If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.
How is it that my day-to-day life seems to drag and is a never ending cycle of dishes, laundry, picking up toys, making meals, changing diapers, and helping with homework. But when I step back and “look up” our little Miss Clara is on the verge of turning one.
Anyone know how can I enjoy the day-to-day without getting bogged down in it?
Anyone?
Bueller?
I am always claiming that Clara’s current stage is my favorite, no matter what stage she is in. But I really feel like she is in my most favorite stage right now. There is just something that is so tender about her little body, and her profile in particular.
Not to mention how much her personality is starting to show.
How does my own baby make me baby-hungry?
Don’t worry Dave, it won’t happen anytime soon. Plus, you’d be the first to know.
I am so in love with these pictures.
I think they turned out well because Clara is my only cooperative model these days.
She doesn’t give me attitude like certain five & seven year olds.
Nor is she like a particular (almost) two-year-old who WILL NOT sit still for a picture.
Plus these just capture her happy attitude that I’m hoping and praying is a permanent part of her personality.
Mostly, I think I’m so in love with these pictures because even if she does wake me up at 4:30 in the morning…
…I’m so in love with this little girl.
Today Clara had rice cereal for the first time.
Technically it’s not her first solid food since I also let her taste some ice cream and cooked zucchini. In that order
She was excited.
But a little distracted.
Here comes the first bite!
Let’s do this.
Hmmmm…
What is in my mouth?
How could you do this to me?!
It’s like I don’t even know you.
Clara=1, Rice Cereal=0
Big Baby isn’t usually allowed on the bed when Clara is on it. But the other day I was taking pictures and let her up to see what would happen.
Big Baby is obsessed with giving Clara her binky whenever she finds one but she always tries to put it in her mouth backwards.
Big Baby giving Baby Sissy (what Olive calls Clara) kisses.
Then Gwen wanted in on the action too.
As hard as they tried to console her, Clara was done.
And MAD.
I just hope they love each other this much when they are teenagers.
So lately I have been taking pictures of our every day life (which isn’t terribly exciting to anyone else, I know) but lack the sufficient time to post anything on our blog these days.
Yesterday I took some pictures of our sweet baby Clara, my little moonbeam. She is about seven weeks and is getting really good at giving me really big smiles. I love it. I’d also love a clean house these days, but I’d much rather hold this little babe and revel in her sweetness and innocence. I know I won’t always have both.
But, do you blame me for choosing her over dishes or laundry?
I mean, how could I possibly walk away from this?
Also, these days I’ve been trying to remember to listen to the latest General Conference while I do whatever I’m doing. When I listen, my day runs a little smoother and my mothering skillz are much better (read: I have more patience with my children). From the most recent session, I love the talk entitled, “The Atonement Covers All Pain” by Elder Richards.
In particular, the story he relates of the 13 year-old girl just having gone through surgery and how she saw family members who had passed on makes me cry every time I hear it. He relates:
Thirteen-year-old Sherrie underwent a 14-hour operation for a tumor on her spinal cord. As she regained consciousness in the intensive care unit, she said: “Daddy, Aunt Cheryl is here, … and … Grandpa Norman … and Grandma Brown … are here. And Daddy, who is that standing beside you? … He looks like you, only taller. … He says he’s your brother, Jimmy.” Her uncle Jimmy had died at age 13 of cystic fibrosis. For nearly an hour, Sherrie … described her visitors, all deceased family members. Exhausted, she then fell asleep. Later she told her father, “Daddy, all of the children here in the intensive care unit have angels helping them.”
It makes me think of Clara’s days in the NICU. When she was in the NICU, another baby came in that had just been born 15 weeks early and only weighed 15 oz. The NICU has a special feeling. I believe it is partly from all the new little spirits that are starting their lives here on earth and struggling with their bodies they’ve been given. But I also know that there are angels, and other loved ones there with the babies.
It also makes me think of my Mom and her recent battle with cancer—of which she’s now in REMISSION! Whoo-hoo (fist pump)! I will never know the depth of her suffering, physical and spiritual. But I know that she really learned to lean on the Lord through it. That is why he suffered for all of us. Elder Richards said,
“Opposition is part of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. We all encounter enough to bring us to an awareness of our Father’s love and of our need for the Savior’s help.”
But, we don’t have to go through major surgery to suffer or experience pain, there are varying degrees. Every day I am acutely aware of my shortcomings. I know I can do better and be better. Each night my goal is to try and be better tomorrow than I was today. Some days I make decent progress in achieving that goal, and other days I take a million steps back. This thought of Elder Richards’ is particularly for me:
“Perhaps His most significant work is in the ongoing labor with each of us individually to lift, to bless, to strengthen, to sustain, to guide, and to forgive us.”
Oh, I am so grateful for Him.
So, give the talk a listen. It’s a good one.
I finally got around to taking some decent pictures of Clara, with the hopes that one would be suitable for a baby announcement.
But Big Baby saw it as an opportunity to get in on the action as Clara is usually out of her reach.
We know she is curious about her new baby sister, but no matter how vigilant Dave and I are Big Baby is fast. This nose honking came complete with an accompanying “beeeeeeeeeeeep!”
But don’t be fooled by my experience. Having two babies is totally relaxing.
(ha·lee leh·sway)
(day·vid leh·sway)
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