Hello,
It has been some time since I have posted our blog. We are so busy resuming our regular lives, except not the same or regular either! I have returned to work and am adjusting well. We are very fortunate as we are able to keep Baby Claire home which is a great thing for all of us. Alan has a flexible schedule and Cousin Meghan helps out when we need her.
Baby Claire had an exciting weekend - her first coming out party! She got dressed up in a baby dress with ruffles and tights and was the cutest baby ever. We attended my annual work party which involved flying to Orange County, staying the night in a hotel, and returning home the next day. All of the nurses were happy to finally meet Baby Claire. She is a great traveler and we plan to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Las Vegas next month, and Alan's family in Atlanta in May.
Baby Claire is now 4 months old and has grown to 9 pounds 2 ounces! She has nearly doubled her coming home weight of 4 pounds 10 ounces. I remember when we were so excited when she met that milestone. Claire is starting to suck on her fist and may soon find her thumb. She continues to be a happy baby and only cries if there is a reason. She has found her voice and babbles and coos and smiles a lot.:)
Claire is gradually sleeping thru the night - last night down at 11 and up at 6. No complaints here!! Of course that doesn't occur every night but we are happy when we can get more sleep. Unfortunately, if Claire doesn't wake up I find myself checking on her as she is sleeping peacefully. She is learning to hold her head up and doesn't bobble nearly as much as she did even a month ago.
We return to Dr. Frank next week and there may be another shot involved - Claire is always so brave and such a great fighter. I will update again after the next MD visit.
More soon,
Denise & Alan
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Eight pounds and counting.....!
Hello again,
Baby Claire returned to the pediatrician this week and continues to do well. She now weighs 8 pounds 1 ounce! The doctor is really happy with her progress as she continues to shine. He said she is a healthy newborn and is achieving her developmental milestones. She can hold her head up, is very responsive with smiles and cooing, and has a great appetite. We continue to be so proud of Claire :) She had another immunization but only cried during the shot and then was okay. She returns in a month for another check up.
Baby Claire had another new first - she had her first air plane ride! No crying or fussing and no problems for her ears. I had a meeting in Orange County as I have returned to work as of this week. Alan came along to take care of Baby Claire. It was a long day but fun and a new experience for all of us. Cousin Meghan is helping with babysitting. Yesterday was her first day and both baby & sitter survived unscathed.
We continue to count our blessings and thank you for checking Claire's blog.
Take good care,
Denise & Alan
Baby Claire returned to the pediatrician this week and continues to do well. She now weighs 8 pounds 1 ounce! The doctor is really happy with her progress as she continues to shine. He said she is a healthy newborn and is achieving her developmental milestones. She can hold her head up, is very responsive with smiles and cooing, and has a great appetite. We continue to be so proud of Claire :) She had another immunization but only cried during the shot and then was okay. She returns in a month for another check up.
Baby Claire had another new first - she had her first air plane ride! No crying or fussing and no problems for her ears. I had a meeting in Orange County as I have returned to work as of this week. Alan came along to take care of Baby Claire. It was a long day but fun and a new experience for all of us. Cousin Meghan is helping with babysitting. Yesterday was her first day and both baby & sitter survived unscathed.
We continue to count our blessings and thank you for checking Claire's blog.
Take good care,
Denise & Alan
Thursday, January 27, 2011
New photos available
Hello Everyone,
Alan has taken Claire's 3 month photos and they are available at
Just click on the link and you can view the photos taken on 1/18/11.
Claire has accomplished a couple of firsts this last week. She attended her first soccer clinic - we were outside in 68 degrees in the sunshine and she had many admirers come by and say hello. Afterwards, we went to our first restaurant outing with her sisters. She slept through the entire dinner but she was happy to be with the family.
Claire weighs 7 pounds 10 ounces now and going strong. She does a lot of cooing and is working on a laugh. She is a very happy baby with the exception of the bewitching hour(s) from 9 to 11 pm. We are getting 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night before she wakes us. Perhaps in a couple of more months she will be able to sleep through the night. We look forward to the day that we can sleep the entire night. :)
Enjoy the pictures - more next week after her next MD visit.
With love,
Denise & Alan
Alan has taken Claire's 3 month photos and they are available at
| http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=6dcbcb359540fd5e&sid=0Bas2bNuzbM3Ig |
Just click on the link and you can view the photos taken on 1/18/11.
Claire has accomplished a couple of firsts this last week. She attended her first soccer clinic - we were outside in 68 degrees in the sunshine and she had many admirers come by and say hello. Afterwards, we went to our first restaurant outing with her sisters. She slept through the entire dinner but she was happy to be with the family.
Claire weighs 7 pounds 10 ounces now and going strong. She does a lot of cooing and is working on a laugh. She is a very happy baby with the exception of the bewitching hour(s) from 9 to 11 pm. We are getting 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night before she wakes us. Perhaps in a couple of more months she will be able to sleep through the night. We look forward to the day that we can sleep the entire night. :)
Enjoy the pictures - more next week after her next MD visit.
With love,
Denise & Alan
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A New Year 2011
Hi Again,
Claire begins the new year with a great start having just completed another visit with the pediatrician. She weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces and will reach 7 pounds shortly. The doctor is pleased with her weight gain and states that she is progressing as a "healthy newborn" - woo hoo for Claire! She was brave and only cried a little during her first immunizations, one injection to each thigh. I think it was much harder on us than on Claire considering all of the poking and prodding that she has endured already. I finally had my flu shot after the insistence of the doctor. I was willing to have a shot the same day as our Baby Claire and fortunately, this time I didn't get the flu.
Alan had caught a cold, maybe even a bit of a flu, and was kept away from close contact with Claire for a couple of days. Happily, neither Claire nor I caught the virus and have been holding our own since. The doctor has encouraged us to keep Claire out of the public until she has gained more weight and has completed her second set of immunizations. Hopefully by March she will finally get to meet her grandparents!
Claire has graced us with her first true smile :) She is such a cute baby and quite happy most of the time. Her tummy issues have resolved with Miralax and now that she is regular, the upset tummy and gas attacks have resolved. This is a wonderful change and makes our evenings less stressful. She is now sleeping better at night and we are getting between 4 and 5 hours a night now. A welcome relief from the 2 to 3 hour schedule when she was smaller.
Our next visit with the doctor is in 3 weeks for another weight gain check. We know Baby Claire will continue to progress as expected.
Thank you for checking our blog. More soon.
With love,
Denise & Alan
Claire begins the new year with a great start having just completed another visit with the pediatrician. She weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces and will reach 7 pounds shortly. The doctor is pleased with her weight gain and states that she is progressing as a "healthy newborn" - woo hoo for Claire! She was brave and only cried a little during her first immunizations, one injection to each thigh. I think it was much harder on us than on Claire considering all of the poking and prodding that she has endured already. I finally had my flu shot after the insistence of the doctor. I was willing to have a shot the same day as our Baby Claire and fortunately, this time I didn't get the flu.
Alan had caught a cold, maybe even a bit of a flu, and was kept away from close contact with Claire for a couple of days. Happily, neither Claire nor I caught the virus and have been holding our own since. The doctor has encouraged us to keep Claire out of the public until she has gained more weight and has completed her second set of immunizations. Hopefully by March she will finally get to meet her grandparents!
Claire has graced us with her first true smile :) She is such a cute baby and quite happy most of the time. Her tummy issues have resolved with Miralax and now that she is regular, the upset tummy and gas attacks have resolved. This is a wonderful change and makes our evenings less stressful. She is now sleeping better at night and we are getting between 4 and 5 hours a night now. A welcome relief from the 2 to 3 hour schedule when she was smaller.
Our next visit with the doctor is in 3 weeks for another weight gain check. We know Baby Claire will continue to progress as expected.
Thank you for checking our blog. More soon.
With love,
Denise & Alan
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Farewell to 2010
Hello,
Claire returned to the pediatrician earlier this week and continues to do fabulously. She weighs six pounds and four ounces and has caught up with the average newborn in size. Claire is too big for her preemie diapers and has graduated to the newborn size. Of course they are a little big but she will grow into them soon. Her hair continues to grow & is so pretty - I think there is some natural curl and wave!
Dr. Frank assures us that Claire is doing fabulously. She is trying to hold up her head and there is some bobbing and weaving going on but she is getting better at the task. We started her on medication to regulate her bowels and she is happier with less gas and grunting. She is now "regular" and doesn't require suppositories - woo hoo! Breast feedings are going a lot better now too and Claire is able to nurse without difficulty. What a journey and how very proud we are to see Claire conquer every task that is required of her. It makes sense looking back that of course breast feeding would be a challenge due to her petite size.
Claire's big sister's came to visit today and both remarked on how "grown up" she is looking. She has out grown her tiniest preemie clothes and some of the smaller newborn sizes as well. I have separated her clothes by size to ensure that she spends time wearing all of the cute outfits that have been given to her. We will keep some of the preemie outfits so that Claire can dress her dolls when she is bigger.
What a year 2010 has been. We are so very pleased that our wish to become a family has come true and that despite Claire's early arrival, she is thriving. We thank each and every one of you for checking in on Claire's blog. We have felt the power of your positive thoughts & prayers and Claire's amazing progress is
truly a result of all of your support and love. Her team of medical providers have provided us with excellent medical care and resulted in her fabulous outcome.
We look forward to 2011 and the many surprises in store as Claire continues to grow. It is anticipated that she will meet her developmental milestones based on her due date, not her actual birth date. Knowing Claire, she may surprise us and meet them earlier rather than later.
We wish you all a healthy, prosperous, and exciting new year. Embrace your loved ones and keep some Holiday Magic in your life throughout the New Year 2011!
Love,
Denise & Alan
Claire returned to the pediatrician earlier this week and continues to do fabulously. She weighs six pounds and four ounces and has caught up with the average newborn in size. Claire is too big for her preemie diapers and has graduated to the newborn size. Of course they are a little big but she will grow into them soon. Her hair continues to grow & is so pretty - I think there is some natural curl and wave!
Dr. Frank assures us that Claire is doing fabulously. She is trying to hold up her head and there is some bobbing and weaving going on but she is getting better at the task. We started her on medication to regulate her bowels and she is happier with less gas and grunting. She is now "regular" and doesn't require suppositories - woo hoo! Breast feedings are going a lot better now too and Claire is able to nurse without difficulty. What a journey and how very proud we are to see Claire conquer every task that is required of her. It makes sense looking back that of course breast feeding would be a challenge due to her petite size.
Claire's big sister's came to visit today and both remarked on how "grown up" she is looking. She has out grown her tiniest preemie clothes and some of the smaller newborn sizes as well. I have separated her clothes by size to ensure that she spends time wearing all of the cute outfits that have been given to her. We will keep some of the preemie outfits so that Claire can dress her dolls when she is bigger.
What a year 2010 has been. We are so very pleased that our wish to become a family has come true and that despite Claire's early arrival, she is thriving. We thank each and every one of you for checking in on Claire's blog. We have felt the power of your positive thoughts & prayers and Claire's amazing progress is
truly a result of all of your support and love. Her team of medical providers have provided us with excellent medical care and resulted in her fabulous outcome.
We look forward to 2011 and the many surprises in store as Claire continues to grow. It is anticipated that she will meet her developmental milestones based on her due date, not her actual birth date. Knowing Claire, she may surprise us and meet them earlier rather than later.
We wish you all a healthy, prosperous, and exciting new year. Embrace your loved ones and keep some Holiday Magic in your life throughout the New Year 2011!
Love,
Denise & Alan
Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy Holidays!
Hello,
Well as luck would have it, and a lot of love & prayers, our Baby Claire now weighs 6 pounds 1.5 ounces. Alan's Christmas wish has come true and he is a very happy Daddy. She is growing and changing so much in just the 3 weeks that she has been home. If she had been born on her due date, she would be 2 weeks old today!
We have had recent issues with our little Claire and gas. Yes, I think all parents encounter this issue at some time or another. We started her on Mylicon drops made for babies and the result is amazing. She is no longer crying due to gas discomfort. Right now she is laying beside me in a very lovely quiet alert state. She is taking in the world around her and completely content. She is wearing a very cute pokadot outfit from her Aunt Mary Lou and Cousin Meghan and is really looking forward to her first Christmas Morning.
We couldn't be more pleased and are so very happy with the blessings and good fortune that this year has brought to us and our new family. I had always imagined what it would be like to have a child and to celebrate the Christmas season. My expectations have been exceeded and we do appreciate the fact that if not for the many prayers and good wishes, our journey would have been much more difficult. Let our experience be proof that dreams can come true and it is never too late for second chances.
"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". We do believe!!!!
Merry Christmas and wishing you all love and a joy-filled holiday season.
Love,
Denise & Alan
Well as luck would have it, and a lot of love & prayers, our Baby Claire now weighs 6 pounds 1.5 ounces. Alan's Christmas wish has come true and he is a very happy Daddy. She is growing and changing so much in just the 3 weeks that she has been home. If she had been born on her due date, she would be 2 weeks old today!
We have had recent issues with our little Claire and gas. Yes, I think all parents encounter this issue at some time or another. We started her on Mylicon drops made for babies and the result is amazing. She is no longer crying due to gas discomfort. Right now she is laying beside me in a very lovely quiet alert state. She is taking in the world around her and completely content. She is wearing a very cute pokadot outfit from her Aunt Mary Lou and Cousin Meghan and is really looking forward to her first Christmas Morning.
We couldn't be more pleased and are so very happy with the blessings and good fortune that this year has brought to us and our new family. I had always imagined what it would be like to have a child and to celebrate the Christmas season. My expectations have been exceeded and we do appreciate the fact that if not for the many prayers and good wishes, our journey would have been much more difficult. Let our experience be proof that dreams can come true and it is never too late for second chances.
"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". We do believe!!!!
Merry Christmas and wishing you all love and a joy-filled holiday season.
Love,
Denise & Alan
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Hello,
Claire has completed her second visit with the pediatrician and now weighs 5 1/2 pounds - she is thriving since coming home from the hospital!! Last night she slept for 5 hours which was such a nice reprieve from the wee-morning feedings. Of course she is likely to return to the 3-4 hour schedule but we are gradually adjusting. If Claire is napping, I try to rest too.
Claire's hair is the prettiest chestnut color and it is starting to grow. She continues to be a really good baby but the last three nights included a midnight bewitching hour. Thankfully the rocking chair has provided great comfort for her fussiness and for me too.
I have received my Christmas wish for Claire to come home on December first. Alan's wish is that Claire will weigh six pounds by Christmas Day. She has passed her due date of December 10th and continues to do very well. I think that Alan's wish will come true too and that she will surpass six pounds soon.
We wish you all a very happy holiday season and that you will enjoy time with your family and loved ones. As always, thank you for your support, loving thoughts, and prayers for our Baby Claire.
xo,
Denise & Alan
Claire has completed her second visit with the pediatrician and now weighs 5 1/2 pounds - she is thriving since coming home from the hospital!! Last night she slept for 5 hours which was such a nice reprieve from the wee-morning feedings. Of course she is likely to return to the 3-4 hour schedule but we are gradually adjusting. If Claire is napping, I try to rest too.
Claire's hair is the prettiest chestnut color and it is starting to grow. She continues to be a really good baby but the last three nights included a midnight bewitching hour. Thankfully the rocking chair has provided great comfort for her fussiness and for me too.
I have received my Christmas wish for Claire to come home on December first. Alan's wish is that Claire will weigh six pounds by Christmas Day. She has passed her due date of December 10th and continues to do very well. I think that Alan's wish will come true too and that she will surpass six pounds soon.
We wish you all a very happy holiday season and that you will enjoy time with your family and loved ones. As always, thank you for your support, loving thoughts, and prayers for our Baby Claire.
xo,
Denise & Alan
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