Deer in Headlights

Lately I've been trying to catch Clara's personality on video by placing the camera near our rocking chair. Unfortunately I really haven't caught much - except maybe her curiosity. She is so involved in figuring out this strange object that talking and interacting with Mom is old news. It is also kind of dark since I placed the camera on a closet shelf. It will probably bore the average reader/viewer but I'm posting it anyway; maybe the grandparents will enjoy seeing how big she is getting. It is actually two different clips; the first one is really short then the second will start automatically. Someday I will figure out how to dub over the sound with some music or something because I get kind of embarrassed listening to myself.

Chicken Fingers

My precious girl. She thinks that she is a big girl and should sit up or stand all the time. This Boppy pillow is perfect for propping her up but I still have to watch her to make sure she doesn't get stuck slumping forward while inspecting her toes. Toes are tricky. This next photo is only funny if you know how hard Momma has worked to prevent this very thing. I've tried mittens on her hands, swaddling her so tight that she can't move her arms (though she could definitely show Houdini a thing or two), and introducing a pacifier (because a pacifier can be taken away, a thumb cannot - at least not in this country). In this photo she has wiggled her way out of Mom's straight jacket, and discarded the pacifier. I guess my next move is that stuff that makes your fingers taste bitter?

Clara Smiles

My beautiful girl! She is such a happy baby. I'm so grateful to be fortunate enough to stay home and care for her (thanks to a wonderful husband who backs that decision 200%). This video is typical of Clara when she is fed and well rested. Just ignore the babbling crazy person in the background. Honestly, why is it impossible to speak like a normal human being when one is talking to (or about) to a miniature human being?

Getting behind on the blogging stuff already. Not a good way to start the new year. My excuse is that the computer is located in Clara's room. The only time I can find to blog is nap time but . . . the computer is in her room; I don't want to wake the baby . . . and the cycle continues. Nothing really to report except I love the smiling and cooing. It is so precious and makes my heart sing. I am trying to get it on video tape. Here are the pictures we have been taking. Most of them are from Christmas and New Years.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

So it looks like Clark has already brainwashed our child. I set this mobile up in Clara's crib and she loved it! In the video I keep saying that she is 6 months old, what I meant to say was 6 WEEKS old. She is just starting to smile.

Teeny Tennies!

Why are some of the most adorable things also the most impractical?  Case in point:  Baby shoes. 

1.  Obviously baby is not walking anywhere anytime soon. 

2.  They are hard to get on her squirming, kicking foot and if you DO get them on, she kicks them right off.

3.  Because she doesn't kick them off until you are out somewhere, you are most likely going to lose them (or one of them and of course what good is one without the other).

4.  Her feet (shoes or no shoes) are covered 99.9% of the time by a blanket anyway so who sees them?  Nobody . . . except maybe the person who happens to find the one shoe she managed to kick off in the mall without your detection.

So why do I bother?  Because they are just so gosh-darn cute!  Miniature shoes to go on miniature feet.  Plus the sign on the entrance of most establishments requires customers to be wearing shoes and a shirt (ironically you never see one that insists on pants).

Clara Jan Rogers

She has arrived and she is beautiful (at least her parents think so).  Clara joined our family on October 21, 2009 at 2:54 PM and she was BIG - 8 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long.  We all think that she is the spitting image of Clark except for the dark hair (and maybe eyes - time will tell).  She even has his long skinny legs - so cute!  Mommy - that's me - is recovering nicely as well though a little nervous now that Grandma has gone back to Texas.  I would never have been able to survive these first two weeks without her support.  I am comforted to know that she will be back in two weeks for Thanksgiving along with all my siblings and Clark's family as well.  I can't wait to show off my beautiful girl.

Mommyhood so far is a wonderful experience with lots of love and humor.  We are lucky that Clara has a pretty stable stomach and we have not had to deal with spit-up.  Changing her diaper on the other hand . . . well let's just say proceed at your own risk (the major risk being projectile poop)!  I thought you only had to worry about being peed on by little boys - but apparently this is not the case.  If I don't change her diaper really fast, the open air makes her realize that her bladder and/or bowels are not quite empty and she had better act quickly before I replace her diaper.  Needless to say the first few days we were changing her clothes as well as her diaper (we've also learned that all diapers are not created equal).  Her first doctor's appointment was hilarious.  Of course I must say that the doctor's office is to blame; they insist that your baby be completely naked (no diaper) while they weigh and measure her (does it really matter if we are an ounce or inch off?).  With all that time and open air Clara peed all over the table and was kind enough to wait for the nurse to completely clean up her first mess before relieving herself a second time. 

Clara also hates baths - HATES them.  She wails, flails her arms, and grabs on to anything she possibly can in an attempt to pull herself out of the tub while her chin is shaking uncontrollably.  The first bath was probably as traumatic for me as it was for her because she looked so pathetic that by the end I was crying along with her.  If my mother had not been with me I may have decided never to give her a bath again - so what if she is "the smelly kid."  Each bath is getting a little easier but she still hates them.

I must say that she was the cutest pink cheetah the world has ever seen (for Halloween).  Clark and I considered trick-or-treating with her because she was so precious we were sure to rake in the candy!  Instead we just wore our costume all day and took lots of pictures.  She reminded me of that book (now a movie which I have not seen) "Where the Wild Things Are."