A pumpkin plumping update

5/11/10

Elisabeth had a check-up today.  She is 14 weeks, 5 days old and weighs 16 lbs (95%) and measures 24.5 inches (75%).

A frolic

Doesn’t it look like a pretty day to be outside,

to have a tea party, to cast aside

the shoes that seem less fit for spring

and more a fall or winter thing?

  5/11/10

Note to Reader

Dear Grammy,

Mommy is working on catching up with blog postings, but she really likes to keep things chronological, so you will have to scroll down to see the posts that she has added. Thank you for persistently checking the blog and leaving comments. It gives her a sense of accountability and so maybe we will actually have baby books/photo albums. If so, that would be the longest term project, other than school, that she has ever completed. (She is telling us that we don't know what ABD stands for or we wouldn't be saying that...maybe you can help us figure out what she means.)

Love,
Clara and Elisabeth

Why we need to work on the catechism

When Clara saw our pastor at prayer meeting, she said, “It’s God.”

Birthday Party

 

Today was Clara’s best friend’s birthday party.  We have been anxiously anticipating this celebration and she has asked me to read the ‘macation’ many times each day. 

 

Clara and the birthday girl

Adorable, personalized ball party favors

Abigail enjoying her presents

5/08/10

Clara enjoying her cupcake   

Kitchen help

5/05/10

I am sure this is where everyone keeps their pastry brush…

Misdiagnosis, milestone, and munchkins

On Wednesday, May 5, Elisabeth was scheduled to have her 3-4 month checkup. I was anticipating with pride how much weight she would have gained, but was also anxiously watching a diaper rash, which I was fairly certain was a yeast rash, that I had been treating tenaciously for over 2 weeks. Liberal amounts of Balmex, Lotrimin, and Nystatin had been applied. Diapers were changed when any heat or moisture could have built up. Running around naked to dry her out completely after bath time evolved into letting her be a ‘naked lady’ all day, attiring her little bum with diapers only when she requested them and then removing them quickly when she no longer required them. The breakouts only became more persistent, so I decided that Clara needed the appointment more than Elisabeth.

It turns out that the rash is a staph infection – I was not prepared to hear that and receive the treatment plan titled ‘MRSA – Patient Care Plan.’ Now while I know that there is no way for them to know the exact strain without a test, I am following the directions to a T: Chlorinated-bathes 1-2 times a week, cleaning showers after every use, oral and topical antibiotics, washing towels and washcloths after every use, applying antibiotic cream to all household members nases three times daily (I let Nathan apply it himself!)

Clara is very aware of what goes on at the doctor’s office and wants nothing to do with the whole process, so I was prepared for an unpleasant visit, but tried to tell her what to expect and promised a treat if she was brave. She did a great job, tentatively allowing the nurse and doctor to examine her and only fussing slightly when her throat was swabbed for a strep test. The highlight of the visit for her was choosing a lollipop. She is still telling me how brave she was!

We got home 4 hours later after picking up antibiotics and as I started STAGE ONE OF MRSA TREATMENT PLAN, Elisabeth decided it was time to make her day memorable, and promptly rolled over three times on her play mat – tummy to back!

Then we went outside and enjoyed spring weather and summer dresses!

5/05/10

Daddy and Elisabeth

5/02/10

Pretending to Drive

5/01/10

Clara’s new car seat exit strategy is to race up to the front seat before you catch her so that she can ‘pretend to drive.’ Looks like fun, doesn’t it?!

Wee one and waffle cone

5/01/10

Friends

We enjoyed dinner with friends at the Knox home.  There was an abundance of littles – seven under the age of 4!  Thanks to Wie, we have some pictures of the evening.

      Elisabeth and Eli – 13 weeks and 10 weeks, respectively.

4/30/10

3 months old

In honor of Elisabeth’s 3 month birthday, here is a record of her growth:

 

Birthday – 8 lbs 1 oz

 

4.5 weeks old - (3/2/10)

7.5 weeks old - (3/22/10)

9 weeks old - (3/31/10) – 13 lbs at 2 month visit

11 weeks old - (4/15/10)

12 weeks old - (4/22/10)

13 weeks old - (4/29/10)

Sunday Sunshine

04/25/10

She's here!

02/06/10

And we all love her!

Elisabeth Irene arrived on January 28th, 2010 at 6:34 am.
She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Things I don’t want to forget

• When you first said ‘banana’ you called it ‘mema’
• Although you say their names correctly individually, ‘Grammy and Grampy’ becomes ‘Gampy and Gampy’ and, likewise, ‘Grandma and Grandpa’ becomes ‘Gampa and Gampa’
• You repeat our little dialogues.  For example, as we are reading through Matthew in family devotions, when Daddy asks you what book of the Bible we are reading, you say, ‘Maf. No, not Maf.  Maffew.’
• After the novelty wore off, we had a hard time getting you to say the catechism.  It became a real battle ground, but one day when you asked for some beans for lunch, I told you that you could have a bean for each catechism question you answered.  It worked and the next time I served black beans, you said, ‘Who made you?’ – the first question in the children’s catechism.
• The first time you tried a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you said, ‘Cookie?’

Mock smocking, striped stockings

11/01/09

Pumpkin Girl

10/30/09

On the day before Halloween we took Clara to a ‘Trick or Trunk’ at the YMCA.  She was very cute in her pumpkin costume, but a little overwhelmed.  However, she certainly got into the treats once we got home!

10/31/09

Dewberry Farms

Animals and a petting farm

 

Lots and lots of pumpkins 10/24/09

Hay!!!!!

I have been wanting to go to Dewberry farms since the October I was pregnant with Clara.  I tried to talk Nathan into going that year and he wisely pointed out that a 37-week pregnant woman with a knee cap that was prone to dislocation and little to no sense of direction had no business tramping around a corn maze at a farm way out in the country.  This year, however, we took Clara and I look forward to taking her every year.  They had so many wholesome activities for different ages and though she loved it this year, I can only imagine how much fun she will have in a few more years!  There was a petting farm, all kinds of rides, a hay ride, and a huge pumpkin patch.  Sitting in the hay and throwing it in the air was probably her favorite activity.

Goodbye apartment

09/29/09

This is one of the last pictures I have of Clara in our apartment.  Just about the only thing I miss is the beautiful natural light in the kitchen and her nursery. 

God blessed us with a rental home that we moved into in mid-October.  Clara was a real trooper as we looked at many houses in September.  She became obsessed with sockets, probably because of all the empty homes we looked at and their increased prominence in unfurnished rooms.  In fact as we would pray and thank God for providing this home for us, she would thank God for the sockets!

She also was very cooperative as we went back and forth between the apartment and house packing and cleaning.  She had a cold during the big moving push and though I had arranged for her to stay with friends for the day several times, she ended up coming along with us.  I actually think that seeing the process helped her adjust.  She still refers to our home as ‘the new house’ and says ‘Goodbye, new house!’ each time we leave.

Big girl swing

9/25/09