Happy Girl!

Here are Claire's almost 5 month pictures. She hammed it up for the photographer and turned out some great smiles. Looking at these pictures, I can't believe how old she looks! Where is my little baby that I brought home from the hospital? Every stage is so very sweet. I love this age now because she is so interested in the world around her. She focuses intently on everything I do. She grabs everything (before she puts it in her mouth) and pays attention to very small details. She loves being carried around in her Baby Bjorn! She faces outward and sees the world from our "grown up" perspective. Besides the fact that it is the best way to carry her around these days (she weighs about 17 lbs!) she loves to see and touch things - especially at the grocery store! We won't start rice cereal until she is 6 months but she is definitely starting to show an interest in food and I'm looking forward to her first mouthfuls!
Claire loves to laugh and talk. Her favorite thing to laugh at is her Daddy's funny faces! She thinks he is hilarious!! She also LOVES her splashing in her bathtub. Everyone in the room gets soaked! It's so much fun. She loves the water so much that we are starting Water Babies (baby swim class) in July. I hope she likes the big pool as much as she loves her tub! Every day is so much fun watching her discover the world around her. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy baby. I knew that having a baby would be fun and wonderful but I had no idea how unbelieveabley amazing it would be.

Happy Mother's Day

What a joyful day it was! I celebrated my first Mother's Day! It's hard to believe last year on Mother's Day we announced to our family that we were expecting a baby and this year I celebrated with my beautiful daughter in my arms. We went to church then went out to the Botanical Gardens to take some pictures in the beautiful rose garden. The we went to eat at Cobb Lane Restaurant where we dined outside under huge old oak trees. Eating al fresco is one of my favorite things to do so this was a treat! Even better - I got to take an afternoon nap! I'm looking forward to the mani/pedi that Rhett and Claire gave me for a gift.
Claire is doing great! She is so healthy and beautiful. She has been a very easy baby to care for so far and makes my job easy! She is rolling over occassionally and laughing all the time. She finds her Daddy particularly humerous! She loves to blow raspberries and make noises. Every minute I spend with her is sweet and I am SO grateful to have her in my life.