Meemaw's Party, Fear Factor and more....

Sunday was Meemaw's (my mom's) 57th birthday!! We celebrated it Saturday with meemaw, pawpaw, Matt (my brother), Candy (Matt's fiance), and our little family. We had a great time. We drove and visited a winery that Matt and Candy are going to have rehearsal dinner at. It was FANTASTIC!! Candy has such great taste. After that we came ate out and my uncle and grandma joined us. Then we all went bowling. It was a great time together.

Again, click on the X to see the slideshow.

Here are some shots of Cullen and Clara in the bathtub. Cullen was a big help with Clara. She has outgrown her baby bathtub and he held and played with her while I washed her up and combed her hair.

This Sunday we had our 2nd annual Family Fear Factor Olympics. Our church gets together and does an obstacle course of good, gross, tough stuff and we cook out and have fellowship. Here is a clip of some of the events. Click the X box. Not sure why the pics are showing up to play the slideshow.

Earth Day, eating rice sticks, catching up

Sorry it has been a bit since I posted last. I have not made time for the blog lately. Last weekend we went to my mom and dad's house for a neighborhood Earth Day party that was held next door to them. It was a good time and the kids had a BLAST!! I will try to post more later. I am not sure why the pic won't show up but click the block with the X in it and it will play a video of our Earth Day fun!!

Growing girl...

Well, last night Clara slept completely through the night in her crib, her room. She woke up a bit earlier but did not want up and out until 8:30. I could hear her on the monitor just talking. I slept okay but it sure is nice to have had her right next to my bed for 5 months. I figure to transition her now will be easier than later. She has stayed right next to our bed since bringing her home to Texas. She was just an arm's reach away.

She is just growing up too fast! My infant is now a baby. She rolls over and sits GREAT with support. She is drooling horribly so I am sure teeth are soon to come. Time is flying....sometimes it saddens me that life is going by so fast. Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait to meet my Savior but I hope He waits a while to do it. ;)

I am still making Clara's baby food. I bought a better blender yesterday. We also had to get a new carseat and a high chair. She LOVES her high chair. It is on rollers so I can put it in any room. Yesterday while I was taking a shower she played with the toys on the tray and watched and talked to herself in the mirror. This morning she had a mixture of homemade blueberries, bananas, and apples. She LOVES this stuff!!! I so enjoy being her mother and God has greatly blessed this family with her!!

I just have to thank God for my wonderful life. It has been filled with hardships as is everyone's but God has led and taught us to use it all to make us closer in our walk with Him!! It is truly miraculous to look back at times when I felt so hopeless when being pregnant at 18 and not a plan for my future. Thank God for the wonderful parents He blessed me with that supported me through many horrible times and then the wondrous birth of Christian, who will be 13 in May!! Then soon to follow God placed a wonderful man in my life, Clay. He soon adopted Christian at 2 years old and we have now been married over 10 years. We were yet again blessed with the birth of Cullen who is 8. Who would have thought it just keeps getting better and better. Our adoption process grew us in more ways than we could ever have dreamed of and man what a wonderful blessing. Clara is the light of this family and she makes us smile and laugh daily!! Being able to know her birthmother and to be able to share what a wonderful woman she is and what wonderful birth siblings she has with Clara is an answer to a prayer. I cannot wait for each new day to see the blessings that flow from our Heavenly Father!!! Thank you God!!!

Doctor Visit, growing, growing, growing

Clara had her 4-month checkup Friday despite the fact that she will be 5 months old in a couple of days. She is doing fantastic!!! She is rollling over, eating solids (apple sauce, carrots, broccoli, avacado, rice cereal on occasion, banana, peas, sweet potatoes). She was 18-1/2 lbs (98%), 25.2 inches (67%). I have not vaccinated her yet but am contemplating how I want to give them. I think I am 95% sure that she needs some of them. I am still researching them.

She has discovered her voice too and she likes to hear herself talk (as do we), but she has also learned how to scream/squeal super loud. (painfully loud). It is cute though. She woke us up one morning at 6:30 squealing to her delight in her bassinett right next to our bed. She was having a blast!! She is sleeping GREAT! She woke me up at about 8 this morning and went to sleep about 8 or so last night. Her bedtime is creeping up a little early since we are getting active earlier in the morning. We were getting up around 6-7 and feeding and then sleeping until 9 or 10. We are waking now at about 8 and trying to stay up which has put a kink in her napping thus putting her ready to bed before 9.

I will try to write more later. Have to get busy with school this morning and Clara is not too happy at the moment. I just wanted to share her doctor's appointment with you guys.

Rolling over, mini vacation, etc...

Clara is starting to rollover. I finallly got it on video. She does not get down much as we all still like to hold her. If she is down then she is usually in her bouncy seat. Today she started playing on a blanket on the floor with her toys. She enjoys it much longer than she used to. I hope you enjoy the clip of her rolling over and also adding a good puke at the end of it. ;)

Friday we were able to go on a mini vacation with my brother (Matt) and my mom and dad to Hot Springs Village. It was too short but a good time. We always went once a summer growing up and the tradition has continued and we try to make it at least once a year. The men LOVE the golf and then we love walking the nature trails and exploring and swimming. We did not swim yet this season as it was chilly and Arkansas has had a tremendous amount of rain. It was Clara's first trip to Hot Springs and I think she enjoyed herself as we all did. We stayed in a very nice home on the lake. The view was just FANTASTIC. It was high up on the hill. The walk down to the lake was pretty steep and a hike back up but well worth it.