Thursday, July 24, 2008

7/22/08 - 15 Weeks

Baby girl is 3 1/2 months old! She's sitting up so well now - pictures with Elephant are getting much easier.


She's trying to put everything in her mouth already. She started trying a couple of weeks ago, but her success rate has gone way up recently (as shown). Most often it's her hand, her index finger, a bib, or a burp cloth.



Claire is also beginning to become more aware of her feet. It's so funny watching her curl up into a little ball, kicking and grabbing at her toes! I'm anxiously awaiting her first laugh. According to her "Week by Week" book, it could be any day now!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A Tour of the New House, a.k.a Longest. Post. Ever.

I flew down to SA yesterday for the inspection of the new house, and I'm pleased to report that it went very well. Most of the things to repair are either minor or will increase the efficiency of the home, so it was a great report. Going down also gave me a chance to take more pictures of the house - hopefully Blogger will let me post 30+ pictures, edited down from the ~75 that I took!

Walking up to the front door
Entry (behind the wall is the living room)

To the left is the study, with pocket doors that allow you to shut off the room. There are built-in cabinets on both sides of the windows, and the closet is full of shelves, perfect for all of my books.

Opposite the study is the dining room.


The short hall past the dining room leads to the guest room.

Outside the guest room is the guest bath.

Shower in guest bath.

On the opposite end of the hall from the guest bath is the entry to the master suite.

Master bedroom

Master bedroom and entry to bath

The whirlpool tub. Not pictured is the second vanity (opposite the one shown), shower, powder room, and master closet. I'm so excited to have all of my clothes and shoes in one closet!

Out of the master suite and to the left is the living room.


And the kitchen.

Definitely the heart of the house. I can't wait to use that counter space and a kitchen sink with good water pressure!


The entry from the garage is around the corner, and there is a built-in desk. Opposite the desk is a good-sized storage closet, perfect for holding your purse, bags, etc. when you come in the house.

As you go down the hall past the kitchen, you pass the stairs, and on your left is a bedroom. This will probably be another guest room for now, but in a few years could be good for Kid #2.


Closet and bathroom in guest room #2.

Across the hall is the utility room. On the other wall, there is room for an extra refrigerator or deep freeze, and there is a countertop perfect for folding laundry.

The bedroom at the end of the hall will be Claire's room - already painted a shade of green that matches her crib bedding.


This will be Claire's bathroom - it's very girly with the pink walls, crystal knobs, and white tile with floral accents.

Upstairs and to the left is the craft room. The yellow linoleum will be replaced at some point.

Through the doorway is a small media room with a wet bar.

And through the media room is the game room.

There is also a full bathroom upstairs. Back downstairs and past the breakfast room is the patio. The door on the other side is to the master bedroom.

One of the best things about this house is the big backyard.



In the back corner is a sport court - this will be great for Claire when she starts learning to ride a tricycle or for chalk drawings.


Then from the yard is the back of the house!

This concludes the tour. :) We are scheduled to close mid-August and move in right before Labor Day weekend. It's going to be an adjustment going from our tiny, 1950's ranch house to a big new house, but we are so blessed to have found a house that we envision raising a family in that was in a good neighborhood, in our price range, and close to Robert's office. We're looking forward to sharing this place with our close friends and family. Like we promised, there is plenty of room for visitors!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Chair Pictures

7.8.08 - 3 Months (13 Weeks)


7.16.08 - 14 Weeks



Busy Two Weeks...

Sorry it's been so long since I've given an update (or what you all really check for - new pictures of Claire!). Things have been quickly progressing on our move. We went down to SA to house hunt last week and now have an official contract on a new house! We are so excited. It's a beautiful house with an amazing backyard, and it's definitely built for a family - with plenty of room for guests! The current owners just built it two years ago and are having to relocate to Dallas due to the AT&T move. Unlike most of the other two story houses we saw, this one has all of the bedrooms on the first floor which is so great with small children. The upstairs has a large gameroom and two smaller spaces that could be for crafts or a small media room, along with two huge closets and a full bathroom. The gameroom/playroom will be perfect for Claire when she gets bigger...and Robert is already researching pool tables. I'll add more pictures after the inspection - I'll try to take lots while we're there.

Monday was my last day of work. The plan had always been for me to return on the 7th, so I went in that day and officially gave notice. It just didn't make sense to really get going on projects when I would turn around and leave so quickly, and there is just so much to do with buying a new house, selling the current house, moving, and keeping up with a 3 month old. After speaking with a few people, we decided that I didn't need to give the typical 2-3 weeks notice, so I took a couple of days to clean out my office and my computer before leaving for good. It's kind of weird to be unemployed, but I'm planning to find something in SA, maybe at a small, local accounting firm. Besides, I have plenty to do right now to stay busy!

Claire just continues to get more entertaining as the days go by. We had to move up a size in pajamas - she's getting so long! She's really enjoying her swing lately (especially when she's tired).

She (finally) began taking naps in her crib. We figured out that if we swaddle her (thanks for the tip, Lindsay!), she'll sleep so good that sometimes we have to wake her up to eat. As of today, she's also learning how to hold her bottle. So cute!

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Hill Country, Here We Come!

Last week Robert, Claire and I went to San Antonio. There were a couple of big "firsts" for Claire, including her first trip to Hut's Hamburgers in Austin. It's been so long since we visited Austin that we couldn't pass through without a stop at one of Robert's all-time favorite hamburger joints.



Claire also got to see the Alamo for the first time.


Unfortunately it was already closed, but we will have plenty of chances to take her there in the future since we are moving to San Antonio! Robert accepted a job with a small oil and gas company there and starts work in two weeks. We will all be back and forth between SA and Dallas for the next couple of months as we try to find a new house and sell our current place. We're planning to buy a big house in SA so that we will have plenty of room for visitors!

We would appreciate your prayers for a smooth transition for all of us. More details to come as we know them!

First Day of School

Claire had her first day of "school" yesterday. This was our trial run - we didn't have to be anywhere, so we could come pick her up if she had a hard day or if it was too hard on us. :) Everything went great - we dropped her off around 9 and picked her up around 4:30. The drop off went much better than I was expecting. We had visited about a week and a half prior to meet the teachers and ask some questions, which helped put my mind at ease. It is a really good place, and all of the babies seemed happy and content. It also made it easier to leave her knowing that I could come get her whenever I was ready! Robert and I had a nice day - I went to the gym, and afterwards Robert and I enjoyed lunch at Blue Mesa and went to a movie without having to worry about interrupting anyone with a crying baby. We saw "Hancock" - loved it.

After the movie, I was anxious to see Claire. When we arrived at school, she was getting a bottle and seemed happy as could be. They told us she had a great first day. She took a long nap when she got home - guess all the excitement wore her out! I'm so glad that we have a place to take her where we are confident that she is getting excellent care.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Exciting New Toy

We bought a new vibrating chair for Claire yesterday. Robert put it together today, and we were surprised by how much she's enjoying it. The toy bar is set to where the lights and music are activated when she hits the toys, so she gets very excited when it goes off. She seems particularly entranced by the bumble bee. I think I've figured out this video thing - her little noises just make me melt, and I had to share.

(Click on the image below to watch the video.)

7/1/08 - Twelve Weeks

Twelve weeks today!



Claire was looking pretty cute on Sunday, and I wanted to get a few pictures of her in this outfit before she grows out of it. Considering the growth spurt she's been going through lately (eating every two hours during the day instead of every three), I'm thinking that it's not going to fit her for much longer!


Her hair was a little crazy that day...probably because Mommy and Daddy were having fun with her hair after bathtime on Saturday night.



If we don't brush it right away, it tends to want to stick up, and apparently I missed a spot. I'm sure she will love these pictures in about 13 years. :)