It is snowing!!!

Well I have trouble downloading some videos to Blogger. I am dowloading to YouTube now. It is easier and more reliable.



Today there is SNOW and lots of it for Texas. I don't think I have ever seen such large snowflakes. The kids are having a blast!!!

This is Christian's snowman he built. It has cookie-cutter lips and rocks for buttons and eyes. He stuck a dinner knife in for the nose, poor thing. He has a rag-mop for hair. All in all I think he did fantastic!! Here is the link to the video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO_7Ov4WCcg

Clara eats cereal for the first time and gave her bed a try this week

Well a lot of big steps for Clara have gone on this week. A few nights ago she slept in her crib for the first time. She did well, but I did not. It was a lot harder to walk all the way across the house when she needed me. I ended up crawling in bed a little after 11:30 and then she woke up at 12:15 and then 1 something, then 3 something, and I then proceeded to fall asleep on her floor until 5. Then she woke not long after that and I got her and put her in bed with me. Mommy was tired!! I then gave it a try the next night but put her in bed with me at about 3:30. Last night we went back to the bassinet/playpen right next to our bed. It is so much easier to just reach a couple feet and give her her binki back. I feel better rested too. The little clip of her in bed shows you that she enjoyed her bed. The pretty little baby doll was her first baby doll every given to her by Tierra. We cherish it!

Tonight she had her first taste of cereal and she LOVED it but she just did not like the fact that it would not come constant like her milk does from the bottle. Here is a link to the video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu9328Hho9k Tomorrow I am going to the grocery store and we will try apple juice for the first time too. I just cannot believe she is already old enough to eat something. She will be 4 months old this coming Monday.

This week has been going smoothly. I finally started to crack the whip so to speak with the boys again. They were taking advantage of the fact that Clara and I would sleep late and they would slack on their chores and schoolwork, dragging it out. I finally put my foot down and said they would not be doing anything if they did not complete their chore/school work sheet that I have made up for them. They should be completely done with everything if they stay on task by the time the other children get out of school. I also made me a chore chart so I could see what was and was not getting done during the day/week. It helps me not to get so overwhelmed with the housework. I have also found a great website for grocery/meal planning that my dad told me about. He had heard about it from Dave Ramsey. It is http://www.e-mealz.com/ I had cooked 7 nights in a row of healthy meals that the kids loved. Tonight was the first night we went and ate out. We went to Roadhouse and I had salmon, broccoli, and green beans. The relevance of what I ate is b/c I have started a 10-day detox. I am limiting carbs, processed foods, and sugars, etc. I am feeling better. I started Tuesday. I have not had a soda in 3 days. This is HUGE for me!!!

Our Sunday

Here is a clip of Clara trying out her new bouncy activity seat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmJupLAK2sQ She really seems to like it. She christened it with a big burp a minute after trying it out. It was great....caught on video and all!! We went to church this morning and then ran to Target and picked it up. She liked the one in the nursery and did well in it so I felt it was time.

We then went to the football field and watched all the guys play flag football and walked the track with soon-to-be, sister-in-law Candy!! FINALLY!! Clara loves to be in the stroller and walk outside. Ms. Sherry came and walked her around the track too.....Sherry is determined to steal my little girl....=D It is great to see that Clara is absolutely adored by so many people. She is the light of our family. We still fight over who is going to hold her....until she is poopy and guess who gets to hold her then. Yep, that's me!! (and you know what?? I waited a long time to change those poopies and I am still happy to do it!!)

Last night was somewhat of a milestone. For a while Clara will go to sleep in her bassinet/playpen right beside our bed at about 9 or so. She will sleep until 3:30 or so then wake up and has been sleeping with me since birth until we wake up. Well, last night she decided she wanted to sleep alone. She woke at 3:30 had her bottle and would not fall asleep with me. I put her back in her bassinet and off to sleep she went until 6-ish and I had to give her binki back a couple of times but then I had to wake her up after 8 to get ready for church. I was proud. If she keeps this up she may actually use her room. Ha, Ha!! I guess that is why that crib is in there. Her bedroom is not just storage for all her stuff after all. ;)

Back from Florida

Clay and I got back from Florida last night. We could not wait to see the kids!! We missed them so much. They stayed with Meemaw and Pawpaw from Saturday until Wednesday. It was a nice trip but just was not complete without the kids. Clay had to work alot. I spent 2 days in bed. It was nice. I did not feel 100% but the quiet time was nice. (would rather have been wrangling kids and making bottles). Every time we saw something we knew the kids we love we just missed them more. We did have nice evenings together after the "work" stuff. We did have a nice walk on the beach and some nice dinners even if we had to share them with other people during the work show. Here are a couple of pics.

My dad got the flu on Saturday. I was terrified the kids were going to get sick. I still hope they make it without getting sick but at least I am home now to care for them myself. My mom and dad already miss them. They will get the opportunity again in 3 weeks when we have to go to the Dominican Republic for another show. This show will be less work and more fun. We hate we cannot take the kids but they don't have passports yet. After this show our shows are done for another year, thank goodness. We have decided we are going to try our best if we can to take the kids to at least one of the shows from now on. We only do two or so a year. We do another in Oklahoma City but we always take the kids to that one. Well, back to work/school, housework, and loving my kids.

Sorry so long....

Well, I have just not made time to update the blog. Where do I start? Clara had her first overnighter with the boys at their meemaw & pawpaw's house last Friday. It went very well and meemaw was exhausted after all was said and done. This was a test run for when Clay and I go on a business trip to Florida this Saturday for 4 days. This is going to be extremely tough for me!! I know it is great to have Clara spend quality time with my parents as the boys have done. This is why the boys have such a wonderful relationship with them. I want Clara and them to have that same great bond. It is just harder to share this go around as compared to when I was younger.

I have included a little video of Clara in her bath. She has already gottne too big for it. She really loves the water which will be important in this family...we all thrive in the pool and lake!! I cannot wait to get her in the pool and also take boat rides. She is going to love it as will we all just watching her!!!

Thursday was Valentines Day and we had a great one. The kids and I made Valentines cookies for Clay and we had dinner at Outback and then ice cream from Shakes and a movie later at the house. It was a nice evening. Here is a pic of the boys with their chocolate candy. I figure Clara will get her box of chocolates next year and we will haev a pic of all three with the boys teaching Clara how to dig in!!!

I had a tough phone call with Tierra on Sunday. I called to check that she had gotten the videos and pictures I had sent. She had. I could tell in her voice that she was not okay. She ended up asking me to save up all the videos and pictures of Clara to give her in a year or so. She stated that it was too tough to see Clara right now. This was devastating to me at first. I completely understood where she was coming from but that openness had been very important to me. I do realize though that it is not about me and I will just make a HUGE box for her next Christmas which Tierra mentioned could be her Christmas present. This took me a few days to swallow. Never in a lifetime do I ever want to do anything that might hurt Tierra or make her uncomfortable in any way. I do thank God that she felt open enough to share this with me. It was just hard to swallow at first. I am getting better with it each day. I so much want her here to share every breath, new sound, new look, discovering her beautiful hair with her perfect little hands, etc. There is still that guilt that I have the honor of watching Clara grow into the wonderful Christian God wants her to be while Tierra is missing it here in this lifetime.

Clara and her Bumbo

I had to take a pic of Clara in her Bumbo. She loves it!! She likes to sit and look out into the backyard and she will also watch short clips of Baby Einstein videos. I also like it because it can help me with her hair. We get a kick out of seeing her sitting there like a little grown up and she does as well. She is really growing way too fast.

She will have her first sleepover with meemaw and pawpaw (my parents) this Friday for a trial run when Clay and I have to go to Florida for a business trip for 4 days at the end of this month. I am really struggling with this. With the boys I just handed them over and I was really young and the "motherly" instinct to "worry" just was not there. Now that I am older and I can cherish the baby stage so much more, I am really sad to have to leave her but I also know it is good for her. The boys have a wonderful relationship with meemaw and pawpaw and it is because they got to spend so much time with them when they were younger. I want Clara to be blessed with the same relationship. I could not ask for better grandparents for my kiddoes! They absolutely adore all of their grandchildren and it is so evident! God continues to do great works in our family by continously growing us in Him.

Clara's Ears are pierced!!

Well, yesterday I finally gave in and had Clara's ears pierced. I wanted to at 6 weeks old but just could not do it. I really struggled with this decision. I felt like the worst mom in the world for doing it. She cried at first but then a minute later was smiling and happy with the lady that did it. The woman also had to do it three times b/c one of her ear holes were not even. Ugggghhhh! I did not expect it to affect me so much. Now, though, I am very happy with the decision. Tierra had already mentioned before we even left Utah, asking if I was going to get her ear's pierced. I had already thought about it so when she said that it was like saying it was all okay. Now that it is done I feel confident that they will always be a part of her body and not something she will play, pull, tug, etc. She will not choose to get her ear's pierced b/c all of her friends have theirs done, and it will not be such a huge monumental thing. All that being said, when I was holding her, I felt like the worst mom ever!! Here is a little clip of Clara and her sparkling little earrings from just while ago!! She is still just as happy as ever!!