tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7500965733520297882024-03-19T03:44:55.936-05:00our familyest. may 16, 2008Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-58069462297633080192013-03-27T22:15:00.000-05:002013-03-27T22:15:27.469-05:00Hockey Fans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We got the NHL Center Ice package this year so that Bud could watch as much hockey as he wanted, since the season is so short this year. So, we have been watching a lot of hockey in our house and Claire LOVES it. She will say "YAY hockey!!" when she sees it and really loves when the guys check and make a loud noise on the boards. :)</div>
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There was a game on a couple weeks ago on a week night so I surprised Bud by having both the kids dressed in their Wild gear when he got home. So, I had to get a picture of my favorites in my favorite hockey teams gear! Go Wild!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-59073123885502062712013-03-18T13:13:00.000-05:002013-03-18T13:13:57.509-05:00One Month Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not really sure how it happened, but Will is already a month old! I feel like his first month went way faster than Claire's and time needs to SLOW DOWN.<br />
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At one month, Will is a pretty good baby. He seems to have a much more sensitive belly than Claire did, so has his fair share of crying and can be a stinker when he needs to eat, but overall he is easy. He sleeps really well, lets us (mostly Claire) attack him with love, doesn't care when the dog parks, and sleeps like a champ in his car seat or my wrap when we are running errands. His newborn clothes are just starting to get a little snug, but a lot of them are seeming too short. I think he is going to be tall and thin like his Daddy and sister. <br />
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I love watching how much Claire already loves him. Whether he likes it or not, she is going to be his second mom his whole life, I have a feeling. I decided that every month when I take his picture, I will also take one of the two of them to see how he tolerates her 'love' as he gets older. :)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-8463712696469740582013-03-17T19:07:00.000-05:002013-03-17T19:07:43.874-05:00William David<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Since our little man is one month old today, I figured it was about time I got this post done. Sorry, folks, but better late than never, right? :)</div>
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I made it to my due date weekend still pregnant, which really was no shock to me. I was fully expecting to be pregnant for a lot longer. On Saturday, I was able to go get my hair done, got a new phone and did a little shopping (grocery shopping, but still) alone. It was wonderful. Then that evening, we got a huge surprise when it started to snow! Bud and I looked at each other, and I said what we were both thinking--this little guy HAD to be born tonight or tomorrow. To tell him the rest of his life that he was born when there was snow on the ground would be SO cool! Very true to our Minnesota roots. So, we went outside to play, I ran around the yard with Claire and threw around a football with Bud. Then we came in and I ate some spicy food and did 100 squats. Seriously. Went to bed that night holding on to a little hope that I might go into labor, but wasn't so sure.</div>
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2 am rolls around and I woke from a dead sleep to contractions 3-5 minutes apart. I woke Bud up and told him it was go time. We got Claire dropped off at Jaci's (SO thankful for such wonderful friends that don't mind being woken up at 3 am!!), and headed to the hospital. I was in real deal labor at this point, and really was wishing the hospital was 5 mins away, not 35. Bud drove fast, and only got scolded by me twice...once for taking a turn too sharp and the other for going through a bump in the road with out slowing down. :)</div>
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Once we got upstairs, I was checked right away and was already at 7 cm. I was SHOCKED. I went to the bathroom on my way to my room and my water broke, and I realized this was moving a lot faster than I had thought. I made sure to tell everyone I came in contact with after that point that I wanted and epidural and I wanted it 5 minutes ago. :) He was in my room within about 10 minutes and got my epidural in. After that things are a little bit of a blur--I think it was a little over an hour after we got there that I started pushing...and that took forever. About 2.5 hours later, at 8:49 am, Will was here! We decided to name him William David after Bud and my dad....I decided we couldn't go wrong naming him after my two favorite guys! I have always loved Bud's real name, and since no one ever refers to him as William, it worked.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And as you can see, was making it known that he wanted back in! :)</td></tr>
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He just screamed and screamed and screamed. After I held him for a while with out calming him, I tried putting him chest to chest and immediately he stopped crying. So, we stayed that way for a while!</div>
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Bud was so wonderful the whole time I was in labor. This was a completely different experience than we had with Claire, and he was amazing. He really enjoyed the quiet time we had after Will was born--since it was so early it was a while before we had any visitors and we got to soak him in a little bit before we had to share him. :)</div>
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Claire was hesitant for just a minute when she got to our room. Once she saw him, she was immediately smitten, and pretty much hasn't left him alone since. :) She loves being a big sister, and is a huge helper for me. </div>
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She was SO excited to hold him! She has sat multiple times just snuggling with him for 15-30 minutes at a time. She really just can't get enough of him!</div>
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Getting ready to go home! We were so lucky to only have to spend one night in the hospital before we could go home and start our life as a family of 4. </div>
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One of the first things Claire did was grab her book and 'read' to her baby. I couldn't pass up this picture--the first one of our three 'babies' together at home. </div>
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We are absolutely loving this new little man in our lives, and it's hard to remember what life was like with out him. Both of them have made our transition fairly flawless. He is pretty easy, and Claire learned very quickly that she just needs to be patient sometimes when I am nursing him, changing him, etc, and she really hasn't skipped a beat. I am SO thankful for that. She is just proving what a big girl she is! <br />
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I spend a lot of time wondering how I got so lucky....we are so blessed to have two beautiful, healthy children! I am trying really hard to soak up all the sweet memories that have happened in the last month, and not miss anything. Time goes way too fast! So, forgive me for the lack of posting and updates and pictures, but snuggles with my babies are way more important. :)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-403123973146624172013-01-11T14:07:00.001-06:002013-01-11T14:07:50.159-06:00Dress up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Claire got 3 dress up dresses for Christmas this year, and she LOVES them. I have them hanging at her level in her closet, and she will bring them out to me about every other day wanting to wear them, and it is so stinkin cute. A couple weeks ago she added sunglasses and a necklace to her ensemble...and then Daddy had to wear this sunglasses too. :) </div>
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-42549975930194853622013-01-10T14:01:00.003-06:002013-01-10T14:01:58.081-06:002012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2012 was a busy, exciting year for our family. Here is our year in review!</div>
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<b>january</b></div>
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January was busy--Claire and I were in MN for half the month, and headed back to NC after a nice long MN vacation. Claire and I found our routine again with just the two of us, and she really started turning from a baby into a big girl.</div>
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<b>february</b></div>
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February was busy! We spent a lot of time outside, Claire and Lacey officially became BFF's, and I accomplished a big goal in the house. With the help of a friend, I put a tile backsplash in our kitchen that I am still completely in love with.</div>
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<b>march </b></div>
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March brought warm temps back into our world. The countdown to Bud being home began and my parents came for a whole week to see us.</div>
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<b>april</b></div>
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April was an exciting month. It was our last one with out Bud, Claire turned 18 months old, we celebrated our last holiday with out Bud and I finished all my last minute projects.</div>
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<b>may</b></div>
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MAY was finally here!! The first day of May brought our favorite guy home, and the rest of the month was spent as a family, enjoying figuring out our new normal again. Bud and I got a much needed vacation just the two of us thanks to his parents coming to watch Claire. May was probably my favorite month of the year. :)</div>
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<b>june</b></div>
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Early in June, we found out Claire was going to be a big sister! I spent the rest of the month feeling pretty crummy, and trying to keep up with Claire. :) Claire and I spent a lot of time in the garden--her favorite thing was to pick broccoli right off the plant and eating it. We also had visitors in June that won the prize for longest travel--our friends from Alaska came to visit for a couple days!</div>
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<b>july</b></div>
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We celebrated the 4th of July with some friends and my sister and her sweet family visited!! Having Lainey and Claire play together was SO fun. </div>
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<b>august</b></div>
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We took a trip to MN in August! It was a WONDERFUL break from the heat of NC, and Claire loved having her daddy around so much, which also meant a nice break for mama! I was still feeling pretty awful in August, so all the extra help from Bud and grandparents was very welcome!! We were able to help sweet Lainey celebrate her first birthday--and it was the first time my entire family had been together since 2010, so it was extra special to me! We also learned that Claire was going to have a baby brother! August was a busy month!</div>
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<b>september</b></div>
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After such a crazy August, September was a quiet month. We spent lots of time playing inside (still very hot and mama still feeling not so hot), and doing yard work when we could stand being outside. Claire starting learning her alphabet and caught on very quickly--she knew about 10 letters by sight within a week or so! I was very impressed!</div>
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<b>october</b></div>
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We were so happy to have Bud home this year in October! He got to help us celebrate Claire's 2nd Birthday, and took her trick or treating for the first time. We celebrated Claire's birthday with a Mickey Mouse party with her best friends, and the night before her birthday we took her to dinner at one of her favorite places (she LOVES the nachos at O'Charleys!). She caught on to trick or treating very quickly, and would run from one house to the next saying, 'more!, more!' The clown costume was mine when I was her age--and she is WAY cuter as a clown than I was! :)</div>
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<b>november</b></div>
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We spent a lot of time outside in November. I finally was feeling good, and the weather was beautiful! We got our first Christmas tree in this house, and started decorating for our first Christmas at home. Claire vocabulary exploded after her birthday, and it seems like she was learning a new word or phrase every day!</div>
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<b>december</b></div>
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We started December with a trip to VA to see Bud while he was away for work. DC is clearly very tiring when you are 2!</div>
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Right after VA, Claire and I packed up and headed to IA to meet this little dude, Wyatt! Claire completely fell in love with her baby Wy, and asks for him almost daily. She had a lot of fun playing with Lainey too, even though she did 'poosh' her a few times. Stinker. :) My parents are loving the complete choas that comes with having all the grandbabies so close together...it is quite the experience! (There will be 4 kids in less than 2.5 years!)</div>
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We celebrated Christmas with our very good friends, who are like our family here. The kids loved playing with new toys and the adults enjoyed some Just Dance. So many laughs were had after a very yummy meal...we are so thankful for our life here! </div>
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2012 was a wonderful year, and 2013 is shaping up to be pretty great as well!! We will welcome our first little boy into this world, and besides many (many) work trips, will spend the entire year together as a family, and that is more than I could hope for. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a happy, healthy 2013!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-38560203364757588612012-12-30T08:49:00.000-06:002012-12-30T08:49:05.638-06:00Big Sister in Training<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Oh, hey, remember this thing I have called a blog? It's about timeC I get back to this, sorry folks.</div>
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We have been crazy busy lately....between the holidays, traveling and getting ready for the baby, things are a little crazy around here. I could really use a laundry maid right about now...any takers? :) </div>
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Here are some pictures from November to update you a little bit...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetspBSou-poXk6dTUjdO_jelKcZOkLJryeDkeIdg0rE4Mrgb7sfkwUZLQTL6wTc_gYdOReAHfh7f4PZD464Tdo08jn_a_5ztL0aPX3Kok24bEE1TQ8f1pxXcb3Eky-HQivwLh9FtN/s1600/IMG_8253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetspBSou-poXk6dTUjdO_jelKcZOkLJryeDkeIdg0rE4Mrgb7sfkwUZLQTL6wTc_gYdOReAHfh7f4PZD464Tdo08jn_a_5ztL0aPX3Kok24bEE1TQ8f1pxXcb3Eky-HQivwLh9FtN/s320/IMG_8253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Claire got a stroller for her birthday and loves to take her baby for walks around the house. On this day, she asked me if she could bring her baby and stroller outside, and I told her I thought it was too cold for the baby (or in mommy terms...I don't want to), so Claire quickly grabbed a new outfit for the baby that has a hood, some socks, and a blanket. Sooo, baby came out with us. :) She's too smart for me!</div>
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Claire really loved helping me decorate the tree and wanted all the ornaments to be 'up high!'</div>
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She really loves her bitty baby, and has been getting really good practice in for when her brother gets here. She loves to change, feed, burp and snuggle with her baby. She will put her blankie on her shoulder, hold the baby and bounch and sway saying 'shh shh shh' to help her baby settle down. It is SO sweet.</div>
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I will try and update again soon with pictures from our visit to VA/DC to see Bud while he was away for work, our trip to IA to meet 'baby Wy', Christmas and my ever growing belly. Stay tuned!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-10021048322521459952012-10-21T20:15:00.002-05:002012-10-21T20:15:44.793-05:00She's 2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our baby girl turned TWO on Thursday, and we celebrated on Saturday with her friends. We had a fabulous Mickey party complete with the best bounce house ever, all of Claire's favorite foods, and of course, cupcakes!</div>
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I can't believe that in two short years, our beautiful baby has grown in to such an amazing little girl! She is wild and hilarious like her daddy and sweet like her mommy, the best of both worlds. :)</div>
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2010</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-67187446343099257552012-10-03T16:50:00.000-05:002012-10-03T16:50:26.504-05:00Daddy's Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Claire is absolutely loving her daddy these days, and it completely melts my heart. She has always been more of a momma's girl, but the past month or so she just adores him. She cries when he leaves with out her, runs to him when he gets home and her newest favorite thing is to sit down in the morning and share a bowl of cereal with him. So sweet. They are out running some errands right now, and she was so excited to go. She just looks and me and waves and says, "Bye, mama! Love you!" When he leaves with out her? Big alligator tears and my sweet girl standing at the door crying for her dada. It breaks my heart and makes me completely dread the next time we have to say good bye to him, because her heart is going to be just as broken as mine. Here are my two favorite pictures of them from the past couple weeks.</div>
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Bud was really hesitant when we found out Claire was a girl, and now being a Daddy to a girl completely fits him. We even had friends comment that they were surprised he didn't want a girl with how wonderful he is with her. They are two peas in a pod, and make each other giggle like no one else can. I am so thankful for my little family!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-7898060831146319762012-10-02T07:00:00.000-05:002012-10-02T07:00:13.146-05:00Happy Birthday, Rah Rah!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today is my favorite sister and Claire's favorite aunt's birthday! Claire absolutely adores her Rah Rah, as do I. I am so thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful big sister. </div>
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From matching Christmas sweaters to matching baby bumps!<br />
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It is so fun to me that we both had our sweet baby girls, and now we are getting ready to have baby boys! Some day we WILL live close to each other so that our kids can be wonderful friends. <br />
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We LOVE you, Sarah! Happy Birthday!!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-47665497921367150322012-10-01T17:54:00.000-05:002012-10-01T17:54:00.675-05:00Halfway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl7_v6R5VjC-p2M887SDgpvzdiH4HXDFyE6tt6cmLcdodhH1wJaZtXO9ZcnrnsYRH2Ud_DeiWKmaXK9v1_WE8sP-LpqrKbNX-zfG0IbUCJV-8leNk-TgOG5mm3VaQ981p1InNo89-/s1600/20+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl7_v6R5VjC-p2M887SDgpvzdiH4HXDFyE6tt6cmLcdodhH1wJaZtXO9ZcnrnsYRH2Ud_DeiWKmaXK9v1_WE8sP-LpqrKbNX-zfG0IbUCJV-8leNk-TgOG5mm3VaQ981p1InNo89-/s320/20+weeks.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Finally! I feel like I am a whole new person this week. Apparently it took half the pregnancy, but oh well. My house has been clean for a whole week, little dude's room is making some progress, Claire's room has gotten a lot of attention and our room is clean. That's a lot, people. I am SO thankful to be feeling like myself again! Our little guy doesn't feel so little, and makes his presence known A LOT. <br />
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The next few months are going to fly--we are packed for October, November is very busy and then Christmas in December...it seems like it will be January before we know it. So, we are trying to get as much done now as we can so we are ready for him if he decides to come early. (Not holding my breath on that one, but better safe than sorry.)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-26380140280871301032012-09-17T22:00:00.000-05:002012-09-17T22:00:07.144-05:0018 weeks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1Zop9_d1_ke1tbV-NqCK5jT21QvVmLudc976luIZGpkNdipJnzbg_U_DdMH92U6DgYZ7FCJSko5uh9plH_4lvcTDJVGTh7jOR-gRkoftSkLYaeRaGAZi6Y4qw0fFoDcFEKtuRaVY/s1600/18.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1Zop9_d1_ke1tbV-NqCK5jT21QvVmLudc976luIZGpkNdipJnzbg_U_DdMH92U6DgYZ7FCJSko5uh9plH_4lvcTDJVGTh7jOR-gRkoftSkLYaeRaGAZi6Y4qw0fFoDcFEKtuRaVY/s320/18.1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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18 Weeks! I am starting to feel a little more human lately, so that is a good thing. I am also feeling a lot of kicks and jabs from the little dude--I think he is preparing me for the energy that he will have. :) I know he is going to be just like his dad, and that means a constant, ridiculous amount of energy until he crashes. Watch out!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-81079719960243440612012-09-14T12:36:00.002-05:002012-09-14T12:36:43.796-05:00(A Few of) The Many Faces of Claire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I took all these pictures in a span of less than 5 minutes. This girl cracks me up.</div>
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Such a silly smile. :)</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-20159195227518502782012-09-06T19:46:00.001-05:002012-09-06T19:46:19.892-05:0016 weeksAnd "hello, belly!"<br />
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I also feel like I look a lot more tired in the second one, which would be accurate. This little dude is taking every once of everything I have lately, which makes sense considering how much he has apparently grown in the last week!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-13306131274570377682012-08-29T07:00:00.000-05:002012-08-29T07:00:14.797-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>[i LOVE these two!!!]</i></div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-32744379630452322772012-08-28T07:00:00.000-05:002012-08-28T07:00:06.561-05:00Birthdays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We went to MN for 2 weeks in early August. We were able to go to two very special birthday parties while we were there...my grandma's 85th and my niece's 1st!!</div>
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Claire had so much fun playing with her cousins at the park where we had Grandma's party. They watched her like a hawk and were never more than about a foot away from her at all times. :) It was very sweet.<br />
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Grandma and most of her great grandchildren! <br />
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My mom put together the party for my grandma and it was so great to see almost all of my family while we were in town. The weather was SO beautiful that day--just like my grandma likes it. We had a great afternoon celebrating her!<br />
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The next weekend we headed down to Iowa to be with sweet Lainey on her FIRST birthday! Lainey had an ice cream parlor set up in her living room and it was so fun and a perfect way to celebrate such a sweet girl! This was the first time my entire family had been together since Christmas 2010 (thank you, Marine Corps), so it was very nice to have all of us in one place. I asked Claire who she wanted to go to for this picture and she said Sarah, so we just switched babies. :) Claire LOVES her Sarah, we hear about her at least once a day around here!<br />
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Claire found the dirt! She was such a mess when she was done playing, but was very proud of herself!<br />
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Claire and Lainey (and the two peanuts on the way) have the best Gramma and Papa!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-80903850324766494112012-08-27T08:19:00.001-05:002012-08-27T08:19:11.226-05:0015 weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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15 weeks. 15 weeks of feeling like crud, headaches, feeling (and looking) like a whale....shall I go on? This pregnancy has been completely opposite of my pregnancy with Claire. I LOVED being pregnant with her. I could be pregnant with Claire 10 times. This little person? Not so much. :) Kelly asked why it has been so long since I updated the blog and I told her it was because I feel like I have nothing new to write about--I wake up, feel like I drank far too many glasses of wine the night before, attempt to keep Claire occupied all day by something other that Disney Junior, get in a load of laundry if I can, try and get dinner on the table, and collapse on the couch still feeling like I had too much wine by the end of the day. Over, and over again. <br />
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I know that it could be so much worse. I am not being hospitalized for fluids because I can't keep anything down, I am not laying on the bathroom floor all day, and I have had a few days of feeling like myself. I really don't want to complain, because I am very thankful just to be pregnant and to be bringing another person into our family. But, if you were wondering why I have been missing...that's why. :)<br />
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I have lots of pictures to post from our trip to MN, and of our almost 2 year old just being her crazy self, so stick around...I will have updates for you soon!<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-32003314277138328272012-07-11T10:38:00.005-05:002012-07-11T10:38:50.811-05:00Today is the day...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...that I get to see that sweet face in person again!! (Sorry for the blurry picture, but look at the sweet face!) It has been 7 months since I have seen her and her sweet momma and daddy in person, and I (we) are SO excited!!</div>
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I am incredibly thankful for Skype...it really doesn't seem like it has been that long, but I can't wait to get my hands on the sweet niece of mine! She really likes me over the computer screen, so here's hoping she likes me in person! :)</div>
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I love that our girls are so close in age (only 10 months apart)...they are going to have so much fun playing this weekend! The only thing that would be better is if Gramma and Papa could be here too!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-79188891348749428882012-06-26T21:19:00.000-05:002012-06-26T21:19:42.454-05:00Claire and Patrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last week, we were lucky enough to have some visitors for a few days. Some of you may remember our friends, the Roy's, that we met in Florida. They have a little boy who is 3 months older than Claire...</div>
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Claire (2 months) and Patrick (5 months)-December 2010 </div>
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Look how sweet they were! I was so excited when Michelle called and said they were going to be able to come for a few days. We haven't seen them in person since that night we took that picture! They moved to Alaska, and since that isn't exactly the easiest state to get to, we haven't been able to visit them. We skype every once in a while, so I have seen Patrick, but I couldn't believe what a crazy kid that sweet baby has turned into! I'm sure Michelle would say the same about Claire. :)</div>
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Here they are now!</div>
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Claire (20 months) and Patrick (23 months)-June 2012</div>
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We had a great couple days (minus Patrick's fever and Claire's cold) catching up and enjoying each other's company and kids again. One of the hardest parts of this life is saying good bye to good friends, so it is always so great when you can see them again, even if it is just for a couple days.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-75918284263456838372012-06-14T07:59:00.001-05:002012-06-14T07:59:13.065-05:00Chair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had turned on Mickey Mouse for Claire while we were making dinner, and I came out to check on her and saw this:</div>
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Why sit in her chair when she can sit in Daddy's chair? </div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-62743390230949208022012-06-12T12:41:00.001-05:002012-06-12T12:41:39.737-05:00Fun with Daddy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Claire and her daddy have been having a lot of fun getting to know each other again. Now that he is back at work, she asks for him ALL. DAY. LONG. Seriously. He is the first thing she asks about when I get her out of her crib, and I would bet we don't go 30 minutes with out her asking again. I think she is happy to have him back. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another lady in our life is also VERY happy to have him home. </td></tr>
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-68692116995801946892012-05-06T14:35:00.001-05:002012-05-06T14:35:16.501-05:00Together again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He's home!! Tuesday morning about 2:30, I was full of butterflies as I watched motorcycles escort 2 buses in front of us. It took a little bit to find him, but that first hug was as magical as it always it. It erases 7 months of fear, stress, anxiety and worry. It makes you forget how hard it was and how much you missed him, because in that minute, you are complete again and it is like he never left.</div>
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Claire wasn't too happy--it was 2:30 in the morning, and she was SO tired. But, she was a trooper and (barely) stayed awake. I looked down at one point while she was sitting in her stroller, and she just had tears in her eyes, poo,r sweet baby girl, she was so exhausted and just didn't understand why I was putting her through this!<br />
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Lacey, on the other hand, could have cared less what time it was--her Daddy was HOME! She was every bit as thrilled as I knew she would be, and hasn't let him get too far away since that morning. She loves him more than anyone else in the world--she was so exhausted after saying hi to him and she just had to lay down. :)<br />
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Claire slept the whole way home, and was much better after watching Lacey be so excited. She helped Daddy open his presents, and they played for a bit before she went to bed. He even got a big hug while they were playing. :) She still hasn't decided if he is totally okay or not, but she really doesn't like it when he is out of eye sight. We were at the mall the other day, and every time he would walk away, she yelled for him. But, she doesn't like it when he gets too close either. :) She just can't decide.<br />
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It has been so great to have him home. In some ways it really feels like he never left. He has the whole month of May off, so we will be making up for lost time and spending it all together just being a family again. It will be wonderful.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-92151798198079076782012-04-25T08:00:00.000-05:002012-04-25T08:00:12.490-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Say Cheese!</div>
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-68040948440681188852012-04-22T20:33:00.001-05:002012-04-22T20:33:17.600-05:0018 Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our sweet baby girl turned 18 months old last week. I can hardly believe it. She is turning into such a fun, sassy, amazing little girl and I absolutely love that I get to spend every day with her. </div>
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The first picture shows her normal, sweet smile...the second shows just how goofy she is. :)<br />
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We are in the final countdown! This week is jam packed with things to keep us busy, and soon enough I will be posting pictures of my whole family together again!!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-60351679163798359952012-04-09T13:43:00.005-05:002012-04-09T23:23:19.455-05:00Easter 2012<div align="center">Claire and I had a great Easter weekend. We started early with a great package from Grammy. She is the best about sending boxes when we need a good pick me up. Claire had some great surpises, but her favorite were these Minnie Mouse bubbles. As you can see, she was SO excited about them!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uzr6wzlMIIIfQiMLUCe6xwGep-sOSmGtFMIMH54OEkU9G24IaU0RyI8jFu0YVW1-HXhNukeFYafFp81APC-hOpQT9QE63kPjPa159II8JiXCPruO6iIrjc1S3HNe3D1j_BARnMhk/s1600/IMG_6394.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729475288920733922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uzr6wzlMIIIfQiMLUCe6xwGep-sOSmGtFMIMH54OEkU9G24IaU0RyI8jFu0YVW1-HXhNukeFYafFp81APC-hOpQT9QE63kPjPa159II8JiXCPruO6iIrjc1S3HNe3D1j_BARnMhk/s320/IMG_6394.JPG" /></a>The Easter Bunny came agan this year, and Claire got a new movie, a couple books, and a couple other little things. <br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUpyUjxL4VAuNqH88I786oVYDGX4ARGkHHlKNvHUNdX1klMeJ3RIMN2krK8hptX3gFQvh27etWUeekNTeRF9AG4tzx0X13BjDvqqPyAyyxrV6zr6YilLQodc93iU9lfPX40Azt2By/s1600/IMG_6444.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729475281334342914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUpyUjxL4VAuNqH88I786oVYDGX4ARGkHHlKNvHUNdX1klMeJ3RIMN2krK8hptX3gFQvh27etWUeekNTeRF9AG4tzx0X13BjDvqqPyAyyxrV6zr6YilLQodc93iU9lfPX40Azt2By/s320/IMG_6444.JPG" /></a>Silly face while opening presents.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslv9Zk8KHjYOBXRdwcZn_SQF2a2oWDDexO6b87qvytJvb-TGyQCrmZjPIq6bd-QGFky0wbUlbmJoQkvu9y3sRCZxItePfzjZGp3mdGdjY2tbPpQ_VPEc6DaGEA8GI3T-LFlN0qcon/s1600/IMG_6436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729475271993007922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslv9Zk8KHjYOBXRdwcZn_SQF2a2oWDDexO6b87qvytJvb-TGyQCrmZjPIq6bd-QGFky0wbUlbmJoQkvu9y3sRCZxItePfzjZGp3mdGdjY2tbPpQ_VPEc6DaGEA8GI3T-LFlN0qcon/s320/IMG_6436.JPG" /></a>WOW! was Claire's favorite word while opening this year. Minnie Mouse bath toys are the best!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSX0g8VSsoflfDfb_1ZJhQClSR8CUmRdplKl98xdU8ihSTsyJ_t91RDQCUx2Da3TEc_6UQ3UloQJ4fIpZ9tEfIDA8-R5Lpxzx_tv453XmfSVsMLAX1znPvd_aWz7aMg_VECQgG9Iv6/s1600/IMG_6441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729475265373884754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSX0g8VSsoflfDfb_1ZJhQClSR8CUmRdplKl98xdU8ihSTsyJ_t91RDQCUx2Da3TEc_6UQ3UloQJ4fIpZ9tEfIDA8-R5Lpxzx_tv453XmfSVsMLAX1znPvd_aWz7aMg_VECQgG9Iv6/s320/IMG_6441.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y3FRb1EUtN5b_x19bl4TqFb8iXcn5Tu62WG5Ux7m7vdWc0Q5srkWcSSGNXMpxHr-2RktKWnh1wr9_j_r5d0yOHomV-bCMi82_-JsvRa9TA1gLXHJZuDkskHLniYRvmntgnzb2MU4/s1600/IMG_6464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729475257185241618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y3FRb1EUtN5b_x19bl4TqFb8iXcn5Tu62WG5Ux7m7vdWc0Q5srkWcSSGNXMpxHr-2RktKWnh1wr9_j_r5d0yOHomV-bCMi82_-JsvRa9TA1gLXHJZuDkskHLniYRvmntgnzb2MU4/s320/IMG_6464.JPG" /></a>My sweet girl in her Easter outfit.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7KuR3wne8PH4W9TGDBN3PSMy1GlAeI1EwB4YiY3egriJ3saLueNprG0pM57dCAcQgzFBL7fj7tHqehMIhO-C35BXHIbsRpYj6HSQPpJyQukC1QDwJVeAvI6NkNHo9bVLQpXFeQzq/s1600/IMG_6471.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729616118299800050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7KuR3wne8PH4W9TGDBN3PSMy1GlAeI1EwB4YiY3egriJ3saLueNprG0pM57dCAcQgzFBL7fj7tHqehMIhO-C35BXHIbsRpYj6HSQPpJyQukC1QDwJVeAvI6NkNHo9bVLQpXFeQzq/s320/IMG_6471.JPG" /></a><br /></div></div><br /></div></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRolRkA4wKkodtyAei7dbgOjAKTKW0YJcMuNSR90_QaWMVwACU3uNud3ynyPc-frDV85cLpqtL7JxtGfyxBFSjFqZBX8vd7AJKHtXOcTnPehKO1Z5oPj-r9OibL7HQvE3Rn2OG43O/s1600/IMG_6481.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729616058184991010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRolRkA4wKkodtyAei7dbgOjAKTKW0YJcMuNSR90_QaWMVwACU3uNud3ynyPc-frDV85cLpqtL7JxtGfyxBFSjFqZBX8vd7AJKHtXOcTnPehKO1Z5oPj-r9OibL7HQvE3Rn2OG43O/s320/IMG_6481.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwih4YgwtjIkhd1QnWxVlbb8nPMbq4M9bTX5waPNCi4xQ_Uz0BaDyRJ0oyB5LRz9s5hWpJAPZs0HxwfjCbicK6ptq6c_2zT_B4GEdK__qy-LpNZBgpDG-OYHAX8YyLsxXbcEXYXp3r/s1600/IMG_6496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729617352142659042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwih4YgwtjIkhd1QnWxVlbb8nPMbq4M9bTX5waPNCi4xQ_Uz0BaDyRJ0oyB5LRz9s5hWpJAPZs0HxwfjCbicK6ptq6c_2zT_B4GEdK__qy-LpNZBgpDG-OYHAX8YyLsxXbcEXYXp3r/s320/IMG_6496.JPG" /></a><p align="center">Jaci, Cayden and Mason. </p><p align="center">For those of you who don't talk to me often, Jaci is one of the main reasons I made it through this deployment. She is an amazing friend, her boys are so sweet, and she deals with Claire and I with a smile on her face. I am so thankful for her. She is an exceptionally strong woman, and she proved that when she had Mason. Mason was born about a month ago, while our husbands were in Afghanistan. I watched Cayden, her mom was by her side, and she had this baby with out her husband. Can you imagine? I can't. I have watched her go from worrying about how she would do this to mastering her two boys while all by herself and I am so proud of her. Tonight while we were out to dinner, we were talking about how close Mason is to meeting his Daddy. She said to me, "He doesn't even know his voice." I had a hard time keeping it together. He doesn't. He knows my voice more than his daddy's. These next few weeks can not go fast enough. We need our husbands back, our kids need their daddy, and even more important than that, Mason needs to MEET his daddy. I can't wait to watch that moment. <br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJfCqYSAOjW1CGUajLHp5Vg1-OzYplk7v0yKafqkS4kYuSTHm8O5Mwt87-Mt8h3hoZCiS3wc8tohAi2TP5GM9IcEdREinQnlMv87Fj71WGz9fq6Ww3DFlxZIvr0OvhFvV8YoP_rJr/s1600/IMG_6532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729617341413547042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJfCqYSAOjW1CGUajLHp5Vg1-OzYplk7v0yKafqkS4kYuSTHm8O5Mwt87-Mt8h3hoZCiS3wc8tohAi2TP5GM9IcEdREinQnlMv87Fj71WGz9fq6Ww3DFlxZIvr0OvhFvV8YoP_rJr/s320/IMG_6532.JPG" /></a>Me and my sweet girl. Pardon my WHITE legs.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO544UEhM_8ETvjTYretCO2jsxltheyxkUyvGp9eR9I-NeulxSaRNTAsiXtzUN-BBxdyOayNIB15SwCrMRpmvDBShp9LaVSXrzE8-CtQD04ctd5lonAGRUcrNoKRl6NrNs3xr19Pqa/s1600/IMG_6538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729617334607894754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO544UEhM_8ETvjTYretCO2jsxltheyxkUyvGp9eR9I-NeulxSaRNTAsiXtzUN-BBxdyOayNIB15SwCrMRpmvDBShp9LaVSXrzE8-CtQD04ctd5lonAGRUcrNoKRl6NrNs3xr19Pqa/s320/IMG_6538.JPG" /></a><br />These two are the best of friends, as is evident in this picture. Cayden adores Claire, and Claire pretty much thinks he is the best thing ever. She laughs at him like no one else and loves to give him hugs and kisses. They are wonderful play mates, and get very excited to see each other.<br /><br />This was our last holiday with out Bud. Thank, God. I can't even explain how thankful I am for everyone's thought and prayers and the fact that I will see my husband in just a few weeks. Video chatting is wonderful, but just another reminder of how much I miss him. <br /><br />Stay tuned for more updates, and in just a few weeks, seeing our family TOGETHER again.<br /><br />I CAN NOT wait.<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750096573352029788.post-60523142502876625162012-04-06T21:55:00.002-05:002012-04-06T22:27:16.580-05:006 MonthsBud has been gone for 6 months. That means 6 months worth of meals, bed times, diapers, dog walks, doctors appts, illnesses, lawn mows, garbage days and cleaning that I have done by myself. (Except of course for when I was home over the holidays, and while my parents were here.) I'm tired.<br /><br />6 months ago, Claire wasn't even 1. She was starting to really master walking, but was still a little unsteady at times. She wasn't really saying much. She was taking two naps a day. She was pretty quiet, extremely well behaved (pretty much) all the time, and just overall very easy going. She had just a few teeth, and barely enough hair to put in tiny little big tails.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbsk988jERJJVsC8pPFxnfsO1TfuS82c8e62e3YhIRd6F-krUE4sYyRNZgyj5a32Tia_wZV_k0UOKUlPQ2CJYQLZCjC2F-HUAF5TsTx4pqYWfcdYemSszqX6XpAa6DE2RwtcH6iqR/s1600/IMG_0986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728489452820852418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbsk988jERJJVsC8pPFxnfsO1TfuS82c8e62e3YhIRd6F-krUE4sYyRNZgyj5a32Tia_wZV_k0UOKUlPQ2CJYQLZCjC2F-HUAF5TsTx4pqYWfcdYemSszqX6XpAa6DE2RwtcH6iqR/s320/IMG_0986.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19q90offGu8U6HYoRQh9uzXqOjCOwcKeEXZP7Zp9MCLtA-iiRbhJGycbOeDoJSM-d8b-fX84TRT5ws0-STYVj-1SmG3tD9CbtR_7c1ZoUGpuwuYMR3ciguzNNxDjxR1MHe-tSV2Jh/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728489445141687650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19q90offGu8U6HYoRQh9uzXqOjCOwcKeEXZP7Zp9MCLtA-iiRbhJGycbOeDoJSM-d8b-fX84TRT5ws0-STYVj-1SmG3tD9CbtR_7c1ZoUGpuwuYMR3ciguzNNxDjxR1MHe-tSV2Jh/s320/photo.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Now, Claire is almost 1.5 years old (say WHAT?!?!). She is walking, running, trying to jump, climbing on furniture, trying to climb in and out of the bath tub and has completely mastered her slide. She has a decent voccabulary that is growing almost daily; her favorite words are mama, papa, ada (daddy), lacey, please, thank you, all done, uh huh and fish. She knows where her nose, teeth and hair are. She fights taking one nap most days. She is LOUD, opinionated, extremely sassy, and so incredibly funny. She has 10 teeth, and enough hair to just pull right back in a pony tail.</div><div> </div><div>Bud has no idea what he is coming home to. We were able to video chat for a while today, which was WONDERFUL. Claire was being her normal self, and threw a fit at one point. He laughed hysterically. Except for the minute long videos I send him multiple times a week, this was really the first time he has seen this new side of our little girl. </div><div> </div><div>I can not wait to watch his reaction to her as he soaks her in. She is a completely different kid than when he left. She is SO much like him it is unbelievable to me. She hasn't spent anytime with him in 6 months, yet multiple times a day, I can't help but giggle because she does things, says things, give me looks that are EXACTLY her daddy. We are in for quite the adventure with this little lady. :)</div><div> </div><div>The countdowwn is on. I have been a complete space case the past few days, because all I can seem to think about is how close I am to having him home. SO close to waking up and seeing his face, to listening for his motorcycle at the end of the day, to laughing til my cheeks hurt, to NOT taking out the garbage anymore. :) SO CLOSE to having my favorite people in the world in one house, being a complete family again. I'm so excited.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604431994347418088noreply@blogger.com0