Update on Claire's Accomplishments

Claire is really starting to talk. She is saying: mama, dada, mawmaw, papaw, dog, ball, doll, more (which she said to get more goldfish), shoes, keys, nose, eyes, Bobo. We called Bobo so she could hear Claire calling for her. Papaw also got to hear her say "papaw" on the phone! She knows many of her body parts. She tries to mimic words she hears but may not get the first sound right. I can't believe how fast she is learning and growing. She has both top molars but is still missing the teeth between those and her two front teeth. They are on their way because I can see them! She is eating a lot more food, too. She like cold cereal in milk, she ate a sandwich, and loves hamburger helper! She loves to dance to music and will "put her thumbs up" when you ask her to. She hates to have water poured over her head. She will whine and try to get out of the tub. I also noticed that she can walk backwards! Not sure why that is important, but the doctor asked me if she could do it. Claire loves slides. She climbs up and slides down a hundred times in a row. We played outside on her swingset this weekend. It was in the 70s and gorgeous!

Great Pa, Taylor Sims

Claire's Great-Pa, Taylor Sims, passed away on November 6. We were planning a trip to Gatlingburg, so we were already packed to go. We left Franklin in the afternoon, but the City was experiencing a City-wide power outage, so it took forever to get through town. Once we got to Cookeville I started to feel ill. I was sick (throwing up) every 30 minutes from there to Johnson City. It took 7.5 hours to get to Johnson City. Claire had been sick Wednesday and we kept her out of school Thursday. I am sure I got it from her! Sam never threw up but he did not feel well Saturday. My mom got sick during the visitation and my dad got sick the morning of the burial (Monday). Taylor, Tara and Tiff also got sick. The visitation was great. My Pa had a great turnout and the burial service was nice. He had a military burial and I got to keep a few bullets from the salute. We will miss Pa, he was a great man!

Halloween

Claire was a fairy for Halloween. She wore her costume well. She was most excited to see other kids who rang our doorbell. She could not believe that kids were coming to her house dressed up! She had a blast!

Miami and the Keys: Oct 17-26

I had a conference to attend in Miami, and Claire and Sam went with me. The plan was to go down the the Keys after the conference for the rest of the week. We left Nashville on Saturday the 17th. Saturday was mostly a travel day, but we did eat lunch in South Beach and ate dinner at Bubba Gump with the Corns. Sunday we went to the zoo with Kristen, John Michael, Addie, and Landon Corn. The zoo was awesome! They had more animals than I have ever seen at one zoo. Sunday night Claire got sick and felt yucky all Monday. On Monday, Scott (Sam's good friend) drove down from Ft. Lauderdale to hang out. We ate dinner together at this Italian restaurant (with a Roman soldier). It was by far the best Italian I have had in a long time. Claire felt a lot better on Tuesday so Sam and I (along with the Corns) went to South Beach to walk on the beach. Wednesday Claire got sick again, so we took our time checking out after my conference ended. We also took our time getting to the Keys. Claire got sick in the car on the way down to the Keys, so we stopped at Marathon Key and got a motel. The motel was old-school keys. We ate a a nice beachy restaurant and walked a little that night. On Thursday we drove down to Key West. Claire seemed to feel better so we walked around the town and watched the sunset. I received sad news that a co-worker and firefighter died in a car accident while transporting a patient on Thursday night. It was tragic. I chose the hotel in Key West and it was awesome. It was called the Southernmost Hotel on the Beach. It had a private beach (apparently tops were not required) and great rooms! We left Friday afternoon to travel back to Ft. Lauderdale so we would have an easier time Saturday getting to the airport. We stayed in one of those week long suites and our room was bigger than my first apartment. Claire started eating again. The whole week we had been giving her water by the dropper and crackers. On Friday night she actually ate a meal and kept it down. The plane ride was rough at first. She wailed the first 30 minutes, bu then she slept pretty much the rest of the way!

Sunday Claire broke out in a rash all over her body, so I took her to the doctor. We talked about how sick she was over the past week. The doctor recommended no milk products and benedryl. Sam left for California Monday morning. Claire had her 15 month check-up on Tuesday. She weighed 21 pounds. Dr. Couden took blood (that was horrible to watch-they took it out of her arm and she was in so much pain) to check for allergies. The test came back stating she was not allergic to anything. She has continued to break out in hives, but the Dr believes it is probably due to the stomach virus she had.

Hot Dog!!!

We visited Johnson City this past weekend. Claire played with Taylor and Andrew and this time she was able to keep up! While visiting Scharee, Nanny and Pa we were discussing what Claire eats and I was telling them that she loves hotdogs when out of now where Claire says "hotdog." It was awesome! We all just looked at each other and asked "did she just say 'hotdog'?" Mom kept Claire while Sam and I golfed, which was nice. Claire liked to show everyone where her nose, eyes and ears are. That was cute.

I forgot to post that my Mom and Dad sent Claire a rocking chair that is so cute. Claire likes to sit in it, but she likes to push it even more. Thanks Mom and Dad!

On the way back home we stopped at Sheena's for a Welcome Home Party for Joey. We had a great time visiting and Claire was a trooper.

Unfortunately, on Monday morning, Claire's breakfast did not sit well with her and she got sick in the car. Once that happened, though, she was great for the rest of the day. Her teacher told us that there is a song that they sing at school that tells you what to do during the song and that Claire listens to it, does the moves and just dances along! She said it is adorable. I can't wait to see that!

Claire is teething again. She has two new teeth coming in up top and one on the bottom. She is biting kids at school and she is biting me and Sam. She even bit my BlackBerry tonight. I hope those teeth come in soon!

Claire is doing well with her crayons and with coloring. She still sometimes likes to eat them, but she is learning.

I love her a little more everyday. I am not sure how that works because I think that I love her as much and I can, but somehow I find a way to love her just a little more!

New words, new illnesses

Claire is saying "no-no" alot -- really about anything. She is also saying "mo-mo' for elmo and has said "maw-maw" once or twice. I have heard her start to say "ma-ma" but not as much as I would like. Her left top front tooth is all the way in (#3) and her other top front tooth is working its way in.

Claire woke in Monday night with a fever and she and I stayed up a few hours and watched TV. There are really weird kids shows on after midnight. Her fever only got worse though the night and a rash broke out over her body. I took her to the doctor and she was tested for the flu, which was negative. The cause of neither the fever nor the rash was ever determined, but she it all got better relatively quickly.

Claire really likes to hold hands and lead us around the house. She is so awesome. She learns new things everyday. She also likes to get inside a small box with some of her treasures (books, Big Bird, a fork) and sit there and read. She knows where her milk is (refrigerator) and she will stand at the fridge and talk about it. She likes to brush her teeth herself, she is pretty good with that. When she gets bored Claire shakes the handles on the kitchen drawers, which are baby-proofed! She does not have any new favorite foods, but if you are eating she wants to at least try it.

Atlanta

We went to Altanta last weekend to visit family. Uncle Drew has signed up to be a chaplain in the military and the visit was mostly to say "bye" to him. He was to report to basic training in SC on Saturday. Once he graduates in December, he has 2 weeks to get himself, Sarah and Alex to Alaska!! Maybe we can visit them in Alaska! Another great thing about our visit was that we got to celebrate Sheffield's 7th birthday. We went to Funopolis, which has arcade games, putt-putt, bumper cars, go-karts, etc. Claire, Alex and Susan play in the inflatables, and they had a great time! We got to visit with Bobo, Papa, Sheffield, Susan, Kay, Shane, Alex, Sarah and Drew.

Sheffield loves Claire and he is so great with her. Claire was so tired after the birthday party, long night and long day with family that she slept from the moment she got in the car at Mimi's Cafe at 6:30 until 6:30 am when she woke up in her own bed!

Communicating and lots of other stuff!

So far, Claire can say "da-ya" for "daddy", "oh-oh" for "uh-oh", "dog", "ni-ni" for "night night" (she does this as she takes you by the hand directly to her crib). She is still signing, too. When she gets tired at night she will take me by the hand, walk me to the changing table, lay down for her change, and take me by the hand and walk me to her crib. It is so cute.

Sam and I took Claire to Pinkerton Park today. She climbed the baby slide and went down by herself. She loved it. She saw a baby and went right over to it and patted its head. The mom said that Claire was very gentle. I, on the otherhand, have been able to watch her interact with Pippin. She pets her very hard and tries to pick her up. She also lays her head on Pippin and "loves" on her.

Yesterday we went to Portrait Innovations for our first professional photo shoot. We got a family photo and several great photos of Claire.

Claire still has a cough and is on antibiotics again. She had her first chest x-ray last Friday. She was a trooper!

Claire seems to really like her new "school" and teacher. Last week she learned about faces. She is making some beautiful art, too.

Claire loves to ride in her "Pooh car" that Mamaw and Papaw got her for her birthday. She can ride in that forever! She also likes to climb on the chairs that Bobo and Papa got her for her birthday. Unfortunately she likes to stand in the chairs. When we were at the doctor's office last week a mom who was watching Claire turned to me and said " you know you have a climber when you have one." She is so right. So far, Claire loves to climb. The higher the better!

A few weeks ago Claire had her first real bleed. She was getting a bath and her dad was watching her. She stood up and her lower teeth bit into her upper gums. I have never seen her bleed so much. At first I had no idea what had happened and I have never been so scared.

Claire likes to hold the phone to her ears and "talks" to it. She actually rolls her tongue when she is pretending to talk on the phone or when she is talking to her dolls.

Claire has eaten hotdogs and so far seems to like them. She really likes sorbet and Nutella. She loves her milk, her "ding-ding." She also tried fruit tea and really liked that. Claire and her daddy like to eat hamburger helper on nights when I have to work late. She eats pancakes in the morning and, of course, loves her "nana." She does not like cream corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, sausage.

New School, Baby Dolls and Signs

This week Claire started her new daycare. She is enrolled at PB&J Day School, but because the building is new and not ready we are going to the owner's home. Her teacher is Mrs. Jennifer. On day one, however,she started coughing in the car and threw up everywhere! Claire and I had to go home and clean up. Once I got her in the bathtub, she pooped! It was a messy morning!!

This week at school she learned about balls. She made art by rolling ping pong balls dipped in paint on paper and by throwing balls with paint on them on paper. For snack this week she ate green peas (balls). Claire played in the water but one day she apparently was not done playing in the water and when she was brought in she threw a fit! Mrs. Jennifer said that Claire lets you know when she does not like something. Mrs. Jennifer also wanted to let us know that Claire has a little temper:) Claire seems to really like Mrs. Jennifer.

This week Claire has also started signing. She signs for "eat", "more" and "milk."

Claire also plays with her dolls like a real baby. She has a stuffed bottle that she puts to the mouth of her baby doll. It is so cute. I can't believe how the maternal side kicks in so early.

New Words and New Park

Last night Claire slept through the night for the first time in weeks. Her too teeth are really trying to come in and on has broken through. I hope they come in soon. She has been suffering with them for weeks!

Claire is saying "ca" for cat, "da" for daddy, and "mama" for mommy. She has said "clap" but only once and says "ging" for drink. She can hand-sign for "more" and of course has no problem communicating "no"!!!

She loves to pretend that she is going to give you her food and then jerk it away and put it in her mouth. She cracks me up!

We went to a new church today, Christ Community Church. Claire seemed to have fun in the nursery. We went to Liberty Park today to play Disc Golf. Claire was a trooper! We let her play on the playground after the golf and she loved that!

I hope that tomorrow goes well when she starts her new school!

Using a Spoon!!!

Claire used a spoon for the first time today. I had to put food on the spoon but she would take it and put it in her mouth! I am so proud of her!

Last day at Pembroke!

Today was Claire's last day at her first daycare, Pembroke Preparatory School. I know that Claire will miss Ms. Laura and Ms. Alison, but it is time to move on. She starts PB&J Dayschool on Monday. The school is not open yet, so she will be in a private class taught by the owners. I hope she likes it!

Juice and Neck and Ears

Claire tried juice on Sunday. She is not a fan. I know she will be someday, so I will not push the issue.

Claire has torticollis. She was born with it but we are trying to work on making it better. We are seeing a physical therapist at High Hopes, Sandra. I hope this works. We are being told that we should have gotten her in sooner, but no one told us that. The right side of her neck is very tight.

High Hopes is a sad place for a new mom. There are so many kids there with major problems. It makes me realize how lucky we are. If her worst problem is a tight neck, we are doing great!

We also went to the ENT today. She passed all of her tests with flying colors and her ears look great!

Tooth

Claire has her first tooth!!! It is the bottom tooth and it does not seem to bother her much. The second tooth in coming soon, I can see it! My baby girl is growing up!

Lynch visit, "walking" and ears

Tara, Matt, Taylor and Andrew come to visit. Tara and Matt have tickets to the Dove Awards, so we kept all the kids on Thursday night. They were all great. We went to the Franklin Main Street Festival on Saturday. We ate a Buca DiBeppo and Claire tried cake for the first time. She also ate a lemon and really enjoyed it. Kids are funny!

Claire is walking on her knees all the time. I worry about what that is doing to her kneed, but she seems fine. I think it is faster than crawling and sometimes she hops on her knees to get there faster!

Claire had her 9 month appointment on Thursday and she failed her ear exam. We decided to make an appointment with the ENT. I hope that turns out ok.

Washington, DC

Claire and I had our first trip to Washington, DC. Sam came, too, but he has been before. We were able to tour the White House grounds. We also visited with Rebecca Proffitt (Stump), her husband and daughter, Dora.

Unfortunately, Claire came down with a stomach bug and started throwing up a lot. She had her first trip to the emergency room on Saturday, this was a first. She was not given any meds. We were just told to keep her hydrated.

Walkin' and Talkin'

Claire is really babbling! She says "da-da-da" and "ma-ma-ma" real well. She is cruising using the sofa and has started "walking" on her knees. I think that if her legs were stronger, she'd be walking!

We went to Johnson City for Easter. Claire, Andrew and Taylor were adorable! They went to an Easter egg hunt, Claire's first, at Tara and Matt's Church. We went to church with Tara and Matt on Easter Sunday. Mamaw, of course, made an amazing Easter lunch and Jan and Tim came to eat. Claire is using her sippy cup a lot but she only wants to drink water. She is already a health nut!!!

Parks, Parks

Claire had her first trip to the park today. We went to Bowie Nature Park and Claire swung on a swing. The funny thing is she was lulled to sleep!

Sippy cups

We bought two sippy cups, one with a straw and one a regular sippy cup. She does not like them so far. We tried a little apple juice and water and just water. At least right now she can just chew on it!

Bye-Bye

Claire stared waiving bye-bye this week. It is so cute. She keeps her thumb inside her hand and just moves her fingers. Right now she only does it with her right hand. She even waved at helicopters.

Visitors and Talking

Tara, Matthew, Taylor and Andrew came to visit. Claire learned how to crawl up stairs after watching Andrew do it. We also took her to her first honky tonk. She loved it I think about as much as the entertainers liked watching her. The pictures of that event are great!

Eating with her hands

Claire is eating with her hands. She ate Banana Puffs and bananas. She looks so funny feeding herself! She is so grown up!

Started crawling...and standing!

Claire has been rocking back and forth on her hands and knees for a while now, but today she got up enough nerve to move forward. She started crawling Saturday morning and by Saturday evening she was also standing. She first crawled over to me and used by legs to help her stand. After that she got up enough nerve to try to stand using the couch. She is fearless! This is a very exciting time!

Rolling Over

Claire's has figured out how to roll from her sides to her tummy and then to her back. I am really excited about that because I feel more comfortable that she can get over in the night time when she rolls onto her tummy. It is really cool to watch her move!

Holding Upper Body Up

Today while Claire was on her belly she held her upper body up. She only did for a few seconds but she did it twice! She is on her way to crawling!!!

Foods she has now tried

Apples: did not like them at first, loves them now, especially in rice
Rice: liked at first but now she is fussy unless we put a fruit in them
Sweet Potatoes: loves them
Carrots: loves them
Bananas: hot and cold with them
Squash: likes them
Pears: loves, loves them
Green Beans: not sure about them yet
Peaches: LOVES them

We still have peas, prunes!!

Bouncin' Bouncing"

Claire has learned that her exersaucer bounces! She is so cute and loves jumping up and down. She also loves bouncing in the swing that hangs from the door frame. Tara let us borrow it and Claire loves jumping in it. I think she is getting her legs in shape for walking and running!

Another Illness

Claire felt rough all weekend. We brought her to daycare Monday and her teacher, Laura, called around 2:00 saying she thought Claire felt bad. I had taken Claire to the Dr on Friday due to a cough and runny nose but was told it had to run its course. I made another appointment to see a Dr after getting her from daycare. When I got her there she was in pain. She passed out a little, threw up a few times and was inconsolable. After giving her Tylenol and letting her sleep awhile the Dr was able to determine that she had sinus issues, a fever and an ear infection. The Dr said she originally thought Claire was "critical" but when we left she felt Claire's fever was the cause of the pain and screaming. We were given antibiotics, again.

Claire slept with me all night on my chest. I did not get a lot of sleep but I think she was comforted because she got some sleep.

Sleeping in her own Room

Claire started sleeping in her own room in her crib. So far she is doing great. To Sam's dismay we have moved into the guest room next to Claire's room to be next to her. Yes, I know, our house is not that big, but it makes be feel better to be closer.

Little Charlie

Claire met Charlie Herndon today. Charlie was adopted from Russia by Rob and Angela Herndon. He is so adorable. They played together the afternoon. Charlie was most impressed with the ball popper! I think he could have played with that for hours!!