Cute as a button...

It is getting a little ridiculous how cute Jack is. He is like a little model baby. And on top of that he is very mellow and easy going and everybody is so pleased with him all the time. Good thing I am cute AND clever AND charming AND entertaining..... Mommy goes back to work on Monday and Jack will begin coming to school with me each day. But he will be in the baby room. I may visit him sometimes during the day, but I also may be too busy doing big girl things so he shouldn't count on it.


Aunt Lindsay made his beautiful hat - and he has a scarf that matches. She is so talented! 

My new Arts & Crafts table.

Mommy checked out the new IKEA that just came to Denver. And can you believe it - this table and chairs was just $20?!?! That is great because I have already colored all over the table and chairs. Mommy keeps saying "only color on the paper" and I keep hearing "color on the paper and the chairs and the table and the floor and other chairs and more floor". My creative talents have earned me quite a few time outs....but I was just trying to brighten things up a bit, the floor and walls were looking a bit drab. :)

Jack's first trip to the ocean!

Jack and Mommy left for Lewes, DE for cousin Liz's wedding. We wish we could have all gone, but it was nice for Mommy to go just with Jack, it made traveling a cinch. Jack slept from the time he left our house until he landed in Baltimore! And since Mommy had him in the carrier almost the whole weekend he barely ever cried and was a very happy baby!! He got to meet all of Mommy's family and he met his God Daddy. I still haven't seen the ocean but I am going this Christmas. The funniest part of their travel experience was that Mommy put Jack in the bathroom to sleep so that he wouldn't wake up from the sunlight. He slept on blankets in the shower. That's so silly. 

So I can't say the "TR" sound - what's so funny??!?!

Aunt Mollie's Visit

Aunt Mollie came to visit for a whole week! It was so great to see her. My stranger anxiety is really starting to fade. The first morning I saw Mollie I gave her a hug and a kiss before I left for school and it was all uphill from there. We read lots of stories and took walks and Mollie always tried to include me in her cooking. The best part about Mollie was how many times we went to the playground together. I think I went 4 times in one week which must be a record. Ever since Mollie left I say "Mollie Bye Bye". I miss her. 

My little brother Jack

I am starting to really grow fond of baby Jack. Yesterday I looked at pictures of when I was a baby and I was able to tell the difference between "Baby Claire" and "Baby Jack". I say "Hi Jack" when I see him and wave, but he never waves back - rude! And when I list who lives in my "home" I have decided to include him because there is no sign of him leaving. I help Mommy change his diaper by holding the diaper until she is ready for it and he leaves his blankets all over the place so I bring them to him and when I see his bottle I say "Jack's Wawa". I dont remeber using a paci or a bottle and I have no interest in regressing and using them again because I am a big girl!

Playing in the sprinkler

As some of you know, Daddy is a little obsessed with the lawn and keeping the grass green. We run our sprinklers a lot and sometimes we use the hose to give special attention to brown spots. Last night I helped Daddy hold the hose. Mommy was holding Jack so she didn't get any pictures but I will help again soon. It was fun to hold the hose and water the grass and the plants. I like to be a good helper.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Boy oh boy do I LOVE my weekends with Mommy & Daddy. On Friday Mommy strollered all the way to daycare with Jack to pick me up and we strollered all the way home. It was a great way to kick off the weekend.

My new obsession is the playground. I call it "weeee" - appropriately named for the sound I make when I go down the slides. Now when Mommy and Daddy pick me up from daycare I say "no home. no home. wee? wee?" I just love being at the playground and could stay all day. In fact, when I am told it is time to go I get very steamed and can make quite the spectacle. The best way to get me to leave without creating a scene is to promise me a yummy snack when I get home. I refer to all meals and snacks as "yummies".

This weekend Mommy took me to the playground and I am so daring and brave that before Mommy could stop me I flew down the slide head first. It was terrific! I tried to do it again but Mommy told me I had to go down feet first on my bottom. Boooooooring.

When I got home Daddy took me to the book store so I could play with the choo choo trains and he bought me a tea set. That afternoon Daddy went to work and Jack was a good baby and slept quietly so Mommy and I could play. We played outside for hours! I drove in my car to get "coffee" for Mommy, I played with my tea set, I went on walks and picked up rocks, I colored on the cement, I scolded the bees and told them
OUT OUT" even though they are out...then on Sunday Daddy and I had my first swim lesson!! I practiced kicking and blowing bubbles and laying on my back. But I hated laying on my back so I pretty much just watched other kids try it.

To update you on all my stats: I am 26 lbs now and 32 inches tall. My canine teeth are coming in. I love to "brush" my teeth, i.e. suck on my toothbrush, I stroller around my baby and my new dolly Abby and am very affectionate with them. I still love trucks and choo choo trains and when I say truck it unfortunately sounds a lot like something else. I am a super climber and a super eater and I am putting together more and more words: "night night" "love you" "yellow sun" "bye bye Daddy" "Claire's ice water" and on and on. Every day it seems that I have more and more words and it is hard to keep track!

Working Out

Jack still doesn't like to be by himself for very long. He better start working on that because otherwise Mommy doesn't have her hands free for ME! But for a few minutes Jack is content on his mat looking at his animals.

Drifting

Jack has a hard time sleeping when I get home from school....he tries to nap in the swing but I am running circles around him and sometimes I grab the swing suddenly and jolt him out of his peaceful slumber just to remind him that this is MY house! So after I go to sleep he gets some much needed comfort and attention from Mommy & Daddy. I bet that is his favorite time of the day.

Class Act

I use a spoon or a fork with each of my meals now like a young lady. Utensils has really opened up my food world to include cereal and milk, apple sauce, yogurt......the challenge is finding my mouth as you can see.

The Barby Whisperer

Last week Mommy's Aunt Barby came for a visit. Barby had heard all about me...how I am shy and do not like new people, how I cry at the sight of them...but there is something about Barby. When I got home from school I could tell right away that she was somebody special. Not only did I not cry, but after only an hour of knowing her I walked over to her and said "UP" and I reached my arms up high. She picked my up right away and Mommy said "hell has frozen over" and she snapped a picture right away to make sure we had documentation. Pretty soon I was jumping into Barby's arms and really enjoyed spending time with her. It helped that Barby brought me the cutest dolly named "Abby" and Abby goes everywhere with me now.

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend was the first weekend where it actually started to feel like fall! It was cold enough to wear tights and a sweatshirt! I had such a wonderful long weekend. On Saturday Daddy and I went to the indoor pool and I went down the slides and hung with Daddy in the hot tub. In the afternoon Lindsay came over. I was so excited to see her after my nap. When Mommy was putting me down for my nap I didn't want to go to sleep and I said NO, but after Mommy explained how when I woke up Lindsay would be over to play with me, I walked over to my crib and said UP! Lindsay and I played all afternoon. On Sunday Mommy, Daddy, Jack and I all went to the zoo. I ran the whole way! I saw giraffes, and a baby sea lion, and a tiger and a baby flamingo and peacocks and tractors! I also rode the choo choo train with Daddy. I like choo choo trains. After the zoo I as very tired from all my running. In the afternoon we just hung out as a family around the house and mommy made me a fun necklace out of beads. On Monday Daddy took the morning off and he and I went to the indoor play area to go "weeeee" down the slides. In the afternoon Daddy went to work and Mommy, Jack & I all strollered over to the playground for more "weeeee". I am a super daredevil and I went down the slide head first. But Mommy did not approve and told me I can only slide down feet first on my bottom. NO FUN!!!! I also refused to take a nap on Monday. I stayed up for 2 whole hours in my crib and I clapped and cheered myself on and congratulated myself for being stubborn and independent. Tomorrow back to school!!

I am a beloved grandchild and I work hard at it!

Exhausted!

Jack just does not sleep for very long in the crib, or in the swing, or in the vibrating chair.....but lucky for Mommy he sleeps VERY well if she is carrying him in the ergo or if he is sleeping next to her or on her.....although Mommy would like her space and would sleep better without a baby on top of her, sometimes you have to take what you can get!