Please pray

Tomorrow morning Clara is scheduled for surgery to repair an inguinal hernia. She should be discharged later in the morning. We are grateful to have the best pediatric surgeon in Houston performing the operation. He told us in the consult that he has performed over six thousand of these surgeries and that the whole process will be harder on us than it is on Clara. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and that she recovers quickly and without complication.

Pure delight

My pretty girl today

I know that the top of her head is cut off - I'm not sure if it is my lack of photography skills or her bobbing head - but I love her expression.

14 Weeks Old

Growing everyday

One of my favorite pictures

Tummy Time

The rule "Back to bed, tummy to play" has not worked very well for Clara, until now. She would get so frustrated because she couldn't keep her head up. Now she loves it!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day outfit, compliments of Grammy

Smiling

Did you eat some sour hearts?

On Thursdays the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has free admission; so on Valentine's Day Grammy and the three of us went for a visit. They had a special exhibition and the subject of the first picture that greeted us when we entered the gallery was Clara, a rhinoceros.

Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Rhinoceros, 1749

The painter was primarily known for still-life pictures, but did paintings of the menagerie at Versailles. This one has not been seen in public for 150 years.

Needless to say, this is not Clara's namesake!

13 Weeks Old

12 Weeks Old

Getting bigger

Smile!

Mommy's favorite doll

11 weeks old

The bear shot

So big!

Mommy babbles and Clara giggles

10 weeks old - Up north in the cold

No naked baby pictures from Michigan!

Aunt Rachel meets Clara in the Cleveland Airport on the way to Grand Rapids for Nathan's Grandma's funeral.

Thanks to Aunt Janice, we had plenty of warm baby clothes.

Clara and Grandma

A borrowed frock

Clara did not suffer from a lack of attention!

The Polderman Family - January '08

Heaven is a wonderful place

The Polderman Family - Dec. '06

Nathan's Grandma Irene Polderman arrived to her heavenly home on January 22.
We will miss her, but thank God for taking her peacefully.

Letter to Clara: Month Two

Dear Clara,

This month has been such a blur with your daddy returning to work after a long paternity leave and my surgery. Even though in many ways it feels like our little family has been reeling from one change or challenge to another, I thank God that He chose to bless us with you even without our asking. Watching you grow, first inside my expanding belly and now with our own eyes has brought us so much joy in the midst of these small trials!


Toward the end of this month, I began to wake up in the morning wondering what new, sweet baby-ness I would experience with you. This was a welcome change from my previous ponderings as to how many hours of sleep I would get and if they would be consecutive or not! Now after the blessed 6-8 hour stretch that you sleep sometime during the night or early morning, I pull you into bed and we cuddle. What bliss! Although you haven't really found your schedule, there is a little bit of routine in your life and bath time is one of your favorite parts of the day.


Our holidays this year seemed so crazy and off-kilter and I thought about how I look forward to next year, when you are bigger.


But then I put away your newborn clothes that didn't fit anymore and nearly cried, knowing that you would continue to grow up so quickly. Growth and change are always bittersweet.

I treasure every moment with you, darling, and you will always be my little girl.

Love,
Mama

9 weeks old

Comparing size

Baby love


A different view