Life with Clare...

... is wonderful. It's not always easy, and I wasn't prepared for how completely our lives would be turned upside down, but she is adorable and my family has been so supportive. My mother-in-law lets me come to her house and snuggle with Clare in front of HGTV for hours on end, my Mom brings me food practically daily and does loads of laundry for me, and Katy makes me raviolis and helps me change ridiculously poopy diapers. She is the best dancer at the American Ballet Academy. : ) I can't help but love being Clare's mommy... she is such a sweet little girl. She rarely fusses and adorably sleeps most of the day (and night!), but when she is awake she is the most alert little thing. I just melt at her big, dark eyes and little snorts and squeaks. She is my little baby bird and I couldn't love her more!

Clare is most like me: In looks. It's hard to say, really, who she resembles best at this point because both Jesse and I weighed well over 8 pounds when we were born... don't know how we ended up with this tiny little thing! But she's got the dark features like me, and I think so far she has my eyes. She has started sucking her left thumb, which I fully encourage... we need another lefty in the family. She is laid back and mellow (for the most part), like me... I'm hoping she stays that way. Although does that mean our next child is going to be the hyper, crazy, run-around-the-room-in-goggles-shouting-at-the-top-of-his-lungs one? Maybe Clare is going to be an only child. : )

She is most like Jesse: In her expressions... she even does "Blue Steel." She'll purse her lips together and crane her neck to the side as far as it will go... I guess she must know that she is really, really ridiculously good-looking. She is really strong like her Daddy... she loves to pull her head up and look around already, and she has even almost rolled over! I think it's due to the fact that she's a little wiggle worm more than anything, but still... she didn't get that from me. : ) And she has her Daddy's smile, no contest there.

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So, I've been tagged by Katy to play a little game... the rules are to go to the fourth picture folder on your computer and post the fourth picture in it. Here is our photo:



Which is unfortunate because the third picture was one of Jesse in front of a row of like, 100 porta-potties. Wouldn't that have been 10 times more fun?? I can't help but post it:



Well, anyway, this picture was taken last October in Chicago outside of the Shedd Aquarium. (The most boring 4 hours of my life... who knew my husband is that into fish?)

Last fall we took a trip to Chicago with the Durecs for the fun of it. We look pretty goofy in this picture...

It's amazing how much can change in a year! When this picture was taken I was: working at a bakery part-time, living in my parent's basement, taking trips to Chicago just for the fun of it, not pregnant or expecting to be pregnant any time soon. Now I am: working at a desk 9-5 (or I was, before Clare), living in our little house, definitely not traveling any more (to Chicago or any other fun location) and we have little baby Clare...

Crazy!