Goodness, we’ve had quite a gap since my last post. I’ll catch up soon (or perhaps not!) — but in the meantime, here’s the latest excitement in our sweet little world…

Parenting is filled with milestones. First foods, first words, first steps — so many firsts. As the daughter and sister of two of the best teachers I know, I’ve always held a special place for “school” in our milestone list. Although Claire has been a part of some fantastic preschool programs over the last few years, kindergarten has always felt like a biggie.

Summer wrapped up with a wonderful Popsicles on the Playground event to introduce rising elementary students to their new teachers, principal, and school staff. We had a great time meeting everyone and reuniting with neighbors and friends.

The next week we went as a family to Open House, where we toured Claire’s classroom and visited the library, cafeteria, and more. Her main teacher, Mrs. Nicastro, is now out on maternity leave, but Claire is fortunate to have Ms. Lyon as an assistant teacher. Both are loving and bubbly and exactly what I pictured in a kindergarten teacher!

Claire woke up ready to roll on her first day! We enjoyed a special breakfast together, then drew hearts on our hands (to look at when we missed each other), tied on our parent-kid friendship bracelets (a gift from Claire’s knowing teachers), and prepared for our stroll to school. Before we set off, I spilled my Mama heart out telling Claire how I’ve been praying that God would protect her heart, her body, and her brain. Without skipping a beat, she sweetly stopped me and said, “Mommy, don’t worry. I went to Sonshine Preschool lots of days and Mrs. Patti always told me that I’m a child of God.” Boy, I couldn’t have heard sweeter words. Our girl was ready to go.

And off we went! We packed Cora up in a stroller and all walked to school. “I’m not nervous anymore, just excited,” Claire said, taking off in a run. Minus one sidewalk spill that resulted in a skinned knee and elbow, we arrived in 7 minutes. First stop: school nurse for band-aids. Next: class! 

Our big girl hustled into her room with hardly a hesitation. (Kindergarteners have a staggered entry, so only 6 kids started with her on Tuesday. The full class convened on Friday.) Before we knew it, Adam, Cora, and I were back home and counting the hours til 3 p.m., when our brave Big Girl would ride the bus back (at her request).

Her first words when she arrived home: “KINDERGARTEN WAS AWESOME.” Amen!

Merry Christmas! (I know…I know. I’m finally catching up on the holidays! Whew!)

Our holidays were mighty merry this year, including a classic Santa visit, the local parade, the Burton family Thanksmas, Winter’s first dusting of snow, Claire’s precious preschool program, a beautiful Christmas Eve service, and a wonderful Christmas morning. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the season:

The only damper on the fun was an 11pm trip to the pediatric ER on Christmas night. Cora had a high fever, erratic breathing, and periodic vomiting. She was diagnosed with a respiratory virus and sent home around 2am. Thankfully Nana Beth was here to take care of Claire while we were gone (and let us sleep in a bit the next groggy morning).

A week later we started a new tradition by hosting a New Year’s Afternoon Party that culminated in a 3pm countdown and balloon drop for loads of friends. It was a blast!

2017 was hectic. Lots of work…lots of commitments…lots of fun, too, but Adam and I slid into January feeling haggard. We’re praying for less stress and more joy in 2018! Happy New Year!

(I know, I know. The holidays are over and 2018 is here…but it’s never too late for cute Claire and Cora pictures, right? Please bear with me while I catch up on my posting!)

Fall has always been my favorite season, but when you add two kiddos on top, it’s unbeatable. Our October was packed with a family vacation to Hilton Head Island for Grandpa and Grandma’s birthday, our annual venture to the Carolina BalloonFest, a field trip to the pumpkin patch, and a fun-filled Halloween. We then sprang into November with a week in the Outer Banks with the Hissem side of our family, Adam’s birthday, loads of fall festivals, Claire’s school program, and a really relaxed Thanksgiving holiday. Bonus: In the midst of all the fun, Cora started walking!

Here are a few photos of our adventures:

Dear friends and family,

We’re making a time capsule for Cora Katherine filled with little letters from friends and family. We can’t wait for her to open it on her 18th birthday (2034 will be here before we know it!) and read well-wishes and predictions for her bright future. (We’ll do the same for Claire in 2031.)

If you’re reading this, we’d love for you to be included! Would you mail us a short note for Cora’s capsule?

Much love,
Lauren & Adam

Oh what fun! Cora Katherine, you are ONE (plus a few weeks)!

Just as we said with your big sister, we can’t remember life before you — and we sure can’t imagine life without you. You’ve completed our family in so many ways, and we’ve absolutely adored watching you change and grow. What a year this has been!

Height: 30 inches
Weight: 19 pounds, 12.5 ounces

Eating
You’re an awesome eater and some days seem to chow down on more than Claire! We’ve started doing water in your sippy cup, which is a hoot to watch. We think you particularly love being a “big girl.” You’re very curious about utensils and love putting things on a spoon before popping them in your mouth. You enjoy having your food in bowls, too, and you have about a 80% success rate with keeping the yummies in it.

Favorite foods include berries of all kinds, green peas, cheese, macaroni, salmon, green beans and carrots. And when you’re done, you’re done and will “clear your plate” by pushing everything to the ground.

We hit our one-year breastfeeding goal, and even when Mommy was gone on a cruise for a week, you picked right back up when I returned. (Thank you, sweetie!) You got to enjoy cake and ice cream on your birthday (yay!) but still seem to favor fruits and vegetables. (For now!)

Playing
My my, you’re a busy girl. When you’re awake, you’re on the move: crawling, playing, cruising, exploring. You ping pong around the house, playing with Big Sister’s toys, “petting” Pinot, and looking for non-baby-proofed cabinets.

We actually allowed you two big drawers in the kitchen filled with plastic kid dinnerware, bibs, and towels, and you love standing for minutes at a time as you take items in and out, then proudly shut the drawer before starting your routine all over again.

We’ve baby-gated the house as you’ve picked up crawling speed and have started cruising along furniture and walls. You LOVE getting into Claire’s art supplies, and have enjoyed the little bit of “coloring” we’ve let you do. (You also enjoyed the 1/8 of a blue crayon you got to gnaw before you were caught.)

Your favorite game seems to be playing “kitchen” in the play room, where you’ll smack your lips as you “sip” from the tea cup and click your tongue as you “nibble” the cake. You stir the wooden spoon in the pretend blender and will move plastic pots and pans in and out of the oven. It’s adorable.

You still seem super musical as you dance, “sing,” and play the maraca and kazoo. You’re also especially loving, and will give open-mouth kisses to any stuffed animal.

Sleeping
Girlfriend, you’re all over the board, but most nights you still wake up once between 3 and 5 a.m. Thankfully, Mommy is used to it (what’s sleep?) — and I know these wake-ups won’t last forever.

Oddly nap time is becoming our latest struggle. You’re an awesome morning napper, but you and your sister are both starting to fight the treasured afternoon nap. We’ve had a lot going on lately — vacations, sickness, parties, and more — so Mommy and Daddy are hoping that things will settle soon.

 Your big sister…
…was SO excited for your birthday. She loves telling people that Cora is a toddler now — and “no longer zero years old.” Ha! Claire loves giving you BIG hugs, and although you’re pretty tolerant, we’re trying to remind her that you’re still little.

We love watching you two bond. When you wake up earlier from your nap, you insist on crawling across the hallway to Claire’s bedroom door and “knocking.” You’re definitely sweet buddies already.

It’s still hard for Mommy and Daddy to believe that our littlest girl is already one. You were such a good baby, and we already see you’re going to be a great kid. It’s cliché to say, but we feel truly blessed to be your parents. Our little family plays together, prays together, and laughs a lot. What more could we ask for? Happy, happy birthday, beautiful Cora!

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

The new year is here! (Weren’t we just celebrating the start of summer?) The final few weeks went by in a flash, filled with Woodland Fairy and Auntie Haley camps. Woodland Fairy Camp was a hit — the teachers loved Claire and Claire loved the fairy-themed adventures. She met a few friends, found a moth (and promptly named him Tick Tock), and got super dirty. It was grand.The last few weeks of Auntie Haley Camp were the highlight of the summer, though, as Haley spoiled the girls with hours of playtime, art, movies, and ice cream dates. The girls truly bonded with sweet Haley (Claire cried and cried the day she left!), and Mom and Dad even got date nights out of the deal. We’d keep Haley year-round if we could, but there are dozens of middle schoolers who need her more. (We love you, sis. Thank you!!!)And now it’s September and we’re delighted to be back at Sonshine for the 4-year-old program! Claire’s last “first” day of preschool (I’m not crying, you’re crying!) was filled with fun. She started with a special breakfast (pancakes with sprinkles, in a princess dress of course), smiled for a great first day photo (she wanted a second day picture today, too), and then it was go time. Claire ran into her classroom without hesitation (thanks, Ms. Amanda and Ms. Vicky), and came home with stories of new friends and new art supplies. She was selected to be the American Flag Holder (which I learned is nearly as prestigious as Line Leader) and enjoyed having spinach in her lunch (it’s the small things).We find it funny that Claire doesn’t recall much about the 2-year-old program at Sonshine (not even the fabulous playground!) — but we’re grateful that she’s such an easygoing kiddo. It’ll be a great year!

Hello, beautiful big girl — you’re 11 months old!

And gracious, you’re a crawling, cruising, babbling sunshine. You still don’t sleep (wahhhh!) but you now have 8 teeth and we’re thinking your body is just too busy growing. You’re getting more hair, getting really great at repeating our words (thank you, kitty, Ma-ma, Da-da, Sissy, uh oh), and have a growing fondness for independent play.

Month 11 was filled with fun: you went to a couple birthday parties, spent lots of summer days on the boat, and journeyed to Ohio for a Horning family reunion, where we all finally got to see Booka’s farm. You’re not a fan of the car (that’s a more recent development since you’ve gotten mobile), but we made it and you loved the quality time crawling around with cousin Emma.

You also got to enjoy the final weeks of Auntie Haley Camp — such fun! It made me a super happy Mommy to see you and Haley bond, and boy, her patience, love, and creativity inspire me!

Weight and height: You’re growing before our very eyes, and are lovely and long like your big sis. We’ll go back to the doctor next month for your 1-year appointment and I’ll post your official stats then.

Eating
You’re still an eager eater, and the fact that you have 8 teeth (your big sis only had 2 at this point) makes you fast and productive!

You’ve started “clearing your plate” when you’re finished — when means tossing the food you’re done with onto the floor. You’ve also begun kicking one foot up on the tray mid-meal. It can’t be comfortable, but you seem to think it’s funny (and your sister’s laughter is confirmation).

You’re super observant, and seem to get a bit perturbed when Claire eats treats (especially ice cream!) in front of you. Only a few more weeks til your big birthday — will you be our great cake eater?

Like Big Sis, you don’t seem to have any interest in weaning anytime soon (and Mommy is okay with that.) You nurse before naps and before bed…and when you wake during the night. It’s short and sweet and puts you right to sleep.

Playing
Now that you’re on the move, your personality is really coming out. Daddy and I love watching you make decisions (where’s she going to go? what’s she going to play with?) as you make your way around the living room or play room. You’re attracted to buttons, baby dolls, Pinot cat, and anything that Claire’s playing with (oops!).

Big Sis has fondly dubbed you “Train Monster” since you have a tendency to de-rail her Thomas train and track. Daddy and Mommy try to quarantine (“Cora-ntine”) you to one side of the play room, but you always break through and irritate the crud out of Claire.

You’re also super fond of anything that makes sound — you play your maracas and kazoo and “dance” to music with a huge grin.

(If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.)

Sleeping
Oy. I keep reminding myself that one day you’ll be a teenager and we’ll have to get you up. For now, though, you continue to wake one…two…sometimes even three or four…times a night.

During the day, though, you nap solidly from 9-11 and 2-4 (thank you!) — so it’s a net win. Ha!

Your Big Sister
…still thinks you’re the bees knees. Claire loves when we bring you into the room to wake her up. She wants to hug you tight, and then insists on having you get in bed with her (for about 15 seconds).

Claire is slowly but surely starting to share with you. It seems like you’ve already learned how to push her buttons (and you do it frequently and fearlessly), but we try to defuse the “fights” quickly by giving you each a different toy.

The next time I write, we’ll be celebrating your first birthday. I’m proud of you, little pumpkin. And I’m proud of Mommy and Daddy too! The baby days are busy, but boy you make them beautiful.

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Dear Claire Bear (can we call you that til you’re 20?),

Happy FOUR! Four. Once again, this year has passed in a flash and now you’ve become our thoughtful, creative, and passionate big girl. You have a huge heart, a true love of learning, and a deep desire to make friends with everyone you meet.

Your biggest change this year was becoming a BIG SISTER. Mommy and Daddy were mighty curious to see how you’d handle the transition—and Claire, you rocked it. You love Cora with your whole heart and proudly introduce her to anyone who will listen.

You’re super skilled at making Cora smile and have taught her to copy your silly sounds. We cannot wait to see how your relationship will grow over the coming years. What a blessing that you two have each other!

Playing
The princess stage is still going full-force, but golly it’s cute! You absolutely love movies, and have an amazing knack for memorizing soundtracks. You love dancing around the room to your favorites (Moana, Little Mermaid, Lion King, and Trolls), and we’ve had fun instituting Movie Nights on Fridays (complete with popcorn and piles of blankets).

You are super brave, and have no qualms about climbing up on the highest piece of playground equipment you can find. You still love bubbles and balloons, but also baby dolls and your trains. Your imagination is inspiring, and we love how you create little adventures for your stuffed “friends” to enjoy.

All said, your favorite pastime remains art. We’re so grateful that you have the sunroom as your studio, and have enjoyed letting your creativity run free with stickers, stamps, glue, scissors, and paint. Something is spilled out there daily, but it’s fun to let you play freely. Although we’ve seen you draw stick figures a few times, your favorite medium remains stickers and “dotters” for now.

You’re still our social butterfly, making friends everywhere we go. Your best buddies are Audrey McQueeney, Henry James, Kate Furlong, Millie Mitchell, and all the friends from your Bluebirds class (Shelby, Mia, and Elizabeth were the favs).

Saying
One of the things that impresses Mommy and Daddy most is your comfort communicating with adults. You’re able to ask great questions, carry interesting conversations, and we never quite know what you’ll say. Your vocabulary is awesome, and you continue to come up with the sweetest expressions: “Stick to the plan,” “Keep that in your mind,” “I very love you,” “actually…,” “sure,” “do you want to see me jump?” and —my favorite— “I love being your kid.”

You’re very curious about Spanish, thanks to both your fabulous teacher (Mrs. Cadena) and the TV show Go, Diego Go. We hope to foster that interest in the next few years.

Dislikes
After years of being our Baby-Led Weaning star, you’ve recently become more of a picky eater. You’ll still eat a carton of tomatoes, sure, but you’re now choosy about your brand of mac-and-cheese, the color of your apple, and the type of butter on your toast (only salted will do). We know this is your independence shining through, but Mommy and Daddy were spoiled by your previous anything-goes appetite.

The other big change of heart that you had this year was Little Otter Swim School. You took about 6 months of lessons in the big kid class before deciding that you didn’t like swim lessons anymore. (And we mean realllllly didn’t like lessons.) We never quite figured out what flipped the switch, but Daddy and I decided that you were too young to be forced to do an extracurricular you weren’t into. That said, you still love swimming (thankfully!) and have been a little fish at the neighborhood swimming pool this summer. Whew!

What’s Ahead
We’re fortunate that you’re a super adaptable kiddo, cause we’re changing schools once again this fall. You had a great experience at DCPC, but for a whole host of reasons we’ve decided to switch back to Mt. Zion’s Sonshine Preschool. It’ll be a blast to watch you learn to write and work with letters this year, and Mommy and Daddy cannot believe that this is your last school year before kindergarten. (Cue all the emotions.)

You got your first big girl bike for your fourth birthday. Thanks to training wheels, you seemed to catch on super quickly—and we can’t wait to see you continue to build your confidence this year.

(If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.)

Your fourth year of life was filled with loads of fun and a few challenges, too, as we’ve all learned how to manage the big feelings your little body feels. Parenting you is both joyful and humbling. You remind us daily that it’s both an honor and a huge responsibility to guide, love, and protect you. Thankfully we’re surrounded by the most loving village of family and friends—and you’re adored by them all.

Happy fourth birthday, sweetheart.

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Sweet big girl, you’re 10 months old!

(Actually you’ve been 10 months for 2 weeks already—but if it makes you feel any better, I was 3 weeks late writing Claire’s 10-month blog!) The good news about a late post is that it gives you more time to change and grow. And boy did you ever! In the last week you’ve started crawling, Cora Katherine, and we’re so very proud of you!

You now have five teeth in (two on the top and three on the bottom) and three more poking through—and goodness, there’s nothing cuter than a toothy grin on a little girl. Your hair is coming in, too, and it’s that same strawberry blond we adored with your big sis. Surprisingly, your little arm hemangioma is also starting to fade out, too.

Your precious personality wins us over daily, as you’re quick to giggle and give wide-open smiles. You seem to have an affinity for music—as you love to wiggle “dance,” and can play your maraca and kazoo with gusto.

Month 10 was filled with more adventures—we wrapped up Mommy & Me Yoga, spent many Sundays out on the boat, took an all-girls trip with Nana Beth to Virginia, and enjoyed a few fabulous weeks of Auntie Haley Camp.

Weight: 20 pounds, 3.2 ounces (on the home scale)
Height: Long and lovely!

Eating
Mealtime with you is a hoot and a half. It starts with the prayer. As soon as Big Sis begins singing “God Our Father,” you break out a big grin and start wiggling. You know food is on the way! Your favorites are still watermelon, blueberries, frozen peas, peanut butter, and spaghetti, but you’re also totally game for carrots, salmon, pizza, bread, and cucumbers.

You get absolutely filthy at every meal, and we’ve been known to give you up to two baths a day. Worth it—and hilarious. Sometimes we’ll let you join Claire in the bathtub upstairs, but often we’ll just bathe you in the kitchen sink.

Nursing is still going beautifully, happening before each nap and twice (yes, still twice) during the night. Mommy had to travel for work for two nights in early July, and while you were a total champ with the bottle while I was gone, you picked right back up on our routine when I returned.

Playing
Just like your sis, when you rise you shine! You’re bursting with energy in the morning, and will play happily for 30 minutes by yourself while Mommy and Daddy buzz around and make coffee and breakfast. In a move of brilliance, Daddy got you accustomed to the play yard before you were mobile, so you don’t seem to mind passing time in there. You still love blocks and your tools, and are also becoming interested in books and the discovery cube.

Now that you can crawl, you love to slowly make your way around the room as you play for just a few moments with anything you can get your hands on. You adore the remote (buttons!) and all of Claire’s belongings (no surprise).

Your legs are super sturdy, but although you love standing at the couch or ottoman or activity table, you don’t quite have the balance to cruise. We aren’t rushing you, sweet girl—Mommy and Daddy are already baffled by how quickly your baby days are passing.

Sleeping
So…not much progress. We’re still blaming your teething and your inevitable growth spurt, but nighttime isn’t a ball around here. No matter what time we put you down, you’ll wake around both midnight and 4 a.m. Thankfully you nurse quickly and go right back to sleep…but it isn’t ideal.

That said, you earn back your cool points at nap time—when your long and routine sleeps make Mommy’s work from home schedule actually work.

Your Big Sister
…was more excited for you to crawl before she realized that it would give you access to her toys. For some reason Mommy thinks it’s hilarious to see you two “fight” over a block or doll. Flash forward to many, many years of learning how to share with your sister.

All that said, Claire still adores you and is eager to introduce you to anyone she can. She’s quite proud of the big girl you’re becoming.

It’s hard to believe it’s time to order invitations for your first birthday, Cora. Just this week my TimeHop app showed pictures of me attempting at-home tricks for turning a transverse baby. And a year later, you’re crawling around the room. God is great. (And you are too!)

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Claire’s “favorite things” interview at 4 years old!

(If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.)

And for fun, here are the same questions we asked on her third birthday! My how she’s grown!

Summer — as it tends to do — is passing in a flash, and Mommy got behind on posting (and picture-taking)! Here’s a quick summary of our past two weeks:

Gardening Camp at the Children’s Schoolhouse included learning about composting (“making a big pile out of our yucky food”), planting a pumpkin and a sunflower, painting clay pots, and playing in the dirt. The highlight of the week, according to Claire: Playing “bad dogs” with my friend Boaz. (She keeps us guessing, y’all.)

Water World Camp at the Children’s Schoolhouse was a flurry of swimsuits, sunscreen, and sand. (Soooo much wet sand.) The kiddos played in the sprinkler, built a stream, got soaked on the water slide, and touched turtles and toads. The highlight of Water World Camp, according to Claire: When the turtle tickled the teacher’s hand…and then went pee pee on her.

Next up: Auntie Haley Camp! My amazing sister is entertaining the girls for much of the summer, and she will be coming up with plenty of adventures to fill Claire’s weeks. We’re mighty grateful for her!

Princesses & Knights Camp at Discovery Place Kids was as magical as we could imagine. The kiddos got to dress up (naturally), design puffy paint castles, play with bubble wands, and even make dragon faces (that Claire informed me did not breathe fire) and pool noodle horses.

The best part, Claire says, was a tie between making marshmallow castles (“it was delicious”) and melting a giant ice castle with blue water (“it was really messy”). Delicious and messy: keys to Claire’s heart!

We didn’t get many pictures, but here’s a collection of her take-home creations. It was a great week!

Next up: Gardening camp!

Vacation Bible School at Grace Covenant Church was a hit! Claire attended with her good buddy Henry, and they enjoyed three packed mornings of “exploring” Operation Arctic.

The children studied Paul, the parable about building a house on the rock, and the story of Mary and Martha (who, Claire said, had “a really rough day because she was too busy picking up her toys to talk to Jesus”). Theology of a three year old, right? Ahem. Somehow it all tied into arctic fun, and the kids enjoyed “snowball” fights, building a penguin, and dining on klondike bars.

One of the highlights of camp was the bubble machine, which the church set up outside as the kiddos arrived and departed. Plus, Claire’s new favorite song:

All in all, awesome week. We can’t wait to return next year!

Next up: Auntie Haley Camp 🙂 Haley is coming to stay with us for much of July, and will be giving both girls lots of fun memories. We’re so excited!

Sweet Cora Katherine, you’re nine months old!

And my, how you’re changing. You now have three teeth (and two top ones on the way), have started pulling up a bit, babble constantly, clap with glee, and have been positioning yourself to crawl. You’re also full of personality, madly in love with Pinot kitty, and ever-curious about Big Sister’s antics.

Month nine was filled with adventure — your first “swim” in the neighborhood pool, your first 5k in the jogging stroller, a big trip to Bethesda and Richmond, plus plenty of fun in between.

Weight: 18 pounds, 12.5 ounces (50-75th percentile)
Height: 27 3/4 inches (50-75th percentile)

Eating
Baby-Led Weaning for the win: You’re such an explorative eater, and will try anything we put in front of you! From eggs and olives to fish and fries, you love it all. There are certainly favorites (watermelon, blueberries, bananas, frozen peas, and spaghetti) — but so far you’ve been game for everything we’ve tried. Such fun!

Nursing is still a special part of our day, happening before every nap, plus once or twice throughout the day. Our sessions are quick but productive, and I do my best to find a quiet and boring spot so you aren’t as distracted. I’m still pumping a couple times a week to keep a freezer stash up for date nights and a few trips this fall. Thankfully you’re a champ with the bottle — and for that we’re so grateful.

Playing
Oh sister, sister, you love nothing more than Claire Bear’s toys. Sometimes y’all share sweetly…other times the years seem to flash forward as we watch you pull hair and fuss over favorite dolls and books. You also love your feet, your toy tool set, a pretend remote, and anything else we’ll let you chew.

We’ve set up an activity table, and enjoy helping you stand and play. You have strong, sturdy legs, but haven’t quite mastered your balance and will slowly “trust fall” forward or back. In time, in time!

Sleeping
Who needs sleep? It’s overrated, right? (…sigh…) We blame your teething, a cold, even your growth spurt, but the bottom line is that when it comes to nighttime, you keep us on our toes. Naps are still long and regular (9:30–11 a.m. and 2–3:30 p.m., thankyouverymuch), but you’re still waking up around midnight and 3 a.m. each night, no matter what time we put you to bed.

At your 9-month appointment last week Dr. Wendy encouraged us to begin sleep-training through your 3 a.m. wake. It won’t be fun for any of us, but hopefully just a few nights of fussing will have us all sleeping better.

Your Big Sister
…loves to join you in your play yard — making it look like we’ve put you both in baby jail. You’ll happily play together for 20 minutes at a time, which is a delight to you both (and super helpful for Mommy and Daddy). Claire CANNOT WAIT for you to start crawling, and has promised to help us baby-proof soon.

We have a feeling the next few weeks will be filled with excitement as you start cruising around, Cora Kay. It’s still hard for us to believe that our baby girl is almost on the move. Loads of fun to come, little one! We adore you.

Hugs & kisses,
Mommy & Daddy

Our little chef LOVED cooking camp, hosted at The Children’s Schoolhouse here in Cornelius.

Each day featured one yummy recipe, including two-ingredient rolls, homemade pizza, berry crumble, and cinnamon-raisin scones. Camp also offered tons of playground, music, and art time, too.

If you ask Claire the highlight of her week, though, she won’t even pause before giving her honest answer: “the water slide.” Fridays are Water Day at this camp — and our adrenaline junkie had a ball on the slip-n-slide. Three cheers for childhood.

Next up next week: Bible school (where we hear there may be “snow”)! Stay tuned!

We decided months ago that our social butterfly would need a summer full of fun to keep her extroverted cup full. Thankfully our area is brimming with creative camps, from art and cooking to gardening and bible school. So…we signed her up for seven!

This first week was Art Exploration at Discovery Place Kids. Adam and I gathered that it wasn’t as much about structured art as it was about “exploring” different mediums. The result? This exciting array of creations:

It’s hard to draw out details from our busy bee, but from what I gather, the highlight of camp was a tie between throwing dye-filled water balloons at white t-shirts and rolling around in paint while wrapped in bubble wrap. (I wish I could see a picture of that.) Messy bliss, for sure!

More fun to come next week. Happy Saturday!

It’s hard to believe that 3-year-old preschool is officially over! We’ve had a wonderful year with Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Ottati, Mrs. Sink, and Mrs. Cadena, and Claire truly thrived in DCPC’s program. The last few weeks of school were filled with special activities, including a beautiful butterfly release, Claire’s summer birthday celebration, “dress as a princess or superhero” day, and of course, loads of sugar!

We’re looking forward to a fun-filled few months of pool time, camps, and hopefully some relaxing too. There’s never a dull moment in the Eberle house! Happy Summer!

Dear beautiful, busy, bubbly Cora Katherine,

You, our precious one, are EIGHT months old — and my oh my, you’re changing by the day. In the last few weeks you’ve gotten your first two teeth, mastered sitting, started babbling consistently, and have become a champion eater.

Your eighth month was busy (aren’t they all?!), including your first MerleFest, a big trip to Creedmoor, strawberry picking, and your introduction to swinging. Here’s what else you’ve been up to:

Weight: 18 pounds, according to our home scale
Length: Long and lovely (we’ll get measured at your 9-month appointment)

Eating
One of the highlights of our day is watching you eat, sweet pea. Bananas, carrots, and cucumbers have become fast favorites, although at this point you haven’t turned your nose up at anything we’ve offered! Your big sis would have nothing to do with eggs…but just this morning you gobbled one up. As expected, frozen peas are once again quite the hit — and thankfully your pincer grasp is impressive.

We’re handing you larger chunks of food and your two new teeth have helped make chewing more manageable. We just started offering you a sippy cup of breast milk (which so far you prefer to throw, rather than drink from), and we will try the spoon soon too.

Nursing is still going well, and we’ve spaced it out to three or four times/day. Our sessions are quick and rather clumsy, as you turn and twist at any sign of Daddy, Claire, or Pinot, but we’re still filling that sweet tummy, so I’m staying flexible.

Playing
In the last few weeks you’ve become such a hoot when it comes to playtime. You adore big sister’s toys, and squeal with glee when you get your hands on something that wasn’t intended as a toy. For example, your tiny baby shoes (which are spotless, since they’ve never touched the floor!) are quite the hit, while you also love chewing/exploring basting brushes, large wooden spoons, and tupperware of all sizes.

All that said, your very favorite thing in the world seems to be your sister. Claire can make you grin like no other, and it makes my Mama heart soar to see you two interact. The best is yet to come, for sure! You also have a passion for your chunky baby feet, which has started to make diaper changing more challenging. We call them your “ba-bas” because more than likely you’ll babble “ba-ba-ba-ba-ba” while playing/sucking/chewing on them. Too funny.

You haven’t made any moves to crawl. In fact, you hate tummy time so much that we rarely put you on your belly. Perhaps you’ll skip straight to walking?

Sleeping
Oh Cora. Mommy is trying with all her might not to compare you and Claire, but I just took a peek at Claire Bear’s 8-month blog post…and she was giving us 10-hour stretches of sleep each night. (Just sayin’.)

Thankfully you’re mighty adorable, so Daddy and I don’t complain too much about your wake-ups. But shew, we also wouldn’t complain about a little more sleep! These days we’ve been putting you down by 7 p.m., and you’ll average one or two wake-ups (around 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.) before getting up for the day at 7:30 a.m. Thankfully, after a dry diaper I can typically nurse you back to sleep within 15 minutes.

When it comes to napping, though, you’re quite the champ! We’re sticking to our schedule of 9:30 til 11, and then 2 til 3:30, which has worked beautifully with Claire’s school and nap routine, too. Thanks for that 🙂

Your big sister…
…is absolutely smitten. Claire will proudly introduce you to strangers, share her toys, and talk about all the things she’s going to teach you when you’re grown. In the meantime, she’s digging all the responsibility that comes with big sisterhood — and delighting in all the new hair you’re getting.

Summertime is fast approaching and we’re so excited about the many adventures ahead. What do you have in store for us, sweet girl? We can’t wait to see!

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy and Daddy

Good heavens….SEVEN! You, our precious blue-eyed beauty, are getting sweeter by the day.

The past few weeks have been filled with springtime fun, including your very first Easter. Mommy got you and Claire matching monogram shirts — and the Easter bunny was quite generous too. We had a great morning at church, followed by a special meal at Nana Kay’s.

But the highlight, Cora Katherine, was April 1 — your Dedication Day at Journey Church. We were absolutely overjoyed to have so much family in town to celebrate our commitment to raising you in a Christ-led family. We wrote out our hopes for you, and pledged to do our best to bring you up in a happy home. It seems like just yesterday that we made the same promise during Claire’s dedication — time sure is passing quickly!

Weight: 17 pounds, 6 ounces (on our home scale)
Length: We don’t go back to the doctor til you’re 9 months, but as always, you’re long and lovely!

Eating
No surprise here — you loooove food. Your favorites include pear, raspberries, broccoli, tomatoes, and bell pepper. You’ve started “chasing” frozen peas (awesome for your pincer grasp!), and we plan to add rotini and kiwi this weekend. As we learned with Claire, baby-led weaning is super messy, but it’s a hoot to watch you smile and squeal as you smash and smear your meal. Mommy and Daddy have started giving you baths in the kitchen sink (adorable!) to help keep the chaos at bay.

Nursing is still going really well, averaging about 5-10 minutes every 3-4 hours during the day. (Short, sweet, and productive — just like Claire!) My favorite part about nursing you is that you like to hold hands while you eat. Sometimes you’ll grip one whole hand around my finger, while sometimes you’ll take both hands and explore mine the whole time. It’s a sweet, comforting action, and reminds me to stay present in this fleeting time together.

Playing
The biggest change this month is that you’re now sitting unassisted. Yay, big girl! Once you learned to sit, you decided that was your preferred position…so we’re packing away the activity mat and letting you enjoy your new skill. We still surround you with pillows to help keep that sweet head from accidental boo-boos, but otherwise you’re free to play play play.

Your walker is still a big hit, too, and you’re slowly but surely starting to make it move. I don’t think you realize what you’re doing yet, so it’ll be funny when you start rolling around intentionally. You LOVE Pinot and shriek whenever you “catch” him (poor kitty!)…so Daddy and Mommy are trying to teach you to pet sweetly and softly.

Funny thing — you have zero interest in rolling, and have only flipped from tummy to back once or twice. I’ll be curious to see if you’ll try again when it’s time to crawl. Or perhaps you’ll just skip to pulling up and standing. Every baby is different, and Mommy and Daddy dig the fact that you do things your own way.

Sleeping
Speaking of doing things your way, we never know what nighttime will hold! Some nights you’ll sleep straight through til 5 a.m. (whoo hoo!), while some you’ll wake at 10 p.m. or even 2 a.m. Daddy and I have been a little slower at jumping each time you call. We’re not officially “sleep training” yet…but will head that direction in the next few months if we can’t get a full night in.

That said, you’re a rock star napper. You have a great schedule: 9:30 til 11 and again from 2 til 3:30 or 4. You’re still in your half-swaddle, and alternate between tummy and back sleeping. However you’re lying, you’ll always be sucking your middle two fingers. Too cute.

Your big sister…
…loves to snuggle you in her bed! When we wake Claire up in the morning, she always asks if you can cuddle with her. We put you side-by-side on her pillow while she oohs and aahs over you. If she’s feeling generous, she’ll even let you play with her stuffed animals.

If I could have a dollar for every time we’ve called you “best baby ever,” we’d have a fully funded college account already 😉 Cora Katherine, you’re a snuggly, smiley dream.

Hugs & kisses,
Mommy & Daddy

Happy half-birthday, Cora Katherine! You’re SIX months old!

Weight: 16 pounds, 5.5 ounces (50th percentile)
Length: 26.5 inches (75th percentile)

Each month has added something new for you, but in the last few weeks you’ve changed by leaps and bounds. You have a great schedule established, have been rolling around, and have started eating solid food (yay!!!). And best yet: you do it all with a smile. You’re the happiest baby we’ve ever known, sweet pea. Thank you for going with the flow and giving us so much joy.

Eating
Let’s get to the fun part: We started Baby Led Weaning, the wonderful solid food philosophy that we used with Big Sister. Your first foods were tomato and avocado — and you were so excited! Since “food before one is only for fun” and you’re still getting all of your nutrients from nursing, we can let you free to play, play, play. It’s a hoot to watch you practice handling each new food, work it to your mouth, and eventually maybe even “bite” some off. Without teeth, there’s just a ton of gumming. But your happy yelps let us know you’re enjoying yourself. You’ve also had banana, cucumber, carrot, broccoli, red pepper, and orange.

On the milk front, you’re still a champ. We nurse every 2-3 while you’re awake, and you’re great at taking bottles when we’re apart. You’re more and more distracted as you eat (you’re becoming really curious about the world, and especially Claire!), so I’ve found that it works best in a quiet room. No complaints, though — just more time for baby cuddles!

Playing
You’re not yet sitting up unassisted, but you’re loving your walker and will happily play with toys for 30 minutes or more. You love cups, measuring spoons, your toy keys, and Chompers the dinosaur. You’ll carefully inspect each toy, gnawing away before throwing it on the ground. We’ve been especially impressed with your concentration. So cute!

Sleeping
You keep us on our toes, little lady. Most nights you’ll sleep through the night, heading to bed around 6:30 or 7…and sleeping about 11 hours. A few nights a week, though, you’ll decide to wake around 2 or 4 a.m. (yawn!). Thankfully a dry diaper and full belly will put you back to sleep for the rest of the night.

Nap times are more consistent. You go down for your morning nap when we return from taking Claire to school, usually 9:30 a.m. I’ve worked to sync your afternoon nap with Claire’s, aiming for 1:30 or 2 p.m. We remember that Claire loved sleeping on her tummy, but you’re still opting for your back — and still loving your half-swaddle wrap. Snug as a bug!

Your big sister…
is giddy over having you at the table with us! Mommy and Daddy don’t let Claire feed you, but she loves watching you eat — and tries to set a good example, too. She’s loving the fact that you’re becoming more playful by the day, and especially enjoys bringing you more toys and picking up things that you drop. We adore watching your growing relationship. Too sweet!

Daddy and I agree that one of our very favorite things about you is the way you snuggle. You have this precious habit of pressing your smooth, sweet cheek against ours when you’re held. Claire seemed to be more on the move, while you’re content to be carried. Or perhaps this time around I just know that the cheeks-pressed snuggle days are fleeting. Either way, it makes us want to hold you close forever. We adore you, Cora Katherine!

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Dearest Cora Katherine,

Five wonderful months have come and gone in a blink of an eye. Your days are filled with sweet smiles and Claire cuddles, and goodness it’s hard to remember what life was like before you arrived. You’re the smiliest baby we’ve ever known, and you love to flash your gummy grin at anyone that looks your way. What joy!

Weight: 16 pounds, 3 ounces
Length: Long & lovable!

Eating
It’s hard to believe we’re only a month away from introducing solids. You’ll be ready for sure — you’re already grabbing at food and seem super interested in what Big Sis is eating. In the meantime, nursing is still going really well. You’re starting to spread out your daytime feedings a bit, which is helpful. (You’re also a champ at the bottle, which is awesome.) You’re a curious little bee, though, and tend to get easily distracted. This means that nursing happens best when it’s quiet (or when Claire is distracted, too).

No teeth yet, but you’re chewing on every single thing you can get in your mouth…especially those tiny baby hands. You never took to the pacifier (neither did Claire), so your center two fingers are your favorite soother. Too cute!

Playing
This has been a big month for you, sweet love. You still aren’t rolling, but you’re sure making the moves to (silly arm is still in the way!). In the meantime, though, you’re staying mighty busy in your new walker. Although your toes don’t yet touch the ground, we pile the toys high and you can tolerate about 20 minutes upright.

The rest of your playtime is spent on the activity mat, which you still seem to adore. This is where we give you your beloved “nakey time” each day. Baby bliss!

Sleeping
Girlfriend, you love to keep Mommy and Daddy on our toes. We never know what kind of night we’re going to have! You typically go down around 6:30 p.m. (still swaddled and with white noise) and will wake up once during the night…and again around 5 a.m. The 5 o’clock wake is timely, since that’s when we get up for the day. But the mystery middle-of-the-night wake-up isn’t our favorite. Thankfully you’re quick to eat and then back to sleep…so we don’t mind it much. (Plus, we’ve certainly learned how quickly these baby days pass.) But it will be nice to get back our regular, solid-sleeping stage soon.

During the day you nap once in the morning around 9:30 (this lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours — ha!) and then a couple of times in the afternoon (usually 30- to 45-minute spurts).

Your first Valentine’s Day!

Your big sister…
is still simply smitten with you. She loves to hug you, kiss you, sing to you, talk to you, dress you, tickle you, (irritate you), and cover you with love. She proudly introduces you to friends and strangers…and is always eager to make you happy. The feeling seems mutual, as you grin from ear to ear when you spot Claire Bear in the mornings. Mommy and Daddy can’t wait to watch you two grow up together — a precious friendship is already in the works.

These next few weeks will be filled with new milestones (rolling! solid food! teeth?!) and lots of fun. Thank you for bringing us so much joy, Cora! You make our family complete.

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

Precious Cora, happy FOUR MONTHS (plus two weeks now…oops)! You are growing and changing so quickly these days — and we’re having a blast watching your precious personality appear. You’re a smiley, easy-going baby, which makes you such a perfect fit for our wild (ahem, Claire!) family.

Your fourth month was filled with Christmas, New Years, a long weekend in the mountains, and your first snow! We’re fairly certain you’ve started teething, as everything seems to make its way into your drooly mouth — toys, blankets, hands, clothes. We remember it taking Claire many months of this before the first tooth cut through, so we’re along for the ride.

Weight: 14 pounds, 6.5 ounces 
Length: 25 inches

Eating
During the daytime, we’re still nursing every two to three hours. That seems frequent, but Mommy doesn’t mind it because you get your calories in during the day and give us long stretches of sleep at night. You’ve gotten pretty good at taking breastmilk bottles, and are starting to seem super curious about “real” food and drink. We cannot wait to introduce you to solids at six months. We’re getting close!

Sleeping
All in all, you’re an amazing sleeper — but every night is different, and we never know what we’re going to get 🙂 Part of the difference between you and Claire is that we kept your big sister up later at this age. Since we didn’t have a bigger kid to juggle, too, she’d start her night at 9 p.m. For you, bedtime begins at 6:30, and you’ll typically sleep from 7 p.m. til around 5 a.m. (On weekdays this works well for Mommy and Daddy, as that’s the time we’re usually up to work out.) Some nights, though, you’ll opt to wake at 1 a.m. — but no matter the time, you’re usually easy to put back to sleep and will stay in your crib til Big Sister wakes at 7:30 a.m.

During the day you take 3 or 4 naps, varying from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Mommy wants to get you in a better routine, but we aren’t quite there yet. One thing I adore is that you tend to sleep just like Claire did — with one arm crossed over your head and sweet baby eyes. Sometimes, though, you’ll fall asleep mid-playtime — clearly the cutest thing ever…

Playing
We’ve been trying out the Bumbo and the walker, but you need a little more “core” sitting-up strength before you’ll tolerate those for an extended time. These days your play consists of more activity mat time — you still love grabbing at and “singing” to the toys. You haven’t started to roll yet (you aren’t as big of a fan of tummy time as Claire was), but Mommy and Daddy aren’t rushing you! After rolling comes crawling, and we’re in no hurry for our little lady to grow that fast.

You’re loving…
sneaking peeks at your sister’s cartoons, Mommy and Daddy, Sophie the giraffe, outside time, Pinot kitty, and pulling hair.

You’re hating…
the car seat (who blames you?), the cough/cold you’ve had for a few weeks, and getting your nails trimmed.

Your big sister…
cannot get enough of you, Cora! She loves snuggling up beside you and saying “take our picture!” She doesn’t like for you to cry, and is determined to diagnose the issue whenever you do, saying: “She’s starving!” She has a big poo-poo!” “She wants to watch a movie with me!”

The coming weeks will be filled with excitement as you cut your first tooth, learn to roll, and eventually sit up. But as second-time parents, Daddy and I now know how quickly you’ll grow. So slow down, sweet pea — these baby days super sweet. We love you, Cora Katherine!

Hugs & Kisses,
Mommy & Daddy

This Christmas season was both merry and bright — and we have the little Eberle girlies to thank! Claire and Cora added so much joy. What a gift to see the wonder of the holiday through a child’s eyes. Claire’s only request from Santa was a rainbow balloon…and he sure delivered! We did our best to be jolly — and with the Cornelius tree lighting, the Polar Express ride, multiple Santa visits, Claire’s Christmas program at school, cookie baking, gingerbread house making, our church’s Christmas Eve service, the Festival of Lights, many family meals and more on tap — it was a quite the glorious time.

Happy New Year to all our loved ones. We’re looking forward to a joyful 2017!

Oh baby, three months already?!

The weeks are flying by, sweet Cora, and we’re convinced you’re the perfect addition to our family. You’re an easy-going, happy girl, and the holiday season is certainly brighter with you in our life.

The biggest change this month was that Mommy went back to work after our blissful (but still busy!) maternity leave. Thankfully Daddy had two weeks left of his leave, so you’ve still enjoyed lots of one-on-one time. I’m really fortunate to work remotely, so although I’m back at it — I’m never too far away from you, little love.

Thanksgiving 2016

Weight: We don’t return to the pediatrician again til you’re 4 months, but our at-home scale says you’re about 14.5 pounds.
Length: Long and lean!

Eating
Nursing is still going really well, and I’m so grateful for that. You like to eat every two hours during the day, and seem to cluster a bit in the evening to store up for your big night of sleep. (You go girl!) I’m still blessed with an over-supply of milk, but we’re both getting better at handling the flow. Plus, you’ve decided to become a good bottle drinker! I’ve been pumping in the mornings since starting back to work, and you’ve been taking bottles from Daddy in the afternoons. It’s still not your favorite thing, but we’re grateful for your effort. Only three months left til we can introduce solids, too — yay!

Sleeping
This, sweet girl, is one of your most charming skills. For the past few weeks you’ve been sleeping beautifully through the night…and good gracious we’re thankful! Bedtime routine starts at 7 p.m. (you keep us on schedule!), and includes jammies, family prayers, swaddle, white noise, nursing, and lots of kisses. From there you’ll sleep til at least 5 a.m., sometimes even 6. Amazing!

Nap time during the day is a little less routine. In fact, our goal over the next week or two will be to try to get you more on schedule. You’re still taking lots of naps, but they’re difficult to plan around and we often find ourselves having to wake you to pick up Claire or run errands. We’ll get it figured out soon. Schedules make everyone happier 🙂

Playing
When you’re up, you’re active — kicking, punching, sucking on your hands, and trying to talk. We love your precious grunts and coos and get such a thrill out of watching you make new noises. You especially light up for big sister Claire, who cannot wait for you to learn to talk back.

(If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.)

You’re still a big fan of “naked time,” but we’ve also moved on to the activity mat, where you’ll pull on the zoo animals and admire the crinkly leaves. Daddy takes you on the same “Pinot Safaris” that he used to take Claire on, and you certainly enjoy flying around the room like an airplane. We can already tell you’re a curious little lady, and we love that about you!

You’re loving…
your big sister’s voice, sucking your middle two fingers, bath time, bright lights on the Christmas tree, toys, ceiling fans, and Mommy and Daddy 🙂

You’re hating…
getting in and out of the car seat, tummy time, and waiting to eat

Your big sister…
absolutely adores you! She loves to hold you, translate your baby talk, and help put you to bed.The best is yet to come! You two are so fortunate to have each other.

Your third month was a bit chaotic as we celebrated the holidays and adjusted to Mommy’s work schedule, but we can already tell you’re a go-with-the-flow kind of girl…and that’s awesome. Merry first Christmas, Cora Katherine. We adore you!

Kisses and hugs,
Mommy & Daddy

Happy TWO months, precious Cora!

The past few weeks have been such a joy as your sweet little personality started to really shine through. You’re full of smiles, are mesmerized by your sister, and have been trying to talk. We’re smitten!

The biggest change this month was Daddy’s return to work. For your first six weeks, we enjoyed parental leave bliss — an unexpected addition to Daddy’s benefits that we found out about a week before you were born. Having him home was a dream (and so super helpful!), but starting November 1, Mommy began perfecting the solo two-kids juggle. Thankfully you’re a trouper in the Baby K’tan carrier, which makes Claire’s preschool drop-off/pick-up much simpler. Plus, sometimes you and Mommy will take advantage of the beautiful Davidson College campus and indulge in a fall walk.

Your beautiful blue eyes seem to be sticking around, and your hair is coming back in. While it does have a strawberry tint, it’s also darker than Claire’s was at your age. We can’t wait to see how you continue to change!

Weight: 12 pounds
Length: 23 3/4 inches

Eating
Nursing is still going well. Like clockwork, you eat every two hours during the day, but you’re also pretty willing to drink bottles, so I do have a little flexibility. (THANK YOU!)

(If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.)

Sleeping
Whooo hoo, we’ve turned a corner. In the last week you’ve become a rock star sleeper. We begin your bedtime routine about 7:30 p.m. — jammies, swaddle, then prayers and a story with big sister. Afterwards, you nurse one last time in the dark, and then drift off around 8 p.m. From there, you’ve been sleeping til about 1:30 a.m. (awesome!), and then will sleep again until 5ish. We’re so proud!

During the day you’ve been a good napper, too. Usually you’ll give us a two-hour rest in the morning, and then a few smaller naps in the afternoon. You’re quick to sleep in the car, and still prefer the swing and Rock-n-Play over your crib.

Playing
There are not a lot of playtime options for a two month old, but one of your favorite things is “naked time” — kick, kick, kicking while (you guessed it) naked on a blanket. You’re also an amazing traveler. We took you to Asheville for Nana Kay’s birthday and you were a champ!

You’re Loving…
Naked time, Mommy and Daddy, morning, the birdies on your swing, and the bath.

You’re Hating…
Getting dressed, tummy time, and getting in and out of the car seat.

Your Big Sister…
is settling into her new role with such enthusiasm. She loves helping with diaper changes…fetching pacifiers…and “sharing” stickers.

Your Big Brother…
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention your crazy cat’s latest addiction: pacifiers, bottle nipples, and pump parts. Holy moly! He’s now chewed up SIX pacifiers. We’re going to need to buy stock in silicone!

Your second month was a true joy, Cora Katherine. You have such a sweet disposition and we can’t wait to learn more and more about you. Thank you for being a precious addition to our family.

Loads of love,
Mommy & Daddy

P.S. This was a gift from the wonderful realtor that helped us sell and buy our first and second homes. Look at the lovely description of your name!

From the moment we first heard a heartbeat, I daydreamed about Baby Two’s arrival. September 21, 2016 turned out better than I could have imagined. Here’s our story of Cora’s birth…

Although I know there’s no scientific reason to believe that second babies come earlier than first ones, I was surely convinced that Baby Two would be here before her due date. Adding this hunch to the fact that I was already 3 cm dilated, I decided to take my maternity leave a week early so I could relax a bit, spend extra quality time with Claire, and not be mid-project when labor began.

Starting September 12th, I was a free woman! But looking back, the extra time off perhaps made me even more impatient. We’d been dreaming of Baby Two since January, and the final days of waiting seemed to drag on and on — especially when her due date, September 18th, came and went.

Eventually, at 1:44 a.m. on Wednesday, September 21, we got the action we were hoping for as — just as it had with Claire — my water began to break while I was sleeping. I say “began to break” because I never got the dramatic gush you see in the movies with either daughter. Rather, just a trickle. (We learned later that this was called the forebag and since both girls were well-engaged at the end of my pregnancies, the babies were essentially trapping the rest of the amniotic fluid with their sweet heads.) I called the nurse, who had me rest on my side for 30 minutes to see if more water would drip.

During this time we began our family phone calls so the Winston folks could start making their way to town. Although no additional amniotic fluid came, when the nurse called back, she agreed that we should start heading to the hospital. We spent the next hour or so showering, cleaning the house, and packing. Soon Mari-Jo arrived to care for Claire (thank you!), and Adam and I hit the road.

We arrived around 4 a.m., said a prayer in the parking lot, and headed in. The experience, in many ways, was a wild deja vu: I checked in, changed into the lovely hospital gown, and waited for the fun (ha!) to start. Contractions were steady at this point, but certainly bearable. Our nurse measured me at nearly 6 cm, and I let her know that I wanted to attempt an unmedicated birth. 

Soon after, my cheering squad arrived! My precious Mom, sisters, and Mary Kay were a fabulous distraction from the pain. We listened to music, bounced on the labor ball, and kept lively conversation going for hours. At one point, the nursing staff (who loved our crew!) brought everyone blankets to help them warm up. They were even exceedingly forgiving when (in the midst of particularly awful contractions) I barked orders for silence.

Around 7:30 a.m. we received a very special video from home: 

(If you have trouble viewing the video, try clicking here.)

Talk about motivation! By that point we’d had a shift change, and we found out that our delivery OB would be Dr. Gorsuch, the same doctor that delivered Claire three years earlier. For that delivery, Dr. Gorsuch’s no nonsense, get-it-done demeanor ended up being exactly what I needed to end the two hours of pushing. This time around, she was even more encouraging — and extremely supportive of my desire for a natural delivery.

When she checked me around 9 a.m., she confirmed our suspicion that only the forebag of the amniotic sac broke in the night. Despite hours of contractions, I was stuck at 8 cm, so (just as with Claire) the doctor whipped out her hook and popped the rest of the bag.

At that point my contractions took off exponentially. We said farewell to the family, and I labored for another hour in bed, largely with my eyes closed as I focused on deep breathing. At 10:20 a.m., I was ready to push. The nurse called in Dr. Gorsuch and her team, and Adam was — once again — the greatest support I could have asked for. A mere 13 minutes later, Cora Katherine joined the world. 

She snuggled on my chest, and y’all, it was love at first sight. Adam cut the umbilical cord, and soon we were left alone — just the three of us — for special bonding time with our newest baby girl. Tears and smiles and kisses all around.

Soon, Adam sent a text to let the family know that the baby was here, and we had Nana Beth, Nana Kay, Papa Bob, and my sisters come meet the new little miss. It was so much fun to share her name and tell about her wonderful delivery.

After that, I had the joy of calling my Dad and Margie to share our good news (they arrived Thursday evening and spent the weekend with us!), and then Adam called Uncle Michael and his sweet grandparents, too. Soon the nurses returned to give Cora her first bath (a success!) and finally weighed and measured her. We were delighted to discover that although she was a little lighter than Claire (7 pounds, 8 ounces), Cora was born the exact same length (20 1/2 inches).

A few hours later we were moved to our room, where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon of snuggling, nursing, and soaking in all the new Cora love we could.

In the afternoon, JoJo brought Claire to meet her sister — a moment I’d anticipated since we saw the positive pregnancy test. In true 3-year-old fashion, Claire wanted to wear her “Cinderella” dress for the occasion, and arrived with a heart-shaped pink balloon for her little sister. Claire was instantly smitten, and warmed all our hearts with her gentle inspection of Cora. Claire counted Cora’s tiny fingers…”10!” and then she counted Cora’s tiny toes…”11!” Mommy and Daddy laughed — and double-checked to confirm it was just a miscount.

The next two days passed in a blur of happy baby bliss. Cora cluster-fed both nights in the hospital, but I was more than happy to oblige. More than happy to finally meet this twisty, turning girl. More than happy to be holding another miracle. Happy. So very, very happy.

This Halloween was the best yet! Big Sis dressed as Elsa and Little Sis was a sweet skeleton. (Side note – I’d originally planned for the girls to be Dorothy and Toto…but starting Oct. 1 Claire’s teacher began asking the students what they were going to be for Halloween. Claire stuck with “Elsa” all month and I didn’t have the heart to convince her otherwise!)

Lots of activities made the holiday extra festive: Claire’s preschool costume parade, the Davidson Halloween March, the Cornelius Halloween Scavenger Hunt, Spencer’s 3rd birthday party (which included a fire truck), carving a pumpkin with Daddy, and trick-or-treating all over our neighborhood.

Thank you, Nana Beth and JoJo, for joining the weekend celebrations. Such fun!

Dearest Cora,

Mommy and Daddy can hardly believe it’s been a month (actually five weeks, oops!) since you joined our family. What a blessing!

You are such a sweet, easy-going baby — and we’d forgotten how quickly babies change and grow. Thankfully we’ve been snapping a ton of pictures,  because it already feels like we’ll blink and you’ll be three. Here are the highlights of your first few weeks:

Weight: 9 pounds, 13 ounces (up from 7 pounds, 8 ounces at birth)
Length: 22 1/4 inches (up from 20 1/2 inches at birth)

Eating
I’m delighted to say that you’re an excellent eater, just like Claire. Daddy and I were proud of how quickly you latched in the delivery room, and I feel like you’ve eaten every two hours since! The lactation consultant says you eat about 3.5 ounces in 10 minutes (that’s a lot…quickly!), so we’ve only been nursing on one side at a time. We tried your first bottle at four weeks, and you took it like a champ! Claire only liked Avent brand bottles — but so far you don’t seem to be picky (thanks!). Perhaps Daddy will consider taking over a nighttime feeding soon? 

Sleep
Oh, sleep. We’ll get you back one day! As second-time parents, we knew we’d be sleepy…but it’s hard to remember just how much we miss uninterrupted rest. You surprised us from the start, sweet Cora, by cluster-feeding your way through your first night in the hospital (rather than the second, as we’d expected). Thankfully you’re absolutely adorable, and Mommy spent that whole night just in awe of her new beautiful blessing.

Once we got home, you slept for four weeks (swaddled without arms) in a Pack-n-Play in Mommy and Daddy’s room. Unfortunately we’re all (ahem!) “loud” sleepers…so you’ve now made the big move to your own crib. Thankfully you’re a fan, and are much better at putting yourself to sleep than we were used to with Baby Claire. You’re still waking every 2 to 3 hours during the night, but once you have a clean diaper (thank you Daddy!) and fully belly, we can all be back to bed within about 20 or 30 minutes. No complaints here, sweet girl!

Play
Although Claire wishes you were ready for dress-up and bubbles and painting, we have to remind her that you’re still a little baby. These days, your playtime includes watching the birdies spin above your swing, keeping an eye out for Sister or Pinot, and taking a bath. You aren’t a huge fan of your activity mat, but we’ll keep trying! Unlike with Claire, we were out and about your first few weeks of life. You’ve been to restaurants, parks, even a fireworks show (we protected your ears!) and two breweries.

You’re loving…
Cuddling chest-to-chest with Mommy and Daddy, the pacifier (and so does Pinot — he keeps stealing them!), baths, the swing, and kicking around without your diaper!

You’re hating…
Hiccups (don’t we all!), getting dressed, and “witching hour” between about 6 and 8 p.m. 

Your Big Sister…
absolutely adores you! Claire is so jazzed about her new role, and will proudly tell anyone she meets that she has a new baby sister. She wants to help with bottles, baths, missing socks…you name it! We’ve started staying bedtime prayers as a family in your nursery, then we’ll read one story all together. It’s amazing to see your bond forming already.

This new adventure is just getting started, sweet Cora, and Daddy and I already feel like you’ve made our family complete. Thank you, precious girl. We adore you!

Loads of love,
Mommy and Daddy

It is with great joy that we introduce our second daughter, Cora Katherine Eberle!

Born September 21, 2016 at 10:33 a.m.
7 pounds 8 ounces
20 1/2 inches

We’ll be back soon with her birth story and tales from our first days home as a family of four. Til then, here are a few pictures of our newest little beauty and her proud sister. Many, many more to come!

Thanks for sharing our delight!

Dearest Claire Elaine,

In the next few days, you will officially become a big sister. We’ve been talking about our baby for nine months, so I’m sure at this point you’re beginning to wonder whether we’ve just been teasing you. Never fear, she’s coming home soon and the world as we all know it will change.

It feels like just yesterday that you, precious girl, were our new baby. And now you’re three — so smart, independent, and full of life. You’ve gotten a lot of special attention this past week as Mommy has been home waiting for baby to come. We’ve baked, we’ve taken walks, we’ve gone out for ice cream, we’ve picked a hundred flowers, and we’ve cuddled on the couch watching movies. I’m trying to savor this time…these precious days when you still call Fox and Hound‘s “Best of Friends” the “Mommy-Claire Song.”

I wouldn’t be fully honest if I didn’t admit the bittersweetness of your move from being our one-and-only to half of our daughter duo. (We’ve had a LOT of fun just you, me, and Daddy.) Part of me feels that you’re sensing this shift too. Today when you woke, you asked to skip school and just play with me. We danced in the living room to Disney songs, and twirled til we were both dizzy.

I promise this won’t change, sweet girl. We’ll still dance — we’ll just have more twirling princesses.

Being a big sister has been one of Mommy’s favorite roles in life. I pray that you’ll be best friends, that you’ll love each other fiercely, and that you’ll keep each other in line, too.

Most of all, don’t you worry, Claire Bear. YOU were the one who made me a Mommy. And although things will be different, they’ll most certainly be better…and with even more love to go around.

I’m so proud of you, and as my precious Mama has proven to me, I’ll always be your biggest fan.

I love you forever and ever,
Mommy

“Ugga Mugga”

While we were waiting for Baby Sister to arrive, our family had another exciting change: Claire started 3-year-old preschool at DCPC. She’s attending half days Monday through Friday, and seems to love it! (No surprise for our little extrovert.)

Here are a few photos from her first day as a Bluebird…

Quick update to share some great news: After two weeks of hanging off the couch and entertaining the neighbors with handstands in the swimming pool, we found out this morning that Baby Girl took a turn for the best — she’s finally head down and getting ready for her debut. I’m 1 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and endlessly relieved 🙂

Big Sister is getting ready, too! Yesterday was the Sibling Tour at our hospital and Claire had a chance to practice diapers and swaddling with doll babies…plus see the delivery suite. She started the class a bit unsure (the words “I don’t want a baby” did come out of her mouth…) — but by the end, she was feeling the love.

Five weeks (or less!) to go!

On a 100-degree day in July, Sally Gupton captured these precious moments in time. The joy, the fun — and lordy, the big ole belly! In these last few weeks as a family of three, I’m trying to slow down and savor. Thank you, sweet Sally, for making these memories last.

Dear Baby Girl,

It’s going to take Mommy a little while to get used to this. For three years, your big sister Claire has been our Baby Girl…but we couldn’t be more delighted to have you stepping up (or, rather, coming out) into that role. Our new baby girl. Our youngest daughter. Wow.

We knew we wanted you since before Claire was even born. The timing, though — that was always a puzzle for us. We figured we’d just know when we were ready. This winter, a few great things aligned: Claire was potty trained, I was more comfortable at my work…and with lots of prayer, we decided to give you a shot.

We didn’t find out gender ahead of time for Claire, but thought it would be fun to know this time through. (Although we are keeping your name a secret still!) We planned a reveal party in April and had a blast sharing the news: IT’S A GIRL! I grew up with two sisters and there’s nothing better! Daddy and I can’t wait for you and Claire to be the best of friends.

There’s been something both so familiar and so foreign about your pregnancy, little one. My body remembered exactly how to stretch into my new normal — I relaxed into comfy maternity wear much earlier this time. I hate that I haven’t been able to simply sit and marvel at the miracle growing inside me, though…your big sis has been keeping us pretty busy! But you’re no less a blessing, and thankfully your sweet daddy encouraged me to sign up for a prenatal yoga class. For 90 minutes each Tuesday, it’s just you and me as I stretch, breathe, and thank my lucky stars to be carrying another beautiful child.

We have one hiccup to conquer — you’re still transverse, with your little head under my right rib, and your little booty under my left. We’ve been seeing the OB frequently, and they’re giving us a few more weeks to move you on our own. I’ve been walking on the treadmill and trying some wild inversion positions (like hanging off the couch upside-down — with Daddy’s help, of course) and am looking into a chiropractor. If we’re unable to move you into the normal head-down vertical position, we’ll need to schedule a C-section the week before your due date. Either way, we’ll have you here safely soon. We promise!

Your Daddy and I spent last weekend back at Lakeview at Fontana for our Babymoon — and all we could talk about was how totally giddy we are. Braxton Hicks contractions have started up full-force (something I never had with Claire) and your nursery is almost ready to roll. Less than six weeks (give or take?) to go til we get to see your sweet face. Grow, grow, grow, little one. And get ready for lots of kisses!

Much love,
Mommy & Daddy (and Claire!)

Birthdays are supposed to be memorable, right? Considering we had to cancel on a few guests and had a near-hospital visit, I’d say this one can certainly go down in the books.

All said, Saturday was still a Minnie-rific time…and I think our sweet (yet sick) 3-year-old felt celebrated. Poor thing came down with a 103-degree fever three hours before the party started. We decided to press on with just close family (who can tell a kid that their party is cancelled?) — and thankfully we’d already decided back in June to keep things small this year anyways.

The Minnie Mouse theme was an easy choice — she’s been the longest-lasting trend in this house. Grandma blew up a pile of red and pink balloons while I went around the house and pulled out every piece of Minnie memorabilia I could find. We all got in on the theme thanks to Nana Beth and Papa Bob, who brought mouse ears for us to wear!

The menu included Clubhouse Cheeseburgers, Hot Diggity Dogs, O’toodles Cheese Doodles, and Pluto’s Pasta, among other Disney-themed dishes…

About mid-way through the festivities, Claire’s fever began to spike again. We wrapped up and sweet pea spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch before asking to go to bed early. When I woke her to check her temp around 10:30, it had soared to 104.6! We decided to give the medicine a half-hour to work, and thankfully it did its job — saving us from a Saturday night trip to the ER.

Claire was a pitiful princess all day Sunday, but woke on Monday back at 98.6 — ready to tackle her new year. “I’m THREE now,” she keeps reminding us. Yes, sweet girl, you sure are!

Dear Claire Elaine Eberle,

From the moment we announced our pregnancy, we’ve been told that time flies. But gracious…three. Three! How can it be?

Sally Gupton Photography

You are wild and wonderful, curious and creative, daring and dramatic. And boy, do you have personality! Parenting you has been the joy of our lives. It has its challenges, sure. But it’s an absolute joy.

Playing
Almost overnight, you seemed to shift from our Thomas Train-loving tomboy to our dress-up-loving princess. And it has been the sweetest transition! You adore the couple of Disney movies we’ve let you see (Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Tangled…), and have an impressive knack for memorizing soundtracks. I don’t think you follow the plot line all that well…but you can tell us the order of songs in all your favorite flicks. We plan to continue to foster your love of music (thanks, Jackson’s Music Store!), and hope you’ll be our little guitar-strumming prodigy soon.

Your imagination is awesome and we love watching you play. You like to ping pong from activity to activity, and seem to have endless energy! Bubbles are still a big thrill, as are balloons and your scooter. You especially love putting your babies down for naptime on the staircase — everyone under their own blankie.

But your favorite creative pastime is, without doubt, art. We’ve set your “studio” up in the sunroom (where nearly everything is washable!) and you can spend hours drawing “Mr. Sun,” painting endless pictures, and lining your stickers up in rows.

Our social butterfly, you make friends everywhere you go — from Chick-fil-A’s playground to church to the grocery store. We love how you call everyone a “friend,” and have learned to introduce yourself. Liam Costello, Kate Furlong, Millie Mitchell, Anna Kate Welch, and (of course!) Audrey McQueeney continue to be your best buddies. You made a ton of friends at school this year (Ava was a big favorite), too.

Saying
You have some of the sweetest expressions — and some funny ones too! We love “lello” (yellow), “oh my gosh!,” “what’s this feeling?,” “keep my kiss,” “I don’t love that” (rather than hate or don’t like — so cute!),  “a show will make my tummy feel better,” “just a little nap?,” “actually,” and so many more.

One of my favorite heart-warmers is the fact that you and Mommy have a special song that you sing together — “Best of Friends” from Fox and Hound. I hope you’ll always consider me your best of friends!

This Year’s Firsts:

• Preschool – we had a hunch that you’d like school (Miss Extrovert!), but gracious you LOVED it. Your teachers sang your praises, and it was a treat for Mommy and Daddy to discover all you learned about God, shapes, numbers, and play.
• Little Otter Swim School – you’ve been taking lessons with Daddy, and just got promoted to the next level!

• The Dentist – your first appointment was July 5th, and you were a rockstar! We prepped by watching a few dentist-related YouTube videos, and you even colored a pretty picture for the dental hygienist. You were braver than Mommy and Daddy!

• Big Girl Bed – at the end of May, we moved you out of your crib and into a twin Big Girl Bed passed down from Nana Beth and Mommy. Daddy and I painted it white and bought you a fun set of colorful bedding. You look so little in the twin, but you fill it with loads of “babies” — so it’s a bed full of happy all the time.

• Potty Training – technically this is old news, since you officially trained back in October. But it’s still on the list of Claire’s big 2-year-old accomplishments. It took us one wild four-day weekend, but you’ve been nearly accident-free since that point, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Dislikes
I don’t know why 2 gets such a bad rap — we certainly didn’t think it was terrible! We have, however, learned that you have a lot of opinions! You’re still anti-egg, you like choosing your own clothes, you prefer to do most things “all by myself,” and put up a good fight if we want you to go potty or leave the house while you’re busy playing. In the last two weeks, you’ve started talking about “the scaries” — and you worry about them before bed. We aren’t sure where this idea came from…but you’ve started praying for Jesus to take away the scaries, and that seems to make them all better!

What’s Ahead
You’re starting at a new preschool in the fall, and will be attending half-days Monday through Friday. Our whole family adored Mt. Zion, but we felt that with the new baby coming in September (and Mommy’s hectic work schedule), a five-day program would be a better fit. You loved your first school experience, and we’re certain you’ll thrive at DCPC.

The biggest curveball coming your way, though, will be becoming a big sister. Mommy gets teary at most things these days, but especially the thought of how your little life will change when the new baby comes. We’ve shared the sweetest relationship over the past three years, and Mommy and Daddy will do our very best to be sure you know our love is growing — not dividing. We enjoy watching you with other babies, and hope you’ll treasure being a big sis just a much as Mommy has.

Sally Gupton Photography

We likely have a roller coaster ahead, Claire Elaine, but we cannot imagine a sweeter companion than you.

Love forever,

Mommy and Daddy

Sally Gupton Photography

I’ve had “write blog post” on my to-do list for months. Actually seven months, y’all, if we’re getting exact. I have plenty of excuses — work is busier than ever, Claire is busier than ever, and I’m busy growing sweet Baby Two, too! But I’ve still been itching to post about 2016 and all the excitement in our lives. So… stay tuned this week as we count down to Claire’s 3rd birthday with a few family updates and round-ups of our year thus far. Thanks for sticking with us!

Much love,
Lauren (& Adam)

P.S. Our blog clearly needs a name change! Any ideas?

Sally Gupton Photography

I know I didn’t do a great job of blogging this year. I would have never guessed it, but chasing a 2-year-old is as much work as raising a baby — maybe more! We’ve had an exceptional year, though, with lots of new adventures. Let’s look back at the highlights!

January
Our resolution for 2015 was to move to a larger home with a great yard. We figured it would take us a good part of the year to do improvements, find a realtor, list it, show it, sell it, perhaps move into a temporary rental, find the new house, buy it…yada yada. What we didn’t anticipate was stumbling on our dream home two streets over, going under contract in late-January, and then two weeks later having a pre-market bidding war on our old home. Shew!

February
While we juggled the endless paperwork of home buying/selling, February was also filled with my first trip out to Arizona for work — plus I enrolled in another 10k running class. We packed and packed and packed — and the big move finally happened at the end of February…in SNOW!

March
We spent March getting settled. Adam went to a friend’s bachelor party in Myrtle Beach, Pinot turned 5, and the next week Claire got to meet Brooks Eberle — Adam’s cousin’s son. Such fun to have our babies together!

April
On Good Friday we took Claire to South Carolina for her first trip to the zoo. It was a hit (although we’ll probably choose a less-packed day next time)! Claire was awesome for Easter — and one bunny even surprised us with a visit to our house (thanks for being a trooper, Aunt Haley)! Adam went on a great ManTime Christian retreat, and then we had a blast at the Halstead wedding weekend in Greensboro while Nana Kay and Booka had a wonderful weekend with Claire in Cornelius.

May
Mother’s Day was super special this year — and we got to celebrate it a few times! Claire went strawberry picking, enjoyed lots of time at the Birkdale splash pad, and we embarked on our first construction project — adding french doors to our previously open office. Adam went to another friend’s bachelor party in Philly, Mom threw me an incredible surprise birthday party, I headed back out to Arizona in late-May, and we had a super fun day at Dan Nicholas Park (where we rode the train over and over and over).

June
Summertime was a blast! Claire and I took two summer camps at Discovery Place Kids, one was art and another was cooking. Dad and Margie made their first visit to see our new home, and then Adam and I spent a weekend at the Homestead Resort for the Cotten wedding. At the end of the month I spent four days in Santa Barbara for work…and then came home just in time for Julie and Audrey to close on the house next door! Who would have ever imagined that God would place my long-time BFF and our goddaughter in the home beside us? Too fun!

July
We went up to Smith Mountain Lake for the Fourth of July, and the next weekend we celebrated Papa Bill’s 90th birthday. From there we went down to North Myrtle Beach for our annual trip with my Mom, JoJo and sisters. Such a blast — Claire loved the water and the sand and especially all the attention. Most of the month was spent outside — pools, boats, water tables, popsicles, and more. On the 22nd, Claire turned two! We celebrated with cake and ice cream at the pool. Her BIG party was on August 1st, and Dad and Margie returned for the week for the festivities!

August
The weekend after Claire’s party, our little family loaded the car and drove out to Bloomington, Indiana to spend a long weekend with the Wrights and Andersons. Sarah and Shea were both pregnant with baby girls at the time (sweet Ella and sweet Eva are now here!), and Claire had a ball playing with Hugo. On the way home, we stopped and stayed the night in Asheville. Mid-month we had a “practice” camping night in our backyard — Claire did well (and so did Mom and Dad)…giving us the confidence we needed for our big trip in September.

September
September was BUSY! Labor Day weekend we joined a family from our church for a camping trip to the mountains. Such fun! Claire loved playing with the “big kids,” and it was a special way to spend our 6th anniversary. We went to Creedmoor the second weekend to celebrate Nana Hissem’s birthday — yay! On the 15th, I started full-time work with PACE, a content agency in Greensboro. I’m still working from home, and essentially doing the same job I’ve been doing for the past 3ish years…but with a little more responsibility (and regular pay). Adam and I left the following Thursday to go to Emerald Isle with my best friends from high school. (Claire loved the quality time with Nana Beth and JoJo — complete with a trip to Lazy 5 Ranch — while we were gone!) The next weekend Bryan and Ashley Leath came to visit from Birmingham. We had an epic time — wineries and movies and lots of catch-up time. BUT, the highlight of September was PRESCHOOL! Claire started two days a week at an amazing UMC church in our area — and her teachers, Ms. Jena and Ms. Melinda, are true blessings.

October
We vowed to make October a little less exciting…but the stars aligned and we opted to dive into POTTY TRAINING! This book became our bible, Adam took an extra day off work, and we said so-long to diapers. I’d been dreading this process for months, but she trained in four days (including through the night!) — and we haven’t looked back! Other October adventures included the BalloonFest in Statesville, the annual Steps with Stephanie 5k in Creedmoor, and Halloween! Claire was an owl this year (thanks for sharing the costume, Audrey!) and we enjoyed the fun street party with all our neighbors.

November
November was a little quieter. We celebrated Adam’s birthday with a surprise party in Winston-Salem, enjoyed welcoming Santa to town at the Birkdale Holiday Parade, and then Julie, Audrey, Claire, and I had a magical night on board the Polar Express in Spencer. Claire’s preschool hosted a Thanksgiving feast (adorable!), and then we had a huge crew of family in town for the big Thanksgiving holiday. We were thankful, indeed! The next day we took Claire for her first haircut — she was such a big girl! On the 29th, we went to Winston for the Burton Holiday Party, where 9 out of 10 of the cousins were there. Such fun!

December
The most wonderful time of the year is even more wonderful with toddlers. Claire adored the holiday season — Christmas lights, baby Jesus, trees, and of course Santa. Dad and Margie came for a great visit at the beginning of the month, and we went shopping and made a grand gingerbread house, cooked a ton of delicious food, and enjoyed quality Claire time. The following weekend we went to Creedmoor for Papa Hissem’s birthday party and Christmas celebration. Such special family time! Then Claire wowed us all with her charming performance in the preschool’s Christmas program (video to come in another blog post).

On Christmas Eve we went to the candlelight service at Journey, ate dinner at Nana Kay’s afterwards, and then came home to prep for Santa (big thanks to our “elves” who helped assemble gifts)! Christmas morning was a hoot — Claire was more concerned about Santa’s leftover cookie crumbs than the pile of presents (sweet girl!), but she eventually came around and had a blast with her puzzles, books, new blocks, Heidi doll, and instruments! Christmas dinner was at our house, and then we drove around looking at lights. On Sunday we celebrated with the Guerry family, and then had an indulgent time at Papa Bob’s house that evening. How blessed we are to have so much dear family! Adam and I had the last two weeks of the year off, so we enjoyed all sorts of Adam/Lauren/Claire fun…brewing beer, playing blocks, watching movies, swinging, and napping! And now here we are — New Year’s!

In closing…
Needless to say…2015 was super special. Claire wows us daily — she loves PB&J, singing and dancing, reading books, Daniel Tiger, trains of all kinds, puzzles, playing at the park, Minnie Mouse, and cuddling with Mommy and Daddy. She talks constantly, can sing her ABCs, and loves to make up stories. One of her favorite sayings is “my do it” — and she’s mighty, mighty independent. She’s also mighty loving…and has an empathetic heart of gold. She’s an excellent eater and still gives us long afternoon naps. She’s silly and sweet; wild and wonderful.

We have so much to look forward to in 2016. Most importantly, we will strive daily to count our blessings and remember what a privilege it is to raise this precious girl — toddler tantrums and all. Thank you, friends and family, for sharing our lives and bringing us such joy. Cheers to a Happy New Year!

Dear Claire Elaine Eberle, today you are TWO! Daddy and I can hardly believe this day is here. You’re no longer our baby…now you’re our precious little girl.

Eating: A lot…you’re the best eater we know. And that’s a great thing! You still prefer fruits and veggies and fish…but you’ve also discovered french fries and cake. Get it, girl. You’re tall and thin and watching you enjoy your meals is such a delight. You still won’t try eggs (seriously?!), but that’s the only strong aversion you have. Otherwise, you’ve mastered the fork and spoon, the straw, and are learning the big cup. Water is your beverage of choice, mainly because we rarely offer you anything else. And more often than not, mealtime ends in a science experiment — you love mixing foods and stuffing them down your straw. It’s all well and good until you “clear” your plate…throwing leftovers off your tray. We probably need a dog.

Sleeping: Oh, lovely wonderful girl. You must know that your Mommy and Daddy require loads of sleep because you’re a regular Rip Van Winkle. You dropped the morning nap a few months back, but you’re still giving us a 3-hour afternoon nap, plus 10 hours overnight without a peep. Your bedtime routine is a little more involved these days…you have a bath (which is special Daddy time), say prayers (where you choose your favorite people), read 3-5 stories (you love Carl books, The Little Engine that Could, and anything by Boynton), and then Mommy turns out the light and we sing a few songs. Long gone are the days of the empty crib….you have about a dozen stuffed animal friends and 2 or 3 favorite “blankies” each night.

Playing: Trains. It’s all about trains these days. You call most anything with wheels a “choo choo,” and have quite the imagination as you ping pong around your playroom. You also love blocks, puzzles, bubbles, your tunnel and tent, your plethora of doll babies and stroller, your toy kitchen, and your cash register. You’re quite creative, and Mommy and Daddy have started hanging your artwork in the playroom. We took you to 2 weeks of camp at Discovery Place Kids, and you’re still so proud of your creations from your time there!

Likes:
Water — We just got home from a week at the beach and you were a dream! You love water of all kinds…pool, lake, sea. You’re learning to “splash,” and are becoming more confident by the day.

Songs — Girl, you love to sing. Favorites are ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, If You’re Happy and You Know It, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Jesus Loves Me, and Ring Around the Rosie. You amaze us with how many letters and lyrics you know and belt out. There’s a little drama in everything you do.

Numbers and Letters — If we ask how many of anything you want, your stand-by answer is TWO. Then you’ll change your mind, saying 15 or 7 or 4 or 12. You love to count and can get to 10 slowly on your fingers. You’re also pretty good at picking out letters you recognize, especially C and O and I and S. Amazing.

Animals —You know a ton of animal noises, and absolutely flip anytime you see a new critter. You aren’t fond of ants, but otherwise you know no enemy. In fact, today you had me sculpt a “snake family” from Play-Doh. Dogs and cats (especially dogs) are still your very favorite, and we’re actually asking folks to bring donations for the animal shelter instead of gifts to your party this year. Do we have a future veterinarian on our hands?

Friends and Family — Your best buddies are Audrey, Kate, and Isaac — and any kid at church that will let you steal their toys. You’ve learned most all the names of your relatives (no easy feat!), and although you have an initial tendency to be shy during visits…soon you’re giving hugs and kisses freely.

Dislikes: Getting your hair washed, being told “no,” getting in your carseat, SHARING, or really making you do anything you don’t want to do. You’re extremely independent and have a determination that rivals any adult. Once you set your mind to something, it’s hard to convince you otherwise. We think this will be a great trait when you’re older…but it makes a great challenge for us now.

What’s Ahead: You’ve been an absolute champ adjusting to a new house and new routines in these last few months. Julie and Audrey just moved in next door, which has been a DREAM for both mommies and daughters. In September you’ll start preschool at Mt. Zion. You’ll be going two days a week, and I think you’ll thrive. You love kids and learning and exploring, and your curiosity is endless. You’re still opinionated and feisty, though, so I hope we don’t hear from the principal!

The “twos” are known for being quite terrible, but we’re determined to enjoy these fleeting days. As the last 730 have shown, time passes so very quickly. Thank you for being you, sweet Ruby. You’ve added life to our days and joy to our life.

Our love forever,
Mommy and Daddy

…our little baby is nearly TWO!

I know months and months have passed since I’ve blogged. We’ve been busy loving our new house and chasing our growing girl! Life is full and blessed — we couldn’t ask for more.

Hugs and love,

Lauren, Adam and Claire

21 months in a sea of blocks. Life is good!

…our world looks like this!

We’re closing on our new home Thursday (OMG!)…so although I’m waaaaay behind on blog updates, y’all have to bear with us a little bit longer. Til then, know that everyone’s favorite redhead is as wild and wonderful as ever 🙂

xo,
Lauren & Adam

The Eberles are on the move! We’re so excited to say that we’re officially under contract on our dream house…and our sweet first home will go on the market Friday. God is so good and we’re feeling extremely blessed! Please send us prayers, caffeine, buyers, and boxes 🙂

Did you “paint” your face with purple crayon this morning? No? Well Claire did!

Happy Friday, y’all 🙂

Dearest Claire, one day…you’ll LOVE him. We promise!

(And dearest Santa, thanks for putting up with our girl’s volume — these pictures are priceless.)

And just for fun…one year ago, you weren’t quite so (ahem!) passionate.

Fa la la la laaaaaa!

Dearest Claire — We can hardly believe that your second Christmas is almost here!

You’ve impressed us with how gentle you are with the Christmas tree, but you do like opening presents, so those can’t come out til Christmas morning. We’re planning to see Santa this weekend (fingers crossed!), and have enjoyed playing with your little nativity set. The holidays have also given us plenty of opportunities to get together with friends and family — including loads of playdates. Once you get over a quick shy spell, you’re mighty social and love to work the crowd.

At 16 months you also love to…

…make cheesy faces.

…make messes.

…make fashion statements.

…have silly spells (and tantrums too).

…say uh-oh, shoes, Mama, and Dada (and we’re sure you understand much, much more).

…shake your finger and “scold” Pinot Kitty.

…help sweep and “brush hair.”

…eat, eat, eat — especially greek yogurt and toast. You officially weaned right before Thanksgiving, and it was an easy transition for both of us (WHEW!).

…watch videos of yourself.

…read books — especially ones based on songs! Your very favorite is “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” which Nana Beth began singing with you early on. You love to clap and stomp! You’re also great at “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” and love to point to the (mostly) correct body part.

…sleep! You’re such a champ. Bathtime is at 7:30 pm and you sleep til 7:30 am. You’re also still taking two naps a day — 8:30–10 am (crazy, I know!) and again from 1:30–3:30 pm.

…give kisses and hugs.

…turn the television on and off (over and over).

…sit in the big chair to color and draw.

…play outside — bubbles and chalk and wagon and walks.

You are spunky and sweet and we love you so much! Thank you for adding extra joy to this special season.

xoxo, Mama and Dada

One of my new favorite things about Claire is her blur. Thanks to technology, I snap iPhone photos of our red-headed wonder all day long. And 9 times out of 10, they come out blurry.

Our first attempt at homemade play doh

Sometimes our toys are strewn.

Sometimes our hair is awry.

Sometimes we unroll whole tubes of wax paper while wearing Mommy’s socks.

…or Mommy’s scarf.

And sometimes we want to wear a life jacket in November.

My first instinct used to be to click “delete” and will Claire to stand still and smile. But one of my favorite bloggers recently pointed out that these fast-paced twirling swirling toddler shots are much more honest depictions of the season of life we’re currently living.

I’ve been trying to make a conscious choice not to wish away time…rushing days means rushing years, I’ve read. So in this mighty busy — sometimes mighty frenzied — stage, I’m choosing to embrace the not-so-perfect picture.

Blur on, baby girl. Blur on.

Dearest Claire Elaine,

At 15 months, you…

…still have red hair (although it may be getting a bit lighter in the back). You haven’t had a haircut yet, but it’s finally growing long enough to tuck behind your ears. We may try playing with pigtails in the new year. (We’ll see!)

…love snuggling — Mama, Dada, cow, doggie, Pinot, toys, etc. You’re old enough to have blankets and “lovies” in your crib, and you have a tendency to stack them all up and plop on top.

…still adore animals, especially puppies. In fact, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate Halloween costume!

…chat, chat, chat. “Uh oh” was your first official word, but you’re thisclose to saying “shoes” — and we are fairly certain you’ve tossed out “yeah” or “yep” a few times too.

…understand quite a bit of our dialogue and will follow some commands — “get your ball,” “let’s go to bed,” “where are your shoes,” etc. pretty well!

…still have a wonderful appetite, although you avoid eggs at all cost. You have no interest in toddler-size utensils, and want to do everything on your own. (This was Greek yogurt with chia seeds and bananas.) You’re still using a sippy cup, but beg to drink from our glasses (that has about a 50% success rate, and usually you end up drenched).

…love books and will “read” on your own (ADORABLE)! Your favorites include a series of nursery rhyme board books — “Pat-a-Cake,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “This Little Piggy” and more.

…have started to dance a bit when you hear music. It’s basically just bouncing up and down, but it’s progress.

…have a sassy side. (Just look at that smirk!)

…still love to clap, and will burst out in applause if you hear others on the television or radio.

…still take two naps (8:30 to 10 a.m. and then 2 to 4 p.m.) daily. Whoo hoo!

…love stomping on leaves! (Fall has been fun.)

…are favoring your right hand — a fact that baffles your left-handed parents.

…are loved and adored more than you’ll ever know!

At 14 months, you…

 …LOVE animals, especially dogs of all sizes!

…are still just blabbering, but you understand the words ball, shoe, Mama, Dada, cow, cup, book, kitty — and will go fetch those things from other rooms if you’re asked.

…still take two good naps a day. Hooray!

…love to brush your hair, but absolutely hate to brush your teeth.

…are a wonderful, fast walker (and recently joined Mom and Dad in another 10k)!

…are extremely independent.

…love to open and shut doors and drawers, especially the pantry and refrigerator. You also adore buttons and have started our dishwasher many, many times.

…haven’t mastered the church nursery, but you’re sweet for babysitters if you’re in your own home.

…are such a love bug, and will kiss and cuddle your stuffed cow, buffalo, dog, and baby dolls.

…still have a wonderful appetite, and tomatoes, cheese, bread, berries, and yogurt are among your favorite foods.

…are fairly mischievous, already trying to climb your bookshelf!

…LOVE books, and will bring them one-by-one to Mama and Dada before snuggling into our laps to read.

…are mesmerized by bubbles, but haven’t quite figured out that we blow them (not eat them).

…are more fun than we ever imagined!

We hosted your first birthday party at our home on July 26th. The theme was “color” — and we had more than 40 of your nearest and dearest in town to celebrate. It was a hot one…but boy, did we have fun!

Daddy made two craft brews for the occasion — a “Ruby” Red (in honor of your hair) and a summery Peach Wheat. We collected letters for your time capsule (which you’ll receive on your 18th!), and we sent everyone home with a gummy bear treat bag — “Claire Bears.”

Nana Kay got a beautiful sheet cake for all the guests, but YOU got an extra special “Smash Cake” covered with your two favorite foods: blueberries and sweet peas. We thought for sure that you’d dive right into the cake — but instead you were fairly dainty…picking each berry and pea off before scooping up the icing.

It was an extra special day filled with extra special memories. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAIRE!

Oh sweet Claire, here are a few of the things keeping you busy these days: animals, family, and friends. The last month has been especially memorable since you learned to walk — you’re a ball of energy and a bundle of love. We adore you more and more every single day!

…here comes our big girl!

If video doesn’t play, try this link:
http://baby.eberlecreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Claire_walking_20140827.mp4

Oh what fun, our girl is ONE! Claire Elaine Eberle, I can hardly remember life before you…and I sure can’t imagine life without you. Precious girl, you’re our world. And my goodness, the world is better with you in it. I’ll do a separate post about your 1st birthday party (it was a blast!), but let’s just say we celebrated in style.

You are busy and beautiful, feisty and friendly, sassy and sweet. You keep us on our toes — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here are a few highlights of your 12 month:

Height: 31 1/2 inches — still in the 97th percentile! Weight: 21 pounds — which dropped you down to the 50th percentile. This worried me at first (since you’ve only gained a 1/2 pound since your 9-month appointment), but Dr. Wendy didn’t seem concerned at all. She says that your continued growth in height, plus your constant crawling, is balancing out any major weight gain. We’ll check back in at your 15-month appointment, but no worries so far. You’re just long and lean!

Eating: Your 12th month brought FOUR NEW TEETH, and oh my word sweetie, you’re using them well! You’re eating bigger chunks of food and chewing them like a big girl. It’s a lot of fun to watch you eat! We’ve been giving you four solid meals a day — breakfast, lunch, snack (after your 2nd nap), and dinner. Eggs remain the only food you refuse to try — and we’ve tried every form (scrambled, hard-boiled, egg salad, etc). Your favorite foods are cheese, bread, blueberries, peaches, frozen peas, and cucumber. Thankfully, you have no allergies so far!

I stopped pumping milk following my big California trip, and so we easily dropped the bottle. The harder task, of course, will be weaning. I’m absolutely delighted that we reached our breastfeeding goal (yay Claire!), and plan to stop nursing gradually over the next few weeks/months.

During the weaning process we’ll need to start introducing whole milk. We’ve tried it a few times, and you weren’t interested at all. But practice makes perfect, and we’ve been supplementing with lots of yogurt and cheese in the meantime.

Sleeping: Oh dear, if I’d written this blog post on time, I would have said that sleep was our biggest battle. In the last week of June, you started waking up inconsolable. For the first few nights we tried all our tricks from your little baby days…changing your diaper, rocking you back to sleep. Then, it kept happening. (And…honestly…we got lazy.) We were out of practice and 3 a.m. was painful!

So, we started putting you in our bed — and you slept like a (sleeping) baby for about a month. We figured July was full of travels and irregular schedules, we’d get back on track in August. When we went to your 12-month appointment, the doctor coached us on a very modified “Cry it Out” plan that wouldn’t be quite so traumatizing for any of us. We tried that for a week or two, and bam — you’re back to sleeping through the night in your bed. WHEW!

During this time, naps were a mess too. Some days you simply refused to go down! But I’m happy to report that this was all a phase — perhaps related to the FOUR teeth that all came in at once — and you’re our champ sleeper again. (It probably also helps that we have more routine to our schedule these days, a fact that seems to make everyone happier.)

Playing: When you’re awake, you’re go-go-go! Crawling is still your typical method of travel, although in the past week you’ve started walking while you hold a hand. It’s adorable — and you’re mighty proud. You’ve started wearing shoes, which you enjoy — and now you love to put pairs on and take them off.

You’re a huge fan of animals — especially dogs. Mommy and Daddy take twice-weekly runs through Davidson, and your favorite part is pointing and laughing at all the doggies on the path. One of the sweetest things you do is sloppy-kiss stuffed animals!

You got a Pottery Barn “Claire Chair” for your birthday and will climb in it and sit like a big girl. You adore books, and have more patience these days as we try to read them to you. You also got a set of MegaBlocks (basically big legos) for your birthday, and we’ve been delighted to watch how much you enjoy building with them.

Taking you to the children’s museum is an all-new experience these days. You’re over the baby zone (boring, you think!), and will spend time wandering through the mini-vet, grocery, and under-water area. You love watching and mingling with the “big kids” and have no concept of your age and size.

Despite the tons and tons of toys we’re blessed to have, your very favorite things are levers, knobs, doors, drawers, remotes, and buttons. You love to empty boxes and bowls, and then fill them up again. And we love watching you learn and grow every single day!

We can hardly wait to see how much you’ll change in the next year, sweet girl. We’re already so very proud of you, your curiosity, your independence, and your determination. You’re a special, special girl, Claire Bear. Thank you for being ours 🙂

Love, Mommy and Daddy

One of the most fascinating things I did during my pregnancy was read birth stories. There’s a wide blogging community of folks who take the time to write up beautifully scripted and photographed posts documenting their births, and I knew from the start that I wanted to remember all the little details about Baby Eberle’s arrival. What I didn’t expect was that it would take me a full year to get the words down. So here we are — on Claire’s first birthday — remembering July 22, 2013.

The most miraculous day of my life started just like in the movies: My water broke at 1:30 a.m. while I was fast asleep. Unlike the movies, though, it broke with just a trickle — not the gush I expected. I woke Adam and we walked around a bit before deciding it was probably a false alarm. Unable to go back to sleep, I went downstairs…cleaned a little…sent a few work emails…talked to Pinot kitty. After about an hour I started having regular back pain and decided to wake Adam again.

This time we called the OB, who told me to come on to the hospital! I called my Dad and Margie (who booked the first flight out of Minnesota) and Mom, Erin, and Haley (who had each been ready for weeks). Then, while I showered, Adam called Michael, Mary Kay, and Bob to let them know it was go time!

We pulled into the hospital parking lot about 4:30 a.m. and said a quick prayer before going inside. We went up to the labor and delivery floor and before they’d admit us, the nurses decided to check my fluids to confirm whether my water did indeed break. They instructed us to walk a few laps around the floor while they ran the sample. By the time we came back to the desk, they told us it was positive. We were officially admitted and I measured 5 cm!

At that point we were approaching shift change, and we were introduced to Tisha (the GREATEST L&D nurse!) and told that Dr. Gorsuch would be delivering us. My contractions lasted through the morning at a manageable rate. Adam and I walked the halls for hours and I spent a while rocking on the exercise ball in our room. Every two hours they’d get me back in the bed to check our heart rates (mine and baby’s, not Adam’s!), but otherwise it was nice to have a little freedom to labor gradually.

We got word that Dad and Margie made their flight, and Mom, Erin, Haley, and Mari-Jo arrived just a few hours after we got to the hospital. They claimed a big space in the waiting room, and took turns coming to sit and talk with me. What a wonderful distraction!

Throughout the day we watched coverage of the Royal Family. As it turned out, Prince George was born the same day — just a few hours earlier.

Soon, Mary Kay, Dad, Margie, and Mary Pat all arrived, and I had the chance to hug, kiss, and visit with them, too. At 12:30 p.m. I was still only measuring 7 cm, and my OB realized that although my water technically broke, the baby’s head was so low that only a small amount had drained. That explained the less-movie-like wake-up…and the slow down in my dilation progression. The fix? A long tool and a quick (painless) pop. What wasn’t painless? The crazy intense contractions that began coming in waves moments later.

Suddenly I understood what the hype was about. I wanted music — then no music. I wanted touched — then no touch. I wanted to talk — then silence. I was super shaky during the transition period, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get comfortable.

By 2 p.m. I was flat out exhausted, and although the nurses told me they thought I could make it through without an epidural, I decided to order one. I simply didn’t have the energy I felt I’d need to push — and my biggest fear was that I’d end up with an unplanned C-section. Unfortunately it took nearly a full hour for the anesthesiologist to arrive (the hospital was hoppin’, they told me), and I felt every single one of those 60 minutes. The good news was that my body was responding to the contractions…and by the time I got the epidural, I was measuring 9 cm.

From 3 til 3:30 I had an opportunity to rest. BEST DECISION EVER. I closed my eyes for a few minutes, and then Bob, Michael, and Ashley arrived and I had a chance to spend some sweet time with the whole family — such a blessing. What an incredible feeling to know that we had such a great team supporting us just down the hall!

At 3:30, it was time to push. Everyone left and Adam and I had our last few minutes as a family of two. Soon, the nurses put him to work — and Adam was there every step of the way, coaching and holding and counting and helping in more ways than I ever could have imagined. The OB told me it would only take about 30 minutes. Two (full!) hours later, at 5:30 p.m., our 7 pound, 14 ounce baby joined the world.

The nurses placed her directly on my chest, and we delayed clamping the cord for a bit to allow a little extra iron. We heard one loud, short cry, and I was so busy staring at my baby that it didn’t even occur to me that we didn’t yet know gender. Soon, the nurse asked Adam to check. “It’s a girl!” A GIRL. After months and months of saying “Baby Eberle,” Claire Elaine was here!

Adam texted our moms to let them know that baby was here and we were all well, and we enjoyed a little time — just the three of us — filled with tears and prayers and loads of kisses. Claire latched on perfectly and nursed for a few good minutes while Adam made our grand announcement to the waiting room. Let’s just say I could hear the happy screams all the way down the hall.

Everyone came to visit in shifts, and Adam got to walk Claire proudly around the room while I made a few calls to share our news with best friends. After a while the nurses gave Claire her first bath (which she loved!), measurements, and footprints as we prepared to move hospital rooms.

On our way down the hall we got to turn the key that plays Brahm’s Lullaby, a sweet sign to everyone in the hospital that a new life had just begun.

By the time we reached our room, we were absolutely exhausted (and we knew our families were too). Adam pulled out the oh-so-comfy sofa bed and we put our precious baby girl in the basinet between us. As cliche as it sounds, I knew right then what it meant to feel complete.

Our first night in the hospital was wonderful — Claire slept beautifully. The second was a little rough — she was cluster feeding and we stayed up all night. We checked out on Wednesday morning and came home to a decorated house and more love and support than we ever knew possible. God is so great. And our families are too!

We’ll be back later tonight with Claire’s 12-month picture! 

Precious Claire Elaine, you’re 11 whole months — plus a few weeks, but who is counting?! Our little baby is turning into a little lady and Mommy and Daddy can hardly believe it. You are an absolute blast, and one of your very favorite things is water! In fact, your official picture this month is from one of our fun days out on the lake:

Here are a few highlights at 11 (nearly 12) months old:

Weight and height: You’re growing before our very eyes, and everyone we meet comments on your height! I sure can’t wait to have you measured when you go to your 12-month appointment at the pediatrician. I’ll wait and post the official stats then.

Eating: You’re keeping your A+ this month, too, and have added a few new things to your repertoire, including watermelon, salmon, mahi, and loads of pesto. You still only have two teeth — but it doesn’t slow you down a bit. In addition to peas and blueberries, your favorite nibbles include pasta, peaches, tomatoes, pita, hummus, and even wheat thins (which you swiped from Mommy when I turned my head).

We’ve been feeding you four solid meals a day — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a small afternoon snack — and that seems to keep the “hangry” monster at bay. Nursing supplements in between, and remains our wake-up and bed-time routine. I thought you were starting to wean just a bit (as you get better and better at solids, your belly fills quicker), but in the last two weeks you’ve been pulling on my shirt a few times a day…and Mommy gets the hint.

Throwing a little kink in our schedule, I’m actually flying to Santa Barbara, California (for business) right this minute — and we’ll be spending 3.5 days apart. I left behind quite a bit of frozen milk, and plan to pump regularly while I’m gone. Surely we’ll be able to pick up where we left off when I return. I want the weaning process to be gradual, rather than forcing us cold-turkey. (Which, honestly, is mainly based on Mommy mourning the end of this phase.)

You are a diverse, healthy eater and although you’re opinionated about many things, we like the fact that you’re feisty and hope you’ll continue to have an adventurous palate.

Sleeping: Honestly, sweetie, your sleep pattern is our only gripe these days. Some nights are fantastic — you’ll sleep 10 hours straight without a peep from your crib. Other nights are challenging — like at 1 a.m. this morning when the only thing that comforted you was snuggling up between Mommy and Daddy in our bed.

We’re blaming this regression on a few things — you’re growing and changing so rapidly, plus we’ve been traveling quite a bit. Once I’m home from California, we’re going to do our best to re-establish a solid routine. (Although Daddy and I both admit that there’s not much sweeter than having you snooze between us.)

Naps are fairly regular still — you take a big one in the morning, and then two small ones in the afternoon (or one long one if we’re really busy). Thank you, baby!

Playing: Wow, you’re a busy bee! Although you aren’t yet walking, you’re the fastest crawler we’ve seen, and you can “cruise” around the room holding onto your bike, furniture, or our legs. We know that once you walk, you’ll run….so we aren’t rushing you along.

You love, love, love to play and have started to really study your toys. Your “Claire” bench is a big hit, and you will push it around the room and even climb on it to see out the window! We have two big white boxes filled with toys in the living room, and you love to sort through them. You’re also a huge fan of books (although you’ll still only let us read 2-3 pages aloud before you’re ready to move on to the next one).

You adore your water toys, as well as the swings — both make you giggle with glee!

And one of our favorite things about you these days is your use of language. You’re quite the talker and we could listen to that little voice all day long. You string together syllables, and although you aren’t calling us Da-Da and Ma-Ma, you certainly seem to respond to your name and more.

One other fun change is your hair! It’s staying ruby red (yay!), but it’s now coming in thicker…and curly! We got a good kick out of it at the beach last week (photos to come) — maybe it’s time to invest in a good brush.

The next time I write, we’ll be celebrating your 1st birthday. What a year, baby girl. We made it! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you — and, if we’re honest, we’re a bit proud of ourselves, too 😉

All our love, Mommy and Daddy

Sweet little girl, here we are again. You’re 10 months old, Claire Elaine — and Mommy is nearly 3 weeks late writing about it. Back before you joined our world, I would have had a whole lot of guilt over this fact…but another one of the thousands of things I love about you is the way you’ve helped me re-prioritize life. Songs and stories and baths and toys and laughing and crawling and kisses and snuggles have a way of helping me forget that I committed to this little blog.

That said, we have SO much to tell. And as we sit here in the midway point between 10 and 11 months, I realize I have to get my thoughts down now. There’s no telling what milestone you’ll hit tomorrow, as each day with you is a whole new adventure!

For example…taking your 10-month picture. (Let’s just say I learned my lesson about trying to shoot it without Daddy’s help.) You’re typically the happiest baby on the block. But today, you weren’t one bit impressed with my funny faces and silly noises.

And of course once you found the sticker, it was all over. We’ll try again for a smile next month 😉

A few nights ago you were sitting in your highchair and playing with your bib when it was time to bless the food. Assuming you weren’t paying a bit of attention, Daddy simply put his hand on your arm and started to pray. Wouldn’t you know it only took a second for you to stop what you were doing, look up at Daddy, and reach for his hand? And my goodness Claire, we melted.

By Shea Photography

You’re watching, you’re learning, you’re changing, you’re growing, you’re full of surprises, and boy…you’re the absolute light of our lives.

Here are a few highlights at 10(ish!) months old:

Weight: Around 20.8 pounds – it seems your growth is leveling off now that you’re such a busy bee! Height: Long and lovely!

Eating: Mealtime is still a highlight of your day. In fact, you’ve become so dependent on solids that you get “hangry” when we’re a bit off-schedule. Your “dislike” list is small – mainly just eggs (in any form), lima beans (although we’ll need to try again, you didn’t give them a fair chance), olives (good call!), and anything trying to compete with frozen peas (which are your absolute favs).

It amazes us how well you can eat with only two teeth! We’ve been certain for weeks that your next set would be coming in soon…you chew on washcloths, drool, and gnaw toys with vigor. As with all baby-related things, though, we’re sure it’ll happen when you are ready.

I’ve noticed our nursing sessions getting shorter and shorter as you’re much more interested in moving, going, and doing. (These days breastfeeding is a bit acrobatic, too, as I try to cradle your long, wiggly body around mine.)

But no matter how busy our day is (and how off-schedule we may get), wake-up and bedtime nursing sessions are still special moments as you seem a bit less hurried, and I can still feel you relax while you eat.

I’ve stopped trying to multitask during these times…no more reading or checking emails one-handed. This is partially because I don’t want to distract you from the task at hand, but it’s also because I know we only have a few more months of this one-on-one Mommy/Claire bonding time. I’m savoring, sweet pea. And, once again, counting my blessings.

Sleeping: Ahh, sweet sleep. Your schedule has shifted a bit lately…you’re going down around 8 p.m. and wake around 7 a.m., plus you give us two or three good naps throughout the day. This does wonders for Mommy’s work productivity, and I’m grateful!

We’ve moved you into the “big girl” bathtub, which is adorable, and that has become a part of our nighttime routine again. We also still use the white noise app on the Kindle, which you may or may not need…but we’d hate to risk ruining something so good 😉

Playing: When you rise, you absolutely shine! You are the happiest, busiest, most curious baby I’ve ever been around, and there are no limits to what you’ll explore. We love this about you, and are learning to keep up!

You’ve mastered crawling and speed from room to room giggling all the way. You can climb up the stairs (carefully supervised), and we’re fascinated by your determination. If you want something (whether it be the second floor, the kitty cat, or the remote control), you make it happen. You aren’t yet walking unassisted, but you zip around the room with your pink car walker and can cruise holding onto the furniture and walls.

Daddy and I were really excited to buy a big play yard that we thought would keep you contained occasionally while we cooked or worked…but let’s just say you aren’t a huge fan of confinement and would much rather spend your day exploring. Right now, your favorite thing is to pull every item out of boxes, baskets, or even the trash can — you take your time investigating your “treasures,” and although many things still get tasted, you do seem to be improving in that area.

Thankfully, it’s finally summer…and girl, you LOVE the water. We’ve had a blast with you on the boat and at the pool, and we adore your happy, splashy grin. You’re absolutely fearless, and you certainly keep us on-guard.

We’ve started planning your first birthday party (how can it be?!), and we can’t wait to gather friends and family to celebrate your big day. In the meantime, we’re treasuring these last 6 weeks or so of infant-hood. It’s passing in a flash.

All our love, Mommy and Daddy

P.S. I forgot to post this picture before…but it’s a gem. On the left is me and Daddy on my 30th birthday when I was pregnant with you. On the right, the same spot on my 31st birthday — this time holding our big girl!

Dearest Claire Elaine,

I have 1,001 reasons why I’m writing your 9-month blog post 11 days late. Work has been super, super hectic…we just spent four days in Nashville for a wedding…our mountain of laundry is mighty embarrassing…

BUT, the fun part about my accidental procrastination is that for a 9-month-old, a lot can change in 11 days. In fact, since the 22nd you’ve started crawling on your knees (!!!), you took your first dip in a swimming pool, you began pointing at things you see or want to touch, and you’ve started babbling Da-da-da-da (although not necessarily directed at your Da-da).

You, my sweet girl, are a crawling, cruising, clapping, busy bee. When you’re awake, you’re on the go. You’re curious and determined. And my goodness, you’re adorable.

It astonishes me that you’ve been out of my belly for longer than you were in. Pregnancy felt like an eternity (not in a bad way…we were just anxious to meet you!) — and yet the past 9 months have passed in a flash.

After crossing the finish line at our first family 10k. Daddy pushed the stroller, Mommy ran, & you got a medal!

Our days are so full. From the outside looking in, we don’t accomplish all that much. But between nursing and diapers and three solid meals and naps and playtime and cuddles and books and songs, we stay so busy! I’m really grateful for the way you’re helping me re-prioritize my life. How even though I’m checking fewer things off the to-do list each day, I still feel accomplished by how you’re growing and thriving.

Daddy and I count our blessings daily — sometimes hourly! — when we think of how healthy and happy you are. Truly, it’s a wonderful world.

Easter 2014

Here are a few highlights of Claire Elaine at 9 months (and 11 days – oops!):

Weight: Right about 20 lbs. (It turns out your cloth diaper weighs a good bit, which we’ll keep in mind when we put you on the home scale next time!) Height: 29 1/2 inches — still in the 90-97th percentile!

Oakhurst Easter Bunny

Easter fun

Eating: If they were giving out grades, you’d get an A+ for eating! You love food and we love watching you eat. Peas are still your very favorite treat, although bananas and blueberries rank mighty high, too. We still haven’t offered you meat, but you’re a champ at fruits and vegetables, and have even enjoyed cheese, bread, crackers, hummus, and tortillas.

Over the next few months we want to continue to diversify your menu — adding more spices and textures and maybe utensils and a cup. So far you don’t appear to have any food allergies, minus a red-hot diaper rash when you eat too much kiwi (lesson learned).

Breastfeeding is still a priority, and we’ve maintained our morning, bedtime, and every 3-or-4-hours-in-between routine. I’ve been trying to pump more lately to maintain my supply, but so far I think we’re going to hit my one-year goal. Thank you for that, sweet pea. Nursing has been a special experience for me — and one I don’t take for granted.

You still only have your two bottom teeth, but you’ve been gnawing on every book and toy and washcloth you can get your hands on lately…so I’d imagine a top tooth or two may be headed our way.

Sleeping: God must have known how much your Mommy and Daddy savor their sleep, because you are a champion snoozer! You’re going to bed between 8 and 9 p.m. these days, and sleeping soundly until 7 or 7:30 a.m. Even better: You no longer wake with tears. Instead, we’ll often flip on the video monitor to find you sitting or standing — happily waiting for someone to come get you! Such a sweetie.

Naptimes are still pretty consistent. Sometimes you’ll give me a sign (you’ll climb in my lap and put a thumb in your mouth) and other times you’ll just get super cranky… But we can usually count on three naps a day, each about an hour or more.

Playing: My goodness, you’re a busy girl! You’ve pretty much grown out of your exersaucer, so Daddy and I purchased a big play yard today to help keep you (ahem!) “contained” so we can get things done around the house. We’ll see how it works!

At 8 1/2 months you began “commando” crawling, so we lowered your crib and anchored your bookshelf. The day after your 9-month pediatrician appointment you finally got up on your hands and knees…and these days you’re doing a combination of both commando and hands-and-knees crawling. No matter how you do it, you’re FAST…and we can hardly take our eyes off you for a second.

You love “chasing” the kitty, playing with your treasure chest coins, “reading” books, and pressing the buttons on your activity table. And although we’re still trying to encourage you to crawl, your favorite thing in the world is pulling up to standing and “cruising” down the length of the coffee table. You’re also a big fan of Audrey McQueeney’s walker/car, which you can push and walk down the hall on your own!

You have an incredible laugh, and your giggles are my favorite sound in the world. You’re also fascinated by animals, and will let out a high-pitch squeal if you spot a neighbor dog on our evening runs. We can’t wait to take you to the zoo in the coming months!

Our pool opens in three weeks, and we think that’ll be a huge hit. We’re also looking forward to two beach trips this year, and tons of time out on the boat.

Needless to say, we have some BIG fun ahead. Thank you for making our days such a delight, little Claire. We absolutely adore you!

All our love,

Mommy and Daddy

P.S. Just for fun…here are the outtakes to your 9-month shoot. (Yes, you were supposed to be sitting sweetly!)

Dear beautiful, busy, bubbly Claire,

Eight months! How can it be? We’ve had an exciting few weeks:

You’ve cut two baby teeth (yippee!), and are clapping your little hands. You can pull up to standing from sitting in our laps, and you’re even making moves to crawl by rocking back and forth on your hands and knees. You’ve fallen in love with the baby in the mirror, and we stand and chat with her a few times a day. You love chewing on washcloths — especially straight from the freezer. And, we’ve even moved you up to the big-girl car seat!

You are so very sweet, Claire Elaine. One of the highlights of my day is when you wake up from a nap. I love how your face lights up when Daddy or I peek into your room. You’ve started giving us “kisses,” which come out as full open-mouthed chin sucks. (Glorious!) And, every once in a while, you even clap when we come into the room. (Worth every second of labor!)

The books warned us that you’d start to get a little clingy around this time as you learn about object permanence…and yes, they were right. You spend a lot of time with Mommy and Daddy, and although that’s a true blessing, I worry that it makes it more of a challenge. When we’re out and about and new people stop to say “hello,” you always turn to look at me for approval. Thankfully you have TONS of people who love you, and we’ll keep on practicing!

Weight: 20 pounds, 3 ounces (according to our home scale)  Length: Lovely & long!

Eating: Watching the joy on your face when we put you in your highchair confirms it — you’re most certainly your daddy’s daughter. You LOVE to eat, and you’re mighty good at it too! Peppers, peas, onion, oranges, mango, pears, hummus, and even a little lasagna go down easy as can be. Baby-Led Solids has been such a joy, and I think you’re really thriving with the freedom to play and explore. Your pincer grasp is impressive, and you can finish off a tray full of peas one-by-one. You’re even getting better at the spoon, which we fill up with risotto or oatmeal and then leave on your tray to let you lift.

All that said, I’d be lying if I acted completely worry-free. I have a desktop link to the Infant CPR guide and watch you like a hawk during meals. But your confidence is encouraging!

We do solids at normal mealtimes, but you’re still breastfeeding when you wake in the morning, when you go to sleep at night, and every 2-4 hours throughout the day. In the last two weeks or so I’ve noticed that you’re able to go longer and longer between nursing sessions, likely because you’re consuming such a good amount of solids. 

I love how you snuggle to nurse in the mornings and at bedtime, wrapping your long-but-still-little body around me. The rest of the day it’s like wrangling a cat — you look around, play with my hair, blow raspberries on my neck, and then look around some more. Daddy can’t be anywhere in sight or you spend your time grinning and flirting, and forget altogether that you’re here to eat. Thankfully your precious little teeth haven’t been used for biting — but I have to admit I’m a little bit nervous!

Sleeping:

The “Spring Forward” time change seems to have affected your sleep cycle a bit (or perhaps we can blame it on the teething?), and you’ve been both staying up later and getting up earlier. The extended bedtime allows us a little more opportunity to squeeze you in a yummy dinner before you turn in around 8 p.m., and then you’ll sleep quietly until about 5:45 or 6 a.m.

You’re still taking three naps a day: One after breakfast, one around lunchtime, and one in the late-afternoon. They range in length from 20 minutes to 2 hours, so Mommy never quite knows how much work time I’ll have. Busy days wear you out quickly, though, as does your go-go-go spirit.

Even as you sleep, you do so with vigor – kicking the crib rails, rolling from one end of the crib to the other, even letting a baby foot dangle out. Busy little lady!

Playing:

My, oh my, your favorite thing — PLAY! You adore floor time, and will sit on a quilt and explore your ocean of toys for 20 minutes or more. We think it’s fun that you’re slowly starting to study your blocks and books, rather than immediately cramming them in your mouth. Don’t get me wrong — you still taste everything in sight — but we like you showing off your curiosity a bit too.

You’re still not officially crawling, and we’re beginning to think you may opt not to. You get where you want to go by rolling and you can turn in a full circle on your belly. It seems you have a bit of a stubborn streak, and you’d rather rush forward to standing! Yep, you’re 8 months old and you can pull up from our laps and stand and play at your activity table. From there, you either like to let go (“trust fall” into someone’s arms) OR you’ll carefully start cruising one teeny tiny step at a time.

My favorite part of all this? The gleeful smile on your face! You’re so proud of your newfound independence…and it makes Mommy’s heart soar.

I told sweet Nana Kay the other night that motherhood is much harder than I ever expected — but it’s also much better. What an interesting paradigm. I find myself second-guessing my gut 10 times a day. Are you developing at the right pace? (Yes.) Do I need to worry about your attachment? (No.) Do I need to pack more diapers? (Always.) When am I ever going to start your baby book? (Yikes.)

I love being your Mommy, sweet pea. We spend so much of our day together, and yet sometimes I still look at you with wonder. How is it that eight months ago you were my tiny newborn…and yet today, my dear, you look so much like a little girl? When did I blink? As we steamroll into spring and (before we know it!) your first birthday, I want to vow to not mourn your expiring baby-hood, and rather to celebrate all the milestones and memories yet to come.

Remind me of this when I’m boo-hooing on July 22nd. It’ll be here soon!

All our love,

Mommy and Daddy

Well, our gorgeous red-headed, blue-eyed big girl — you’re now 7 months!

Precious Claire Elaine, you’ll have to forgive Mommy for posting your blog update over a week late. We have a fun excuse: You turned 7 months old while we were on a special girls trip to the coast to spend a long weekend with Julie and Audrey McQueeney! We had such a great time making sweet memories, and even visited the beach and the aquarium. Audrey is nearly 4 years old, and she was so good with you…sharing her toys, passing down her adorable wardrobe, and helping cuddle you on the couch. I know you two will be the best of friends when you’re older — just like your mommies. Thank you, Audrey and Julie, for the priceless weekend!

We’ve had quite an adventurous month, including your first big snow storm!

…your first Valentine’s Day!

…your first trip to Asheville and the Biltmore house!

…and your first visit to the children’s museum with your best buddies, Isaac and Jackson.

Here are a few more highlights from our last few weeks:

Weight: 19 pounds, 6 ounces (according to our home scale) 

Length: Lovely and long! You’re wearing 12-month pants these days.

Eating: Oh my word, this is your very favorite trick. Baby-Led Solids has been hugely successful for our family, and you’re quite the skilled eater. Your top foods include kiwi, tomatoes, pear, green pepper, and pita bread. One of the highlights of my day is eating breakfast as a family. We have a few fun prayers that we sing to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle,” and then you feast away. You make quite a mess, but we love watching you play and learn. Frozen peas are your latest puzzle. You practice your pincer grasp as you chase these little green balls around your tray…and we hold our breaths when you “catch” one, waiting to see if it’ll make it to your mouth or fall en route.

You’re also learning the sippy cup. We have a cool transitional cup with handles, and we keep it filled with water for you to experiment with. Right now, it’s just that — an experiment. Typically more water ends up on your shirt than in your tummy…but you love the adventure.

Breastfeeding still gives us sweet Mommy/Claire time, which I’m already starting to miss as I anticipate you weaning in five months or so. It’s starting to be a challenge to feed you when we’re out and about because you, Curious Claire, are always looking around the room. Even the sound of Daddy’s voice is enough to distract you. Sooo…oftentimes we have to go up to your nursery and turn the lights low to get in a good feeding. Silly little lady!

Sleeping: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — you’re the best little sleeper we ever could have asked for. Hooray for 12-hour nights and two or three daytime naps!

One funny little habit that we’ve learned to read: When you’re tired or hungry (or sometimes even mad), you love to suck on your sweet baby thumb. Sometimes you’ll even cup it with your other hand, being sure to “hold on” so it doesn’t fall out. PRECIOUS!

When 7 p.m. rolls around, you’re absolutely ready for bed. No questions asked! Mommy nurses you to sleep most nights, although sweet Daddy steps in if I’m out. He loves that special opportunity…but I always sneak into your room later in the night to soak up a little sleeping baby time for myself.

Around 7 a.m. you’re up and starving! Daddy and I have a little song we sing when we get you from your crib. Neither of us are morning people, and we think the jingle helps the whole family’s mood 😉

Playing: Watch out world — Miss Claire’s on the move! Although you aren’t crawling yet, you frequently get into the position, let Mommy and Daddy grab the camera, and then collapse and suck your thumb. All that said, you can still travel the room by rolling from one side to the other. Last night, you even “chased” Pinot Kitty under the table with a slow roll in his direction. (He’s not quite sure what to think of a mobile baby, and has no clue what he’s in for.) You’ve absolutely mastered sitting and can play happily on one of your special quilts for 30 minutes or more. The ExerSaucer is still a hit, too, but I believe you’re beginning to feel a bit confined.

Now that the weather in North Carolina is starting to feel more like Spring, we’ve been enjoying evening walks around the neighborhood. You seem to like the relaxing stroll, and we can’t wait for you to discover flowers and clouds and other fun things.

Speaking of fun, you ADORE animals. In fact, you have a special high-pitch squeal that you let out when you see a doggy, and you even shared it with the sharks at the aquarium.

You’re learning to clap, which is adorable. You did it for the first time with Nana Beth while she played “Rockin’ Robin” — and you mimicked her perfectly! You seem to love music, and have inspired Mommy to maybe even pick back up my guitar.

We know the next few weeks will be filled with big milestones — your Baby Dedication at church…maybe crawling…and perhaps even a first tooth. Time is passing so quickly, and each day give us new glimpses into your joyful personality. What a gift. Thank you for being you. We LOVE being your Mommy and Daddy!

Happy February, y’all. It’s cold and dreary here in Cornelius, so I thought I’d brighten your day with a few little girl grins I’ve captured on my phone. Isn’t she the sweetest? Enjoy!

Happy half-birthday, sweet pea. You’re a whole SIX months old!

Each stage has been filled with growth and change…but the last 3 weeks have been HUGE for you: you’re now eating solids (yay!!!) and can sit up unassisted (yay!!!).

We’ve had a few fun adventures, including a big trip to Birmingham, Alabama to spend a long weekend with Ashley and Bryan Leath. You were amazing during the 9-hour road trip and handled the time change really well. Ashley and Bryan spoiled you rotten (as usual!), and you became best buddies with their furry baby, Scout (the most well-trained pup we’ve ever met). We visited a local brewery while we were there, and you fell asleep in Daddy’s arms on the tour. Such fun!

One particularly bright spot of our Birmingham weekend was introducing you to SOLIDS, a wonderful milestone for our curious kiddo. Since food before age 1 is only for fun, we’re following a cool plan that lets you feed yourself, freeing Mommy and Daddy up to take your picture! You’ve explored more than a dozen foods already and seem to absolutely delight in the process. (I’ll do another post soon with a video of your messy mealtime playtime — it’s hilarious!) Our hope is that you’ll learn to enjoy a variety of foods, and have a flexible palate.

In the last week or so, you’ve also learned to sit (pretty much) unassisted. We like to put a pillow behind you in case you get excited about a toy and lose your balance…but you’ve been spending up to an hour at a time sitting on a quilt playing with toys. My goodness, you’re a curious girl. (And we absolutely love that about you!) You take the time to inspect each toy, tasting it, shaking it, and then throwing it down and searching for another. 

Our new pediatrician (whom we adore) suggested we start child-proofing the house. You aren’t making the motion to crawl yet, but when you make up your mind to, we think it’ll be quick. In the meantime, though, we’re loving every minute of 6-month-hood, and are trying to savor this bit of calm before you’re truly mobile.

Here are some other highlights from your sixth month:

Weight: 18 pounds (90th percentile) Length: 27 1/4 inches (90th percentile)

Eating: You’re still nursing every 2-3 hours while you’re awake (and I hope to keep that up til you’re 1), but solids are most certainly your new best friend. So far you’ve tried tomato, cucumber, avocado, pear, sweet potato, banana, oatmeal, broccoli, green pepper, and much more. We have you join us at mealtime, and it’s fun to eat as a family. You still haven’t cut a tooth, but I keep thinking we’re close. Surely in the next month or two!

Sleeping: With the exception of a few weeks when you were battling a terrible cold (and a couple one-offs when you didn’t eat well before bed or heard a loud noise outside), you’re still blessing us with through-the-night sleep from about 7 p.m. to 6ish a.m. Thank you, thank you, precious Claire!

Daddy is now putting you to bed a couple nights a week to accommodate Mommy’s race training program (thanks Daddy!), and we’re glad that you’re flexible enough to drift off with a bottle and Da-Da snuggles.

Naptimes are still fairly inconsistent. You typically take one in the morning for about 45 minutes, and another in the afternoon for about an hour. These depend greatly on our activity level, though. You love, love, love busy days when we’re out and about…but the fact that you come home and crash makes us think you may actually have a little of Mom and Dad’s introverted-ness in you too 😉

No matter when you sleep, the how stays the same: on your belly, oftentimes sucking your thumb. It’s simply adorable.

Playing: Baby Girl, you are in luck — Babygarten and Library Storytime are back in session for the new year! I think you missed interacting with the other babies (and Mommy missed the social time, too). I’m looking at enrolling us in some other activities around town now that I’m wrapping up a big work deadline. You really seem to thrive in new environments, and since you aren’t in daycare, I want to be sure you’re getting all the good stimuli we can squeeze in!

The Exersaucer and Johnny Jump-up are still hits, but you’re also becoming fascinated by stacked blocks (especially knocking them over). Your feet trump them all though, and toes-in-mouth is still your favorite!

Daddy and I can hardly believe it has been half a year since we first met you, Claire Elaine. Thank you for being such a bright spot for our whole family. We can’t wait to see what adventures you have in store for us this next month; we’re loving every minute!

Precious baby girl, I have to start with a disclaimer: This post is going to be filled with exclamation points (!!!) and superlatives (you’re the sweetest, cutest, bestest baby we know!). You see, your Mommy and Daddy are allowed to say things like this. And although we’ve declared it nearly every month, FIVE months is our favorite stage yet!

Let’s see… Your first Thanksgiving was a blast. You spent much of dinner napping, but you must have known you were missing out on a party, because we heard you loud and clear on the monitor right before Aunt Erin’s pies were sliced for dessert. That evening, Mommy decided that painted-hand “turkeys” were a must. Boy, these were a challenge! The cute-ness was worthwhile, I believe, but perhaps we’ll wait til you’re a bit older before trying them again. Deal?

I delayed your 5-month update because I wanted to include a few snapshots of your first Christmas. (I’m writing this sitting next to our still-glowing tree.) It was glorious! We kicked off the fun early with a visit to Santa when Grandpa and Grandma Rippey visited in November. You were cheerful and chatty waiting in line, but once Mommy put you in Santa’s lap, you gave us your favorite stoic face. At least there weren’t tears!

Christmas Eve you went to Journey Church with Nana Beth, Haley, Mommy, and Daddy, and we put you in the KidStreet nursery for the very first time. I have to admit Mommy spent the first 10 minutes of the service with tears in my eyes…but it was good practice and hopefully we’ll both get better at being apart 😉

Christmas day brought tons of family and you hung in like a champ, entertaining folks with big grins, “Claire-plane” kisses, and lots of time in laps. Even though you didn’t give Mr. Claus the time of day, he clearly put you on the “NICE” list — your amazing family was incredibly generous to you this year, gifting us with donations to your college savings account (!!!), adorable clothes, educational and chewable toys, a pretty piggy bank, a hand-crafted Claire bench, and much much more! You’re a loved little lady, that’s for sure.

Here are some other highlights from your fifth month:

Weight: 16.8 pounds, according to our home scale. WOW! Length: Long & strong 🙂

Eating: Nursing is still going really well — and frequent! When you’re awake, you’re eating nearly every two hours. I certainly won’t complain, though, because I believe it’s these daytime calories that make you such an amazing nighttime sleeper! You’re still a pretty speedy eater (we’re usually done in about 10 minutes), but you’re prone to distraction these days and have been known to stop eating if you hear Daddy’s voice or spot the screen of Mommy’s phone. We’ve discovered that your room is the best place to nurse — away from the “fun,” so a girl can focus on the task at hand.

We’re really excited about introducing you to solids in the next few weeks! Our pediatrician recommends waiting til 6 months, but I’ve started my research and sure can’t wait to see what you think of food. Although you haven’t cut a tooth yet, we think it’ll happen any day now. In the meantime, everything goes in your mouth — clothes, hands, blankets, and especially your little thumb… so we’re pretty sure you’ll be a fan of solids.

Sleeping: Rarely does a day go by when Daddy and I don’t thank God aloud for blessing us with a sleeper. Seriously, little Claire, we’re so grateful! We noticed about 3 weeks ago that you started getting really fussy around 7 p.m. At that point we’d been trying to push your bedtime out til 8 because we were worried you’d wake too early in the morning. But one night, as a test, we put you down at 7. Wouldn’t you know you slept straight til 6 a.m. — and have been giving us 11+ hours/night ever since! Bingo!

The hardest part of this new schedule is being sure to squeeze in family time. When Daddy goes into the office, he usually gets home from work around 6. On those nights we’ve been sure to play in your room together — reading stories, giving you “naked time,” and practicing sitting — until you get fussy, signaling sleep time. We zip you into a little muslin sleep sack for warmth and let you nurse til you’re nearly asleep. Then, Mommy rocks you for a few minutes while I say my prayers and try not to drift off too. It’s a sweet, special time that I look forward to each evening.

Naptime is a little more inconsistent — you still go down about an hour after you wake up in the morning (which we think is hilarious), and then take about two or three other 30- to 45-minutes naps throughout the day. We typically put you up in your room when you sleep, although you’ve been known to fall fast asleep playing in Mommy and Daddy’s bed…and we LOVE getting a little snooze in with you there.

Playing: All that sleep does a body good. When you’re awake, you want to play! And play we do. You spend your day learning in the Exersaucer, spinning in the Johnny Jump-up, riding in Mommy or Daddy’s arms as we explore the house, practicing sitting up, and playing with your feet. My word, you love your toes! Mommy used to hold her bottle with her feet, so perhaps you got that fascination from me. You certainly make us laugh, though, because despite your cloth diaper’s bulk, you’re able to twist and pull until those toesies make their way to your mouth. We try to give you “naked time” each day so you can enjoy this delicacy a bit easier 😉

Although most toys make their way to your mouth pretty quickly, you’ve been taking a little extra time to study them lately — and we love to watch your curiosity grow. Although you aren’t fully engaging with toys, we can tell that you’re intrigued by sound and texture and color. It’s fun to know we’re on the horizon of so much great change!

Thank you, precious one, for bringing us so much joy!

All our love, Mommy & Daddy

Dear sweet Claire,

FOUR MONTHS. How could it be, precious one? You, our red-haired-blue-eyed beauty, seem to be changing by the minute — and this has been your most exciting month yet!

Weight: 15 pounds, 12.5 ounces (81st percentile) Length: 26.5 inches (100th+ percentile)

Recent highs: This was certainly a full month with lots of adventures. You were a rockstar for your first two 5k races…Halloween…rolling…and your first visit with Santa! We know we say it all the time, but this is our favorite stage so far. You laugh out loud, smile when we walk into the room, and genuinely seem to love learning and playing.

By Sarah Grace Burton

Recent lows: You had your first cold last week, leaving you with a runny nose and a pitiful cough. Thankfully you never got a fever! You’ve also been battling a case of baby eczema, which seems to bother Mommy more than it bothers you. Teething is certainly a low, too, but you’ve been fighting it like a champ, and I know we have many, many more months to go. It’ll be worth it, sweet pea, when those first little chompers peek through!

Eating: Let’s put it this way — you don’t get to those growth percentages on a small appetite. Claire Bear, you’re such a good eater, and nursing you has been a true joy. When you’re awake you like to eat every 2-3 hours, which although frequent, ensures you get your calories in during the daytime…giving us wonderful stretches of through-the-night sleep. Yay!

You’re still taking breastmilk bottles, although the process is messy and time-consuming: You’re easily distracted and will stop to look around the room every few sips — leaving your bib and Daddy’s lap covered in milk.

All that said, the real truth is that you’ll eat just about anything these days. Teething is here in full force, and my goodness little lady — you’re a drooling, chewing, and (sometimes) fussing machine. Don’t get me wrong, we understand why you whine: cutting teeth must be no fun. To help soothe, you’ve opted to chew your sweet hands (as many fingers as you can fit), toys, shirts, blankets…the list goes on. Your pediatrician tells us that it may be three to eight more months before you cut a single tooth…whew!

Sleeping: Sometimes we feel like we hit the baby lottery. Not only do you sleep through the night…you sleep 9 or 10 hours at a time, from about 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.! We dropped the swaddle a few weeks ago when you first showed signs of rolling, so we’ve been dressing you in a sleep sack over your jammies to give you a little extra warmth. We’re still running white noise (an app on Daddy’s Kindle), but we’ve backed off on the bath frequency a bit, and it’s nice to see you’re flexible with your routine.

You take a few naps during the day — one about 45 minutes after you wake up, another around 11 a.m., and a long one around 4 p.m. — and you have a precious signal to tell us you’re sleepy: you stop playing, roll onto your left side, put your thumb in your mouth, and close your baby eyes.

When you’re ready to wake up, your signs are clear as well: you roll onto your belly or hang a limb out of the crib.

Either makes you mighty angry, and you quickly let us know it’s time to fetch a baby.

Playing: Holy moly, you’re a busy girl. You aren’t yet crawling, but you are always in motion! Rolling has become your favorite pastime, although you’re only rolling to the right and you’ve only mastered back-to-belly. Our next goal is sitting up. You’ve been practicing in your Bumbo, but we still have a little work to do because you get tired pretty quickly.

Babygarten is taking a hiatus til January, so we’ve been spending our Monday mornings at the Huntersville library story time. The librarian is sweet and entertaining, but you spend the whole class watching the other babies! Mommy has been planning more outings so you have the chance to interact with other babies, and we’ve started regular Thursday play dates with Isaac and Jackson and their mommies too.

In the coming weeks you’ll have your first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years…and Mommy can hardly believe we’ll be celebrating the holidays with our new little girl. These last four months have been a dream come true, Claire…and it’s only getting better.

We love you to the moon!

By Sarah Grace Burton

xoxo, Mommy and Daddy

…the test read “positive,” I surprised Adam with the news, and we began the greatest adventure we’ll ever have. Parenthood has been an incredible blend of so many emotions — it’s messy and beautiful, exhausting and motivating, challenging and gratifying. And my goodness, it’s JOYFUL.

One year ago we stayed up late talking about our hopes for Baby Eberle, then a tiny poppyseed — our special little secret. And today, as we hold precious 15-week Claire, one thing is certain: our love for her surpasses all those early dreams. God is so good, and we are humbled daily that He chose us to parent this incredible girl.

Happy Halloween from the sweetest alligator we know!

Our baby girl is too young to trick-or-treat this year, but we look forward to passing out candy to the neighborhood kids tonight. Claire did get her share of Halloween fun at Babygarten this week, where we turned her painted footprint into a friendly ghost!

We tried to take a few other fall photos, but someone was feeling rather hungry. First she went after the pumpkin:

And then her kitten tutu from Aunt Erin:

At least we got some great shots in her alligator costume, which is sure to delight friends and family at this weekend’s 4th Annual Dale H. Burton Alligator Walk. Have a wonderful Halloween! We love you!

Happy THREE months, precious Claire!

These past few weeks have been filled with adventure. In fact, we just returned from a four-day trip to Delaware for Jason and Sara Eberle’s wedding in Rehoboth Beach! You were the star of the show (minus the bride, of course!) and enjoyed meeting lots of family.

We were especially blown away by how well you handled more than 20 hours in the car! I’d been dreading the drive for months, but you were a little rockstar and we couldn’t have asked for a better trip. (And a BIG thanks to Nana Beth for coming along and making it all possible!)

Of course, the brightest part of our day is watching you. You’ve hit a glorious stage, sweet pea, and we absolutely adore how you’re learning and growing and changing. You are SUCH a good baby, and we can’t praise God enough for blessing us with you!

Weight: We don’t visit the pediatrician again til 4 months, but our at-home scale says you’re weighing in at 15 adorable pounds. Length: Long and squirmy!

Eating: You’ve finally decided to take a bottle…sometimes! We purchased a set of Avent bottles about a week ago (after TONS of recommendations). Daddy found an ideal position with you on your side, and you took down 4 ounces of freshly pumped milk while Mommy was out running! The next night you did it again…and again and again. The big test was our huge trip to Delaware — and you were a perfect angel, drinking fresh bottles from Nana Beth all the way home. Unfortunately you changed your tune a bit when we returned home, putting up a fight for Daddy once again. We’re not backing down, though. Nursing is still going really well and Mommy loves our bonding time…but it sure is nice to have the bottle option for travel and evenings out.

Speaking of nursing, we’ve been attending  monthly La Leche League meetings, which offer a fabulous support group of other breastfeeding mommies. You have a little buddy in the group, Isaac, who was born the same day as you. Typically you suck on your hands, make eyes at other babies, or nap through the meetings, but Mommy enjoys the adult interaction, as well as the tips and tricks we pass around. My goal is to nurse you for a year — and I’m so grateful that you’ve obliged thus far!

You’re also a big fan of your hands, and spend a good portion of your day sucking and chewing on them. Dr. Little and the gals at LLL say you may already be teething — but it’ll probably be a while before we spot that first tooth. Mommy was a thumb-sucker, but you seem to prefer your middle two fingers. Funny!

Sleeping: I am SO proud to report that you’ve been sleeping 8 to 10 hours per night in your room for more than two weeks! Hallelujah! I have to admit I absolutely dreaded this transition and most certainly delayed it as long as possible. The weekend before you turned 11 weeks, though, Daddy and I decided to give it a go.

We performed our normal bedtime routine at 8:30 p.m.: bath-jammies-swaddle-nurse-sleep…except this time you went right to bed in your crib. Daddy had the video monitor set up, but I stood outside your door with big ole tears in my eyes for quite some time. I even texted Nana Beth that I felt I’d dropped you off at college! You see, for the past 11.5 months you’ve either been in my belly or right beside me at night, little Claire. Leaving you alone in your room felt like such a huge step…but sweetie, it turns out it was good for you and good for us.

I know we’ll need to drop the swaddle soon, and I’ve read that there is often a sleep regression at four months — but for now, I can’t help but delight in how easy this major change was for Daddy and me. Thank you, thank you!

Following your first night of sleep in your own room!

Playing: My goodness you’re a busy girl! When you’re awake, you’re moving — kicking and punching and grabbing and watching. It’s clear you’re already learning so much about this wonderful world, and it’s fun to watch you discover new things. Daddy likes to take you on “Pinot Safaris” to find your pretty kitty, but your favorite game is Airplane, and you’ll let him fly you through the house for as long as his biceps can stand it! Mommy’s favorite thing these days is Babygarten, a fabulous free class for babies 0-18 months taught at the nearby United Methodist church on Monday mornings. There we sing songs, read books, and even make a take-home craft. You’re the youngest baby in the class, but you’ve become Teacher’s Pet and we aren’t one bit surprised.

Your best buddy right now is Gee, a jolly giraffe with a mirror on his belly. You’re also mighty fond of Flutter (a butterfly car seat attachment). We love watching your face light up when you see your bright-colored friends. Your activity mat is getting lots of action these days, too, and you’ll spend a good portion of time entertaining yourself as you grab, pull, and kick the zoo animals.

The highlight, though, is your little voice. You’ve started to be quite chatty, giving us “ah-goo” and “hiiii” and the most amazing laugh. Uncle Michael wins the prize for longest “conversation” so far — you sure had lots to tell him!

We’re still waiting for you to roll…but we know it isn’t far away. You throw your legs and spend lots of time on your side, so surely it’s coming soon. No rush, little one. You’re already growing so fast!

Visiting Daddy at Vanguard

We love you more than words! Always, Mommy and Daddy

Sweet girl…happy TWO months!

Never before has time passed as quickly as it is these days. It seems like just yesterday that we typed out your one-month post, and now here we are celebrating two! I have to say, we’ve hit baby bliss. In the last two weeks you’ve really blossomed — flashing smiles, becoming more routine-driven, and (YES!) finally sleeping! Your daddy and I agree that this is our favorite stage…your little personality is starting to shine and my goodness girl, you’re quite the beauty! Your red hair and blue eyes have captivated us…but we’re trying not to get too attached since we know those may be changing.

Here are the highlights of your second month:

Weight: 12 lbs 10.5 oz (82nd percentile) Length: 25 inches (100th percentile)

We’ve been amazed how quickly you’re outgrowing your clothes! You blew through the newborn size and 0-3 months is almost out too — your length makes it challenging to snap a onesie. It seems 3-6 fits you best right now, although your cloth diaper booty makes your pants pretty snug. All that said you’re still a super hot baby (like your daddy was, we hear…), so you spent much of August and September in just your diaper.

Eating: Oh baby, you love to eat. Nursing is still going well…but bottles sure aren’t. You’ve decided you only want milk from Mommy, and despite us trying three different brands, you absolutely refuse to latch onto a bottle. The pediatrician told us Friday that this stubbornness is common (you won’t take a pacifier either…), and to just keep on trying. So try we will, little lady, til we find out what makes you tick (or, rather, suck).

Sleeping: We couldn’t be more delighted with your sleep these days, Claire. It turns out you LOVE routine (you take after Pinot kitty in that respect), and we’ve found the magic ticket with a bath-swaddle-nurse-cuddle-bed pattern beginning each night around 8:30 p.m. For almost a week we’ve been getting 6+ hours of sleep…which to your weary parents feels more like 10! Thank you, thank you for this!

The next step, of course, is moving you out of our room. You’ve been sleeping in the bassinet of your Pack-n-Play since you came home from the hospital. We intended to ease you into the nursery at 6 weeks…now here we are approaching 9 and you’re still snoozing away beside our bed. I have to admit there’s something incredibly comforting about having you an arm’s distance away whenever I wake…but I know the whole family will sleep better once you’re settled in your pretty crib.

During the day you’re a mighty fine napper, taking one- or two-hour chunks of sleep a few times a day. Not surprisingly, your very favorite place to nap is chest-to-chest, and although I wouldn’t mind spending all day on the couch cuddled with my favorite girl, I’ve been trying to devote a few of your naps to laundry and work (which I’m sloooowly easing back into). During this time you’ll happily sleep in your swing or bouncer, especially if we set them to play tweet tweet birdie noises!

Playing: We think 8 weeks is so much fun! You’ll spend up to 30 minutes at a time on your activity mat kicking and punching and gooing at the animal toys and pretty girl in the mirror. You’re also mastering tummy time, holding your head high and looking around.

Our favorite time of the day, though, is morning, when we’ll bring you into our bed dressed in pajamas and watch you smile and goo for nearly an hour. This is your happy time, and we love making sounds while you practice mimicking us. It’s precious to watch you move your mouth and slowly push out breaths of air — it’s clear you know that’s how sounds are made…you’re just trying to figure out how.

If video doesn’t play, try this link:
http://baby.eberlecreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/labor_day_video.mp4

You’ve had a few instances where you’ve rolled onto your side, but nothing consistent. We have a feeling once you master a roll, you’re going to spend all your time on your belly. It’s most definitely your favorite place to be!

What you’re loving: The bath, your mobiles, being naked, Mommy and Daddy (you definitely recognize us!), morning, and the chance to meet your great-grandparents!

What you’re hating: Your crib, getting dressed, having your arms swaddled, and getting in and out of the carseat. (You’re a fan of the car as long as we’re in motion and music is playing. Stoplights and traffic jams are cause for shrieks!)

We sure can’t wait to see what the next four weeks hold. We’ll be busy — weddings and road trips and lots of growing. Keep on flashing that smile, little lady — you sure have us wrapped around your finger.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Early on in my pregnancy I told Adam how much I hoped someone would give Baby Eberle a handmade blanket. You can imagine how absolutely delighted we were to get our wish — 9 times over!

It warms our hearts to know that while precious Claire was still being formed, loved ones throughout the country were creating these heirloom treasures. Over the years these blankets are sure to be well-used…from offering comfort during thunderstorms to becoming the walls of playtime forts. One thing is certain: Claire will always be wrapped in love.

This quilt was a gift from Ashley and Bryan Leath, our dear friends in Birmingham. The Leaths created the design, which was hand-printed in Australia and hand-sewn by Katie Bowlby. Read more on their blog.

This blankie was a gift from Mary Sue Johnson, Grandma Margie’s sister, who also made Claire a few matching washcloths. It’s incredibly soft! 

This gift from Wendy Rippey was Claire’s very first quilt, given to us early in the summer. Wendy designed it based on our nursery colors, gray and navy. It’s a perfect match and we love the lively fabrics!

Claire’s Great Grandma Bobbi began sewing this quilt in December when we announced we were expecting. Our July due date inspired the beautiful red, white, and blue color scheme. 

This chevron blanket is from Stewart Swing (Adam’s best friend growing up) and his girlfriend, Jennifer Wilborne. Jennifer, a nurse, had a dear co-worker knit it in our nursery theme.

Myra Shelton, our sweet neighbor in Winston-Salem, knitted this snow white blanket for Claire. It was accompanied by one pink cap and one blue cap for Baby Eberle to wear in the hospital! 

This yellow and green blanket was knitted by Aunt Patsy Hissem! This is an especially thoughtful gift because it matches one she made when Adam was a baby. 

This minky gray blanket was made by Aunt Karen Drongowski, and was part of a precious handmade sleepover kit that included a book, bunny, bath wash, toothbrush, swaddle, toothbrush, and PJ bag. 

Lastly, this patterned blanket was made by Jane Bartel, a friend from our Winston-Salem church, and came with a pretty coordinating pillow.

We can’t express our gratitude enough for these generous offerings of time and talent. Thank you, dear ones. Thank you!

Top 7 images by Shea Halliburton Wright.

We just heard back from a few of our email subscribers who were unable to view Claire’s newborn slideshow.

If that is you, click here and allow a moment for the web page to load. We promise it is worth it!

Our dear friend Shea Wright returned two weeks after Claire’s birth to capture some priceless images of our little one. First, turn up your volume and check out the slideshow…

We couldn’t be more smitten with this beautiful baby! Enjoy…

Precious Claire…

You’re one month today, baby girl!

In many ways the past four weeks have flown by in a flurry of diapers and feedings…but in other ways it feels as if you’ve always been a part of our family. It absolutely amazes us how much you’ve changed already — a fact that both excites and saddens your momma. Although we can’t wait to see you grow and discover that feisty personality, I can’t help but get wistful over these fleeting baby days. I can’t count the number of times perfect strangers have told us to treasure this age — advice I recite to myself over and over during your middle-of-the-night feedings and those inconsolable baby fits. Here are a few of the highlights of your past four weeks… Weight: 10 lbs, 6 oz (from 7 lbs, 14 oz at birth)  Length: 22 1/4 inches (from 20 1/2 inches at birth)

What’s keeping you busy: At this age babies can only focus up to 12 inches from their face, but that sure isn’t slowing you down. When you’re awake, you’re studying. It’s fun to watch you watch us (I don’t blame you — your daddy’s handsome!) or even focus for minutes on a pretty patterned blanket. Of course a majority of your day is spent snoozing, tooting, and eating.

What’s keeping Mommy and Daddy busy: YOU! Babies are constant, and even though you sleep a good portion of the day, your naps are in hour or two-hour increments, meaning that the waking time between is spent nursing, burping, rocking, playing, and diapering. Oh, diapering. You’re averaging 12-14 diapers a day, little lady. That’s mighty impressive! So far we’ve been a fan of cloth, although we admit we’re cheating a bit by using a local diaper service. (Hey, our washing machine thanks us!) It feels good to know we’re helping the environment and keeping your booty a little healthier too. PLUS, diaper covers are adorable…and given how hot you tend to be, we often let you spend whole days hanging out in just your cute cloth.

Let’s see — in the past week Mommy and Daddy have enjoyed a few opportunities to get out of the house! Last weekend sweet Nana Beth babysat you while we attended your dad’s high school reunion. I know he’s proud of you, baby — he told anyone that would listen that he had a beautiful 3-week old! And although we enjoyed our first baby-free evening, I have to say that by 11 p.m. we were missing our girl and eager to get home.

Eating: My goodness girl, you are quite the eater! You sure delighted your parents in the delivery room when you latched on to nurse only minutes after birth. And you haven’t slowed down! The lactation consultant found out that you put down 2 ounces of milk in just 5 minutes (that’s a lot, quickly!), which explains why our nursing sessions are rather short. Of course, the fact that you nurse 12 times a day means that you and I still get plenty of special Mommy-Claire time. In the past week we’ve also introduced you to breastmilk bottles, giving Daddy the chance to do a nighttime feeding and making life a little more flexible for the occasional babysitter or evening out. We’re still experimenting with different bottle brands (babies are picky!), as you’ve had some trouble figuring out the difference between a bottle latch and a nursing latch. Thankfully your daddy is an extremely patient man, and he’ll sit with you for as long as it takes to get you to drink your milk. Slowly but surely you’re catching on, and you were a perfect bottle-drinking angel for Nana Beth when she babysat.

Sleeping: For your first few weeks we were certain you had your days and nights mixed up, baby. You’d sleep all day long, and then wake every hour or so throughout the night. This was fine at first because you’re super super cute, but let’s just say Mommy and Daddy are thrilled that your nighttime stretches are getting longer. We start our bedtime routine about 8:30 each evening, when we splash around in the bathtub (your furry brother likes to help), have a little “tender time” in your nursery with books and music, and enjoy a final feeding where (hopefully!) you’ll fall fast asleep nursing. At this point you’re sleeping swaddled in our room in the bassinet of your Pack-n-Play, but we’re getting eager to introduce you to your crib. You usually give us about 4 hours of sleep before you’re bright-eyed and hungry around 1:30 a.m. A bottle and a clean diaper will often appease you, although sometimes you decide that you’d rather stay awake. Mommy and Daddy are still perfecting our get-Claire-back-to-sleep strategies, but if all else fails, bringing you into our bed and letting you nap chest-to-chest with Daddy is fail-proof. You usually have one more wake-up around 4 or 5 a.m., where we’ll change you and nurse you and typically have you back down within an hour. From there you’ll sleep as long as we’ll let you — so Mom and Dad will take turns showering and dressing, tip-toeing around the room to avoid disturbing you. That said, one of our favorite things about you is your waking-up routine. We’ll have to get it on video sometime, but you make us laugh out loud as you stretch and grunt and stretch some more. We like to think that you grow a little bit more each time.

Play: Although “playtime” is fairly limited at one month of age, we spend time each day on your activity mat. Here, Mommy and Daddy help you do bicycle legs, “so big” reaches, and knee-to-elbow touches. Besides helping get out the gas (it’s true!), we think you like the active movements. We also give you some “naked time” each day when you can kick, punch, and wiggle diaper-free. You’ve been a hot baby since birth, and we think you really enjoy this refreshing taste of freedom.  What you love: Bath time, music, stroller walks around the neighborhood, the Moby wrap, being held, sleeping in the carseat, tummy time, your hands, and eating! Oh, and smiling…although the books tell us that it’s just gas! What you hate: Hiccups, the pacifier, getting dressed, getting in the carseat, Vitamin D drops, bottles, and having your hands swaddled.

We know our adventures are just getting started, baby Claire, but we can’t thank you enough for making us parents. You are our sunshine!

Love, Mommy and Daddy Up next: Claire’s birth story & newborn photo shoot!

It is with great joy that we introduce our daughter, Claire Elaine Eberle!

Born July 22, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.
7 pounds 14 ounces
20 1/2 inches

We’ve been mighty busy cuddling, swaddling, bathing, changing, feeding, kissing, and loving our sweet miracle…but we’ll be back soon with her birth story and tales of our first week home as a little family.

Til then, here are a few pictures of our beauty. Many, many more to come!

If you’d asked us last Friday what we’d be up to in a week, we’d say with confidence that we’d be snuggling our precious newborn. But, here we are: waiting. Just like the rest of the world. That said, this week wasn’t without some excitement.

Tuesday’s check-up was quite the experience. My blood pressure was slightly elevated, so the OB recommended inducing on Wednesday. I have to admit our hearts skipped a beat at the thought of becoming parents the following day…but we just didn’t feel like there was enough of a medical reason to induce. So, we turned him down. The doctor ordered an ultrasound and blood test (which both came out perfectly) and we went home feeling a bit disappointed, but confident in our decision.

The rest of the week was spent waiting and walking the neighborhood, hoping gravity and nature would work their wonders. Thursday Erin and Haley came to town to help distract their stir-crazy sister. My mom bought us pedicures and we did a little baby shopping.

Last night I made this recipe, given that eggplant has a reputation for starting labor. Unfortunately no go. (At least it was tasty.)

Today we returned to the doctor at 9 a.m. with no clue what to expect. (I still haven’t had a single true contraction.) Thankfully, my blood pressure was perfect and we passed the non-stress test with flying colors. I’m still measuring 4 cm dilated — so today’s OB encouraged us not to labor long at home once contractions do start. They still think it’ll be a fairly quick ride!

If the little bundle doesn’t arrive over the weekend, our next appointment is Tuesday morning (our due date), and she suggested we come with our suitcases.

Here’s a round-up of Week 39:

Baby’s size: Officially the size of a watermelon, probably somewhere between 6 to 9 pounds and 19 to 21 inches!

What’s keeping Baby busy: In these final days Baby’s brain is still developing rapidly, meaning he or she is getting smarter by the minute.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Doctors appointments were our social life this week. Hopefully we can get out and about this weekend…and maybe indulge in a few extra movies and naps. I know we’ll be craving this quiet down-time in just a few short days.

Cravings: Fruits (peaches, watermelon and strawberries)…and that’s about all. My appetite has really decreased in the past week or so. I think this bump just has me feeling full!

Struggles: Patience!

Joys: Precious going home outfits (& changing pad covers) for Baby Girl or Baby Boy Eberle…

Keep us in your prayers this weekend as we wait for our sweetie. And thanks, as always, for the endless love these past 39 weeks. We’re mighty blessed!

You know what they say about a watched pot? I’m starting to empathize. Friday’s OB appointment was mighty exciting — I measured 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and Baby was in 0 position…which, as the doc told us, meant it could be anytime!

We spent Friday evening finishing the nursery, convinced that our sweet little one would arrive that night. We woke up Saturday certain that this was the day. I took it easy on the couch while amazing Adam cooked and cleaned and grocery shopped. And by the end of the day: still no contractions. Not a single one!

Nana Kay and the Russells return from their fabulous adventures out West tomorrow — and we’re headed back to the OB on Tuesday…so all systems will be go very soon! I know we’re still 9 days away from our official due date, so we surely shouldn’t be impatient. (If anything, I need to be counting my blessings that hopefully labor will be shorter and easier since we’re already this far along.) BUT, we sure can’t wait to meet this sweet little baby!

We’ll keep you updated — and thanks so very much for the endless prayers.

Here’s a round-up of Week 38:

Baby’s size: Averaging 7 pounds and 21 inches — but we’ll know for sure soon!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Ready to roll anytime now, our little one is using these last few days to shed the skin-protecting vernix (a white protective coating that has covered him or her in the womb). Baby is also still quite busy, digging little feet and elbows into my side in the evenings.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Putting the finishing touches on this adorable space….

The newest addition to the nursery is the ABC collection, hand-painted by some of our nearest and dearest. We have a few letters left to do…but we thought we’d wait to see if we have a little guy or gal, and fill in peach or green as fun accents. I should have snapped a closer shot so you could see all the beautiful designs and patterns — will do as soon as we have the whole alphabet complete!

Adam removed the closet door so we could utilize the wall space to the right of the crib. When closed, a simple white curtain panel hides all the chaos inside the closet. 

We finally found a set of baskets to hold all the diaper goodies on the changing table! The mirror is from my sweet Nana Burton’s home, and the growth chart is made of reclaimed wood from Dad and Margie’s Minnesota neighborhood! Lots of sentimental treasures throughout.

Cravings: Water. Between the July heat and this growing baby, I’ve been incredibly thirsty these past few weeks. Fruit is still high up on the list…especially peaches!

Struggles: Mobility. Baby has definitely “dropped” — so although I’m grateful that my lungs now have a little more room to breathe, my walking is starting to resemble a waddle and getting in and out of bed is quite the production.

Joys: Our loved ones are the greatest. We’ve been getting encouraging texts and emails and phone calls all week. Somehow folks know just the right words to say…and we appreciate them immensely.

Have a wonderful week!

This past week was a tribute to the to-do list. Sweet Adam and I devoted our entire Fourth holiday to prepping for Baby Eberle — and as of last night, I think we’re feeling ready. Or as ready as we can be considering we have no clue when this little tot will make his or her grand appearance!

I explained to someone this weekend that waiting on labor feels a bit like planning a wedding without knowing the wedding date. You spend months and months sharing your news, making decisions, and coordinating family, but you aren’t quite sure which day you’ll actually head to the church. The best you can do is have your dress ready and your groom on call.

Some highlights of this week:

Adam installed the carseat (and he’s taking it to the fire station on Wednesday for approval!)…

Pinot got his first collar (since we don’t trust him not to sneak out once he’s no longer our top priority)…

We packed the hospital bags (and likely overdid it — we’ll go lighter for Baby #2)…

And I got the chance to indulge in a prenatal massage and pedicure! Dad and Margie gave me a generous gift card for my birthday — and I’ve been saving it up for a little spoilin’! Although I forgot to take a picture of the massage table…it was designed specifically for big baby bumps, leaving a support hole so I could literally lay on my stomach throughout the massage. Heaven!

We didn’t have much progress at last Friday’s OB appointment. The nurse practitioner measured me at 2+ cm, but wouldn’t quite commit to 3 cm. We’ll go back again this Friday. In the meantime, THIS website is cracking us up: www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com.

Here’s a round-up of Week 37:

Baby’s size: Somewhere around 6.5 to 7 pounds and 20.5 to 21 inches

What kept Baby busy: Sweet baby fat is still accumulating on the little guy or girl, “forming kissable dimples in those cute elbows, knees, and shoulders, and adorable creases and folds in the neck and wrists,” according to What to Expect. Baby is also pivoting from side to side, giving us little bottom presses on the left, then right, then left side.

What kept Mom and Dad busy: Adam has been training his team at work so that they’re prepared to cover for him while he’s out on paternity leave. He’s a pretty priceless asset, and a few folks mentioned at the Vanguard shower how much he’ll be missed. On my work front, I’ve been trying to wrap up a few projects as quickly as possible so I don’t leave any of my clients empty-handed when we rush off to the hospital. Thankfully “going into labor” is likely the best excuse for missing a deadline that I’ve ever tried — and I have a feeling they’ll be flexible.

Cravings: Tomatoes, fruit, and sweet baby snuggles.

Struggles: Embracing the unknowns. I’ve been reading every book and blog I can get my hands on to try to prepare for the big day and the big weeks following. I’m an over-researcher by habit, and have been comforted by reading about all the potential ways labor and delivery can go. That said, the goal is to have a happy, healthy baby and I’m definitely keeping my eye on that prize.

Joys: The countdown clock at the top right of the blog (if you’re viewing this from your computer). See that number? We’re almost there!

….neither is ours! But today marks 37 weeks and sweet Baby Eberle is officially full term! At our OB appointment last Friday I was 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and Baby was in -1 position. So, as the doc told us — it could be days or it could be weeks. We return this Friday for another check — but in the meantime, we’re trying to wrap up projects at work and at home so we’re all ready when it’s go time!

Of course, this post is titled Week 36 because I can’t miss an opportunity to update you on all the excitement of the last week.

On Thursday Adam’s co-workers threw us a wonderful shower! I forgot to take pictures, but it was a sweet celebration with a great turnout. Although Adam has been at Vanguard for 5.5 years, this was my first time meeting many of his team. What a great group! They clearly adore Adam — and it was so kind for them to share our joy.

Dad and Margie arrived to town Thursday afternoon and we indulged in a little down time before the weekend’s festivities. Ashley and Bryan Leath drove in Saturday morning and we all headed to Winston-Salem for the most glorious baby shower I could have imagined. Mari-Jo hosted the big event at her gorgeous farm, and she, Erin, Haley, and Mom worked for weeks to bring the beautiful bee-themed shindig to life.

I have another post coming up soon about all the handmade treasures we received this weekend (including two incredible quilts and a reclaimed-wood growth chart!!!), but in the meantime, let’s just say we were absolutely humbled by the distance folks traveled to help celebrate our little sweetie — Dad and Margie from Minnesota, Julia from D.C., Ashley and Bryan from Birmingham, Julie and Audrey from the coast, and the list goes on… The day reminded me a lot of a wedding: You have all your favorite people in one place, but hardly enough time to hold a full conversation with each of them. We’ll be treasuring the warmth of Saturday for many, many years to come.

Here’s how we did during Week 36:

Baby’s size: Averaging 6.5 pounds and 20.5 inches, Baby’s biggest job is growing!

What’s keeping Baby busy: All of Baby’s systems (circulatory through musculoskeletal) are ready to roll — so Baby is busy practicing and practicing…sucking thumbs, inhaling and exhaling, blinking, and swaying from side to side.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We checked some major items off the big to-do list last week — picked a pediatrician, washed our first loads of baby laundry, and assembled the sweet swing, stroller, and pack-n-play. We’re staying put over the Fourth of July holiday, so we hope to wrap up the rest of the list, and maybe indulge in a little pool time too.

Cravings: We want to see that sweet, squishy face! Meeting our little one is practically all we can think about these days!

Struggles: I really hate to complain, given that I’ve had such an easy pregnancy, but goodness — carrying a baby isn’t a piece of cake. I’m sure missing my mobility these days, especially as the extra fatigue (and the heat!) kicks in. I’ve switched up my morning treadmill routine for an evening walk around the neighborhood…and last night even asked sweet Adam to tie my shoelaces. Ironically, the nesting instinct has kicked into high gear — but although I daydream about cleaning my baseboards, I sure can’t fathom crawling around on the floor. God has a sense of humor, for sure!

Joys: This…

And this…

Do you think they’re excited? 🙂

Yesterday marked one month til Baby Eberle’s due date! I’ll be 36 weeks tomorrow…and can hardly believe it. This weekend was filled with yard work, nursery projects, and the sweetest little shower hosted by the gals from my bible study.

Blue, yellow, and elephants made for a precious theme (and was a sweet personal reminder of my Poppa Burton, who had a special affinity for elephants). I loved showing off my mommas and sisters — and it was so nice for them to meet some of the amazing women that make up my church family.

Baby Eberle was certainly spoiled…and so were our taste buds!

A highlight was these advice cards, personalized by all the shower guests. Some were funny, some were tear-jerkers, and all were keepsakes.

Here’s how we did during Week 35:

Baby’s size: Gaining about a 1/2 pound per week between now about the big birth day, Baby is somewhere around 6 pounds and 20 inches!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Gettin’ smarter and smarter. Baby’s brain development is in a rapid state right now. Oh, and although his or her space is getting tighter as Baby grows, the wiggles haven’t stopped. Watching my belly bump shift from side to side has become one of our favorite after-dinner activities. This little one is mighty active!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We wrapped up our prenatal classes with Infant CPR. Whew, scary stuff! I know the likelihood of us ever needing it is small…but I almost burst into tears practicing on my dummy doll. Adam was much more level-headed. Thank goodness for balance!

Cravings: Fruit, fruit, and more fruit!

Struggles: Checking off the to-do list! We still need to select a pediatrician, pack our hospital bag, type up a delivery day “wish list” for the OB, order prints of our maternity pictures, etc. Plus, I’ve committed to a number of writing projects that need some major TLC before the little one arrives. It’ll all get done (this is God’s timing, as we know!), but the slow progress is a bit of a stressor.

Joys: As we’re getting closer to the big day, friends and family are starting to put in their final gender bets. Erin and Haley have predicted a boy since we announced we were expecting. Others have tottered back and forth. I’m still waiting for my intuition to kick in…I don’t have a gut feel one way or the other! A favorite blogger of mine, A Cup of Jo, wrote a fun post today about 12 old wives tales to determine baby’s gender. The quiz and Chinese Gender Chart predicted boy — I’ll have to try the others too! One thing is certain: We’re still SO glad we’ve saved this surprise.

Sooo….tell us! What’s your pick: Baby girl or baby boy? Post a comment and let us know!

Dear Adam,

I first fell for you when I was 16 years old. Last month I turned 30. If you’re counting — that’s a big chunk of my life spent smitten with you. It’s pretty incredible, I think. And also incredibly, divinely planned.

You see, my mom began praying for my future husband when I was just a little girl (she even wrote a beautiful song about it for our wedding!) — and boy does God answer prayers. I couldn’t have asked for a greater guy to know and love, and I’m simply overwhelmed with joy when I picture you fathering our little ones.

One of the greatest moments of my life was telling you that you were going to be a daddy. I’d taken the test early one Thursday morning and had all day to plan the big announcement. We were just two days away from your birthday (which we were spending with dear family in Creedmoor) so I knew Thursday evening would be a great excuse to celebrate with a fancy dinner.

I broke out our gorgeous wedding china, baked a yummy cake, cooked up a pumpkin-sausage risotto, lit the unity candle from our wedding, and wrapped an extra special birthday present. Completely unsuspecting, you came home from work to this:

I was nervous all through dinner (this must be what proposing feels like!), and finally suggested you open your present:

And yes, I was absolutely, totally sure….

Your expression was priceless…and so were the dozens of hugs and kisses and happy tears streaming from each of our faces. We were having a baby!!!!!!!

I’d written a note in my planner that morning: “I don’t know you, sweet baby, but I know your daddy and I know your God…and I just know you’ll be blessed. We’ve prayed for you, but the thought of you actually becoming YOU is simply remarkable.”

At that time, Baby Eberle was just four weeks — the size of a poppyseed. And as joyful as we were that evening, it’s amazing how much love we feel for this little one today, at 35 weeks. I can hardly imagine the feeling when he or she is in our arms.

In nearly four years of marriage we’ve celebrated some of the highest highs, and endured loss like we’d never imagined. Through it all, you’ve been my rock — an incredible provider, a strong spiritual leader, a shoulder for tears, and my very best friend. Thanks, I’m certain, to your awesome Momma’s upbringing, you still treat me like a queen — and I strive daily to never, ever take that adoration for granted.

Five-ish weeks from now our whole world will change…but I think we’re ready, babe. The best truly is yet to come. Let’s do this!

Love always, Your Girl

We hope you all had a wonderful Father’s Day honoring the dads in your life! We had a great time Sunday catching up with Grandpa Bob, Michael, and Ashley — and we enjoyed some long-distance celebrating with Papa Hissem, Grandpa Steve, and Grandpa Engel.

Our “countdown to due date” ticker sure isn’t slowing down — and neither are we! This past week was spent at a prenatal class (Breastfeeding 101), at church events, and at a sweet baby shower for friends adopting from Korea. Now that we’re one day away from 35 weeks — I’m once again sliding this post in at the last minute.

Just for fun, I found a cool diagram showing trends in birthdays:

Baby Eberle’s due date ranks pretty high on the “commonness” spectrum (although not nearly as popular as September babies). We think he or she will LOVE having a summertime birthday. Just imagine the party possibilities: the pool, the lake, the park, the zoo… But boy, we’re getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?!

Here’s how we did at Week 34:

Baby’s size: Whew! We’re looking at about 5.5 pounds and a little over 18 inches. That’s a lot of baby — and 5(ish) weeks still to go!

What’s keeping Baby busy: This sweet one has been busy getting into position! I had my 34-week appointment on Wednesday, and the OB told us that the precious head is already pretty low in my pelvis (a great sign!) — and I’m 50–60% effaced. We have another check up next week (36), and then we’ll be heading in every week til Baby Eberle arrives!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We have a few more nursery projects to complete before little tot arrives. Fun stuff, really…converting the closet to offer a little more function…adding a mirror and cool art to the walls…washing and hanging a few pairs of precious baby clothes…etc. We can’t wait to post pictures when it’s all complete. We’re simply smitten with how the room turned out…it’s so happy and peaceful, the perfect place for a baby to sleep, play, and grow!

Cravings: Fruit of all sorts…watermelon, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, banana, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, strawberries, watermelon, strawberries. Oh, and avocado too!

Struggles: Meet my new desk chair…

No joke! I’ve had trouble staying comfortable in a normal chair for longer than an hour or two (which if you can see my must-finish-pre-baby assignment list, you’d realize the severity of this problem). Thankfully our birthing classes raved about the benefits of yoga balls…so I happily dug out this blue beauty from my Birmingham days (back then we used these at our desks to help strengthen our core…), and TA-DA! Magic. No more soreness = A lot more productivity!

Joys: We’re feeling ready. Yes, we still have three dozen items on our to-do lists (which may or may not get done), but when it comes to becoming a mommy and daddy, we simply can’t wait! Our baby classes have done an exceptional job of relieving delivery-day worries (as have the “you can do this!” messages from so many precious friends and family) — so now all we really must do is practice patience…rest up…and wait for our lives to change 🙂

Is it just me, or are these weeks rushing by? My goodness! Today is technically the first day of Week 34…so this is going to be a fast, picture-less update to get us caught up.

Quick reminder for family/friends planning to spend lots of quality time with Baby Eberle: We’re asking everyone to make sure they’re up to date on their Tdap vaccine, per our OB-gyn, hospital, and the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations. The CDC suggests getting this up to two weeks before coming in contact with infants. We hear the CVS Minute Clinic has them ready to roll. For more info, click here. Thanks y’all! We really appreciate it!

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 33:

Baby’s size: Remember that “Dad-to-Be” chart of baby’s growth that I mentioned last week? Yeah, so apparently Baby is officially the size of a ukulele now! How fun is that? We’re looking at 4.5 pounds and about 18 inches of joy!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Week 33 was a huge week for growth. In fact, Baby likely added a full inch in length over the past 7 days. Other fun things (according to The Bump)…Baby’s keeping his or her eyes open while awake, bones are hardening, and he or she is going through (more) major brain development. Our sweet one also spends quite a bit of time hiccuping — poor thing seems to have them a couple times a day. They’re harmless…but quite distracting.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We’ve been in class! Adam and I spent Saturday in an intensive 7-hour childbirth course learning a whoooole lot about the big delivery day. We wondered if the extra education would leave us fearful…but rather, we’re both feeling more confident now that we know more about what to expect from labor, delivery, and recovery. Plus, we have a better grasp of when to head to the hospital, so we can hopefully stay home as long as we (or, rather, I?) feel comfortable.

Last night, we took another course called “Increasing Comfort in Labor,” where Adam learned about a dozen massage and pressure-point techniques that he can perform to help relieve contraction pain. How cool is that? I understand that labor can leave daddies feeling fairly helpless, but this class was filled with practical suggestions to make the whole experience feel more like a team effort.

This upcoming weekend we have a breastfeeding course, and then the following week we’re taking Infant CPR. Lots to learn — but we’re enjoying these hands-on offerings.

Struggles: Honestly, I’m still feeling pretty great! I’ve been sleepy in the afternoons…and usually get up once in the night to use the restroom or re-position in the bed…but so far, so good! This growing belly still cracks me up… (I truly can’t imagine where 6 more weeks of growth will go!) But besides dealing with a decreasing range of motion, I feel pretty darn blessed.

Cravings: Well folks, it finally happened — my beloved strawberries were passed in popularity by their cousin fruit, watermelon! And I’m not just talking a slice here or there. I bought/consumed a 1/4 melon by myself last Thursday….and then (with help from the family), finished off another full one on Sunday. I know summer pregnancies get a bad rap for the heat…but I’m totally digging the fresh, in-season produce. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Joys: We only have 42 days til our sweet one’s due date! Enough said!

Oh my word — we just wrapped up one of the wildest (but most fun!) weekends we’ve had in a long, long time. Adam and I drove up to Hickory on Friday and had a fabulous evening with Nana Kay…complete with lots of laughter and Italian food. We all turned in early because Saturday was Adam’s BIG DAY!

Yes, he completed ANOTHER half-marathon y’all…and this time he was a mentor for the running team! Nana Kay and I were honored to cheer him on — and we couldn’t have been more proud.

We got home from Hickory just in time to head over to Tim and Jennifer’s house for a Guerry family lake day. We had a blast boating, eating, celebrating birthdays, and showing off the (BIG!) baby bump. We were also incredibly blessed to be the recipients of an extremely generous shower.

Wendy made us this incredible creation…

…while Kelley baked up an extra special Strawberry Poppy Seed Cake! Click here to go over to her blog to see pictures and read her precious words. (Kelley just launched A Dash of Sweet and we feel mighty fortunate to be the recipients of one of her goodies!)

In addition to the yummy food, Baby Eberle received some of the most thoughtful gifts…including some handmade heirlooms (pictures to come soon). What a lucky baby! Thank you, Guerry/Bragg family. We’re SO grateful.

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 32:

Baby’s size: In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day, The Bump website created a Dad-to-Be version of the “How Big is Baby” chart. Rather than fruits, they use “man” terms like cuff link (Week 7) and golf ball (Week 11). This week we’re at a loaf of bread (WOW!?!), averaging 4 pounds and 17 inches.

What’s keeping Baby busy: Baby is head-down (yay!) and measuring right on schedule, according to our latest doctor’s appointment. The next 7 weeks are spent growing and growing!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We have a few small projects left in the nursery…but otherwise we’re resting up, cleaning up, and waiting. Fewer than 50 days to go (hopefully)!

Cravings: My strawberry desires were satisfied this weekend, thanks to the yummy shower food. Also: water. I’m thirsty ALL the time…and have been keeping my water bottle within reach for weeks.

Struggles: Patience. I’m getting so excited about meeting this little boy or girl that I’m finding myself wishing away time, rather than focusing on resting up and enjoying these last few weeks of relative calm and quiet. I’m still feeling really good — although I simply can’t imagine how 7 more weeks of baby growth will add onto my belly.

Joys: It sounds silly, but we’re taking great pleasure in all of Baby Eberle’s sweet things…folding the precious clothes, browsing the books, and arranging wipes, bottles, and lotions. Adam is especially excited about all the future toys Baby will have — and is working hard at creating voices for the stuffed animal friends. Good times ahead for sure!

Have a wonderful week!

Remember my last entry about our super-talented friends? Well, it happened again. Last week I came home to a package from Sarah Anderson, another precious buddy from my time in Birmingham. Sarah and I worked in adjacent departments at Southern Living, and we rode the waves of work and play together for five glorious months. Sarah’s son Hugo is a mighty handsome 20-month-old — and it has been an absolute joy watching how naturally Sarah took on the role of Mommy. She’s so funny and loving and down-to-Earth, and I wish with all my heart that Indiana and North Carolina were closer on the map.

In addition to a generous box of goodies for me and Baby Eberle, Sarah enclosed an incredible mobile handmade by her sister, Anna Preuschl. I’d seen Anna’s handiwork in a few other nurseries, and when we found out we were expecting, I told Sarah I wanted to place an order. Ever the thoughtful friend, Sarah had already beat me to it.

An artist by trade, Anna carefully selected each precious paper — pretty patterns, sparkles, and even sweet music notes are sure to keep Baby busy. Thank you SO very much, Anna and Sarah!

Want to order one for another baby in your life? Anna can be reached at apreuschl@gmail.com.

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 31:

Baby’s size: Averaging in the 15 to 16.5 inches and 2.5 to 3.8 pounds range.

What’s keeping Baby busy: Growing, growing, growing — and dancing, flipping, and kicking! All five of Baby’s senses are ready to roll…and this current growth spurt is accompanied by major brain activity too.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: My dad and Margie came to town from Minnesota this week, and we’ve enjoyed tons of quality time with them. We took a tour at the hospital, ate lots of delicious food, played hilarious card games, celebrated Margie’s graduation (congrats again!), and worked on projects around the house.

Most notably, Adam and Dad added THIS to the nursery…

That gorgeous fan even includes a remote. What a lucky baby and Mommy! Thank you both for all the hard work!

Cravings: Same old suspects…strawberries, watermelon, grapes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, and greek yogurt.

Struggles: As sweet Baby grows, he or she is squishing my lungs. The OB warned us that I’d start to get out-of-breath…and that certainly kicked in this week. Just a quick trip up the stairs can really catch up to me! Also — remember that hilarious pillow fortress that worked so beautifully for a few weeks? Not anymore! New week; new sleeping strategy…this time, just two pillows (one keeping me off my back; another supporting the bump) seems to do the trick.

Joys: Baby went on his or her first boat ride on Sunday! Mari-Jo, Mom, Haley, Adam, and I took Mari-Jo’s boat out on Lake Norman for a few hours…and it was sunny and glorious! Captain Adam drove slowly to avoid any choppiness — and the whole trip was mighty relaxing. We sure can’t wait to introduce our little one to the lake (we even registered for an infant life jacket!). Hopefully we’ll  have a water baby!

I’ve gotta brag, y’all: I think I hit the friend jackpot. Really! How common is it for one gal to have so many creative buddies in her life? I have designers, photographers, letterpressers, writers, and bakers all in my near and dear circle. My cup certainly overflows.

Nearly eight years ago, I met one of those such friends when I moved to Birmingham for an internship at Southern Living. I didn’t know a soul in Sweet Home Alabama — but God had big plans for me. 

Shea Halliburton Wright and I became fast friends (and eventually housemates too!) during our time in Birmingham. And although we now only see each other two or three times a year, we’ve gotten to experience some of life’s biggest moments side by side.

I mentioned last week that we took maternity photos with Shea on my birthday. On Tuesday, she sent this slideshow: (It may take just a minute to download — worth it!)

And here are a few of the highlights from the shoot…

As I said, Shea is more than a photographer — she’s a true artist. There are no words for friends like this. What a gift.

…we see you, Baby Eberle!

Remember how I mentioned the fabulous 3d ultrasound experience we had last week? Here’s a sampling of our favorite moments (which Adam brilliantly compiled and set to music).

A few highlights to watch for:

• 00:15 Baby’s profile (looking right) with arms in front
• 01:05 (It’s hard to tell at first, but it becomes clear…) Baby feet — check out the sweet toes!
• 01:29 Baby face again, looking directly at you…
• 01:33 Believe it or not, this is Baby’s leg (shin) and foot up next to his or her chin! That explains the kicks for sure…
• 02:14 Baby wave… “Hello family!”
• 02:21 Silly Baby sucking his or her middle finger
• 02:57 Baby sticks out the tongue
• 03:05 Biiiig yawn
• 03:14 Another big yawn
• 03:30 Sucking lots of fingers…and then tugging at that sweet mouth
• 03:45 Naptime
• 04:02 Snuggling with the umbilical cord
• 04:33 Leg/foot back up at the face
• 04:40 Tongue out and another sweet yawn (and perhaps crossed fingers?)
• 04:54 Can’t get enough of that little tongue

If video doesn’t play, try this link:
http://baby.eberlecreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Baby_Eberle_3d4d_Ultrasound_hd.mp4

We’re so in love!

We’ve had an incredible past few days as Baby turned 30 weeks….and I turned 30 years!

Our celebration started on Wednesday, when we surprised our mommas with their Mother’s Day gift: a visit with us to Lake Norman 3d Imaging, where we got to enjoy about 45 minutes of 3d/4d ultrasounds of sweet Baby Eberle!

We were delighted to discover that our little one has a full head of hair…a dimple or two…a precious button nose…and a TON of personality! Baby was quite busy during the experience — sucking on fingers, waving, and even getting his or her toes up to the mouth. Funny!

We have video of the entire scan — and hopefully Adam can upload some clips to the blog this weekend. In the meantime, here are a few of our favorite images:

The unanimous consensus was that Baby looks just like his or her sweet daddy. What do you think? Here’s newborn Adam:

Our fun continued on Thursday, when our dear friends Shea and Josh visited on their way through to Wilmington. We celebrated my 30th birthday with a maternity shoot at our home and on the banks of Lake Norman. We had such a great time, and we can’t wait to see what Shea captured on camera.

I was simply overwhelmed by the love and generosity from our friends and family. Thank you all for making my special day even more memorable. (And I have to admit — I’m really looking forward to my 30s!!)

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 30…

Baby’s size: About 15 to 16.5 inches and 2.5 to 3.8 pounds!

What’s keeping Baby busy: For the next 10 weeks, Baby’s biggest job is to grow! He or she has doubled in height over the past six weeks…so now it’s time to fill out that long body with sweet little chub.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Our plain guest room is slowly transforming into a precious nursery! Adam spent the first part of this week installing our window treatments and building the closet dresser. We still have a ways to go on art…and I need a side table and lamp for the glider…and perhaps a rug…but we’re getting closer and closer!

Cravings: Staying consistent with strawberries, avocados, and hard-boiled eggs…but as the heat begins to set in, I’ve been thinking more and more about frozen yogurt. I sense a TCBY trip in our weekend plans…

Struggles: None of note! I’m still using the treadmill each morning and drinking as much water as possible, so I’ve been able to keep swelling down. I’ve been indulging in an occasional afternoon nap…but otherwise I’m still feeling energetic and I can still see my feet! Hallelujah!

Joys: We’ve been on Cloud 9 lately. Between seeing our sweet one on the 3d screen…watching the bump grow…and making major progress in the nursery, Adam and I have hit a point where we’re constantly beaming. This little one will be SO loved!

We’re just coming off an amazing weekend filled with friends and family, reminding us once more just how blessed we are. 

Friday night Adam and I spent three hours at Babies R Us. Holy moly, ya’ll. Strollers and carseats and bottles, OH MY! We were pretty intimated by the whole registering process, but we’ve just about finalized our list. We’re also registering at Amazon, which has been fun since it lets us add from other cool sites like Etsy and our cloth diaper company.

Saturday morning (after Adam’s 10-mile run!) we had our first baby class at the hospital: Preparing to Parent, where we discussed sleep, swaddling, bonding, and self-care. We really enjoyed the hands-on learning, and look forward to future classes. Saturday afternoon we went home to Winston-Salem for a dear friend’s 30th birthday, and then came back to Cornelius in time to celebrate sweet Haley, who turned 23!

Sunday was Mother’s Day…and goodness, we have some pretty fantastic women in our lives! We started the day with church and brunch with Nana Beth, Erin, Haley, and Mari-Jo, then we loaded up and headed to Creedmoor where we were spoiled by a wonderful evening with Nana Kay, Michael, the Hissems, and the Russells. Baby was mighty active, and we really enjoyed letting everyone feel the kicks, twists, and turns. Just 10-ish weeks to go til we meet this sweet little acrobat!

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 29…

Baby’s size: According to The Bump, “Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, he or she weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but still has a ways to go — can you believe Baby will triple in weight before birth?”

What’s keeping Baby busy: Increased brain waves mean that Baby is starting to dream (wonder what about?) and control his or her body temperature. New fat deposits under the skin can also be blamed for Baby’s increased energy. No kidding!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We’ve been mighty productive in the nursery! The sweet bookshelf is built (and decorated), the curtains are going up tomorrow, and we’re waiting for the dresser to arrive any day now. We’re still pondering art…a rug…and a side table and lamp for the glider — but it’s coming together beautifully and I can’t wait to post pictures very soon!

Cravings: Strawberries, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, milk, dark chocolate, and water. I’m insatiably thirsty all the time!

Struggles: So…sleep is getting a bit more complicated, as my sweet little bump grew to a sweet big bump that really weighs on my lower back. Since the docs advise pregnant gals to sleep on their left sides, my poor back has been mighty sore. Thankfully, Adam and I managed to devise a “fortress” of pillows. The good news: It’s working! I’ve been sleeping straight through the night. The bad news: Poor Adam.

The white pillow in the middle goes against my back, keeping me from rolling over…the gray pillow in the center supports my lower back and belly…then the Boppy gets cuddled tight all night. It’s pretty laughable, I realize. But hey — I’ll do anything it takes to get as much sleep as possible before little tot arrives! (And, thankfully, sweet Adam hasn’t complained once.)

Joys: We’re doing a maternity photo shoot with my sweet friend Shea on Thursday…and I can’t wait to share the results. Shea’s photography is incomparable, and I’m truly honored that she’s taking the time to bless us with her talent.

We also got to see a sneak peek of the nearly-finished letterpress baby announcements that Ashley and Bryan of Happy Penguin Press are designing for us. They’re simply gorgeous, and we cannot thank the Leaths enough for their generosity and patience. (Since Baby’s gender and name are a surprise, sweet Ashley doubled her workload and designed two equally fabulous announcements so we’re all ready for a baby girl or baby boy.)

Have a wonderful week!

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We jumped on the trendy Babymoon train, y’all. We joined the likes of Prince William and Princess Kate, Kim Kardashian and Kayne West, Jay-Z and Beyonce, to spoil ourselves silly with an indulgent little vacation before sweet Baby rocks our world.

And indulge we did!

We started out last Friday after our 28-week OB appointment, planning our travel time to place us in Black Mountain just in time for lunch at My Father’s Pizza, a sentimental spot dating back to our high-school days.

We devoured our margarita pizza (and Adam his local beer), before heading out to find dessert!

Hey, Hey Cupcake fit the bill — and even though we had to dash through a terrible rainstorm to get there, the fresh-from-the-oven confections were certainly worth it.

Plus, we got to spot this cheeky-yet-true sign:

Full on cupcakes, we headed toward our last Black Mountain stop: Pisgah Brewing Company, one of our favorite North Carolina breweries. We’ve been visiting Pisgah for years, and although the industrial location leaves a lot to be desired, their award-winning selection is mighty impressive.

Since I clearly wasn’t imbibing, Adam took one for the team and enjoyed a sampler of some of our favorites — and a few new options, too.

From there, we were on our way to our ultimate destination: Lakeview at Fontana, the dreamiest “Mediterranean-meets-Greenwich-Village” spa getaway we could imagine. Full disclosure: we’d actually been here once before, back in August 2010 when I was researching for an article about Western North Carolina lodging. This time, though, we got to fly under the radar — no press tours, no interviewing, and no writing deadlines. This vacay was all about us.

We checked into our cabin just in time to enjoy their wine/water and cheese hour on the scenic deck overlooking Lake Fontanta.

That night we kicked up our feet, cooked lasagna in our cabin, read books, and (drumroll…) finalized our boy and girl baby names! (Yes, we even shook on it.) Although we’re still a few months away from revealing our choices, we’re really excited about our decisions.

Saturday morning we slept in til mid-morning, and then wandered over to breakfast — a gorgeous spread of fruits, yogurt, granola, local breads, pastries, and (our favorite) French-pressed coffee. My decaf request was even granted with my own carafe. We savored every sip!

Once we’d had our fill, it was time for our only obligation of the day: spa appointments — prenatal massage for me and a hot-stone massage for Adam. Can we say bliss?!

Afterwards, we floated back to our cabins, dressed in “comfy clothes,” grabbed books, and found seats by the fire, where we stayed for the next five or six hours.

The rain rolled in, but we weren’t phased a bit. We read, we talked, we sip this…

 …and we enjoyed the quiet. No cell phones. No to-do lists. It was dreamy.

When evening rolled around, we decided to hit town.

Bryson City isn’t hopping… And in the pouring rain, it really isn’t hopping… But we were able to accomplish our three goals: Find a sweet souvenir for the nursery (we chose a precious birdy pottery piece for the tip top of Baby’s high bookshelf); enjoy a delicious dinner out (Cork and Bean fit the bill and impressed us with their recent renovation and expanded menu); and visit Nantahala Brewing, a growing local brewery that we first stopped at back in 2010. Western NC breweries get to take advantage of the region’s incredible mountain water — and it makes a difference.

The rain picked up as we were driving home, and we were lulled to sleep by 9:30.

Sunday we didn’t set our alarms…but the French-pressed coffee called our names, and we ventured over to breakfast. Reggie, the resident resort kitty, pleaded his case to come inside…

…and although we were tempted to cuddle him all day, we knew we had our sweet boy waiting for us at home. Sure enough, Pinot was delighted to have us back that afternoon…

When we originally brainstormed Babymoon destinations, it was easy to jump to our favorite vacation spots, such as Asheville or the beach. But the more we thought about what we really wanted from this last little getaway before Baby arrives, the solitude of Lakeview fit the bill. Rather than filling our days with sightseeing and shopping, it was incredibly relaxing to be at a place designed to do just that: relax, read, and re-connect.

We spent a lot of time talking about Baby, of course, and our hopes and wishes for this little one. We shared what we were most excited about — and most nervous about. But most importantly, we reflected on how blessed we were to have each other. We know that the next, oh, 18+ years are going to be a whirlwind…but hopefully this special weekend will give us a “happy place” to reflect back on for quite some time.

We just got home from the most incredible Babymoon vacation…filled with delicious food, indulgent massages, and plenty of sleep. I need to upload all the pictures — but we’ll be sending out that special post soon.

In other news: We have a homework assignment for grandparents-to-be, aunts- and uncles-to-be, and any other folks who will be spending quality time with Baby Eberle. Our OB (and the CDC) recommends families and caregivers of new infants get vaccinated with Tdap at least two weeks before coming in contact with a baby. The important part here is the pertussis (Whooping Cough) component. Whooping Cough is highly contagious and severely dangerous for new little ones. Our doc tells us that you can ask for Tdap at any Minute Clinic, or during your regular doctor visit, and we’d be very, very grateful for you taking the time to get vaccinated!

In the meantime…

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 28:

Baby’s size: Averaging 15 inches and 2.5 pounds…but third trimester means Baby’s weight will start shooting up!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Blinking his or her sweet little eyelids (hopefully with lashes like Daddy’s!) and gaining layers of fat. Come on, chubby cheeks, we can’t wait to kiss you!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Now that May is here, we’re in full-blown nursery mode. My goal is to wrap things up by June 1 — but I’d also love to have a little more in place in time for our maternity pictures May 16th. We also start our baby classes at the hospital this week! First up: Preparing to Parent, where we’ll be learning about bonding, sleep, and scheduling.

Cravings: Avocados, greek yogurt, Earth Fare peanut butter, and hard-boiled eggs.

Struggles: Although I have no problem falling asleep, I’ve been waking up in the night with sudden bouts of energy. Some of my mommy friends say that this is God’s sense of irony — giving us early doses of the adrenaline that we’ll eventually need for labor/delivery/bringing baby home. Still, very few complaints otherwise.

Joys: We’ve been absolutely humbled by the generosity of friends and family who are offering to host showers for Baby Eberle. This little one is loved by so many already…and we feel incredibly blessed.

Also, our precious friends Ashley and Bryan Leath gifted us with a signed copy of “Great with Child” by Beth Ann Fennelly, which I devoured on our Babymoon this weekend. I laughed, I cried, and I’m already ready to read it again. This precious book is written as a series of letters — some funny, some touching, all incredibly honest — about the transformation of motherhood.

One of the sweetest passages I read said something along the lines of “you only get to have a one-day-old baby for one day,” as it goes on to talk about how little ones grow right before your eyes. What a beautiful reminder to treasure each moment.

Thank you, Aunt Ash and Uncle Bry!

Sorry for the silence, y’all — I’m back and playing catch-up! Today is technically the first day of Week 28…but we’ve been so busy that Week 27 slipped our minds. I know we owe pictures…and I promise we’ll have them up next week. In the meantime, here’s a quick update to get us back on track!

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 27:

Baby’s size: About 15 inches and 2.5 pounds…and growing, growing, growing!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Baby is using those rapidly developing lungs, inhaling and exhaling…and yes, hiccuping too! Also, Baby’s brain is showing more and more activity…getting smart like his or her daddy, I’m sure 😉

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We just got home from our annual jaunt to MerleFest, one of the highlights of our year. Mom and Mari-Jo’s music store is a large sponsor of the festival, and we love helping them work the Jackson’s Music booth for the four-day weekend. This year we rented a house for the whole family, and had a blast in the NC mountains. Baby and I were in charge of the cash register, while the rest of the family made sure we didn’t lift a finger. (Can we say spoiled rotten?) We haven’t gotten much checked off the baby-related to-do list lately, but we’ve sure been having fun.

Cravings: Avocados, hard-boiled eggs, Earth Fare peanut butter, dark-chocolate chips, and, yes, strawberries.

Struggles: Holy baby bump! We’ve certainly hit a growth spurt, and it has taken me by surprise how much the growing belly impedes normal movement. Adam keeps threatening to buy me an ultra-embarrassing grabber…but I’m holding out. The books tell us we can expect Braxton Hicks to kick in pretty soon. I’ve had a few moments where I thought I felt the tightening folks describe…but I’m not 100% certain. That’s the funny part about first-time pregnancies…everything feels weird and different, so it’s hard to distinguish between symptoms!

Joys: We’re off to our Babymoon in just three short days! I’m planning a full post about our wonderful excursion once we get home…but in the meantime, let’s just say I’m simply giddy!

P.S. I have to admit I found this article absolutely hilarious. “How to Have the Best Pregnancy Ever” pokes fun at the millions of contradictory opinions about what future mommies should and shouldn’t do throughout their pregnancy. It isn’t too far-fetched! In fact, when Adam called one of our dear friends, Mark Ford, to tell him we were expecting, one of Mark’s first pieces of pregnancy advice was “don’t look at the Internet.” As the proud daddy of the amazing 15-month-old Emma, Mark knew well what dangers lurked with one click on Google.

Before we start our update, I have to give a little shout out to Adam for our fun “countdown til due date” ticker in the right column. Although very few babies actually make their grand debut on their due date, we thought the countdown would be a fun reminder of how close we’re getting to July 23rd. What do you think? Will Baby Eberle be early, on time, or late? (Adam and I were both two weeks late — sorry moms!!!)

We had a very special delivery this week from Grandpa Bob, who took the time to clean, strip, and paint the wooden changing table from little Adam’s nursery! A new coat of white, plus lots of fun accessories, and this sentimental piece will certainly help make the “dirty work” a little sweeter. Thanks Grandpa!

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 26:

Baby’s size: At the end of month six, Baby is ranging from 13 to 15 inches and about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds…the size of a head of cabbage!

What’s keeping Baby busy: His or her eyelids are separating this week and the eyes are starting to open. We’ve even read that shining a flashlight on my belly will cause a kick or two! Baby is also beginning to sleep for longer, more regular periods (often when I do — thank goodness).

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Last night we had a fun dinner with two folks from our Wednesday night Bible study. Catherine and Ryan are expecting a little girl on July 27 — yes, just four days after us! We’re excited to have friends to share the ups and downs and “what do we do’s” of Baby’s first few months with.

Cravings: We’ve made it to the last week of second trimester without any strange pickles-and-ice-cream cravings. Adam hasn’t even had the chance to run to the store in the middle of the night for a random gotta-have snack! Strawberries, Earth Fare honey-roasted peanut butter, avocados, and semi-sweet chocolate chips are keeping me quite satisfied.

Struggles: This week has been humbling. One of the blogs I read had a poignant post Monday evening: “Some days in this world are almost impossible to understand. One minute, we are stressing over a deadline we might be able to make at work, the lack of sleep we have been getting lately, or the workout we missed that morning. And the next minute, something tragic happens.”

I find it almost impossible to complain about lower back pain…about shorts that won’t button over my baby bump…about the inconvenience of sleeping on my side…when in truth, I’m experiencing one of the most blessed seasons of my life amid a week of tragedy across our country.

My precious Nana and Poppa Burton always said they lived in the best of times…and I have no doubt they did. It breaks my heart to be bringing our sweet kiddo into a world where terrorism no longer shocks us. And yet, Adam and I are also choosing to take this as a challenge — to raise our kids in a home where we count our blessings. Where we know our God is still in control. And where we can celebrate the beauty of family and life, no matter what we may face ahead of us.

Joys: This…

Have a wonderful weekend!

Drumroll please: We’re 100 days away from our due date! It almost takes my breath away to realize how soon we’ll get to meet our little boy or little girl. What an adventure we have ahead of us!

Speaking of adventures…Baby and I spent some time at the good ole’ Mecklenburg County Courthouse this week. Yep, I had jury duty and was placed on a trial. Considered somewhat of an inconvenience for most…jury duty while 25 weeks pregnant is, well, not very pleasant. Thankfully the courthouse was gorgeous, and the juror suite offered plenty of amenities  We made do and sweet Adam even came downtown to join us for lunch each day.

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 25:

Baby’s size: The growth spurt is on, and size at this stage ranges from 13 to 15 inches and about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.

What’s keeping Baby busy: He or she is enjoying a new sense of equilibrium, the books tell us, which means Baby now knows which way is up or down. Those cheeks are getting chubbier, and we may have some hair growth too!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Between Dad working in the yard and Mom doing her civic duty, we didn’t accomplish much on the baby front this week. Of course, today’s 100-day marker kick-started our oh-my-word-we-still-have-lots-to-do-ness… PLUS, we set a date for our dear friend Shea to come shoot maternity photos — many of which will take place at our home and in the nursery. Better get cracking!

Cravings: Strawberries…cereal…dark chocolate…milk…avocados…hard-boiled eggs.

Struggles: My soccer-ball-sized bump is starting to make everyday tasks a little precarious. Simple things like loading and unloading the dryer take a bit longer as squatting/standing/squatting isn’t as speedy of a process anymore. I’ve also given up on comfortably painting my toenails.

Joys: The generosity of our friends and family continues to wow us. This precious one is already so loved…and the steady flow of cards, gifts, and well-wishes is mighty humbling. Thank you, dear ones. Thank you.

Wow! 24 weeks down — only 16(ish) to go!

This week we went to the OB-Gyn for our 24 week check-up and met with Dr. Miles. Our practice has eight OBs, and since we don’t know who will be on call for deliveries when our wee one is ready to arrive, we’ll cycle through all the doctors during our pregnancy so we’ll have the chance to meet each of them.

Baby measured beautifully at the appointment, with a heartbeat of 155. There’s an old wives tale that you can determine gender based on heartbeat — 150+ meaning a girl; less than 150 meaning a boy. Of course, we know our little one likes to keep us guessing…we may have had a 155 this week, but at our last appointment, the heartbeat was 143. Go figure!

We’ll head back again at Week 28 — third trimester! Til then, our job is to grow, grow, grow!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 24:

Baby’s size: About 12 inches and 1.25 pounds!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Baby’s skin is becoming more opaque, and small capillaries are giving it a sweet pink glow.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Adam and I have been reading, reading, reading, and reading. Whew! Baby’s mattress was also delivered this week, so our focus is back on finishing the crib. Since we hear we’ll go through sheets frequently, we’re likely going to register for a few sets of simple ones. BUT, I’ve decided I’m going to try to make Baby’s crib skirt and curtains myself (thanks to a few tutorials from Pinterest). I’ll be sure to keep you updated — this should be an adventure!

Cravings: Strawberries (of course) and now fruity popsicles — a standby snack that I’m certain will become a favorite as we head into those humid summer months.

Struggles: Still no real complaints…although I’m starting to get pretty sleepy in the afternoons. Nothing a little nap won’t fix! We know Baby is going through a major growth spurt right now — so that likely explains the extra snoozin’.

Joys: Adam and I took an hour-long walk around our neighborhood this afternoon and I was struck by how blessed we are to live in an area with so many children nearby. It was exciting to hear the laughter of little ones…and to imagine our kiddo growing up with friends close-by.

Happy Easter, y’all! We were so blessed to spend this day with my Mom and Haley, who came to Cornelius to join us at our church. All day long we marveled in the fact that next year we’ll have a precious 9-month old celebrating with us. God sure is good!

This week we joined 10 other mommies- and daddies-to-be, and had the opportunity to take a tour of the maternity floor at the hospital where we’ll deliver, Presbyterian Hospital – Huntersville. The maternity wing is brand new, and we were awed by the large rooms and friendly staff. Presbyterian encourages “rooming in,” so we’ll get to keep our little one with us (rather than in the nursery) the whole time we’re in the hospital. Can’t wait!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 23:

Baby’s size: Somewhere around 11.5 inches and a little more than a pound. Our books are a bit fuzzy when it comes to the current growth spurt…but we’ll let you see for yourself:

What’s keeping Baby busy: Baby’s face is fully-formed now — he or she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out. We want chunky sweet cheeks!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Craigslist! I’ve been stalking our local website, and was delighted to find our dream glider from Pottery Barn Kids posted for a quarter of the price it’s regularly sold for. Adam and I ventured over to the seller’s home last Friday and purchased that chair before anyone could change their mind. Nana Kay gave her soaring approval — and even helped Adam lug it upstairs to the nursery. I’ve never sat in a more comfortable chair…and I imagine that’s a good thing, considering how many long days and nights we’ll be rocking our little one. Now we just need a side table and lamp…and that little corner will be pretty dreamy.

Cravings: Strawberries are back in stock at the Teeter (praise the Lord!), and I’ve added milk as another gotta-have. Oh yeah, and cereal…morning, noon or night!

Struggles: Smooth sailing still!

Joys: This little one is mighty active, and it was a huge delight to share that with each of our moms and Haley. The kicks (or punches) are fairly frequent and Baby is clearly enjoying his or her “playground.” I’m happy to oblige!

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The Baby-related highlight of our week was the Cloth Diapering 101 class we took on Sunday, hosted at The Baby Grocery Store, a new all-natural baby essentials shop in Charlotte.

When Haley was a nanny in college, the family she worked for used cloth diapers. She encouraged us to research it — and we’re sold. Not only is cloth better for the environment, it’s also hugely beneficial for babies…PLUS it can save thousands!

The industry has really evolved over the years. Long gone are the days of terrible diaper pins and clothes-line drying. The latest cloth diapers are easy, clean, and pretty darn cute!

Here was our successfully diapered doll (over the pjs to protect his modesty!)…

And check out the new ouch-free substitute for pins: Snappies, invented by a cloth-diapering daddy…

I’m sure we’ll have plenty to say once we get started — but in the meantime, we’re looking forward to this new Earth-friendly, baby-friendly, and wallet-friendly adventure!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 22:

Baby’s size: During month five, Baby is weighing about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces…and measuring 10.5 to 11.8 inches!

What’s keeping Baby busy: The fingernails are almost fully grown, Baby has a distinct pair of lips, and the first canines and molars are developing below Baby’s gum line. At this point, blood is traveling through the umbilical cord at four miles an hour!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Now that Ashley has created our nursery mood board, we’re heading full-swing into nursery mode. Consumer Reports and other mommies have been mighty helpful at guiding us through the many, many options out there. We’re also starting to think about our baby registry! I reached out to a few of my best girlfriends seeking advice: What are the must-haves? What gadgets can you skip? Their answers were priceless (and quite funny, too)! As I’m learning, every baby is different — and what one little one loved (the pacifier or swaddle), another completely hated. I guess we’ll find out for sure in four short months!

Cravings: Y’all, Harris Teeter was out of strawberries Sunday. (I wonder if my weekly two-pint addiction affected their supply?!) They were well-stocked in other citrus goodness, so we still loaded up on fresh pineapple, grapefruit, and oranges. Then, wouldn’t you know, Mom E. (Nana Kay!) AMAZINGLY came to the rescue just a few days later, delivering a beautiful box of chocolate-covered strawberries Wednesday evening. YUM! Felt like Publisher’s Clearing House 😉 Thank you, thank you, sweetie!

Struggles: No complaints this week. Second trimester has treated me very well…energy is sky high and I can still see my feet!

Joys: The lovely Julie McQueeney generously gifted us with some baby gear that Big Girl Audrey has outgrown. What a blessing it is to have such kind people in our lives!

We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family. Baby Eberle is spoiled already, y’all!

When one of our dearest friends, Ashley Leath of Happy Penguin Press, offered to create a mood board for Baby’s nursery…I jumped at the chance. Ashley has an eye for color and design, and I knew she could find a way to put my random thoughts into a visual form we could use to make the nursery come to life. Boy, did she deliver!

We knew we wanted a gender-neutral space that focused on the colors navy, white, and gray. Once Baby arrives, we figured we could add in pretty pops of pink or lime green as accents. We’ve decided to go with white furniture — all from different collections to avoid being too matchy-matchy.

For art and accessories, we’ve already received two fabulous gifts: A screen-printed “Crying is for Babies (Other Babies)” print from Shea and Josh Wright, as well as a clever pallet bookshelf that Josh built.

We still have plenty of decisions to make regarding curtains and the crib sheets and skirt, but this sweet mood board certainly makes the shopping more fun!

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Our big excitement this week came in the form of a FedEx delivery: Baby’s crib is here! I have to admit, something about seeing my amazing husband assemble our little one’s bed sure gets these tears a-flowin’. Some days, even with my growing belly, Baby’s arrival still seems surreal. But it’s experiences like this — seeing a precious crib in our home — that reminds me how blessed we are.

Mattress, bedding, and baby to come!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 21:

Baby’s size: 12.5 ounces and 10.5 inches

What’s keeping Baby busy: Now that Baby has mastered swallowing, this week’s formation of taste buds certainly sweetens the deal. Baby’s eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed…and although the eyelids are sealed, Baby’s eyes are active. The books say this little one is sleeping 12–14 hours a day, and it seems as if Baby already has a bit of a routine. Morning wiggling usually occurs around 9 a.m.-ish (especially when Mommy schedules conference calls), “Happy Hour” wiggling starts up around 5 p.m…and then the major wiggling occurs from about 9 to 11 p.m. This is when Daddy can usually feel the kicks.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We’re slowly checking things off the big Baby to-do list. Adam sold two pieces of furniture on Craigslist this week, started researching wills, and spent the wee hours of last night building Baby’s crib. I’ve signed us up for the rest of our prenatal classes, and have reached out to some of my favorite recent mommies to find out their recommendations for all the latest baby gadgets. A few weeks ago Adam and I took a stroll through Babies-r-Us…and wow…strollers and monitors and car seats, oh my!

Cravings: Two newbies this week — tomatoes and chocolate. (Not together, of course. Although I guess I’ve never tried it…maybe third trimester?) No really…strawberries are still high on the gotta-have list, but I’ve added their plump partners, tomatoes. (Naturally another non-season choice.) And chocolate — well, chocolate waited 20 weeks to come knockin’….and now I just can’t say no! Of course, I’m trying to moderate. Tomatoes are easy — I’ve had a tomato sandwich for lunch each day this week….and today I enjoyed an afternoon snack of cherry toms with balsamic glaze. Chocolate, on the other hand, has been a bit trickier. I’ve found that a cup of steamy hot cocoa often curbs the craving, as does a small handful of semi-sweet dark chocolates. We try not to keep cookies or candies in the house, but the bag of those baking morsels has been slowly shrinking (and thankfully Adam isn’t asking questions). My other quick trick? Pudding. I did a little couponing and scored us some free boxes of instant fudge pudding. Add two cups of skim milk…stir two minutes…ta da!

Struggles: Another week of no complaints! My energy is sky-high and when the weather permits, I’ve been ditching the treadmill to do outdoor intervals. Side sleeping still isn’t my cup of tea…but I’m slowly getting there — and Adam sweetly reminds me if he catches me on my back in the middle of the night.

Joys: It’s feeling mighty real! Between the “bump,” the crib, the classes, booking our Babymoon (more details to come), etc….it’s finally feeling like we’re making our way to July. I have a feeling these next four months will fly by!

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There’s no doubt about it — this baby is growing! We’ve been taking weekly “bump” pictures, and we’ll give you a good look soon.

In the meantime, we just found out that the wonderful folks that lead our Wednesday night Bible study are expecting a little one in September! This makes three pregnant mommies in our group right now (another couple is expecting just four days after us!) — fun times ahead for sure! 

In other news, Adam is running a 10k in Davidson tomorrow — and Baby and I are mighty proud of him and his devotion, and we can’t wait to cheer his next half-marathon in June!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 20:

Baby’s size: This little one is weighing in around 10.5 ounces, and is 6.5 inches — the length of a banana!

What’s keeping Baby busy: Working taste buds and the ability to swallow are on tap for Baby this week, as well as plenty of movement.

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We’ve spent the past few weeks working on small projects throughout the house — moving the guest room and finishing the office. Now, it’s finally time to dive into the nursery. I’ve saved a dozen or more images, and bookmarked TONS of precious nurseries…and I think we’re ready to begin making purchases. We’re excited about our gender-neutral plans, and can’t wait to share them once the room starts to come together!

Cravings: I’m back to strawberries…and I can’t get enough of them! Since we’re so far out of season, I’ve been trying to supplement with other fruits — fresh pineapple, pears, bananas — but nothing is as wonderful as a plump berry, and we’ve been picking up two pints on trips to the store.

Struggles: No complaints this week! My pre-baby jeans are long gone…but I’ve received some fun maternity options and plan to stop by a local consignment sale this weekend for more. Energy is high and the round ligament pain seems to have subsided. I’m ready for the second half of this great race!

Joys: Daddy is now able to feel Baby’s movement regularly…and the look on his face is priceless.

We’re off to the OB this afternoon for our 20-week check-up…so I’m sure we’ll have more to report later in the week. BUT, I couldn’t resist popping in to post this fun photo that Adam snapped last night. Baby is officially the length of a banana — and growing!

We’ll have many more “bump” photos headed your way soon (we’ve been taking weekly pictures of the belly)! In the meantime, trust me…it’s hard to miss!

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This week was a hectic one for us! Between work, bible studies, lunch meetings, running classes, and a business-related trip to Winston, we’re both feeling fairly ragged and are really looking forward to the quiet weekend ahead.

As soon as we announced our pregnancy, words of wisdom started rolling in. Sarah, a precious friend from my time in Birmingham, is Mommy to an amazing 17-month-old little boy. One of Sarah’s greatest pieces of advice was for me and Adam to truly savor these last few months as a two-some. It’s easy for us to wish this time away — we’re so anxious to meet our little one this summer. But Sarah reminded us to treasure the quiet, the freedom, and the beauty of a lazy Saturday morning. Everything will change when we become three…so we’re hoping to embrace Sarah’s brilliance and maybe even sleep in!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 19:

Baby’s size: A big ‘ole 6 inches, and 8.5 ounces — the size of a mango!

What’s keeping Baby busy: The books tell me Baby is working on developing his or her five senses this week…but it feels to me that this little one is simply focused on flips and turns and tumbles. We have an active one, that’s for certain!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We booked our first baby class, Preparing to Parent, at the hospital where we’ll deliver. I’m a visual learner…so the idea of hands-on baby training versus reading What to Expect (although I’m doing that too!) is sure appealing. We also have big plans to start working on the nursery this weekend. We have a few DIY projects planned…and certainly some shopping to do too.

Cravings: Oats! Isn’t pregnancy strange? I can’t get enough oatmeal, cereal, and (yum!) oat-based baked goods. Thankfully, I found a healthy(-ish) way to satisfy that desire: Two Ingredient Cookies, featuring two old bananas and a cup of quick oats — plus any other “extras” you desire, like walnuts, cinnamon, or even cranberries. They aren’t pretty…but they sure do the trick. Plus, I love the blogger’s sentiment that even if you end up eating half the batch (oops!), all you’ve consumed is one banana, half a cup of oats, plus a handful of walnuts and/or berries. Not bad!

Struggles: No complaints this week! I’ve experienced a few bouts of round ligament pain — mainly during my morning shower or if I’ve been in the car for a while — but it’s completely normal, and fairly minor at this point.

Joys: We’ve started planning our Babymoon! Yes, Adam and I are indulging in a few days of quality time…and maybe even a little pampering…before Baby arrives. More details to come!

This week was filled with excitement: a fabulous ultrasound (which I’ll feature in another post), lots of baby movement, and (drumroll) a return to running!

Mari-Jo, our precious family friend, gave us her treadmill and (once we finally got it up the stairs), I’ve been addicted to morning exercise. I spent the first week walking, deciding to let my body ease in. But I couldn’t hold off much longer, and I’m now enjoying the endorphins of interval training.

Why is this so exciting? Well, because this sweet little baby already ran a half-marathon with Mommy! I was 8 weeks pregnant when Adam and I ran the Huntersville Half (don’t worry — I had my doctor approve the training program) back on December 8th. 

This was an extremely special day for us. Our fabulous finish-line cheerleaders (our moms, plus Erin, Haley, and Zack) came over for brunch following the race, and it was then that we were able to share our BIG news.  

Adam and I found out we were expecting on November 8th — and it was certainly a challenge to keep our excitement hidden for a month. It all proved worthwhile, though, when we had the chance to surprise our loved ones in creative ways.

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 18:

Baby’s size: Above 5.5 inches long (the length of a sweet potato), and weighing in at half a pound!

What’s keeping Baby busy: At this point Baby is yawning, hiccuping, swallowing, and sucking its thumb, not to mention twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking too! For the last week, I’ve finally been able to feel this busy body…and those little flutters make me grin with glee. Tiny bones have also developed in Baby’s ears, so he or she is starting to hear us speak!

What’s keeping Mommy and Daddy busy: Wednesday’s ultrasound appointment was one of the highlights of our marriage, and we spent the rest of the day talking with family and staring at the sweet little pictures. We haven’t started decorating the nursery yet — that’s next on the agenda — but we did clear out all the guest room furniture so it’s ready to roll. More details to come!

Cravings: Fruit! Especially strawberries. Sweet Adam made his first craving-related trip to the grocery store last Friday night because Baby had to have a bowl of berries. What an amazing guy!

Struggles: Sleep. My precious Mom bought me a Boppy body pillow when I heard the news that docs prefer side-sleeping during these next 20-ish week. I’ve been a back sleeper for as long as I can remember, so this has been quite a change! Sweet Adam has been patient as I’ve introduced this new “body” to our bed. Pinot has been quite a sport, too.

Not me, clearly. But here’s my new best friend.

We’re blessed to have family and friends across the country celebrating our growing family, so we thought we’d start up a blog to follow the next few months of pregnancy — as well as all the excitement once we bring Baby Eberle home!

Thanks for joining us!