new year

did you blink and realize the year was gone?  surely this year has gone by as fast for you as it has for us.  this year has been packed full of, well, everything.  i'm sure it has been crazy for you, as well.

luke was born.  4 lbs 10.5 oz.  Feb. 3, 2010.  4 days in the NICU.  perfect in every way.  we call luke lukeasaurus, mister and stinkapotomous.  let's just say he can clear a room.

we bought our very first home.  technically we've had 2 homes, but my parents bought the first.  i was put on bed rest right after we decided on this home which created a lot of challenges that we wouldn't have otherwise encountered, but the Lord always provided a solution.  chris had to come close on the house by himself and afterward, my dad and dear friends joe and jennifer helped get luke's room together and paint the dining room.  we moved in January 27th, and it snowed and iced the next couple days.  when we finally got our OBGYN appt rescheduled, we were immediately sent to the hospital, just 6 days after moving in.  on the 7th day, luke was born.  we've made a lot of changes, mostly painting and new appliances, and we love making this house feel like a home.

i started work with my dad, and i love it.  he's laid back, luke can come with me (although it gets harder and harder now that he's mobile) and i only work 4 days a week.  it's great.  and the drive isn't bad.  it's actually pretty relaxing.  i can gear up for the day on the way there and calm down on the way home.

chris and i celebrated our 6th year of marriage, and we're fast approaching our 7th.  since we started dating, it's been 12 years together.  you'd think we'd be sick of each other, but we're not :)

chris hasn't worked but a few weekends this year and that's been wonderful.  i love having the weekends with him.  he goes to work early early (he leaves the house by 430 a.m.), but that means he gets to pick luke up from mrs. kristin's house by 230 or 300 in the afternoon.  and that means he gets some good time in with luke in the afternoon before i get home.  they like to go to the grocery store together.  chris says luke is a chick magnet :).

i gave up carbonated drinks about 2 months ago.  every time i drive past a sonic i start to salivate for a vanilla dr. pepper, tho.  so far, i've not relapsed, and plan to continue to abstain from carbonated drinks next year.

we don't really have any new year resolutions (except to continue to stay away from carbonation).  we just want to make this new year as good as this one has been.

happy new year.
clare, chris and baby luke

Pearly Gates

This morning, an elderly gentleman I recently fit with a new aid, and whose granddaughter has been taking care of him while his wife has been in a nursing home, called to reschedule an appointment because said wife passed away last night.  Of course I obliged, but he ended up making it to his original appointment anyways.  His granddaughter always brings him and after our appointment, she told me that she stayed with her grandmother all day yesterday waiting for the inevitable. 

She told me that towards the end of the evening, her grandmother would take a deep breath and after a few moments, the granddaughter would think that was her last breath, only to hear her grandmother breathe yet again.  Granddaughter told me this went on for a while before finally she did take her last breath.  When I asked how she was coping, and how grandfather was coping, she said she thinks of it like this. 

You see, her grandmother was apparantly quite the hoarder and granddaughter thinks when she would get to the Pearly Gates, grandmother had a bunch of stuff with her and God said, you don't need that in here.  So in life, she'd take another breath, get rid of some of her 'stuff', and try to renegotiate with God.  Finally, granddaughter figures grandmother let go of all her 'stuff' to get inside the Pearly Gates, and grandmother took her last breath here on earth.

I love that she thinks of it like that, and just wanted to share.

10 months

Wow!  I'm really behind in posting this!!

10 months old

side note:  I love the mischievous grin and that his outfit says 'it wasn't me' :)

Pedicures at Home Depot?

I'm in desperate need of some nice alone quiet time.  I just want to cuddle on the couch with a good book and let the story take me to far away places, and then I'll take a bath and let Calgon do its' thing.  At least that's my dream.

Monday I stayed at home with Luke and he's fairly congested with a head cold, I think.  Maybe it's teething.  Either way, he was not having a good day, so when Chris called me to tell me he was coming home from work and I could go get a pedicure, I was elated.  When he got home I was in the middle of wrapping Christmas gifts and Luke was asleep, so he took Baxter for a walk.  Then Luke woke up.  And Chris got back from walking Baxter only to go in the garage to hang his new ladder and find out he didn't have the right hooks.  So he looks at me and says 'I've got to get some new hooks to hang the ladder, but I don't want to go because you'll be here alone with Luke and Baxter.'

This is where my face got very red.  And I might've had steam bellowing from my ears.

But I replied 'If you're going, we are ALL going.'

And that's how my pedicure turned into a trip to Home Depot.  With the whole family.  Still waiting on that quiet time.
 

Letter to Baby

Dear Mister,

You are 10 months old now.  This time last year, I was on bed rest and you were still in the womb.  That was a hard time, I'm kind of stubborn and had a difficult time staying in bed, or the couch, or recliner, or in the house for that matter.  And that stubborn streak I have, well, it looks like you've inherited it.

We've baby proofed almost everything we can think of.  The fireplace, the kitchen, the outlets...all baby proofed.  But who would've known you're favorite thing to play with would be the floor vent in the living room?  And the door stopper that also acts like an alarm?  Yep, you found that, too.  We put up the Christmas tree and put a gate around it.  That seems to deter your curiosity in it and you don't pay too much attention to it.

You can sit up from laying down now, like you've been doing it your entire 10 months of life.  You army crawl e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.  Seriously, you're constantly on the go.  And Lord help Baxter if you sneak up behind him, you love grabbing his tail!!  You crawled down the hallway to our bedroom last Sunday after church when your dad and I were putting our church clothes up.  You were so cute stopping and starting again and laughing at us when you finally made it!  What a great accomplishment!  You are trying so hard to pull yourself up.  Once you get to your knees, you're not quite sure what to do next.  Also, you are mimicking us and it's fun to try to get you to make noises.  A lot of time you like to initiate it.  It's super cute!  You play so great in your room or in the living room.  It gives me just enough time to blow dry my hair in the mornings without having to wrangle you before you get bored and crawl away.  Peek-a-boo is also a favorite, and you've gotten to where you initiate it.  It's so awesome to see you develop!!

You are still so great when we're out and about, never really fussing, and when you do, it's nothing a little snack can't solve.  Everyone compliments us on how well behaved you are.  We really are blessed!  I took you shopping on Black Friday and you were terrific with all the people!  And you really are quite the flirt!

We have celebrated your first Thanksgiving, and you were thankful for sweet potatoes that M made for you and lots of people to play with you.  Jack (M and Pa's dog) even warmed up to you :)  You handle being passed around and kissed on like a seasoned pro!

We don't swaddle you to sleep anymore, we just cover you with a blanket and rock you.  Most of the time we do just fine, but then that stubborn streak rears its' ugly head and you pull my hair or pinch me.  Those nights are the hardest, but we do just fine anyway.  Also, you're back to sleeping through the night (although I'm sure that will change now that I've said it out loud), but you still wake up at random times in the morning.  4:15 a.m. is pretty early, but we've adjusted.  Thankfully, you're dad is pretty great at getting up with you on the weekends.

Bath time is your favorite time of day.  If you hear that water running, you start kicking your legs and we can't get you naked fast enough.  Once in the bath, all the toys must come in with you.  And now you've figured out how to lay on your tummy and kick your legs so that water goes everywhere (including on your mom and dad).  And you love how your voice sounds in the tub.  You get louder and louder each time you belt out a squeal.  Bath time is just too fun!

We just adore you and can't wait to celebrate your first Christmas, your first New Year, and *gasp* your first birthday!!

We love you with all our hearts, and we are oh so thankful for you.  You're pretty amazing.

Hugs and kisses, mister.  We adore you.
Mom and Dad

kissy face