Snow Days

Hi Everyone!
We're staying warm and dry here despite more snow here in the past 7 days than we've gotten in 2+ years in Kansas City! Luckily we didn't lose power here at the house, and no one has gone completely stir crazy just yet. The snow was very wet and perfect for packing and making forts, snow-people, etc, however it has been far too cold for us to take little ones outside to play.

To be honest, this is my least favorite time of the year... I would just as soon skip past all of this to Easter and warmer weather. So having little ones to chase and tend to keeps us (very) busy at times which is just as well since there's not a lot else to do right now.

Earlier this month, we went on vacation to Park City with my extended family. It is actually hard to call traveling with two kiddos at these ages a "vacation" but it was fun nonetheless. I couldn't ski because of my recent c-section surgery but enjoyed time with the family.

Olive has been teething en force and we can see a few teeth getting REALLY close(!!)... heck, they may all pop through at once at the rate she is going. The other day, Jason caught a video of her playing "peekaboo" with herself and the full length mirror on my closet door. It was really cute. She is talking a lot and has some new words and phrases including "Thank You", "All Done", and "Good Girl". She has been repeating our words more and more. Yesterday, Jason was reading a book to her about animals in the ocean and she said "octopus"!

Regarding Quinn, I am well aware that mom's can tend to think their boys are perfect and can do no wrong... I'm sure Quinn's future significant other may feel that way about me someday!  However I'm telling you, this kiddo REALLY IS so sweet and easy to be around. A friend of mine described him as "comfortable" and I think that fits for him. He is not colicky or fussy, in fact most times he is just the opposite of that. I'm going back to work next week and will truly miss being around him all day. In other news, he is holding his head up and starting to roll over. He's approaching 13 lbs now and growing great!

I just got a new phone that has a better camera so I will be snapping more pics of the kiddos for next time. I hope to be quick enough on the draw to snap one of Quinn's beautiful beaming smiles (he's been doing that a lot lately!).

Signing off for now. Love, claire & family

Power of Two

Hi all,
We are all doing well and I think adjusting pretty well to being "plus 2" around here. I don't think it is that much more work than having just one. The biggest shock/lifestyle adjustment came back in Nov 2011 when we became parents in the first place and our freedom went out the window.  And now with two little ones, barring some planning and effort to mobilize, you are pretty much home bound but that can be ok and even nice especially this time of year.

I'm pretty sure there's an Indigo Girls song lyric about this topic...

"The closer I'm bound in love to you 

The closer I am to free....

multiply life by the power of two" 

When my Aunt Beth came to visit us in the hospital with Quinn a few weeks ago, she told me that she was thinking back to what things were like for me 5+ years ago and she teared up thinking much has changed and how many blessings have come my way. Even through the medication haze and sleeplessness at the time, the sentiment was not lost on me. I completely agree and have pondered the question... how many times have I fallen in love since I met Jason 4 yrs ago in July?  Truly too many to count.

Here is a Valentine's Day card from our family including the birth announcement for our newest little Valentine:

Another newborn photo (doing his little hunky guy pose!). He was about 2 weeks old in these pictures:

Olivia has had some fun times since our last update. She had her first haircut back in January. I tried to run a nice fun bubble bath for her a few weeks ago but she got scared of the bubbles! We will have to work on that one. She is walking a lot, and enjoying some new found mobility. She enjoys snuggling with Quinn, stealing his binki, putting a blanket on him and removing his socks. I saw her the other day take her own sock off and then try to put it on him (he just laid there patiently however I believe this is foreshadowing for some "dress up" games in his future with his sister and cousins!).

Here is Olive in Daddy's workshop, helping him clean. And another with her doll, reading one of her favorite books:

We are anxiously awaiting news of Tori and Chris Guerrero's baby girl, Taylor!  She should be here anytime now.  Blessings going all around!

Take care. ~claire and family