Douglas & Nicole

Siblings

2012-01-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

Claire loves her baby brother. She is so good to him. She gives him hugs and kisses all the time. Mace smiles and giggles at her, too. I wonder how long this sibling love is going to last. For now, I'm just going to enjoy it.

Christmas, etc.

2012-01-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas was celebrated all month long, so I'm just going to put it all in one post cuz I'm lazy. Plus, I have 2 sleeping children at the same time and I don't know how long that's going to last, so I've gotta make this quick. I love Christmas and all the joy that it brings. Especially with young children. This Christmas, Claire had the flu (on Christmas Day - yuck) so that kinda put a damper on things, but we celebrated nonetheless. I wanted Mace's first Christmas to be special, so I made sure to really put a lot of focus on him as well.

Mace with "Cowboy Santa", aka Awesome OB/GYN
(There are more pictures taken with 2 more Santas, but one hasn't been e-mailed to me yet and the other was given to me as a hard copy [actually there are like a dozen] and I have yet to figure out the scanner part of our printer)

Helping Mommy wrap presents

Opening presents at Grandma and Papa's a week early (since Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa were going on a cruise over Christmas)

More presents

Christmas Eve, with an extra present under the tree

First Christmas

Incredible homemade bear for Mace - read the note attached

*Love*

Thanksgiving

2011-12-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

I'm just now getting around to posting about Thanksgiving? Sheesh. I'm sure I'll catch up someday.

My little butterball

Thanksgiving feast

To quote a friend of mine: "Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it."

2 months

2011-11-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

I have some serious catching up to do. For now, enjoy a picture of my sweet boy, taken 2 days ago when he turned 2 months.

Mace had his 2-month physical yesterday and was weighed at 14 lbs 13 ounces (3 ounces shy of 15 pounds!) and measured 23 inches long. 97th percentile for weight and 50th for length. That's one fat baby!

2

2011-10-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with numbers. Therefore, I find it fascinating that Claire is (at this moment) 2 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 2 hours and 2 minutes old.

1 month

2011-10-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I've been slacking. But taking care of 2 young kids plus working keeps me quite busy. My sweet Mace is 1 month already! He reminds me a lot of Claire. He's very good-natured and really only cries when he's hungry. He loves to eat and is quite the snuggle bug. I really lucked out with both my kiddos.

My little chunk in his monkey jammies

"Hi!"

The best part about his jammies is the monkey on his butt :)

Birth Story, Anyone?

2011-09-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have had a whirlwind of a pregnancy. First of all, it was a complete surprise. I found out I was pregnant after an emergency move from a location that kept raising our rent and wouldn't write a contract, plus I had lost a significant amount of students, meaning loss of income. It was like Heavenly Father was testing us to see how much we could handle. After months of hard work, we were accepted to Medi-Cal so we could have some help paying for the baby. My 2nd trimester went smoothly. During my 3rd trimester, I started measuring particularly big. At 32 weeks, I was measuring at 35, so my midwife had me tested for gestational diabetes, informing me that if I tested positive, I would have to deliver in the hospital rather than at home as planned. Thankfully, the test came back negative. Back to square one. At 34 weeks, I was measuring at 40 weeks and found out baby was in a transverse lie (faced diagonally) and if he stayed like that, I would have to have a c-section. I was given a homeopathic remedy and told to change my diet so he would move to the right position. At 35 weeks, he was back in the right position and I was measuring right on time. A home birth after all! At 36 1/2 weeks, he was in an unstable lie (not staying put in any one position) and I had to transfer care to an OB/GYN (an awesome one at that) to try to move the baby to the correct position. Now a hospital birth. The day after transferring care, I had an ultrasound with said awesome OB/GYN and found out it's more than an unstable lie, that he is in a position that if tried to move, might break my water. Meaning, a scheduled c-section at about 39 weeks. After waiting for over 2 weeks for them to tell me the date of the c-section, at my 39-week appointment (Friday, 9/9), he was head down and I was told I could make the decision to go into labor myself and see if the baby was still in the correct position and if he wasn't, I would have a c-section. More agonizing. I thought long and hard, weighing the pros and cons and decided to go with the c-section after all. Doc told me that we would do some scheduling after the weekend. Well, the office called me Monday morning (9/12) and asked me to come in to talk about options. We had another ultrasound and found out baby was still head down and made the decision to go into labor on my own since he was likely to stay that way. I had my membranes stripped and was sent home. Tons of cramping that night. Tuesday, I lost my mucus plug and started some pretty intense contractions every 15-20 minutes that kept me up half the night. I had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks, but very mild. These intense contractions were quite painful. Wednesday and Thursday, more contractions, especially when lying down, but nothing consistent. After more contractions keeping me up Thursday night, I browsed around online before attempting to sleep again. After lying down at about 4am Friday, contractions became more consistent (around 8 minutes apart.) I'm thinking "Finally!" so I got up to take a shower at about 5:30am and they went away. So frustrating! I attempted some more sleep and finally called the doctor when the office opened at 8:30. He told me to drink lots of water and wait it out. Then I get a call from the office about 20 minutes later telling me there are insurance problems and I can still deliver at the hospital, but maybe not with the same doctor. Ok, so this is the day before my due date after being in early labor all week. Awesome timing! I wasn't even sure if the baby was still head down at that point since he had been moving around so much. I called the office again later in the afternoon to see what the final verdict was and to see if I could get an exam to find out how close I was and to see if the baby was still head down. They told me to come in and they wouldn't charge me. (Told you he was awesome.) So, the doc checked me out and found out baby was head down, I was 100% effaced and 4 centimeters dilated. Um, wow. He told me I was pretty much ready. He gave me all the paperwork to transfer doctors (again) AND I had to switch hospitals from my #1 choice to my last choice since they could only find one doctor available who took my insurance. At least the new hospital was closest. Contractions continued through the afternoon and evening. Since I had not slept at all that day and had maybe 3-4 hours of sleep the night before, I decided to attempt sleep again. Since the contractions were strongest lying down, I had to sit up on the couch. Still no sleep. Around 10pm, they started to get a little more regular, about 8-10 minutes apart. I tried not to get too excited just in case it was another false alarm. I got up and walked around to see if they remained consistent. They were still coming, but not as close. But, at least they didn't go away completely. At about midnight, they started about 10 minutes apart and every time the baby moved, I had the worst cramps. Since he was moving around so much in between the contractions, I was in constant pain. I finally called the hospital at about 12:30 to find out the earliest a laboring person could come in. She said I was still early but could come in if I really wanted to. At that point, the only thing that relieved my pain was rocking back and forth on my hands and knees. I couldn't stand or sit or do anything. I told Douglas we needed to go. He went to take a shower and we got last-minute stuff ready. We headed out the door at 1:30, at which point my contractions were 5 minutes apart. The cramps had gone away, so I was better able to time them, but I sure don't remember anything in between 10 and 5 minutes. By the time we reached the hospital at 2:00, they were 2 minutes apart and I could barely check in. They quickly wheeled me to labor and delivery and gave me paperwork to fill out. Seriously? While I was attempting to fill it out in between contractions, the lady behind the desk was telling the nurses on the phone that they really needed to get me a room because I had already had a couple contractions just sitting there. They quickly got me into my room, gave me a gown to change into and hooked me up to a fetal monitor and an IV. They had some trouble finding a vein on my left arm and after being poked and prodded, I head the nurse say "Gosh, darn it" over and over - very reassuring for someone in active labor. They tried my right arm with success. They also checked my cervix, which was at 7 centimeters. I was pretty much out of it and didn't realize they tried paging the doctor 3 times and he wouldn't come. (It turns out he was stuck in a c-section.) They went for Plan B, which was an on-call midwife. After about an hour of intense contractions, each one worse than the last, they told me to start pushing. I pushed maybe 4-5 times and he was out at 3:17am and placed on my chest. Good thing it went by so quick because it hurt like heck. I was praying and praying it would all be over soon because I didn't want the epidural (I don't think there would have been time, anyway) and my prayers were answered. It took a while to get the placenta out because I was so weak at that point, I could barely push. But, I was SOOOOO glad he was finally here! I had another nice tear, which required more stitches. I also got REALLY cold and shaky so they had to bring me tons of warm blankets. After a couple hours of cleaning him up, weighing and measuring and making sure he was warm enough and me LONGING to hold him, he was finally brought to me and I was able to nurse him. Also during this time, the doctor finally made an appearance, took one look at me, said something along the lines of, "I don't know her, I've never seen her before" and left. I never saw his face again. I sure am glad I had a midwife rather than the jerk doctor there for one of the most important events in my life. After everything was done, I was wheeled into my postpartum room, where we were finally able to get some sleep at about 6am. Sleep was constantly interrupted, though, with nurses checking vitals, bringing meals, etc. Nighttime was better for sleep, but it was still interrupted every couple hours. The worst part was after an awesome feeding schedule set by Mr. Mace himself, a nurse comes in at 5am, doesn't say a word, wakes him up, ruining the schedule and proceeds to draw his blood from his tiny heal, causing him to scream bloody murder. Poor thing went through so much in barely 24 hours of life. For the most part, I enjoyed the hospital experience, being waited on hand and foot. A homebirth would have been preferable, but I was too high risk this time around. I am so grateful for Medi-Cal so it will be covered. It is a huge blessing. Mace was born very early Saturday morning and we left the hospital about 1:30 Sunday afternoon. Sunday night by ourselves was interesting, having to do everything by ourselves. Claire joined us Monday evening and Monday night was even more interesting, dealing with 2 kids. Every night has gotten better, but boy, is it an adjustment getting used to having 2 kids. It really is a mental game, keeping patience and making sure both of them get the attention they need. We are adjusting quite nicely and things seem to be running pretty smoothly. Through this whole process, I have learned and grown so much and I'm grateful for my sweet little boy. What a great blessing he is!

Introducing...

2011-09-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Mace Macquarie Turner

Born 9/17/11 @ 3:17am
8lbs 11oz, 21 inches long

We are in love!

39 weeks

2011-09-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

I feel pregnant.

Baby Shower

2011-09-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine threw me an awesome baby shower. If I had had another girl, I would have hardly needed anything, but since I'm having a boy, I didn't have much. Thank goodness I already had gender neutral big things such as car seat, bassinet, etc., but I had hardly any clothes and necessities. I am so grateful for generous people who gave me gifts not only at the shower, but at church and elsewhere. Thanks to everyone who made this shower so special and to all who have supported me throughout this pregnancy! I am truly blessed!

It's a boy!!!

Yummy food and drinks

Cute!

Presents!

Claire thought baby brother was getting too many presents, so she decided to stash the toys away for herself in her shirt. It was so funny!

Of Kittens and Tricycles...

2011-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I need to tell you two quick stories that seem to have nothing to do with each other, but the final picture will tie them together. So, don't look at the picture until you've read the stories.

Story #1: A few weeks ago, some kittens randomly showed up at our back door. They were so skinny, poor things, so we decided to feed them. Well, ever since then, they've come back every day for meals. Sometimes they just lounge around the back patio. There are 7 kittens, plus the mom. So cute!

Story #2: I kind of already told you this, but I bought Claire a princess tricycle for her birthday. She LOVES it!

Well, one night, I parked the tricycle on the back patio and the next morning...

wait for it...

wait for it....

Ta da!

I just about died from the over-abundance of cuteness. With that being said, anyone want a free kitten?

Birthday Party!

2011-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

I had been debating on what kind of theme I wanted for Claire's birthday for several months and I finally picked Shrek because she's obsessed with the movies. I took her to Party City one day to see what kind of things they had and the first thing she saw in the window was a poster of Disney princesses. She went crazy! So, I took her inside down the "girl" aisle and she had so much fun pointing out all the cool princess stuff. So, I decided to ditch the Shrek party and have a princess party. We picked cute princess invites and party favors (most of which we found at the 99 cent store and Dollar Tree - sweet!) I spent very little on this party, but it was a big success! We invited some family members, close friends and nursery buddies to the park for some cake and ice cream a couple days after her birthday and all the kiddos enjoyed running around on the playgrounds. It was so fun!

On the evening of her birthday, we introduced her to Cinderella

The night before her party, after putting her to bed, I put together all the party favors

I think they turned out quite nicely

I distracted her with Winnie the Pooh so I could do her hair like a princess. Unfortunately, this is really the only shot I got of it

At the park swinging with Papa

Princess castle cake made by Grandma

Princess plates, cups and napkins

Pretty princess crowns for all the girls (and one boy) to wear

Party favors all ready to go

Time to open presents!

All the goodies

My pretty princess

Happy Birthday, Claire!

2011-08-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe my baby is 2 years old! I can't imagine life without her. She brightens my life more than I thought possible and these last 2 years have been an absolute joy. Happy birthday, Claire Bear!

New princess tricycle!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

We had a busy time around the 4th of July. First, we had some family come visit that I hadn't seen in about 15 years. We got together for an awesome bbq, went to Old Town and had a big family birthday dinner to celebrate Douglas' (July 2) and Jordan's (July 4) birthdays. Then on the 4th of July, our little family got together with some friends for another awesome bbq, some sword-fighting for the boys and an amazing view of the fireworks from their front yard. The weekend was jam-packed with fun.

My cousins got Claire this beautiful outfit so she wore it to the family bbq

They also got her this pretty headpiece

Old Town: Jared and cousin M pretended to be asleep, so Claire decided to join them

There was free face painting, so we decided to go for it. Claire was so patient and sat in the chair the entire time without moving a muscle.

The final product (she picked it out herself)

I decided to join in on the fun

Jordan turned the big 2-1 on the 4th

He got golf clubs for his birthday

My only shot of the 4th of July pigtails - one is red and one is blue

She decided this would be her chair for the day - just her size

I LOVE this other hairpiece my cousins got her - so beautiful!

Chillin' with Daddy

Douglas is on the left

Claire enjoyed the fireworks. She kept saying "Whee!"

Highland Games

2011-07-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

We went to the Scottish Highland Games a couple weeks ago. Bagpipes and kilts galore! It was really fun, although we got too much sun (apparently sunblock and hats weren't enough) and poor Claire had a fever all the next day. She was back to her regular happy self the day after, though. Next time I think we'll go for a shorter period and spend more time in the shade. Besides that, we had a really good time.

Sweet Claire Bear all ready to go

Wicked Tinkers - this group is amazing! They are very entertaining and oh so talented.

They walk through the audience sometimes and will play in your face or sit next to you. The guy on the left came straight up to Claire and played whatever the heck that is right to her. It was great! What I would give to have a picture of that! I had my camera, but was at a horrible angle. I should have snapped one, anyway. Oh, well.

We sat up on a hill and had a great view of the parades. Imagine several groups of pipers and drummers all playing different songs and marching through merchant's row. It's quite a sight!

They had free caricatures, but Claire fell asleep as we were standing in line. We still got a really cute one, though.

She also spun the wheel at the boy scout booth - sound asleep - and won a patch!

30 weeks pregnant

2011-07-11T14:43:00.001-07:00

Holy cow, I can't believe I'm 3/4 of the way done with this pregnancy! It has gone by really fast, much faster than my first pregnancy. I definitely feel very pregnant these days. I have mixed feelings about having this baby. He is very much wanted, but as he was not planned, I was not prepared physically, emotionally or financially before becoming pregnant. Heavenly Father knew I needed something like this to make me stronger and I definitely have become stronger through this process. One of the things I am looking forward to after having this baby is having my body back. I'm not talking about being skinny, although I would love that. I'm talking about after recovery, being able to walk normal again and not being in so much pain all the time. I look forward to meeting him and seeing what he looks like. I'm looking forward to breastfeeding again. I realized how much I missed the bonding experience after I weaned Claire. It's really a special thing. It's also going to be amazing watching Claire interact with him. She is obsessed with babies these days and loves to point out any baby she sees. She calls herself baby and also points to my tummy and says baby. Hopefully she'll keep that same enthusiasm when he makes his grand arrival. I'm scared of having two kids, though. I know that's hardly anything, but the thought still terrifies me. One kid is hard enough without adding another one. And then having to go back to work on top of it all. Plus, I'm really not looking forward to giving up sleep again. When Claire started sleeping through the night, I started feeling so refreshed in the morning and hardly ever have to take a nap during the day. Thankfully, I can still sleep well, although it is a challenge sometimes getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. Sometimes 10 weeks seems like an eternity thinking I have to be uncomfortable for that much longer (and it will only get worse), but other times I can't believe it's only 2 short months and he'll be here! Ready or not, I'm going to be a mom of 2 kids and I will probably have to rely heavily on help from others, especially Heavenly Father for the strength I need to get through this. When all is said and done, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant and to feel a human growing inside me. I love feeling this baby move and listening to his heartbeat. I love being a part of the miracle of life and assisting Heavenly Father in this great work - the work of bringing spirit children to earth. I know that this calling is so important and that I need to enjoy every minute I can because before I know it, my children will be grown and I will miss them so much. This is where I am meant to be and it is so worth it.

I'm not a huge fan of this picture, but it's the best one I have and it shows you my growing belly

P.S. This is my 300th post!

Offerings

2011-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Claire likes to leave random objects (which I call "offerings") for me in random places. Sometimes, it will be her diaper bag, other times it will be right outside our room. This particular day, she chose my shoes. She's never done it before and hasn't since. But, for some reason, she felt the need to use my shoes. And not just one pair. The first was in the morning and the second was in the evening. Silly girl.

Del Mar Fair

2011-07-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, technically it's called the "San Diego County Fair", but it will always be the "Del Mar Fair" to me. We went a couple weeks ago on $3 Tuesday. I thought it would be really crowded, but it was only crowded as we arrived. It opened at 11:00 and we arrived at the free parking lot at 10:40. By the time we actually got IN to the parking lot, it was 11:00 and then 50 minutes waiting in line for the shuttle to take us to the fair, since we're too cheap to pay $15 to park right outside the gates. So, by the time we were actually inside, it was already noon, but that's ok. We had so much fun! The whole day went by so fast. We started out with a picnic lunch and then looked at the shops, saw the animals (including the pig races and turkey stampede), browsed photography, woodworking and home ecs, watched a little of the Bill Engvall show, bought dinner and of course had to try some more deep-fried food.

I love the fair atmosphere. The weather was cool and overcast, which was absolutely perfect!

Jared and his friend went on rides. They're up there someplace.

At 6 months pregnant, I have a hard time walking, so I rode in a wheelchair most of the day. Seriously, best ride at the fair.

Sweet girl

Claire loved the animals

What's wrong with this picture?

Outside the photography, there was a table with cards and markers to create your own masterpiece and put on the bulletin board so Claire and I decided to add to the creations.

This was an actual display in home ecs. Really?

Claire watching Bill Engvall

Jared got tired, so Claire pushed him in the wheelchair

Ok, the burger looks like a burger, same with the hot dog. But, the cold drinks don't really look thirst-quenching.

It was $2 taste day, so at every booth they had a certain food you could try, which was usually about half the regular portion size. It was really a great deal. I tried the chocolate-covered corn dog, which was... interesting.

My mom and I shared this ice cream cookie sandwich. Oh my goodness - delicious!

You can't go to the fair without trying something deep-fried. Ever since they started with the twinkie (which I tried and is delicious, but artery-clogging), I've tried something new every year. My decision this year?

Deep fried girl scout cookies - thin mints! They were very yummy, but my body took a while to forgive me. It was worth it.

22 Months

2011-06-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that in exactly 2 months, my baby girl is gonna turn 2! What?? How is that possible?

She is growing up so fast! As of today, she knows the following words:

mama
dada or da-ey (pronounced like daddy except leaving out the middle d's)
baba (bottle)
bah (ball)
wow (flower)
dah (dog, donkey or duck)
hi
peez (please)
tooh (toes or two)
Pooh
whee
baby/babies
ow
papa (grandpa)
ma (grandma)
touch
shzz (shoes)
kxzz (kiss)
tih (kitty)
cheese

She kind of knows:
book, go, wow and car

She loves to eat just about anything. Except tomatoes. She LOVES bananas, chicken and cheese especially. She'd be totally satisfied if all I fed her was bread. She enjoys pointing out anything that is round and calling it a ball (including oranges and apples.)

She loves all kinds of flowers.

She's a huge fan of her bear blankie and always has to have a stuffed animal with her.

She picks out her own outfit and gets herself dressed every day and LOVES to wear shoes.

She can drink out of a cup and use a fork.

She's very affectionate and loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses. She adores her Uncle Jared and her Ma and Papa.

She's obsessed with Shrek and can pick it out from a bunch of dvd's if you ask her to.

She is a great big ball of energy who loves to keep mama on her toes.

She can point out her:
hair
ears
nose
eyes
cheeks
mouth
hands
tummy
toes
We're working on knees, elbows and chin

I don't know what I would do without her.

2011 Holidays

2011-05-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little behind. I realized that I had barely blogged about any holidays this year. So, today we're playing catch up.

Valentine's Day

Coloring a valentine for her boyfriend at church

She received a princess valentine from her grandpa and step-grandma and she LOVED it

St. Patty's Day

Starting off the day with a nap (and green socks)

Sporting a cool hat

Bangers and mash for dinner

Ending the day with green jammies and an apple

Mother's Day

We received corsages at church

It didn't stay on well, so I put it in a vase instead

We played Apples to Apples after dinner and these were my first 3 cards - way to make me feel great on Mother's Day :)

Lame, little, worthless, revealing, ridiculous... but necessary at the same time (I suppose this may be how mothers feel sometimes)

They made me choose between these to describe "innocent": meatloaf, hostages, charging rhinos, bowling balls and choir boys

Anyway, I'm eternally grateful for this beautiful daughter of God for whom I have been entrusted with caring. I'm grateful for the amazing opportunity I have to be a mom. I love you so much, Claire!

It's a baby!

2011-05-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's

a

BOY!!!

Now, what am I gonna do with all the pink stuff I have??

Ultrasound

2011-05-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

...is scheduled for Monday at 9am!!!

(Yay for Medi-Cal cards coming sooner than expected!)

Update

2011-05-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know you're so anxious to hear an update about a potential ultrasound (I can picture you sitting at your computer and how you're so very disappointed every time you look at this page and discover there's no new info about the baby. Right.) So, after weeks and weeks and weeks of incompetency on the part of Medi-Cal (i.e. asking for paperwork that they originally said wasn't needed, additional paperwork that they never mentioned in the first place, paperwork that was already turned in and apparently lost, etc.), I was so fed up that I finally went to the office for the umpteenth time and told them I couldn't wait any longer. They promised me a phone call the next day, which of course didn't happen, BUT... at least it got the ball rolling and (drum roll, please)...... we got a letter of approval today. FINALLY! We've been denied so many times so this is just a huge relief. The downside? It will take another 2 weeks for our insurance cards to come in the mail. **exaggerated sigh** At least we have Medi-Cal now; we just can't do anything with it until we have our cards. So, as soon as we get the cards, we can schedule an ultrasound. We're moving forward, just very slowly.

Website

2011-05-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

We have a new website for our business. Check it out and spread the word!

Belle Claire Strings

Anniversary Trip

2011-05-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We left Claire with my mom and drove to Lake Cuyamaca on Friday to spend the night at the family cabin. It was the first night without Claire so it was a little weird, but very relaxing. I needed that time to rejuvenate and put work aside for a couple days. We went to Julian Friday night to have dinner and also on Saturday on our way home. We had to walk around a bit and visit the cute shops and of course get a pie. We got rhubarb strawberry crumb, which was heavenly! Claire did really well during her first sleepover with Grandma. It was a wonderful weekend and went too fast. We might just have to do it again.

The mugs at the restaurant are boots!

What happens when a store isn't open? It's.....
Most places were closed on Friday night. It was weird. But, that just gave us an excuse to go back Saturday.

Beautiful Lake Cuyamaca (it was so blue, the picture doesn't do it justice)

Exactly 20 weeks pregnant (How cool is it that the halfway point fell on our anniversary?)

Julian:
Someday I want to go for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage

Or maybe a pony-drawn carriage

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T15:20:00.001-07:00

Easter this year was so fun! Not that last year wasn't, but it's much more fun with a 20-month old than a 7-month old. She participated in egg-coloring and egg hunts (and had a blast.) It was quite the fun-filled weekend. The pictures tell it all.

Saturday morning egg hunt:

She found one egg all by herself!

And then decided she was done

Until some loving people brought her some more

What's inside?

Yummy jelly beans!

Too much fun wore her out

Saturday evening egg-coloring:

All ready to go

Coloring with crayons (I wasn't about to let her near the dye. Maybe next year.)

Isn't it pretty? Good job, Claire!

Sticker time

Another beautiful creation

My creation (Pretty good likeness, huh?)

Some of the finished products

"I'm all done, Mommy." (The great thing about this shot is she completely posed herself, stuffed animals and all)

Easter morning:

Easter basket full of goodies

New flip flops

Stickers from Grandma

Modeling her new bracelet while enjoying eggs for breakfast

Egg hunt!

She was SO proud of herself when she would find an egg

We found all 5 eggs!

I distracted her with Shrek while I braided her hair (which lasted about an hour)

Beautiful girl

I wish she had looked like this when we got to church, but by the time we arrived, the braid was half out (I even used gel and hair spray.) At least I got pictures.

Photo shoot:

I hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Hurry up and wait

2011-04-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I've been a horrible blogger lately and I could list a million reasons why, but are you really that interested? Anyway, I am 18 1/2 weeks pregnant and feeling pretty darn good. I've been working like mad trying to get accepted to Medi-Cal so I can get some lab work done and have an ultrasound. I want to know the gender sooooo bad! I found out with Claire at 17 1/2 weeks so I'm just feeling anxious about this whole thing. Today, I got the final (hopefully) Medi-Cal paperwork in and now I just have to wait. Applying for Medi-Cal is so darn complicated. I started the whole application process before I even got pregnant. And since this was a surprise pregnancy, I've been really anxious to get accepted so I can start using the benefits. It's the only option that I can see. So, that's why you nor I know the gender of this baby. Yet. Hey, wanna know something? I will be exactly 20 weeks (halfway through the pregnancy) on our 6th wedding anniversary! How cool is that? Hopefully we can have an ultrasound around that time. I'll keep you posted.

My future drummer

2011-04-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

I may have a drummer on my hands. Should I be happy or worried?

Plump or pregnant?

2011-03-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

Pregnant! 14 weeks as of yesterday. I got a belly to prove it. :)

See?

Cutie pie

2011-03-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've had requests (that's right, more than one!) to update my blog. I feel loved. Well, here is my adorable 19-month old on a typical day. I put her in her car seat and she insists on playing with her toy.

She loves this thing

Exactly 15 minutes later, as we arrive at our destination, this is how I find her - sound asleep.

I love this kid.

Guess what?

2011-01-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Um... yeah...

2011-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last night we partied it up to ring in the new year by inviting a few friends over, watching an AFV marathon and eating yummy food. It was pretty low-key, but a lot of fun. Today, we kept our family tradition of New Year's Day Souplantation and a movie. We saw Tangled, which was really good. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous new year!

Claire showing off her party dress

Mama and Claire

Sparkling cider and yummy truffles to toast in the new year

Delicious snacks to enjoy during the marathon

We left plenty for the boys who arrived late (no, really, there was more in the kitchen, but we wanted to get their reaction before we filled up the plates again. It was awesome. We totally didn't plan it this way either.)

Christmas fun

2010-12-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

My beauty in her Christmas dress

Christmas morning opening presents

New mittens!

And new jeans! She looks so grown up!

Cute new apron

Claire's presents

My dad got a donut tie. Awesome.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

In loving memory

2010-12-17T21:43:00.001-08:00

My Grandpa (my dad's dad) and Claire's Opa passed away last Sunday. His health had been deteriorating these last few years and he was hospitalized last month due to a heart attack. Unfortunately, he never went home. He spent about a week in the ICU and then was transferred to a nursing home where they called in hospice about a week before he died. 8 days before he died, I had a normal conversation with him. After that, he went downhill fast. He barely recognized us and slept 24/7. He kept calling out for his sister who passed away earlier this year. Since we all knew he was dying, all my aunts, uncle and cousins were in town (most of whom live in L.A.) and we all got to say goodbye to him (including Claire, who blew him kisses.) His last words to me were "I love you, too." It was difficult to see him in the condition he was in. He wanted to get up so bad, but couldn't. I was emotionally drained after spending every waking moment at the nursing home (in between students and concerts.) He died peacefully by taking my grandma's hand, looking directly at her and smiling. He knew it was his time. I felt great peace after he died knowing he isn't in any more pain and he can walk and run. He is having a sweet reunion with his sister, brother, son, parents and many others. "Sweet Is The Peace The Gospel Brings" means so much more to me now. I'm grateful to have spent 26 wonderful years with him and long for the day I get to see him again. I love you, Grandpa. You will always be in my heart.

Oct 13, 1925 - Dec 12, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and my mom's cousin's family who just moved here from Michigan. It was such a fun day! Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

Helping Grandma make pies

"Let's eat!"

Claire and Penelope (my cousins' puppy)

Yummy food!

Mmmm... pies!

26

2010-11-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today is my 26th birthday. I started the day with french toast and watching Monk. I don't get to do that very often. I just relaxed the whole day since it was my day off. (Sweet!) We had dinner at Filippi's Pizza with friends and family and I got spoiled! What a great day!

My little princess all ready to go to dinner (in her new tutu!)

Mmmm... lemon

Blurry, but you get an idea of her reaction

This is the cake my mom made me... chocolate fudge and peanut butter... to die for!

Halloween fun

2010-11-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

We've had quite the Halloween celebration. Friday, we went to our ward's trunk-or-treat. Saturday, we went to another ward's trunk-or-treat since it was a medieval theme. In between, we watched various Halloween movies and shows. I'm not huge on scary movies, so I go for the wholesome and funny ones. Yesterday, we went over to our friends' house for dinner and trick-or-treating. While waiting for our friend to pick us up (since our car was being stupid again), I took Claire around the apartment complex and realized that it really is not a good place to trick-or-treat. There was not one kid outside and after going to about half a dozen doors, we gave up since only one person was home. We were picked up about 6:45 and had had one trick-or-treater by then. At our friends' house, I took Claire around the neighborhood. I dressed her up as a cow (I was a farmer) and she was a big hit. One house after another, people were just doting over her. At the first house, she walked right in when they opened the door. I decided to carry her the rest of the time. There were several people who just offered the bowl and Claire would pick out a piece of candy. After two houses with that option (and Claire with one piece of candy in each hand), we were offered it a third time. Without hesitation, Claire put both pieces of candy in one hand and picked out a box of milk duds. As we were walking away from the house, she shook the box at the guy and he just laughed. She repeated the box-shaking for several houses as we walked away. She cracks me up! After dinner, we had dessert (besides candy) and watched Hocus Pocus. Such a fun-filled weekend!

Our fancy jack-o-lantern (which lasted 2 days before it rotted)

Trunk-or-treat

The farmer and the cow

Like the shoes?

She loves goldfish

The costume has a box inside that moos. It's an old costume so it sounds more like a sick cow

Love this kid!

Medieval trunk-or-treat

Halloween feast (steak, mashed potatoes and dinner in a pumpkin), plus candy and pumpkin crunch for dessert

Our first attempt at dinner in a pumpkin (it was yummy!)

Trick-or-treating will really wear a cow out

Pumpkins!

2010-10-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

We went to Nate's Butt Farm today and Claire had a blast climbing over all the pumpkins. She got herself a white pumpkin, which they call a "princess pumpkin." We also fed the animals. We had fun!

The princess and her pumpkin

As soon as I put her down, she laid down like a little model

She's in another tongue phase

She also loves to sit on things

Climbing through the pumpkins, trying to decide which one to choose

They call these the "big mac" pumpkins. Holy cow, are they huge!

Mama and daughter in the pumpkin patch

There were baby goats in the petting zoo. It was almost too much cute for me to handle. If I had wanted to spend $3 for Claire to pet the animals, that definitely would have been too much cute.

Feeding the goats. I could not for the life of me catch a picture of the goat eating corn out of Claire's hand. But, oh was she just squealing with delight!

10/10/10, 10:10

2010-10-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a nerd.

14 months

2010-10-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today, Claire is 14 months old. She is so much fun! She has a great personality and is such a sweetheart. I sure do love my little ball of energy!

Jared's baptism

2010-10-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today, my little brother was baptized. I am so happy and proud of him. It was a special day. I gave the talk on baptism, played the piano while my dad and Jared got dressed (my dad played the piano for the rest of the time, of course) and played special music with my mom and dad. When someone in the Gray family is baptized, we provide all the music. :) Afterward, we had a big dinner with family and friends to celebrate. Congratulations, Jared!

Dad and Jared

The whole kit and kaboodle

SDMCO

2010-10-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

I am participating in the San Diego Mormon Choir and Orchestra (SDMCO) and we will be performing our inaugural concert on Friday, October 8 at 7:30pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido. As a member of the orchestra, I am able to offer 20% off tickets. Let me know if you'd like to purchase tickets and I'd be happy to pick up the money, buy them at the box office and drop them off to you.

We have had several rehearsals already and I have gotten goosebumps on more than one occasion playing the beautiful music. I know that this concert will be uplifting and inspiring and I highly encourage you to attend, if you have the opportunity.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you all through the gift of music!

Happy Birthday, Jared!

2010-09-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

My baby brother turns 8 today! I can't believe it's been 8 years already! I was there when he was born and have enjoyed watching him grow up. He wanted a pirate party for his birthday today so I put one together. He and a bunch of his friends (all boys, "no girls allowed" according to him) got together in the park and had a ton of fun. Afterward, we went to his house and had an extended family dinner, which was also a lot of fun. Happy birthday, Jared!

We started out with cake since it was a hot day and it was starting to melt, plus we were waiting for everyone to arrive to start the real fun

Isn't it the coolest cake?

I found the perfect napkins

The real fun began with a treasure hunt - the boys were given a clue in a bottle and they had to decipher it to get to the next clue in a bottle and so on until they found the ultimate treasure...

A treasure chest with chocolate coins and skull bracelets! (So simple, but the boys LOVED it!)

And then, present time!

At home, Jared blew out candles on the cupcakes since there was too much wind at the park to keep the candles lit on the cake

Last but not least, Claire serenaded us with her version of "Happy Birthday"

Claire's 1-year photo shoot

2010-09-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

My good friend Bree took my pregnancy pictures in the park when I was 8 months pregnant. Over a year later, we took Claire to the same park just after her 1st birthday and took a photo shoot there. These are some of my favorites. (Yes, I did narrow it down.)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2010-08-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my dad's 50th birthday! We celebrated by having a big party tonight since he's been working all weekend. My dad's never been big on birthdays, but how can you pass up an opportunity for a party for your 50th birthday?

We had my dad's homemade tacos and oh my, were they good!

Homemade Texas sheet cake. Yummy!

The lovely decorations

I dressed Claire up like a present

Happy birthday, Dad! I love you!

This is what a birthday is like at my family's house, even when my dad isn't playing the piano.

This summer has been a dream...

2010-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ending a run of a show is always bittersweet. I haven't done a show yet that I haven't liked. A Midsummer Night's Dream was no exception. I'm glad to have more time to spend with my family and to be able to get things accomplished, but it was so hard to say goodbye to La Jolla Playhouse because the show was so much fun and the people were so nice and great to work with. I never got tired of it, although the weekends were always hard because I had 2 shows on Saturday and 2 shows on Sunday. In between shows, I stayed in La Jolla because it wasn't worth it to drive home. It was a typical 8-show-a-week run so it got a bit tiring sometimes, but I enjoyed it so much. So sad it's over! (Like I said, bittersweet.)

I'm gonna miss these signs

Our conductor and assistant conductor

The conductor with the upside down piano behind him (which he plays onstage when it's not upside down)

Ever wonder what a pit looks like? Here ya go.

"Allegro Insecto" (the composer and orchestrator had a sense of humor), AND we had to play the kazoo at the same time

See?

My favorite part (viola soli)

My music stand

Because I know you want to know what a typical pit floor looks like, here's a lovely picture for you: complete with books, puzzles, phones and toys

We held a little goodbye orchestra party in between shows

Our gift to the conductor

One of the best conductors I've worked with

Closing night cast party

The orchestra (I'm sure gonna miss these people)

And some random videos for your viewing enjoyment:

Aunties are the best!

2010-08-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a short and sweet visit from Douglas' sister Holly this past week. All I have from her visit are pictures of Claire. As soon as she sends me the pictures she took, I'll have a more detailed version of this post. :)

We went to Chili's with my silly little girl

We also spent an afternoon at the beach

Birthday Party Time

2010-08-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had a big party for Claire on her birthday, a teddy bear picnic in the park. She had a blast! It was all about her and it was so much fun!

The day before, I baked her a cake

My first attempt at letters

Teddy bear cake and paw print cupcakes (my first time doing anything like this - I was very proud of how it came out)

The decorations

The birthday girl

We had chicken (her favorite) plus potato salad and grapes served on animal plates

Time to open presents

New stuff!

"Wait, there's more?"

All sorts of goodies

Cake time!

Yummy!

My favorite 1-year old

Testing out all the toys

My mom brought the book I was given when I was 4 or 5 so I made sure to read it to Claire

The weather was perfect for a picnic in the park

After lunch, cake and presents, everyone played on the playground (especially the adults)

Claire didn't wear her princess crown, but her great-grandpa and her daddy did. Sometimes I worry about what's in her genes.

After the park, we went to the mall, which is literally 2 minutes away. When we arrived, Claire was sound asleep. This girl parties hard.

We played in the kiddie area at the mall for the first time

One big happy family

Happy Birthday, Claire!

2010-08-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

One year ago at this very time, I gave birth to beautiful Claire Nicole. She has brought me more happiness and joy than I thought possible. Words cannot describe the incredible love I feel for her. She has the sweetest personality and is quite the mama's girl. I feel so blessed to have her in my life.

Some fun stuff about Claire:

She has 4 teeth (2 on bottom, 2 on top and more wanting to poke through)
She says "mama", "dada" and "baba" (bear)
She loves taking baths, eating, nursing, giving hugs and kisses and clapping her hands
She loves playing with random things like pots and pans, computer mice, remote controls, cell phones, keys, etc.
She can hold her own water bottle and climb onto the coffee table
She's just learning how to give high fives and do fish lips
Her favorite songs to sing with me are "If you're happy and you know it", "Clapping our hands is fun to do" and "Patty cake"
Her favorite songs to listen to are "Oompa Loompa" and anything with a beat

Pictures from birth to now (taken on or around the 10th of every month)

August 10, 2009

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year

One year ago...

2010-08-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

I looked like this. (40 weeks, 4 days pregnant) Less than 24 hours later, I gave birth.

Star Baby!

2010-07-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

I entered Claire in the Star Baby contest for a local radio station. Isn't she just too darn cute? We'd appreciate all the votes we can get! Vote here. And guess what? You can vote every day! Claire will reward you with hugs and kisses.

Midsummer Opening Night

2010-07-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

Wow, have I been busy these last few weeks! I've been preparing for the opening of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was last night. We've had weeks of rehearsals and a week of previews. Last night we had a successful opening with a great crowd. Hopefully we'll get some good reviews. :) I love this show! It has great music (Mendelssohn and a composer here from New York, Mark Bennett who is super talented and very gracious.) We got so spoiled with all the opening night treats and goodies: roses, cookies, fruit baskets, sparkling cider, chocolate-covered strawberries, brownies, cake, candles, candy (and that was all before the show.) Afterward, we had two cast parties - one for the cast, crew and orchestra and another for everybody who attended the show, which we were, of course, invited to. The latter was pretty loud, crowded and hardly any food. I actually preferred the quiet outdoor party with an excellent spread. The show runs until August 22, so let me know if you'd like to come see it! If you like Shakespeare and you like music, you'll love this show.

Yes, this is an upside-down piano. The concept is that love turns one's world upside-down. And that gives you a little preview of the show. :)

Roses and cookies from the student board

Fruit from the composer

Cookies from the music director

Sparkling cider for a toast before the show

Candy and candles were left on everyone's chairs in the orchestra

Seaport Village

2010-07-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in San Diego and I had never been to Seaport Village before today. Since Liz and Emme are here with us, so we decided to be tourists and go down to the harbor. It was a fun day. We had lunch there, but it wasn't the best food. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't melt-in-your-mouth either. The weather was pretty chilly (in JULY), but it was still nice. All in all, we're glad we went.

I feel welcomed

Isn't it enchanting?

Baby ducklings!

Pretty harbor

She knows how to pose

Mama loves baby

How would you like to eat at a restaurant with this guy staring you down?

This is Scooter

Isn't this the coolest thing? I would have LOVED to ride in it. I don't even want to know how much it costs.

Cousins!

2010-07-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are privileged to have Aunt Liz and Cousin Emme staying with us for a few days. It's been a blast so far and we've barely even started!

Bath time!

Alfalfa babies!

How stylish

Mamas and babies

Nothin' cuter than babies in a laundry basket

Story time

God Bless America

2010-07-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th of July (aka Jordan's birthday) by relaxing at the park. They have a bunch of acts onstage throughout the day, but the highlight is the San Diego Marine Corps Band just before the fireworks. We got to the park around 3 and found a spot next to a big tree. The upside: lots of shade during the day. The downside: not a great view of the fireworks. But, it was such a wonderful day. We relaxed and ate fried chicken for dinner, plus tons of snacks and apple pie and birthday cake for dessert. The weather really could not have been any better. I remember at one point during the day thinking that I didn't want the day to end. It was just perfect! Claire enjoyed her first fireworks, but fell asleep halfway through. But, at least they didn't scare her. She was a trooper, as always. Hope everyone had a happy 4th!!

Happy grandpa, happy baby

Claire loves her Great-Grandma

The birthday boy turns 20 (the cake has blueberries and strawberries in the shape of a flag)

Yes, he got a princess bag

There was a Geico booth set up and what better way to advertise than to send a giant gecko around the park to harass people

Patriotic mama and baby

Just relaxing (Claire's all worn out)

There's nothing in the cup, but I think she looks adorable imitating the adults

And she decided to help herself to the cheese puffs

The band played some great stuff this year, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars. Of course the played the classic patriotic songs as well.

Not the greatest view, but the silhouette looks pretty cool

I didn't get a chance to get a good picture, but Claire fell asleep on my shoulder with her glow stick in hand. It was so cute!

Happy 27th to Douglas!

2010-07-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, a bunch of us got together and bbq'd hamburgers, bratwursts, chicken and steaks. Add garlic mashed potatoes and it was the perfect meal! Top it all off with cheesecake, oreos and s'mores and you've got yourself the perfect evening! Mmmm, I love food! We played games and sang songs and just had a really fun time. Happy birthday, Douglas!

Ahhh, this is life!

2010-06-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Just another summer day in America's Finest City. Beach during the day and Cruisin' Grand in the evening. A perfect day!

Beach girl

I'm not a big car person, but THIS is cool

I go for the atmosphere more than the cars

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2010-06-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

So, since all my posts lately have been about Claire, I thought it was about time for a post about another part of my life: work. But, this is fun work. Tonight, I started rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream at La Jolla Playhouse. The music is easy and fun. I'm really excited about the show. I think (maybe) we get to wear costumes! All the musicians are onstage instead of the pit, so it's very unique. Here is more info if you want it. :)

First Father's Day

2010-06-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today is Douglas' first Father's Day. I made it extra-special for him by getting him Panda Express for dinner last night and a lemon meringue pie today.

Douglas, thanks for being a great dad to Claire. I know she loves you very much. Happy Father's Day!

Claire's First Fair

2010-06-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do over the summer is go to the Del Mar Fair (they now call it the "San Diego County Fair" but it will always be the Del Mar Fair to me.) Last year I was too pregnant to go, so this year I was especially looking forward to going and taking Claire with me. She was the perfect baby all day. I wish we had had more time to do everything we wanted, but it was still a great day. The weather couldn't have been better. It was the perfect day.

Jared performed with Children's Chorus so we got to park in event parking right next to the back entrance and we didn't have to wait for a tram. Yay!

I just love the atmosphere of the fair. It makes me so happy.

These were the most amazing cakes I've ever seen

We saw KC and the Sunshine Band, which was very cool. KC is a really funny guy. Claire was dancing the whole time. (Sorry the video is sideways, I'm not sure why I took it that way. And she's not dancing as much in this, but you get the idea)

I knew I wanted something deep-fried, because you can't go to the fair and not have something deep-fried (or at least I can't.) I've tried the twinkie, Snickers and Oreos in the past so I wanted to try something different. This year I had the deep-fried Klondike bar. It was very yummy!

If there's anything I love more than the atmosphere of the fair during the day, it's the atmosphere of the fair at night. So pretty!

See you next year!

We. Are. Faaaamily.

2010-06-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated my grandparents' wedding anniversary by getting the whole family together for our semi-annual family reunion. They are all AMAZING cooks. Seriously, every time we get together, I feel like I'm eating at a gourmet restaurant. I don't know why I was so unfortunate to NOT get the amazing-cooking gene passed down to me. But, at least I can play the violin well. Anyway, we had a blast today. Claire enjoyed playing with her cousin Johnny who just turned a year old on Friday. She was all showing off with her mad walking skills while he was just crawling around. They were so cute together. Can't wait for the next reunion!

Johnny and Claire sharing a meal

Hanging out with Opa (Great-Grandpa)

Aunt Carol, Aunt Maria, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Harry, cousin Ann - the most amazing chefs I know

There's nothing like an afternoon nap with Grandma

10 months!

2010-06-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Do I really have a 10-month old? Crazy! Life has been AWESOME with my little one. Every day I thank my Heavenly Father for this perfect child of mine. She certainly does brighten my world.

Here's another boring video from my home to yours :)

My 9-month old walker

2010-05-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Claire is getting so good at walking, it's crazy! I thought it would take her a while to really get going, like when she learned to crawl. But, no, she's really anxious to get going. She certainly doesn't take after me, I didn't walk until 18 months.

Notice she also has incredible balance. I think I may be seeing a gymnast or dancer in the future.

Giggles!

2010-05-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

My very favorite sound is of a baby giggling, especially mine. Evidently, Claire thought her Uncle Jared was HILARIOUS!

Let's go to the park

2010-05-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, what should we do first?

Swings! We've never tried those before, let's do it!

Proof!

2010-05-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Claire has a couple new tricks that she's been working on. She just barely learned how to clap. It's so cute! I always clap when she stands on her own so now she'll stand up and clap. She likes to wave "hi" and "bye" if you wave to her. Oh, and that little thing called walking. She prefers crawling since she can go really fast, but she's been practicing her standing and walking skills more and more. Here you see her taking a couple steps. She's done more, but now you have proof!

Never mind my idiotic voice, just pay attention to the cute stuff.

My 9-month-old cutie

2010-05-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time believing it's already been 9 months since Claire was born. It's incredible how time flies.

And since I know you're all DYING to see what her favorite toy is, here you go.

It's a foam sword!

First Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Last year on Mother's Day, I was 6 months pregnant and sick that day. So, it didn't really mean anything. This year, being able to hold my beautiful child in my arms and be reminded of how truly special she is was just incredible. My love grows for Claire more and more each day. I thank God every day for the amazing gift of being a mother. I knew that I would love my child with an indescribable love, but now that it's real, I really believe it. It is the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt. Becoming a mother was the best thing I have ever done and it is incredibly rewarding. I couldn't ask for a better baby. She is so good-natured and happy. She's healthy and beautiful. Oh, how I love my Claire Bear.

Claire got me a flower

But she decided to eat it instead

"What?"

Mmmm... happy face bacon and eggs for lunch
(because I was the only one awake during breakfast hours)

Gifts from my favorite people (Claire had fun with the crayon. The creases in the paper are from her, too)

A Mother's Day massage

Is this what heaven is like?

Geek baby

2010-05-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

My smart baby walked 5 steps toward me tonight! She is 3 days shy of 9 months. Whoa... crazy baby! She certainly doesn't take after me - I walked at 18 months. I'm so proud of her! Though, now it will be harder to keep up with her. Anyway, guess what she was after that I was holding...

Yep, I have a geek baby. And do you know what her favorite toy is? It's not a stuffed animal, doll or blanket. I'm not gonna tell you what it is yet, because I need to wait until she wakes up tomorrow so I can take a picture because a picture is worth a thousand words. Yes, I'm mean.

But...

I'll let you enjoy a couple other pictures of my geek husband and geek baby, just to keep you entertained until my next post. :)

Level 1 Human

My "Level 1 Human" and my "Level 12 Paladin"

Great-Grandparents

2010-05-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Claire is very fortunate to have all 4 great-grandparents on my side of the family. And they all live within a half hour from us. We visit my dad's parents every Friday and we see my mom's parents quite frequently, too. Of course they all ADORE Miss Claire.

Claire and her Opa (my paternal grandpa)

Claire and her Oma (my paternal grandma)

Claire and my maternal grandpa
(we haven't come up with a nickname yet)

Claire with my maternal grandma
(yes, she's eating the Food section)

No more Pirates

2010-05-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

I sure am gonna miss Pirates of Penzance. I had never seen it before and now it's one of my favorite musicals. Today was the last show. It was an awesome audience! Normally Sunday matinees don't have very lively audiences, but today some actors had friends in the audience, so it was great. Last night's audience was great, too. We knew quite a few people. It's always fun to play for people we know. Yesterday matinee's audience was not responsive at all. Hardly anybody laughed or clapped. We put this sign in the pit during intermission for the actors to see:
We pit musicians like to have fun and make the actors laugh. :) But, what a way to end a run, with the last 2 audiences pretty much the best audiences of the whole run! I now have a 7-week break before my next project, which is much-needed.

My view from the pit

5 years

2010-04-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated 5 years of marriage. I can't believe it's been 5 years! It sure has gone by quickly. We've gone through 2 moves and one pregnancy since we've been married.

This is one of our wedding pictures displayed in our china cabinet. Since I'm too lazy to take it out and scan it, this is what you get :)

Claire must have known it was a special day today because she let me sleep in 'til NINE! We celebrated tonight by going to dinner and a movie. Simple, but the last time we did that was... actually, I don't remember the last time we went to dinner and a movie, it's been so long. Having a baby makes it difficult to do that. We had a nice time.

We ate at

I love how you can draw on the tablecloth with crayons!

Afterwards, we saw

Super cute movie! We saw it in 3-D and it was very fun.

We topped off the night with

Awesome night! And kid-free!

Last chance!

2010-04-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Pirates of Penzance is almost over! Seven weeks down, one more to go. If you want to come see it, I play Saturday and Sunday, then it's break time!

Family Weekend - Day 5

2010-04-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 19

Beach day! I hadn't been to the beach on a warm day since I was pregnant. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wind was warm. It was the perfect day. We walked around the shops and had lunch before heading out to the shore. I took Claire in the water for the first time and it was a bit cold for her liking. She LOVED the sand, though. After the beach, we met Matt and Hollie for dinner at Albertacos. Then we had to say goodbye to Holly, Brian, Heidi and Destiny. We had such a fun time with everyone and we're sad that it's over. Come again soon!

"Ok, Mom, I'm ready!"

At the harbor

Yummy lobster sandwich for lunch

Holly and I got matching anklets

Heidi, Holly and me showing off our matching necklaces

They're fairy dust necklaces

Aunt Holly got presents for her nieces:
A koala bear for Claire Bear, a flamingo for Destiny and a pretty cow for Emme

They have pretty necklaces inside that they can wear when they are older

Ah, the beautiful beach!

"What do I do now?"

"Play in the sand, got it!"

Beautiful!

Yummy sand!

Cute little toes

First time in the water

Gotta love the soggy sand

My sandy beauty

Mama and Claire enjoying the water

LOVE this! Happiness is a pretty swimsuit, a warm sea breeze and sand in the face!

Destiny playing nice with Claire

Why, oh why does this picture have to be blurry? Destiny loves Claire!

Aunt Nicole and Destiny

I am one happy mama and aunt

Family Weekend - Day 4

2010-04-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 18

We started off the day by going to church where I played special music. Then we all got to spend some time together at the apartment before saying goodbye to Liz and Emme, since their flight left early afternoon. Holly joined me at the Welk for Pirates (couldn't get the day off, but that's ok) and then we all had a blast enjoying the jacuzzi, making cookies and playing games. We were all so tired and giddy and it was only 11:00. We had so much fun!

Claire is listening to her duck while enjoying Emme's binkie

Destiny, Claire and Emme

Hanging out with Aunt Liz

2 beauties: Aunt Holly and Claire (and Douglas in the background)

Claire and Destiny decided to team up against Uncle Brian to get the laptop

Brian is trying to get both babies away by turning his head back and forth and blowing on them. They just think he's funny.

I love the ending

Family Weekend - Day 3

2010-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 17

Today was the reason the whole family had gathered together from all across the country - Meredith and Josh's wedding day! I was fortunate enough to be a bridesmaid, while Douglas was able to walk Meredith down the aisle and give her away (what a special moment that was; I got all teary-eyed.) What a fun experience for me to walk down the aisle, too. I've been a bridesmaid before, but it was for a temple wedding, so no walking down the aisle there. Congratulations, Meredith and Josh! (Meredith McBride, doesn't that have a nice ring to it?)

Emme and Claire hanging out in the dressing room while everyone got ready

Douglas and Meredith - so sweet!

I am directly behind the photographer (you can see my feet if you look close enough)

My bouquet

The wedding party (I have no idea what I'm doing with my wrist)

The bridal party:
me, Emily, Cameron (man of honor) and Holly

The Turner siblings (and Mom)

The Turner family

Awww

My beautiful Claire

Uncle Josh with Destiny and Claire

Love this! All reactions are priceless!

Doesn't Meredith make a gorgeous bride? She made her own wedding dress, by the way

The happy couple

Family Weekend - Day 2

2010-04-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 16

We started the day off with Douglas' sister Meredith's bridal shower and met with Douglas' mom, brother Zack, sister Liz and daughter Emme. This was the moment we had all been waiting for... when all three cousins got to meet. It wasn't quite the happy moment we had been anticipating, but fun nonetheless. Afterward, the whole family headed over to Fish House Vera Cruz for lunch. After lunch was the wedding rehearsal. Those in the wedding party (including me and Douglas) headed to the rehearsal, while others went to the beach. After the rehearsal, most people had a bonfire at the beach, while Douglas and I stayed home. I had to get Claire to bed and I was tired. What a day!

Claire and Destiny holding hands on the way to the shower

And there you have it. Emme (16 months), Claire (8 months), Destiny (12 months) with Liz and Heidi

We have Emme who only likes to be with her mom, Destiny who's not quite sure if this is a good idea and Claire just chilling

This is priceless, though. Claire decided to join in on the fun.

Beautiful Meredith with a wad of gum in her mouth. Every question she got wrong about Josh, she had to stick a piece of gum in her mouth.

Toilet paper wedding dresses! Zack and Holly were the models. (Zack won)

Zack, Meredith, Holly and Liz (4 out of 8 siblings)

Zack, Meredith (holding Claire), Holly, Heidi (holding Destiny), me and Liz

It's exhausting being cute all morning

Lunch time!

I'm not sure what's so interesting down there

Meeting Uncle Matt

7 siblings, youngest to oldest:
Zack, Meredith, Liz, Holly, Douglas, Brian and Matt

7 siblings, plus spouses and kids:
Mom; Liz and Emme (husband Eric couldn't make it); Meredith and Josh; Holly; Douglas, me and Claire; Matt and Hollie; Brian, Heidi and Destiny; Zack

Family Weekend - Day 1

2010-04-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 15

Douglas' sister Holly, brother Brian, Brian's wife Heidi and their daughter Destiny all arrived early in the morning. They spent the day at our apartment while I went to work most of the day. I piled all shows and students on 3 days (Tuesday-Thursday, instead of Tuesday-Saturday) in order to have the rest of the weekend off. I wasn't able to take Thursday off, but it was worth having the rest of the weekend to spend with family. We got to meet baby Destiny for the first time. She just turned a year old on April 4, so she and Claire are just 4 months apart. They got along remarkably well and had a blast playing together.

It was dark, so I couldn't see when I took the picture. Too bad it's blurry. Destiny is tickling Claire's toes.

Destiny, our little table dancer

Claire and Destiny had a fun time banging things on the coffee table

Awww, they're sharing

Uncle Brian

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Holidays suddenly get to be a lot more fun when you have kids. I mean, I've always loved holidays, but now that I have Claire, they have been awesome! Easter was no exception. I gave her her very first Easter basket and dressed her up in a beautiful Easter dress.

She loved playing with the eggs

Her Easter basket with an "I Am a Child of God" mirror, a stuffed duck and an Easter dress

And, of course I can't pass up an opportunity to take a photo shoot of my precious little girl

Happiness

2010-03-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

I took a photo shoot of Claire at my grandparents' property today. I love how enchanting the place is. On a warm spring day when the flowers are blooming and the aroma of orange blossoms fills the air, it's magical! Add an adorable baby to the mix and it's the perfect day!

Los Angeles Temple

2010-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I got the opportunity to go inside the Los Angeles Temple. As an adult, the only temple I've been inside is San Diego. The L.A. Temple is HUGE! It's the second largest in the world (besides Salt Lake City.) I felt like a kid in a candy store. It was so neat to go inside and marvel at the beauty of it all and then to walk around outside and take pictures. Battling Friday afternoon L.A. traffic was worth the trip. Enjoy!