really get around.
• Claire loves books and likes to help you turn the pages - sometimes she turns them a bit too quickly so you have to keep up.
• Loves to make music by banging toys together or using wooden spoons.
• Singing the ABCs always makes her happy.
• Can wave 'bye-bye' and mimics clapping.
• Trying new finger foods like pasta, macaroni and cheese, rice, and beans. Loves yogurt.
• Likes to 'share' her food, she will reach towards our mouths with her finger foods. 
• After a few months of practice can drink water from a sippy cup. 
• Has 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom) - we think more will be coming in soon. 
• Doesn't fight getting dressed as much as she used to.
• Can play independently but wants to know you are close by.  
• Babbles constantly, especially in the backseat of the car (she wants us to know she is back there).
• Diaper changes require shiny objects like watches and cameras for distraction. 

Sick Day

Claire wasn't feeling 100% this morning so I stayed home with her and we played all day. We practiced standing, taking some steps, and singing. She can now stand up on her own with out pulling up on anything. She likes to show off by doing this over and over all day. Her other new favorite activity is sitting watching Sesame Street videos on YouTube with dad.

Since it was a daddy day Claire got some Mt. Dew to start the morning.

Practicing standing.

Our 22lb Icicle

Like many parents, we have come up with nicknames for Claire and her moods. The most recent is referring to her as our 'icicle' when she has a meltdown. This past weekend it was like an Icicle on a 90* day...she is teething and is a little bit sick as well. She spend most of the weekend cuddling on one of our laps. While you never want to see your child sick, the cuddling was nice since she is always on the move.

Before she started to melt, she enjoyed playing with one of my tractors from when I was young.  It drove all over our house on Saturday.

Yo-Yo Ma Concert

On Thursday night Julie and I got to have a date night and go see Yo-Yo Ma play with Fredonia's College Symphony Orchestra. It was amazing! Easily the best show I have ever seen at a college and quite possibly the best concert I have ever attended. One of Claire's teachers from school came over to watch her so we could go to the concert.

I did get a few photos before we left.
'I going to try to change my own diaper, is that OK dad?'

 Mr. Lion needed a kiss.

More standing

This afternoon was a concert at Claire's school, all the older children got to sing songs to family and friends. Mom, Dad and Claire went to listen, she enjoyed waving her arms like she was directing. Every day she gets more confidence in standing; usually she pulls up on a table or sofa and then stands. She is starting to use smaller objects and toys to stand up, using more of her own strength to stand.  Before we know it she won't have to use anything to stand up....

The step between the living room and family room is Claire's favorite place to sit.

She has been using one toy to bang against another toy to make noise. She did the same trick later in the evening using a hard plastic toy on daddy's head.

Standing on her own grabbing a book to read.