around here lately

 

 It's been WAY too long since I've cleaned out my iPhone of the million photos I take of my daughter each day, so here goes!  Spring is happening people, and it is the absolute best.  We had the greatest (long!) Easter weekend, thanks to my having Good Friday off - but not Darrell, sadly - nevertheless we made the best of the extra free day to hang out and play.  

We live in the nursery now, because Claire is just too wiggly to be in the adult space, tearing things down and attempting to disconnect the internet and anything else that looks dangerous or annoying!  So we like to confine ourselves to the only room in the house where she can literally do anything she wants.  Thankfully, it's a very pretty room.  

 

What baby falls asleep like this?  I came home to Claire knocked out on the ottoman while her sitter sat watching her in case she happened to roll off.  She slept like this for a solid couple of hours! 

 

Oh hey, baby DJ!  (No baby ears were harmed in the making of this photo.)  We're testing out some Beats headphones for Verizon Wireless - isn't blogging the weirdest? - nevertheless, they're so comfy that I keep falling asleep on them.  

 

Lately I've been transferring Claire from the sling to our nursery armchair for her naps.  It works really well, except that she likes to roll to the very edge of the chair and be a sleeping daredevil.   This nap in particular, she literally rolled off the end of the chair (onto the fluffy footrest we had placed right below her) but the look on her face was priceless and I sincerely wish I had a photo of it. 

 

 And now, an excessive number of photos from our Easter Sunday: 

Claire's got about 3 tricks - she can wave, high five, and clap.  She likes to wear them each out really well each day.  I'm attempting to teach her to give kisses, but having little success with that so far.  

The absolute closest I got to a cute photo of her in her Easter outfit - it is amazing how the happiest baby on the planet suddenly decides that once she has a fancy outfit on, there will be nooooooo smiles. 

An actual picture of the three of us!  I mean, no one is looking at the camera but beggars cannot be choosers.  

I mean, that bonnet.  Stella & Wilbur, take all my $$$.  

I honestly can't remember what she was crying about in this photo (probably just wanted to be picked up?) but it was too funny not to include.  

Alright, Claire says "bye!"  and if you made it this hard I declare you reader of the year. 

around here lately

 I'll preface this post by saying that last week, Claire had an accident that resulted in a trip to the hospital, so thing have been a bit jumbled in our lives.  Not going into any more detail than that because I just really don't want to, but I was home last week with her to keep an extra close eye on things.  Super, incredibly grateful that she is okay, and that I have a job flexible enough to give allowances for when things like that happen in life.  

 She is recovering really well - as evidenced by all these photos, which were all taken in the past week while I was home! 

 

 We drug our mattress into her room to sleep on the floor for a bit - this was probably more for me than for her, but it also served as a wonderfully cushy play mat for the week.  

 

However, it also meant claire sleeping very strangely - she's normally solidly asleep (save one wake up to quickly nurse) from about 7pm to 6:30 am.  Here you can see how dim the room is - I'm pretty sure it was about 5:30 am.  She just couldn't stay asleep with us so close, tempting her to get up and play!  

 

Just twinning with her, watching a movie - she was extra snuggly for a couple of days, which suited me just fine.  

Although mostly just super happy!  Seriously, we have never played so much and she was way spoiled having me home 24/7.  

 

 We have enough hair for clips!! Which is good because her bangs are verging on being actually in front of her eyes.  

 

 As you can see, she refused to be slowed down.  My life is now basically that of a human-catch net.  I almost wish (cue tears) that she would just learn to walk so that she could be more stable!  Right now she's of teetering on the edge of it, although nothing will stop her from climbing onto the changing table and pulling all the diapers from their organized bins.  

 

 Claire "I heart fluff" Hayes.  

 

We took long walks both days this weekend, because the sunshine & 60 degree weather was just too good to resist - really it was so warm!  And the pretty black wrap is on loan from a friend, we're just using it as much as we can before we send it home.  

Sorry for the super short post, I just wanted to get these photos out there but I have SO much work too catch up on!  Have a great week everyone!  

around here lately

Oh, have you been wondering what we've been up to lately?  Really nothing too terribly interesting, but since you're here...

We were sitter-less again on Monday but we made the most of it, this time.  There was much more snuggling and much less crying.  Call me a crazy hippie, but those amber teething necklaces are really magic.  I swear.





#alltheselfies

One of Claire's funnier quirks is her obsession with anything and anything crinkly.  She loves (in no particular order) plastic bags, bubble wrap, aluminum foil, saltine cracker packets, potato chip bags, and half empty water bottles.  My mom has joked that perhaps she'll grow up to be a packaging designer - sure, why not - and here she is in her happy place, being heavily supervised while getting more joy than any human possibly ever has from a ziploc bag filled with Hersey kiss wrappers.  Also, I have no idea who ate all those Hershey kisses!!





Her newfound mobility has gotten to where it REALLY wears her out quickly, and the child who used to take 2 naps a day now sometimes needs 4 little naps.  Where does she take those naps?  Not in her crib that's for sure.  No, Claire Olivia Hayes prefers to be strapped to my person while she naps, so we've gotten heavily into the wrapping.  She still sleeps in her crib, in case you were wondering if I ever sleep (although the answer is really, I could sleep more.)  I'm planning to start a series on baby wrap reviews, kind of similar to my sling posts, but we'll get around to that in a bit - maybe when it warms up a bit and I get brave enough to actually take some photos outside?



Her OTHER new big thing is pouches - yes, I basically convinced myself I'd never ever give Claire one of these things and we'd do Baby Led Weaning and I'd complete my circle of natural parenting, but just like she hated bed sharing, this one is just falling into the category of "whatever works."  Plus she looks SO INCREDIBLY CUTE eating them.



This is the face she makes when it runs out of juice:



Disclaimer - the brand pictured isn't my favorite, it was just a diaper bag emergency pouch.  I usually do my best to source out the organic/low sugar kind that you can only get at the fancy grocery stores, but such is life.  Sometimes you give your kid the peach sugary smoothie if it makes them happy.

She also says "mama" now (first world, I'm just the teeniest bit proud) but usually only when she wants me/is mad at me, go figure.



All in all, things are pretty crazy and wonderful around here.  Just riding out the last of the worst season of the year (I'm side-eyeing you, winter) until we get to all the fun we have planned in spring and summer - there are a truly obscene number of concert tickets sitting in Darrell's inbox, and we couldn't be happier about it.  

siri says

I usually do this post as "the weekender" but I had so many stinking cute baby pictures from this past week that I just decided to do a Siri says instead.  You don't mind extra baby pictures, do you?  Thought not.  Here we go!  

It was international babywearing week last week, so we really made the most of it!  Also, one of my babysitters had to quit so wearing her because a major necessity for a couple of days.  

And then when she ONLY wanted to be worn while standing, we set up this: 

Ironing board, desk, what's the difference really?  

Claire is the Cardinals' good luck charm - every time she wears a team onesie, we win.  No messing with it now!  

Thursday was shot day, and those days are the worst.  My kid actually handles the shots like a champ, but hours later we are guaranteed a nuclear grade meltdown (the world is ending!  Why was I even born!  That sort of thing.)  Then she passes out for a super long time, and I make cookies because by then I deserve a cookie.  Speaking of, use this recipe, don't question the Crisco.  You're welcome.  

The highlight of our weekend?  We accomplished the PERFECT Sunday.  It started with baby snuggles for me (I let Darrell sleep in, and also let him go out on Saturday night; wife of the year?) then we went to brunch, I ran 4 miles on waffle fuel, watched the last two SNLs, Claire took an EPIC nap during which I actually got to paint my nails, and we made homemade pizza & watched the Cardinals game.   I told you.  PERFECT.  

And that's pretty much what's been going on around here!  That, and some super glam fashion week stuff that is a major contrast to all these photos of me in sweatshirts.  Proof that I still get dressed like  a human being coming at you tomorrow, stay tuned!