Weekend Getaway

We said it too many times to count this weekend:   

We sure are lucky to have a place like this to get away to.

And, it's true. We are lucky. There's nothing like a weekend away to relax, get a nap in here and there, go on an adventure and make new memories.

Claire had the time of her life, getting into everything under the sun. She made the transition of napping and sleeping away from home like a champ. She doesn't seem to have a very difficult time adjusting from her normal routine. For that, we are so grateful.

This was not her first trip to the beach house or Seaside but it was her first trip to Cannon Beach and Mo's. We didn't see much of Cannon Beach as the weather didn't exactly exude inviting vibes through the thick overcast grey skies. We did, however, find time to indulge in some of that famous Mo's clam chowder before heading back to sunnier skies.

Back at the beach house, Kevin squeezed in his fair share of hitting golf balls in the front yard while I laid out on a blanket in the grass jotting down my thoughts as they came while Claire rolled around in the typical 6 month old baby fashion. We spent most of our time outside just enjoying each others company. We cooked breakfast together, Kevin BBQ'd a fantastic steak dinner and finished both nights with a bonfire. It was Claire's first experience with fire and she was mesmerized by the flames. It was pretty adorable to watch.

The highlight of our trip was our little family trek to explore Oswald West Beach. This was no easy feat! It was about a half mile hike into the beach from the side of the road parking lot but we made it complete with a stroller, two folding chairs, a blanket, diaper bag and the little miss in tow. Yes, we looked like the Griswold's. The beach was packed full of fellow sunscreen-drenched, savagely-"tan" Oregonians swimming, surfing and sanding the perfect summer day away. Due to our ill prepared ways, we had to leave earlier than expected because little miss got hungry and there was no lukewarm water in sight. Oh well, better luck next time. Overall, a great time was had by all. Claire loved observing everything that was going on around her and we loved sharing this new experience with her. Kevin and I even got a mini cuddle session on the beach sans a fussy baby. It was a win-win.

 

We cannot wait until next time. These little getaways really remind us to slow it down and just cherish each other because, when it's all said and done, that's what this is all about.

Fancy schmancy.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a control freak. Clear as day I remember walking with the teachers assistant into a special room down the hall from my kindergarten class. I was given instructions to stamp my name under my clay handprint (which my mother still has), one letter at a time with metal letter stamps. Each letter sunk into the clay at different depths and they are not all in a straight line. It bothered me so much that I asked if I could re-do it on a fresh sheet of clay. The teachers assistant said it was fine. To this day, it still bothers me when I look at that clay plaque hanging in my moms sewing room. It's not perfect. It could be better. Now, fast forward 23 years later and I am still the same control freak that likes everything to be perfect and beautiful. Certain aspects of my life could be better, different, more perfect. My house could be cleaner. I could be more organized. I could stay on top of Claire's laundry. I could have that home-cooked meal on the table every night as my husband walks through the door. I could look more put together and less like the sleep-deprived, disheveled new mama that I am. I could actually print photos living in my camera. I could do everything asked of me. Those things are what I strive for but rarely what I achieve. Post-baby, I have become more laxxed on what is soimportant. I crawl into bed at night thinking...there goes another day, it is what it is. I used to put so much pressure on myself to keep it all together all the time, never letting anyone see me fail. Now, I acknowledge my failures, I clean the stagnant items off my full plate and I move forward with the understanding that life never turns out as planned. But somehow in the midst of all my stressing over where my life was headed and how long it would take to get from A to B, I am right where I want to be. Messy floors, laundry, baby puke, take-out food and all. Fancy that.

Long and Lean

On Monday, I took Claire to her 6 month well baby appointment. Her pediatrician and nurse were pleased to share that she went through a major growth spurt over the past 2 months. She gained 2.31 lbs, weighing in now at 15 lbs and 2 oz. In length, she grew 2 and 1/4 inches, stretching just over 26 and 1/2 inches from head to toe. That moves her up to the 40th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for her height. Her noggin measures 43 and 1/2 centimeters, remaining in the 75th percentile. As doc says, Claire is no longer "small" - she is long and lean. Must be all that good food she's been eating! :) Maybe she will shoot up past me and be tall like her father?

In other news, Doctor Nielsen said Claire doesn't seem to be very close to cutting teeth yet but that I shouldn't worry. She said Claire is hitting all milestones she should be (rolling, tummy time, interested in food, interacting with people, sitting up with assistance, good sleep patterns, etc). She received 3 immunization shots again. She got mad at the first shot, cried with the second shot and was purely pissed at the nurse for the third shot. Poor baby. She was still a trooper. Overall, her 6 month appoint went well. Now it is time to baby proof the house! Light socket covers, here I come.

Her next appointment for 9 months is Monday 9/17. Our assignment between now and then (besides babyproofing)? Getting her off the bink. We'll see how this goes.

She naps, I blog.

Before we had Claire, there was time to float lazily down the river, a cold beer in one hand and my love's hand in the other. Now, the lazy river has definitely run dry. Life with a baby has turned into sink-or-swim time real quick. With each new day, I just jump in, hold my breath and pray that I resurface at day's end. Truth is, I have a running list in my head of what I'm behind on blogging about. I have drafts of Claire's 1st month, 2nd month, 3rd month, 4th month, 5th month and soon-to-be-completed 6th month of life. I haven't even posted her birth story (which is really only half-way done). Since these are so overdue, no time really seems like the right time. I decided today, I'm just diving in. Here's a sneak peak into our crazy life with our beautiful six-month-old:

Little miss has officially transitioned into the next stage of clothing. Her tags all don the "6 month" mark and she looks too cute in all her new duds. It was harder for me to box up the newborn and "3 month" clothes than I anticipated. Bittersweet is a good word - sweet that she's growing like she should be, bitter because she's growing up way too fast.

Her little badunkadunk diaper butt is getting bigger by the minute, too. She now wears a size 2 diaper. My stash of 1200+ diapers from the baby showers is quickly dwindling down, but we sure were blessed that they lasted for this long. I honestly have probably only purchased maybe 5 packages of diapers on our own. Huggies is still the preferred brand, although Costco's Kirkland Signature brand is my next favorite. Pampers, you're the worst. Now that Claire is rolling over and recently prefers to spend most of her time on her tummy, diapering her before she rolls over is often impossible. I can't even imagine what it will be like when she's crawling!

Starting a week or so prior to her 6 month old mark, we started to feed Claire solid food. She first tried rice cereal and has since transitioned onto more exciting things like bananas, avocados, carrots, sweet potatoes and pears. So far, the avocados and pears seem to be tied as her favorite flavors and carrots are her least favorite. I have so many photos and videos of her trying her first foods. We'll just leave it at that - it will have to be it's own post entirely :)

Kevin and I have started watching Baby Signing Time with the hopes of teaching Claire baby sign language. They say it helps tremendously during the terrible two stage when children get so frustrated because they are unable to clearly communicate what they want. We'll see. It should be fun either way! And hey, if you need to know how to sign any of these words (eat, drink, milk, juice, more, cracker, cereal, tree, diaper, please, thank you, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, boy, girl, baby, frog, horse, cat, or dog) I'm your girl!

Pretty much from the beginning, Claire has been a good sleeper. Even during the newborn stage, she slept good amounts between feeds for a wee little one. We just moved her bedtime from 10pm to 9pm and she handled it like a pro. She sleeps straight through from 9pm until about 7.30-8am. She's not a very happy camper when I have to wake her at 6am on my work days but she adjusts well with an extra nap. Now her nighttime routine not only consists of a solid food feeding but also story time, nursing and to bed by 9pm. Good for her, great for us!

Under the weather.

The little one and I have finally recovered after a hard fight against a nasty cold virus. This time, Mr. Cold definitely overstayed his welcome. I learned fairly quickly that mamas no longer get sick days. It's more like a sick mama gets a day to try to recover while taking care of either a healthy or sick baby. In my case, it was the latter. Claire, bless her little heart, sure kept my whiny attitude in check while demanding I put her sickly needs first. And you know what? Sure, I would have appreciated being doted on and sure coulda used a couple comfort grilled-cheese-with-soup combos but I loved being needed more. We spent hours hunkered down in my big bed with our necessities (hers? Binky. Mine? iPad.) and a constant Say Yes to the Dress marathon looping on Netflix. We were sick, but it was still good times snuggling with my sleepy angel. Babies really do have a way of making you feel better. Glad we are all better and finally getting back into the swing of things!

Love letter

Dear Kevin,
Thank you for always valuing what I do at home on my days off from "real work" while taking care of Claire. I appreciate that you always ask how my day was and if there is anything you can help me with. You do such a fantastic job of reassuring my heart that I am doing what is best by putting her needs ahead of our own (and the house). Your constant support and sincere gratitude for what I do or don't get done in a day's time blesses my heart. I love you more than I love Mint Creme Oreos and that's a lot!
Love,
your wifey

Stress, you are not welcome here.

People have asked"how often does she nap?" and "how much milk does she get in a 24-hour period?" and "when are you going to feed her solids?" mostly I just grin and think to myself "hmmm...that's a good question!" Truth is, as a part-time working mama, I find it more difficult to create and abide by a fairly rigid schedule for Claire. Every day is different from the last. Some begin when Claire wakes any time between 7.30-9am and some begin when I am forced to wake her at 6 to get her to Grandma's before work. Of course, it's expected that she has a little bit of a different schedule on days spent with Grandma vs. days spent with her papa vs. days spent at home with boring old mom. The problem for me is finding balance. Thank goodness through this process I have learned (and/or am still learning) to fly a little more by the seat of my pants or else my extreme OCD would rear its ugly head daily. But, for some reason, with Claire I am more relaxed about things. She's happy, healthy and incredibly adorable. Those things, paired with her good-natured temperament, reassures me that her needs are being met and she is fine. If the fact that I cannot really spout out stats about milk intake or total minutes slept in a 24-hour time frame is my biggest downfall as a mama, I will take it. Once I went back to work I realized I had to relinquish some control for my own sanity and, as a result, I unburdened myself. That fact-analyzing/recording side of me slinkered away to die. Now, I am more relaxed. Claire gets fed on demand (mostly breast milk) by breast and bottle, she gets her naps in when she's tired and she's growing like a weed. I would say this new no-stress approach is working out for the both of us!