A Love Affair With The Blue Hippo

HER LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES...

But YES the hippopotamus!

...but not the armadillo

Little Leprechaun

Okay, okay, so she doesn't really look like a creepy little green man today, but she sure has the attitude of one!

Today has been one of those days. Everyone knows what I am talking about...The kind of day where you wish there was an easy button to push. My Little Leprechaun has been feisty since the minute she got up this morning. Claire really doesn't have these kind of days but once in a blue moon...or a green pancake breakfast.
:)




(Yes, we added green sprinkles to our breakfast!)

At first she didn't know what to make of the green Frisbee-like things being served this morning. In fact, she snubbed me (and my delicious pancakes) for a few minutes, opting to nibble her nails instead...

Then, after I stuck a taste under her nose, she realized that this was the breakfast of ALL GREAT BREAKFASTS! The one indulgence Momma let her have from time to time. (Okay, so truth be told, she gets treats often. But, I would like to point out that this kid is an eating champ. Everything from guacamole to cucumbers, and bell peppers to green beans. Claire is known as "The Disposal" around the Vegas Valley!)

So, here begins our love fest, and slow demise, with the green pancake surprise...

One thing is for sure...I am SO not excited about the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow!

HAPPY ST.PATTY'S DAY Y'ALL!

Your 10th Month of Life, Dear Claire

Sweet, Sweet Claire: We cannot believe our eyes when we look at you! You have grown so...So lovely. So much fun. So beautiful. So amazingly you!! We cannot believe that you are 11 MONTHS OLD NOW! Last night Daddy heard me tell you that I always knew you would be this awesome. It's true. I am trying to figure out a way to keep you just as you are, but I hear that I am not the first parent to unsuccessfully try my hand at this task. Sometimes I just hold you tight and close my eyes as I try to engrave you into my brain. You when you are sleepy. You when you are so excited to be alive. You when you are just content to be with your Momma. So far, I have about a gazillion of those memories floating around up there. Keep them coming, My Little Lady!

This last month was FILLED with many milestones and new things...

You crawled:



You learned how to play peek-a-boo:

You discovered how to give the sweetest kiss when asked:

You know where to find your toe (thanks to Nanny):

You can feed yourself (with more than just the intent of satisfying your hunger):

You decided to close your eyes almost 100% of the time the flash is on:

You have more teeth ( EIGHT to be exact!):

And, even more expressions:

You have given all of us more love in our hearts... Can that even be possible?!?!? (Yes!) We have learned that when it comes to you - anything is possible. This month will be amazing for our family as we venture off to Arizona to explore and enjoy a few games of Spring Training - GO MARINERS! We can't wait for visits from Auntie Narnie and your three California Cuzzies, Nanny and Saba, and Grammy and Poppy. Also, Mommy must admit she is anxious to change over your wardrobe...bring on the heat, Vegas! And, don't forget planning your birthday party! Which, by the way, Momma didn't turn into a three-ring circus, or petting zoo for that matter. Just some time with family will be perfect for this special occasion. If it isn't crystal clear by now, and even if it is, I want you to know how much I love you. I have been waiting for you all of my life. I was destined to be your Momma. Claire's Momma. I am thankful for you every moment...and then some.

XO Your Momma

P.S.
Poppy is determined to get you walking before you are the big ONE, so we better get back to practicing!

Viva Las Home Sweet Home

(Our Dolly with her Dollies)

Ahhh, Vegas. I truly never thought that I would feel that way about this "City of Sin". However, as things have evolved with my life, so have my feelings for this place. This is where I met my husband, where we fell in love and got married, where my daughter was born, where we built our first home, and where everyone loves to visit (what are y'all waiting for? Come see us!).

Getting off of the plane from New York was monumentous ( This word is in the Urban Dictionary).

For one, it marked the end to an over 6 hour airplane ride with a child that must have consumed five pounds of sugar without my knowledge five minutes prior to preboarding the plane... There is no doubt in my mind about this. So, you can just image the fun I had restraining her, keeping her from backhanding the man next to us, or grabbing the hair of the woman in front of us. FUN.
Secondly, it allowed me to actually stand and walk and move and breathe without inhaling second hand alcohol (yes, there is such a thing) from the man sitting just to our right. I could probably also guarantee that he had been drinking non-stop for 47 hours prior to the flight. Seriously. Claire and I ran to the bathroom to change her water-balloon diaper and stand in a stall while Mommy dry-heaved. Gross, but true.

And lastly, it meant that Claire and I would see Kevin. YEAH! DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though we were with family in New York, and had a wonderful time, we still had an emptiness within our hearts without him there.

(As an added bonus, Grammy and Poppy were at the airport, too.)

You would imagine that the reunion between father and daughter would be a beautiful moment, right? Please, reconsider this thought, review the first two issues from this post, and then note that we arrived close to 10pm Vegas time (1am in New York). After almost two weeks in another time zone, you pretty much adjust. Claire was being shuffled around in the middle of her night, and wasn't a fan of this at all.

To witness the fallout of this reunion, please click below:

(Keep in mind that I was holding Claire, a diaper bag, a purse, another bag, a suitcase, pushing a stroller & ready to ralph.)




(I stopped recording before her serious breakdown, though you can see the beginning Claire's crumble. Trust me, no one wants to witness this sweet pea having such a difficult time unless they HAVE to!)

We have been home for almost a week now; and we are just starting to finish laundry, return emails, make plans to see friends, and scratch items off our to-do list. Claire has wonderfully adjusted to her west coast sleeping schedule and has been soaking up time with her Daddy whenever she can.

With Love,

C & C