Holiday Extravaganza

I can't believe how fast this month went by! (The reason I'm just now updating). The title of this post is a little sarcastic because, for some reason, I just wasn't in the "holiday spirit" this year. I usually enjoy shopping for presents, baking, decorating, wrapping presents, sending out Christmas cards (which by the way will now be "Happy New Year" cards because they're so late) and engaging in the whole "holiday extravaganza" (I like to call it), but I just wasn't feeling it this year. Not that I was a scrooge or anything, I just really wanted to be home with family and that's it. Again, I think having a kid has once again made more things seem not so important anymore. Maybe next year when Clara can enjoy the "holiday extravaganza" with us I might feel a little different. But above all I must say, Happy birthday Jesus! Thank you for coming down to earth and saving us!

This month was filled with Christmas parties, serving the homeless in Galveston, me getting rear ended on HWY 146 and Jason getting a boot on his foot. Clara has become EXTREMELY fascinated with touching and eating EVERYTHING. When I walk around the house with her she reaches and tries to touch anything we pass. It's so cute! Today I looked back at all the pictures I have of Clara and started crying (I'm such a baby). 2009 has been such an incredibly blessed year that thinking about it greatly humbles me before God. I think about how much I don't "deserve" the life I have and how much grace Christ has showed me. So much that it really makes me understand the reality of us never being able to pay Him back. That we can't and will never do enough or be "good enough." But by accepting Him into our lives, we can embrace the fact that God sees Jesus in us instead of ourselves. I was looking at all of Clara's ultrasounds and was just amazed at what truly a miracle she is. How amazing creation is. I feel like I know more people than not that struggle with miscarriages or getting pregnant and it really just reminds you how precious life really is. For us to be blessed with just one child is more than I could ever ask for. Thank you Lord! Happy New Year everyone!!!

Get ready for an excessive amount of pictures...

The Skytland's Christmas party. Sorry you won't like this picture Christy but I love it. HAHA.

Small group Christmas party. The BEST white elephant present EVER a metal knickknack of 2 wild bears.

We tried peas for the first time. I made them and it was super easy! I love the color it made. Reminds me of the Nickelodeon Gak we had when we were kids.

She liked them... :)

Rollin' into the puppies

So Jason damaged his toe surfing this summer in Florida and just NOW got it checked out. The bone is all messed up and the dr. said he has the feet of a 50 year old. On went the boot.
Playing around in her Christmas outfit

Little angel

Mellie and Clara on Christmas Eve at Nana's

Paper!!!!!!! It's so true about babies loving paper more than the actual presents!

Opening her presents with pretty cousin Grace

Holding onto Mitchell's beer. She looks guilty. ;)

Grandma Grace and all the cousins on Christmas

I love my brother in law

Clara loves Aunt Marie

Sweet sweet Gramma Mara

Micthell's present to Clara

We met up with Cindy and Justin in Austin. Cindy just found out she's having a boy!!! Do I sense a future marriage? Or maybe an arranged marriage? HAHA.

Clara thought Ava was the most hilarious thing on this earth. If Ava said one little word Clara would bust out laughing. It was so funny. Maybe it was the high pitched voice?

Pretty mommy Melissa (Jason's cousin) and her boy Brayden

Thanksgiving and Etsy Shop!

Happy 1st Thanksgiving Clara! Clara had her first solids (rice cereal) on Thanksgiving and we have the cutest video of her taking her first bites but I've had problems getting it on the blog. It was VERY adorable though. Clara also turned 4 months last week, a third of a year old! Ahh! She is beginning to keep me more and more busy as time goes by. She stays up longer and is barrel rolling all over the house. So even though she's not supposed to be mobile yet she sure is able to get from one side of the room to the other! My friend Lindsay says, "Just wait til she starts crawling." It's so fun though, I love it! And she always seems so proud of herself. hehe. Another thing she's been doing is biting and chewing everything! And she definitely prefers our fingers, forearms, hands and face over any of her teething rings or toys. I call her little Hannibal Lecter because sometimes when we go to kiss our face she tries to gnaw on our nose. It's hilarious. "Hello, Clarice...." :)

Also, I am officially opening my Etsy shop online! Woo Hoo! I don't have that much stuff on it yet but will continue to add to it. It would be great for you to pass my site on to anyone you think might be interested. The site is sweettulipsboutique.etsy.com. If you spend $10, add me to your favorites on etsy and type in the code "SWEET" in message to seller, I will send you a free clip of your choice!

Cutie Pie

Rolling from playmat to T.V.

Campbell kids at Thanksgiving

I put this picture up solely because Mitchell refused to make a pretty face

Christy and Chaz spent Thanksgiving with us at Nana's

My 1st Thanksgiving!

This was Jason's doing

Rollin Rollin Rollin. Click the Play button. Some people don't know to do that and think it's a picture :)

First Time Parents

Today we dropped Clara off at the church nursery for the first time. It's so tempting to always keep her with us since she's so easy. We even contemplated taking her to the movies with us this weekend (confession: we DID see the new Twilight movie...sans Clara though). But we decided to bite the bullet and venture off without her for the first time at church. It's amazing how much you UNDERESTIMATE how long it takes to get you, your husband, a baby, and the dogs all ready in order to go somewhere. (Yes, our dogs require us getting them ready. Actually, it's more like "dog-proofing" the house more than anything). This whole process is definitely something we are learning a lot about as first time parents. So here's how it went:

1. arrive to church already late
2. arrive to nursery and are clueless about the "check-in" process
3. holding baby in one arm, filling out paperwork in the other(husband is "parking" the stroller)
4. holding up the line for people to drop their kids off
5. realize baby's entire outfit is soaked in a poopy-pee mixture as I'm handing her to the lady
6. grab her back from the lady, attempt to change her IN the stroller (husband was embarrassed for all to see her poop explosion so he wanted her hidden)
7. can't find the diapers or backup outfit ("let's just go home..." I say)
8. husband finds the diapers and backup outfit (saves the day like usual). **Note: the backup outfit was put in the diaper bag 2 months ago so you can only imagine how well it fit. poor baby.
9. hand baby back to lady
10. clean up the disaster we made in drop off area of dirty diapers, wipes, poopy-pee clothes...
11. make it to church with 20 minutes left of service....victory

Clara at the Pearland craft fair (my favorite picture so far)

Met up with friends Liz, Marissa and little Kanin at Bass Pro Shop Restaurant (did you know they have a restaurant???)

Mommy Marissa

I really like this one

The gaze

Moving in...

And a big wet one from Kanin! So cute!

Liz and mini-Marissa...I mean, Kanin (such a handsome and well-behaved baby!)

An Enlightening Weekend

This weekend we went to Austin because I was playing in my first adult competitive volleyball tournament. I had noticed in the morning that it sounded like Clara had some boogery stuff in her nose. She sounded like a little piggy snorting. By that night, the poor thing kept tossing and turning while snorting away and having a hard time breathing. I felt so bad for her! The day had finally come, our baby was sick (just a cold, but still!). Just like the first days home from the hospital, you have that "what in the world am I supposed to do?" feeling. As Jason is trying to hold her upright, I'm searching the Internet (I know, such a great place to look up medical advice) looking for the best way to suction out her nose. Jason stayed up with her being the amazing husband he is. The next thing I know it's 5AM and I look over to see she is asleep in her car seat inside the pack n play. Jason (who I call the baby whisperer sometimes) figured she just needed to be upright to sleep. Genius.

Soon after, I was off to the tournament. I would like to brag I pretty much played the worst game of my entire life (including junior high) during the first game. I'm not exaggerating. I don't think I have even seen ANYONE play as bad as I did. I was completely mortified, but more so, felt bad for the people I was playing with. They had come all this way to play with the worst setter in the gym. I apologized about 800 times to my team (who I had just met that day by the way) and slumped off to pump during our off game. So here is the enlightening experience. As I'm sitting there in an abandoned first aid room, drenched in sweet, hooked up to my breastpump..."Whomp Whomp...Whomp Whomp...Whomp Whomp..." I came to a bitter sweet realization. Volleyball just wasn't what it used to be. A sport that I had such a deep love and passion for had become so pale in comparison to my new life as a mommy. Even when I was pregnant, I longed to play competitively again. But as soon as Clara came that desire pretty much disappeared. Sitting in that room, breathing in the strong odor of alcohol and antiseptic soap, tears came to my eyes as I thought about Clara being sick for the first time and me not being there for her (Jason had called and said she had a fever). Yes, I knew she was being taken care of perfectly, but her mommy wasn't there. I know it may not sound like a big deal, but to come to the realization that this sport almost meant nothing to me anymore was a HUGE deal. I was the type of player in college that after practicing for 3 hours I would stay after to work on some skill I felt I hadn't mastered, just because I loved it! I couldn't get enough. I always saw myself as an 88 year old still diving on the court. But when they say things change when you have a child, it's so true! As the day went on, I got better and stopped doubling the ball every other play, and even started to have a little fun. Still, my heart just longed to be with my family. I don't think I'm one of those people who can't be away from their kid for more than two seconds (I've been away plenty of times), but I felt like I was just wasting my time. The day ended and I was happy to go home to my baby and family. Who knows, I still may end up playing when I'm 88, but for now, I find more joy in sucking snot out of my baby's nose... :)

PS. Sorry for the super long post (I try to keep them short) but I just wanted to say I have the best in-laws in the world! They love Clara so much and ALWAYS take care of us more than we could ever ask!

Some recent pictures....


Dakota like laying in the boppy since Clara doesn't really use it anymore

Trying to roll over

Dakota stare down

Yummyyyyyyyyy

On the way to Austin

Me not screwing up. HAHA

Resting at Grandma and Grandpa Campbell's after a rough day

Jason's cousin's (Melissa) new baby Braydon!

Rolling over one way!!!