In Sickness and in Health...

We had a lot of fun last month at Port Royal! It was nice to get away and spend a few days swimming and looking at the beach. I say “looking” because it had been taken over by seaweed and was pretty much impossible to hang out on. Jason and I did manage to get some time boogie boarding so we got to enjoy the ocean for at least a little bit.

A couple days after we got back Jason had his toe surgery. I think I underestimated how indisposed he’d be. It took several days for him to recover from the anesthesia and getting used to crutches. He literally could not help out with Clara whatsoever for about three weeks! I don’t know how single moms do it. I confess I have not done a very good job in fulfilling the part in our vows that says “I will love you in sickness and in health.” Let’s just say I have done my share of grumbling and he has been very patient with me and my selfishness! This short time has definitely revealed my majorly self centered heart. I was reading through the 1 Corinthians 13 passage and did a little test I learned about. In the book “Crazy Love” I’m currently reading, the author suggests inserting your name in place of the word “love” or “it” throughout the passage to see how it sounds to you. So I went ahead and did it…..

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor 13:4-7

Hmmmmmmm…..I couldn’t help but laugh after doing this because I pretty much have been the opposite when it comes to serving and caring for my husband! Oh how I desperately need Christ to help me in these areas I so easily fail in! So I have learned quite a bit about myself over this last month to say the least.

Jason is recovering quickly and will be back and running in no time (figure of speech, not literally). As far as our sweet little girl, she is just 18 days from turning one! Over the past month she has started pointing at everything and telling us what it is (in her baby language), claps, waves her arms to songs, is off baby food, drinks through a straw, gives kisses and has figured out what vegetables are that she’s not too fond of them. She doesn’t seem super interested in learning to walk on her own, but definitely keeps us busy. Soon, we will be venturing onto toddlerdom. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous….

This is how she gives kisses....

Doing her chores

Hanging out with Grandma and Great Grandma. So typical of grandmas ;)

Playing in her water activity pool

I'm done.

Too Long

This might be the longest I’ve gone without updating! I will try to sum up over a month’s worth of events shortly. Right after the last post Clara officially began to pull up on everything. Within a week or so she started walking/cruising holding onto furniture, walls, etc. She is “talking” A LOT and can wave “hi” and “bye” (although she doesn’t know the words yet). She especially likes to wave at herself in the mirror, at her giant 5 foot giraffe and when we turn our backs! HAHA. We just love seeing her personality develop more and more and she never stops making us laugh. We have also started going to Book Babies at the library and she just loves it! They sing songs, read books, play, etc. We even made a trip to the children’s museum last week with my friend Tara and her kids. It was INCREDIBLE!

Jason got back from Canada safe, brought back some ice wine and is scheduled to have his surgery. It will be in a couple weeks, shortly after we get back from our Port Royal trip with my dad and Barbara. Can’t wait for our trip! However, I can wait to be Jason’s personal slave since he will be in a cast for 6 weeks. Fun for both of us!

I successfully didn’t die in my triathlon and was able to beat 30 people in my age group. I won’t tell you how many people beat me! ;) Although I didn’t place as high as I normally did in the past I still felt accomplished since I really didn’t “train.” It would make more sense to say I just “stayed in shape” in preparation for the race. Can’t wait to do another one!

Our seniors we’ve been with for 4 years graduated this weekend so it has been busy with graduation ceremonies and parties. We have decided we won’t be group leaders anymore and will possibly serve in a different area within the youth ministy or the church in general. We are so proud of our kids and all they have accomplished! We pray they will continue to seek Christ each day and grown in their relationship with Him!

We are all looking forward to this summer and Clara’s birthday! I’ve asked her to stop growing multiple times but she won’t listen. It will be bitter sweet...

My girls

Staying cool while mommy raced

Testing out the FREEZING water before the race

Visiting Cindy, Justin and their new baby Elijah

Possible future husband!?!?

Had so much fun with puppy Dewey over the weekend. Sadly, he passed away the day after we left. Poor little guy. He gave us a lot of fun memories in such a short time.

Just playing with the camera. She likes going outside.

This is old since I got behind on the blog updates! She is ten months now.

Likes to pretend being a puppy

Ahhhh!!!!!!! (Aunt Marie)

Dancing at Book Babies

My Beautiful Walrus Bulldog

Lord, can you please slow time down?

Almost 9 months! I’m so amazed how many changes happen so fast! In the past couple weeks Clara has learned to sit up from a laying or crawling position and has started pulling up on us and other things. It was so weird the first time I walked in her room and saw her sitting up in her crib. Jason had to lower the mattress since she’s trying to pull up on the sides of the crib. Don’t want baby going overboard! It seems she needs a little more muscle to completely pull all the way up, but I’m sure she’ll figure it out. It’s funny how one day they just figure things out on their own.

Clara now has 5 teeth with a 6th one about to bust through. I’m convinced she’s gonna have a full set of teeth by the time she’s 1 and will be eating steak. Haha. I have given her the nicknames “Walrus” and “Bulldog.” Walrus because her top two teeth are so far apart and Bulldog because she will grind her bottom and top teeth together giving herself an under bite. She gets told how beautiful she is all the time so I promise I’m not giving her self-image issues!We also discovered she has a little “beauty mark” on her left cheek (see picture below). She continues to be a master at picking things up. She will literally find the tiniest crumb in the carpet, pick it up with her fingers and just play with it!

We finally got our pictures back and we love them. I can’t wait to use this lady again. Possibly for Clara’s 1 year birthday and maybe again if we have another little baby one day! Speaking of pictures Jason and I got an awesome new camera as our anniversary gift to each other. I have been telling him since she was born that I wanted a really good camera since I take so many pictures (some of the pics below were taken with it). To see the professional pics:
1. Go here http://www.studiobloomphoto.com/index2.php
2. Click on “clients”
3. Password is red213

Jason found out he is going to Canada AGAIN! He will be leaving mid-may for several days. The only reason I like him going is so he can bring back some ice wine. Mmmmm. I’m getting really excited for my triathlon . It’s only 5 weeks away! I’ve been able to get to the gym more to swim and cycle but I don’t think the entire container of Hummus and pound of chocolate cake I ate this weekend is going to help me much. Ooops! But tomorrow’s another day, right?

The monthly pictures are getting harder to take (this picture is a few weeks old)

Beauty mark

Loves feeding herself

I don't know if it's the humidity or what but her hair has been super fuzzy lately. It's so cute.

Cutest thing ever. So she crawled under this thing and played for a few minutes. Crawled out of it, grabbed these two toys and immediately crawled back under holding them and started playing with them. She was totally playing house!

youth ministry picnic...

Take a guess of what she's looking at....it's one of her favorite things to watch :)

Yelling contest...

For those of you who say you've never seen Clara cranky. Here's a glimpse, it DOES happen...

Beach Baby

Wow so much to update on! Clara is 8 months now and the fact that she will be 1 year old in less than four months blows me away. I feel like Clara has changed so much over the past few weeks. She now crawls anywhere she wants (still on her belly), can eat finger foods all by herself (picks up food between thumb and finger), drinks from a sippy cup in a reclined position, is talking more, and has FOUR, count them, FOUR teeth! Yikes!

Some of the big events that we’ve had in the past month are...

• Clara falling off our bed. Yes, I know, I deserve the “Mom of the Year” award. I felt sooooo HORRIBLE and definitely learned my lesson. She is one tough baby. One of my ongoing prayers is “Lord, please protect Clara from me!"
• FINALLY getting some pictures done. We did them with this awesome photographer an old friend recommended. We will get the rest of them this week! http://www.studiobloomphoto.com/blog/?p=730
• Jason and I celebrated 4 years on April Fool's Day!
• The Campbell/Crews family Galveston Vacation. We stayed in an awesome, HUGE, 6 room beach house with 18 people. It was very relaxing and Clara got to see the beach for the first time!
• My best friend Amber is pregnant and they found out it's a girl!!!! The weird thing is that I was born in July and my friend Amber was born 14 months later in September. Well....Clara was born in July and Amber's baby girl is due 14 months later in September! They will be undeniably best friends. ;)
• Jason went skiing with some of his senior guys in New Mexico and then traveled to Canada the next week for work.
• The past month my shop has been EXTREMELY busy with orders. It crazy how each month my sales continue to grow and grow! I have had orders to New Zealand, Australia and Singapore!
  

April is going to be a busy month with baby and wedding showers, Jason's sailing trip reunion, family visiting from Ohio and trying VERY hard to be consistent with "training" for my triathlon. Once May comes things will settle down! As one of Clara's highly annoying toys sings, "busy busy busy busy there's so much to do...."

"Aunt" Christy and Clara at the gardens in League City. I love this picture!

Melly babysitting Clara

Jason offering Clara up to the seagulls

First moments on the beach

The House


I've never seen Clara think someone was as funny as Uncle Eric. Even when he wasn't happy she still laughed at him!

Two Beauties

Ready for the sun

Nasty Jellyfish!!!

Clara's 1st Easter basket. We spoil our child.

A couple of my onesie creations..