Toes and Teeth

What's new so far in 2010? Well, we aren't flying space cars or anything remotely cool but we ARE having fun with our little girl! Clara is almost 6 months and just keeps getting more fun. She's talking more, fascinated with EVERYTHING (baby proofing the house is right around the corner. I found her chewing on one of the dogs bones the other day), starting to sit unsupported, ATTEMPTING solids (not too interested) and growing some teeth! Last weekend we noticed her front bottom teeth were poking through which explained all the "whining", or as Jason would call it, "being bad." Jason's parents and I always laugh at him because he's not gonna know what hits him when our next baby isn't as easy!

Other than playing with Clara all day I'm having a lot of fun with my Etsy shop. I've had quite a few sales and I love shipping to all the different places. I got a sewing/embroidery machine for Christmas so I'm looking forward to embroidering names and monograms on my products! I took my class last week so I can officially embroider now! Now I just need to take the sewing class to learn how to sew. I really feel like a "homemaker" now! haha

Jason's toe is still not any better and causes him a lot of pain. The Dr. prescribed him 4 weeks of physical therapy. I laughed when he told me about it because it's a stinking toe!!! I was imagining him wearing a sweatband and working his toe out like the old ladies on the workout shows on T.V. "Alright ladies, extend your fingers out, and in, out and in..." Poor guy. We've FINALLY gotten motivated to work out again since triathlon season is coming. That's our goal but it will all depend on the little toe that could...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Pre-game smile. Poor longhorns...

So in love with my little girl!

One of the creepiest toys I've seen. It crawls and makes scary giggle noises. She loves it and tries to eat her face!

Right now I have to bribe her with my cell phone to get her to practice sitting

Best Frands!!! Can you believe Madilyn is almost 5 months and Clara's almost 6? So weird!

Lovin' those toes

Snuggle Bunny

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!)