Constant Beginnings

Growing up, Thanksgiving traditions existed. & were cherished. We used to spend every Thanksgiving with my Grandma and Grandpa, but as we got older, we began to spend the holiday in Bismarck at my sister's house. My entire immediate family was there, everyone chipping in to prepare the meal. I have nothing but fond memories, especially of the Black Friday shopping adventures. Anyway, when moving to Massachusetts, I knew those family times would be something I would miss dearly, but thought we'd be making similar memories with Chris' family. That hasn't been the case for some reason. Last year we made our first turkey dinner and hosted Thanksgiving at our house, inviting his Aunt Barbara and Uncle Tim. It was nice, but not the same. This year, Chris and I embraced a different opportunity. We were invited to share Thanksgiving with our friends, Josh, Erin and Josh's parents & Grandmother. It was wonderful. This was my first Thanksgiving not in the company of ...

Claire is on the move....well, sort of. She is rolling---everywhere. She is now a master, rolling over multiple times--but only to the left. She can't seem to roll to the right. Strange, I know, but right now I kind of enjoy this fact. Chris and I swore before she was born that we would never have a "family bed." This changed quickly after the first five minutes of putting her in her own crib. He and I were both worrying, wondering if she was okay and since she was out of our view or earshot, we gave in. Claire, of course, was fine, but we weren't. Since then, she has been sleeping with us in our king-sized bed which has plenty of room for all of us. Chris and I have really enjoyed having her in our bed, waking up to her cooing, and feeling her next to us. Lately, Chris seems to be having second thoughts as Claire begins most nights next to me and ends them nuzzled up next to him. He is obviously on her left. I think deep inside, he too enjoys this. Before we kno...

Chris, Claire and I took an extended weekend trip to Philadelphia the day after Thanksgiving. It was great. Chris and I were in Philadelphia a couple of years ago. At that time we had done most of the touristy things. The primary focus of this trip was relaxation. We didn't venture out to many touristy sites. Instead, we walked alot, shopped, slept and ate some great food. We did go to the Museum of Art since we hadn't visited it on our last trip there. Claire was a trooper. We bundled her up in the stroller each day and away we went. She loved looking at the people and buildings, not seeming to mind the cold. The weather was in the 40-50 degree range each day. We did take in the Macy's light show where they syncronize the Christmas lights to music. She loved watching it. Our most memorable meal was a Brazilian steakhouse. Chris and I had eaten at one in San Diego a few years ago, but enjoyed this one more. Waiters bring around 15 different kinds of meat on skewers a...

Four months have flown by. Claire is changing daily. Parenthood has been an incredible experience. Chris and I finally feel that we have a pretty good idea of what we are doing. Amen! Claire is chewing on everything--her toes, our fingers, her toys, her chair. She is eating like a little piggy--7 oz. each sitting. We have resorted to combining some formula with her milk to help satisfy her tummy for longer periods. So far so good. We had her 4 month checkup today. She weighs 12 lbs. 5 oz (25 percentile) & 23 1/2 inches in length(25th percentile). Her doctor was impressed by her strength and overall development (rolling, cooing, beginning babbling). She is a healthy, happy, thriving little girl. I was finally able to get her rolling over on video. This has been a challenge for the past two weeks. Her eyes are still blue, which is keeping my hopes alive. We love our little girl. We have enjoyed every minute of the past four months (even the crying, diaper duty, & decrease in...

Claire is now 16 weeks old. I don't have any pictures to post since I have made several posts over the course of the last few days. She is doing really well. The past couple of weeks have been filled with milestones, although somewhat strange. Claire babbled for the first time on October 21st. It was a short string of ba-ba-ba, but has not been heard since. Much to her Daddy's delight, Claire rolled over on Sunday, October 28th. We were at Lisa and Phil's watching something on tv while Claire was laying on the floor on her tummy. The next thing we knew, she was lying on her back. Although no one saw this amazing development, we were certain it took place. I did see her roll over a few days later, so this achievement has been confirmed. Claire also giggled for the first time that same Sunday. It didn't quite sound like a giggle, but more of a cough. Maybe she is confused! She was smiling and smiling at me, making cooing sounds when all of a sudden a cough-like sound with...