Visit to Vestal

Last weekend we went up to visit Seth's Dad's house for Christmas. Unfortunately, we had a ruff ride up. We left on Saturday and Clare wasn't quite herself. She was really upset and it seemed like she had tummy discomfort. When we arrived she was much better. We had a nice visit and Clare was much more comfortable on the drive home. We have been very busy the past 2 weeks and it has been great to be able to spend this time together. Seth's been working very hard lately.

3 month Doctor visit

Clare had her 3 month Doctor visit last week. She's doing really well. Her weight was 14.4 lb (90-95%) and length 25 inches (95-97%). She's liking her fingers (looking at them & sucking them) and has started to reach for things more. She's getting stronger with tummy time. It's amazing how fast she's growing. She had her first few giggles the past few weeks!

Holiday Party

Seth & I made it out together for the first time since Clare has arrived. Family fiends, Dave & Penny, came over to babysit Clare for the evening. Meeting Dave & Penny when we first moved out here made me feel so much more at home. Dave grew up in my hometown, in Washington state, and has continued to be a friend of the family for many years. What a small world! We were out for about 3 hours for Seth's work holiday party. It was nice to go out on a date but I was happy to get home to Clare.

Thanksgiving

I feel so thankful for our friends and family. It has been an interesting year. The joys of having Clare and expanding our family along with the challenges we've faced with loss and injury of family over the past year make me think just how precious life is. We didn't get too many pictures during the Thanksgiving celebration but it was a great 1st Thanksgiving for Clare. Seth was on-call during the holiday weekend but we had a very nice time. We had our friends Brad & Mary Catherine and Josh & Nikki over for dinner. I spent most of the day in the small kitchen of our apartment cooking. I love cooking and someday hope to have a kitchen that functions a little better. Our cat, Elsa, matched the weight of our turkey (15+). Looking at her she's added a few on, even with one leg missing she is very "puffy". Clare is getting close and we'll find out this week at her 3 month Dr visit (her last visit she was 12lb 9oz.

Clare smiling!

Seth & I have been busy over the past 2 weeks and I have been getting behind on posting our pictures. This is Clare loving her new shirt from Popi. It was a gift from his trip to the Melbourne Cup in Australia.
Clare is smiling a ton and more interactive everyday. She's found her fingers and often prefers them to her pacifier. Braces here we come!