Splash Pad

 

Yesterday I took Claire to the splash pad for the first time.  She can't really do much there as a 4 1/2 month old, so basically it was just an excuse for me to put her in her swimsuit :)  Here she is patiently waiting in her stroller.

My sister and Claire's best little friend, Lydia, came with us too!

    

You can't tell very well in these pictures since the water is kind of in the way, but Lydia wasn't quite sure if she liked the water splashing or not.

Surprisingly Claire actually liked it (or tolerated it really well)!  We just put her feet in the water and let her kick her legs around.  She didn't seem to mind it at all.  I called Bryce after and told him how much she liked the water.  It was a proud Dad moment for him haha.  It looks like Claire is going to be a little water baby!

Claire Olivia Week by Week: 19 Weeks

Claire turned 19 weeks old yesterday.  She is growing and learning so much!  She reaches for anything close to her face and tries to put it in her mouth.  She still loves to grab and eat her toes.  She rolls and wiggles around all the time.  I never know how I am going to find her when I go to get her out of her crib.  She can also kind of sit up with weight on her hands, but she is still really wobbly.  We'll keep working on it and I'm sure she'll be sitting up like a big girl in no time....whether I like it or not.   

Lydia & Claire Take Three

Friday night we went to the drive-in to see Malificent (we start 'em young when it comes to Disney at our house :). My sister came and we both brought our babies. I told Bryce to hurry and take some pictures of us before Claire went to sleep since it was already about an hour past her bedtime (and sure enough she fell asleep about five minutes after these were taken).
While Bryce was snapping pictures we looked down and saw that Lydia had reached over and grabbed Claire's hand.  I about died!  It was the sweetest thing ever.  

I LOVE these two cute cousins.  

Best friends already.

Claire Olivia Week by Week: 18 Weeks

Claire turned 18 weeks old today.  I've officially lost track of how many times she's rolled over from her tummy to her back.  She rolls all day long!  She still hasn't quite made it from her back to her tummy but she is super close.  The newest thing she has started doing this week is grabbing and eating her toes. It is pretty adorable.  I'll have to get a better picture this next week when she's doing it.  She slept all the way through the night a few times this week and it was so nice!  I'm really hoping she keeps it up.....knock on wood :)!

Lydia & Claire Take Two

My mom bought Lydia and Claire these cute bucket hats for Easter.  We were all at my parents last weekend and Laci and I had both packed the hats for our girls.  I, of course, insisted that we take a few pictures.  Claire isn't quite big enough to sit up by herself so my arm got to make a cameo appearance in all of the photos.  Bryce was kind enough to play photog for us.  Can you believe how much Lydia & Claire have both grown already since this last post a few months ago?  We have so much fun with these girls.  They are starting to smile and interact a little with each other and it is so fun to watch.  These two are going to be best buddies.

Claire Olivia Week by Week: 4 Months

Dear Claire,

Today you turned 4 months old!  This stage you are at is so much fun.  You smile all day long, and you started giggling and laughing over the past few weeks.  You love when I sing to you.  You get the biggest smile on your face and you usually start squealing and "singing" along with me.  You still sing and coo with me when I rock and sing to you before you go to sleep.  This is one of my very favorite things and I hope you continue to sing with me for a long, long time. 

 
Over the last week you learned you could make a lot more noise than you used to.  You squeal pretty much all day long now, especially when I change your diaper.  You love your changing pad and the lights hanging above it.  They get you super excited and you kick your legs, flail your arms, and squeal at the top of your lungs.  It's so fun to see you learn and develop all these new little skills.
  

You've rolled over from your stomach to your back a total of 5 times (I am one of the weird moms who keeps track of these things:).  You are very close to rolling from your back to your stomach.  You get to your side then you usually hang out there for a bit and then roll to your back again.  



You put everything in your mouth now and love to chew on your teething rings.  I'm sure in a couple more months you will be sprouting little teeth.  You still sleep pretty good.  You had a few rough nights last week where you woke up more than usual, but you are now back to only waking up once around 4 or 5 a.m.  You go right back to sleep after I feed you and then we start the day at 7:30.

We try to go for a walk every day when the weather is nice.  You seem to like our walks, although you usually fall asleep in the stroller halfway through.  You've gotten more interested in Rory.  You like to watch her, especially during tummy time.  Every once in a while I catch you watching her and you'll get a big grin on your face.  

You are getting really good at putting yourself to sleep at night and for naps.  We rock you and sing to you for a couple of minutes and then lay you in your crib.  You usually just suck on your fingers for a few minutes and then fall asleep without any crying.  I am still so amazed that you have learned how to do this! 

Your dad and I love you so much.  You have brought so much meaning and happiness to our lives.  We think we're the luckiest parents on earth.  We're so glad you are ours!

I love you too much little girl!

Love,

Mom