River fun, Tailgating, and Wedding

Here is the picture that I promised with Claire's first tooth. This past weekend I was in my cousin Beth's wedding. Since I was getting ready with the bridesmaids, Jason and Harry were in charge of getting Claire ready and they took this sweet picture. The wedding was lots of fun. Because of the massive amounts of rain we have received lately, they moved it to a rodeo arena at the last minute. It was beautiful! While the guests watched the couple pronounce their vows, they saw horses gazing in the background. The reception was held at the arena as well. The food was spectacular. My uncle Gary had grilled barbecue the night before and the grooms family brought authentic Korean food. After dinner, the couple danced the night away with their friends and family. Congrats Beth and Alex! We love you.

Here is Claire and Ali at Claire's first UT tailgate. We had a great time, but have decided to wait til next season to tailgate on campus again. I think the noise from the fans was a little much for her.

While in Knoxville, Claire went on her first boat ride. She loved it! She looked like a little marsh mellow puff in her life jacket swimsuit.

First Tooth

Yesterday, Claire's first tooth finally came in. It is the bottom right incisor. Once it pops up a little higher, I will post a picture.

St. Louis

Last Thursday we headed out for a trip with the Durbin crew to St. Louis. Of course we had to stop at Lamberts on the way to enjoy some thrown rolls and fried okra. (among other home cooked foods) Claire was a fantastic traveler/vacationer. Friday we saw the arch, went bowling, walked around downtown, and Claire experienced her first baseball game. She did great! She really enjoyed watching all the people, but was a bit scared by the loud cheering. At the 7th inning, she was ready to go, so Harry and I headed back to the hotel. On Saturday morning, Claire had another first...her first theme park, Six Flags. Mimi and Papa watched her while we enjoyed the water park and a few roller coasters. We headed back to the stadium to watch the Cardinals beat the Nationals again. Claire was a true fan dressed in her cute pink Cardinals gear.

Pulling up

On Friday Claire pulled up for the first time all by herself. She crawled over to the couch, pulled herself up, and then patted her hands on the couch and smiled. You could tell she was so proud of herself. She is also enjoying playing games like Ride a Little Pony and Peek A Boo. She had so much fun playing with GG today.

Claire has also started eating a new food for breakfast this past week, Yo Baby Yogurt. I have finally found a food she doesn't like. She spits out the apple flavor and makes a horrible face. Luckily, she really likes the blueberry. This week we will try the peach and pear flavors.

After having a conversation with a friend Friday night about how I wish Claire would start talking a little more, she surprised me on Saturday morning. She was a little chatter box and I think a smile stayed on my face all day. I am so happy I have been able to stay home with her these past few months to witness these huge milestones. (Month 7 has been huge!) She is so sweet and I couldn't imagine my life without my little cuddlebug.

Crawling

On Tuesday Claire mastered the crawl. I set her down on the quilt in the living room to play while I washed dishes and next thing I knew, she was peeking around the corner smiling at me. When Harry came home from work, she showed off for her daddy by crawling to the door stop and playing him a little music. (we can't keep her away from the door stops...Who knew they could be so much fun?) When she gets tired of crawling or just needs a break, she can sit up all by herself. On top of crawling and sitting up, Claire is also trying to pull up on things. It seems like she has grown up so much this week.
Last night Claire played with Papa, Mimi, and Aunt Amanda while mommy and daddy enjoyed date night. We had a yummy dinner at On the Border and then came home to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. We absolutely love date night. Even though it is hard being way from Claire, I know she had a great time at the grandparents because she was worn out when they brought her home. She usually has to have her mommy to sleep at night, but last night was different. Of course I had to snuggle with her, but she stayed asleep until 4am. She is still not sleeping through the night completely, but til 4 am was impressive.
Tomorrow we will be celebrating Papa and Uncle Larry's birthdays. Happy Birthday!

Wordless Wednesday

7 months old

Today our little baby is 7 months old. I remember when I first came home from the hospital with her one of my friends told me to cherish every moment because it goes by fast. She was so right! I am so glad I have been able to stay home with Claire. The time we get to spend together is so special.

Yesterday when I started singing the ABC's to Claire she began to sing with me. Every time I would stop, so would she and then when I would start again, she would too. It was so cute. After the ABC song, we sang Jesus Loves Me, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and

Old McDonald.

At 7 months so far she has eaten:

Applesauce, Peaches, Bananas, Hawaiian Delight, Prunes, Green Beans, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and Squash

Tomorrow she will be trying peas for the first time. Poor thing! I am hoping she will like green vegetables more than I do.

She is still working on crawling. She loves getting up on all fours and scooting around. We can't take our eyes off of her because she is a fast little thing.

She is starting to really enjoy Peek A Boo.

She is babbling syllables.

She loves when we help her dance and laughs when mommy or daddy dances.

Happy 7 months Claire! We love you so much.