THe bIG OnE!!!

The past year has both flown by and been more life-changing than ever imaginable. We could not have comprehended the love that has grown in our hearts for our baby girl. Claire is our world, our family and our comic relief, and it's been the greatest joy to see her grow and develop over the last 365 days. Happy birthday, sweet girl...we have loved and cherished every minute!

Here's what I've been up to:

*Weighing in at 19 lbs, 15 oz (32%) and 30 1/4 inches (87%)  long, I'm continuing on my long and lean look!

*I'm cruising, climbing and crawling, but haven't built up the courage to take steps on my own yet...taking my time on this milestone! I love to run my shopping cart and stroller around the house and am really into opening and closing EVERYTHING!!

*I wave "hi" and "bye-bye," give "kisses", love snuggling (and tormenting) my doggy, will put any phone up to my ear, do "soooo big", and put anything on my "head," on command!

*I'm getting a little pickier with my eating...I love any fruit, yogurt and cheese, most grains and anything with cinnamon mixed in. Meats and veggies, no thanks! I guess mom has been hiding my vegetables in other foods, and it absolutely has me fooled!

*Words I'm saying: momma, daaaada, hi, and gee-gee (doggy).

I'm a busy girl, have quite the personality, and continue to be quite silly. Like mom and dad have said all along, we may have a comedian on our hands. Enjoy some "Beachy Birthday Bash" photos, and some from over the past month.

Beach party spread with rainbow fruit kabobs, beach ball veggie pizza...

Nutter butter flip flops...

Jello ocean cups, fish food, sand pudding...

and Mom's pride and joy...the sand-castle cake!!

 

Crabby favor pool....a big hit!

Mom wore this jumper 29 years ago on her first birthday!!

Shopping cart was a hit with the girls!

"Hi"

"Bye-bye"

"Soooo big!"

"Kisses!"

Why didn't I think of this?

Honest to God, my house would be covered in Cheerios, goldfish and puffs if it weren't for this wonderful invention. Why couldn't I have thought of this?? I'd be a millionaire for sure.

Look what I found!!

CE's newest discovery:

Thank goodness it only took her one bite to decide that the dog food is way more fun to toss around,

than to actually eat.

Slam Dunk

It's because of days like this one that I love our friends so much. Yes, thirty-year-old men having an absolutely sober (I swear!) water basketball slam-dunk contest. Priceless.

Jimmy

Bob

Spencer

The boys {all of whom may or may not have been able to walk the next day.}

{What We're Eating}

Greek Pasta Salad

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and diced (optional)
4 cups cooked whole-grain bowtie pasta OR 2 cups cooked whole grain couscous
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
1 3.5 oz container crumbled feta cheese (I use the reduced fat sundried tomato and basil)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients while pasta or couscous is still warm. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with tzatziki sauce on the side. This is a great main or side dish for a summer picnic or pitch-in. It's flavorful, fresh and healthy!

eLEvEn mOnThs

Yes, folks, just four short weeks until the big first birthday bash. Can you believe I'm eleven months old already?!?!

I'm a busy little bee these days...weighing in at 19lbs, 29 1/2 inches long, I'm crawling (fast!) and standing and walking with two fingers wherever I can go.

Mom and dad think I'm going to be a climber...I've already mastered the first two stairs and am working on the ottoman, couch and dining room table bench!

I have three teeth and am eating everything (except green things kind of freak me out!) Mom bought my first gallon of whole milk at the store this week, so looking forward to trying something new in my bottles and sippies. 

I'm starting daycare next month so have been practicing taking just one nap a day....some days it works, others are an ultimate fail.

I'm going through a mommy phase. I'm cool with anyone and everyone when she's not around, but when she comes into sight, I NEED to be close to her. I'm starting to be more of a snuggler, give open-mouth kisses, and definitely can say "mommmmm" and "dadadada." I (occasionally) will wave "hi" and "bye" and like to imitate "uh oh!!!"

I was a trooper for our 15 hour drive to the Outer Banks and back, loved the sand and ocean, and learned a lot from my second cousins Colin, Owen, Grace, Penny and Evie!

4th of July on the boat!

Me and grandpa at the beach house

Playing with Evie

The hair finally fits into a bow (and the tongue is still out!)

Strawberries!

Beach house pool party

Bucket + head = fun

Not my idea...

Addy's baptism!

Like my mohawk??

....and a sneak peak of the gorgeous photos taken by my brother at the beach! More to come...

 

This one's for you....

So Spencer said yesterday, "You haven't blogged in a while." FINALLY...he has admitted that he likes to keep up with it (plus I think it makes him feel special when I go on and on about how handy he is!) So this one's for him because I haven't updated everyone on our recent projects. Plus, I think maybe he needs a little ego boost with the big 3-0 coming up in a couple of days!

We've been meaning to refinish this cool antique high chair that was a gift from my dad since CE was born....so, we (yes, I helped!) sanded, stained and sealed it to match our new dining table. Couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Claire agrees.

Before

After

This next project has been driving us crazy since the day we moved in....we despised our back door. It was a hideous, "privacy," faux plexi-glass, textured monstrosity, and we've finally replaced it with a basic fifteen panel, classic patio door. In a few short days, Spencer's new fancy pancy birthday grill will be the view from in front of it!

We've officially grown tomato trees...they're extending almost two feet above the cages and we popped the first few super-sweet cherry tomatoes last week.  We also have basil, romaine lettuce, jalapenos, bell peppers and the beginnings of zucchini, yellow squash and cucumber. The gardens are out of control, but you have to learn somehow, right? Next year, folks, next year.

SJ built a rolling gate for the deck entrance...no more worries of escaping rugrats! The things we get excited about these days.

I can't get enough of this (soon to be more and in a couple different sizes for the deck!) cedar planter that SJ created. It was super cheap and easy, made from cedar fence boards. Smells good too!

We have a busy July and August with birthday celebrations, baptisms, a beach vacation and hopefully some much-needed R&R, so we may be on a project hiatus for a few months. Who knows what kind of handyworks September may bring?!!