Child development 101

Claire turns 12 weeks old today. What a rewarding three months it's been. Each week brings a new baby milestone.

Last week she began reaching for things. Here's a prime example.



At one point before this photo was taken, Claire actually grabbed the plastic ring atop this dog and pulled it toward her mouth. She gnaws on her hand all the time, so it's no surprise she got her hand in her mouth. But bringing the dog toward her as well was quite a feat. One that probably won't be repeated for weeks.

This means she will soon be trying on jewelry.



A few nights ago, Claire let out her first distinct laugh -- a huge cackle that burst out as her mother tickled her chest. It was the first adult-like sound she's made. Aside from her toots and burps, that is.



Claire also can stand on two feet, with our help balancing, of course. She also can hold her head up when placed on her tummy. She rolls over halfway, too.

Soon, she will outsmart her father on a daily basis.

Bradley success!

Congratulations to Alison and Goce on their son Kosta's birth and to Kara and her husband for their son Jude's birth. Both births took place in the water at their respective homes.
All four couples taking Kara's Bradley Method class--and the instructor--avoided a C-section. Looking forward to getting all the babes together at the reunion.

At a complete loss

These are classic Claire looks that she has patented to make her parents, relatives and future babysitters melt at her command.




We are trying to find a way to counter them with absolutely no success.

Computer literate

New life abounds!
Here's Claire checking out a pic of the Hansons' new yellow lab.

Strollin Strollin Strollin

Sarah bought a new stroller. Claire fits right in.


Of course, she also picked up the obligatory rain cover. See through, too.

Multi-tasking

Sarah's found ways to do household chores with Claire in tow.

Notice how well Claire hangs on!

They do this so well I think I'll leave cleaning to them.

Another buddy

Carolyn and Mike from our Bradley class had their baby, Alana Mae, on Dec. 15. Alana and Claire met today in Claire's exercise gym. Congrats to Carolyn and Mike!

Blast from the past

Ann, Sarah's violin teacher from childhood, stopped by to meet Claire today. She brought her six-month-old grandson. Ann was visiting her son and daughter-in-law who live in SE PDX. Claire fell asleep in her arms.

New trick

Claire rolled over on her side two nights ago. She accomplished this feat when she tried to follow one of her stuffed toys. Then she started kicking around and propped herself up on her side. Sooner or later, she's gonna pull a full 180.

Bath time

Claire got another bath this weekend. As usual, she enjoyed it for about 10 minutes, until she presumably got cold. Enough time to clean out the folds in her neck, though.

Congrats in order again

This time for Noelle and Mark, who gave birth to Sophia two weeks ago. She's a cutie, and quite the peanut compared to Claire. They met today for the first time. But not the last!

A classic example

...of how Claire rears up to cry.

Things seem to be going along just fine.



Then comes the lower lip pout.



Finally, the wail.....

Filling an order

A certain grandparent has demanded photos. Here are some of Claire flashing a smile on the bed.

Gut check

Claire got her first childhood immunizations today. When pricked, she reportedly looked shocked, then let out a decisively long and loud wail. Calmed down when nursed. Fell asleep on the drive home. Snoozed much of the afternoon. But woke fussy and with a red, swollen leg. Remained fussy, crying loudly. Sarah urged I come home ASAP. We felt sorry for her. Guilty, too. Eventually returned to nearly her old self with the help of a pacifier and her two Einstein mobiles. They will put a smile on her face almost anytime.

I won't even detail our teeth-gnashing trying to decide whether to subject her to these shots or postpone or avoid them altogether.

More first-time parent stuff

That's Matt & Sonya holding Claire on New Year morn, starting 2006 off right by announcing that they are expecting their second child in July. We couldn't be happier.


Just a nice burping moment:


Claire recently started rejecting pacifiers. But tonight she took a liking to Sarah's thumb.

The purple mouth incident

Yes, that's Claire. And yes, her lips are purple. The marking is an illustration of the extent to which Sarah has tried to rid herself and Claire of an apparent case of thrush. Or is it?

Two doctor-prescribed medications have not cleared Claire's pasty-white tongue. . So, this week, Sarah resorted to a nontraditional remedy: Gentian Violet, an over-the-counter antiseptic that costs $4 per bottle. It stains everything in its path. Burp cloths. Shoulders. Lips. Pets. Claire took daily doses like a champion, though we think it upset her stomach. Anyway, the jury's out. It might've helped a bit. Or, she might just not have thrush. We don't know. We've heard about every piece of advice possible. Neither mom nor daughter are in discomfort, as far as we can tell. Made for good pictures, though.

Claire meets Baby Liam

The start of an extreme infant fight? No. Just two little kiddos eyeing each other for the first time.
This meeting took place just before Christmas at Laurel and Kory's house. We met them at our Bradley class. Liam was two weeks old in this photo; Claire about six weeks.

New year glee continues

Success! Claire drained her first bottle this morning. OK, it was only 2 ounces full. But it marked the first time she's finished one.
Previously, the problem (we think) was that I had been trying to feed her in the same rocking chair and in the same position that her mom does. She expected a breast, not a bottle. This morning, I switched things up. I fed her while holding her upright and walking around. That way, she could gaze at all the lights -- one of her favorite things to do these days -- as she drank.

We'll see if it works the rest of the week. Stay tuned.

Claire's resolution?

Sleep!?!
Claire slept 6.5 consecutive hours last night.
Happy new year to us!