First Ear Issue

Claire has been sick for almost 2 weeks tomorrow. I know this because when we have taken her in to the doctor in the past they ask if it's been at least 10 days of showing symptoms. This weekend she started coughing- which I'm pretty sure she has never done unless she is just playing. Last night we woke up at 2:30 to some very loud coughing come from the other room. She came in to our room. Don't judge. I always said we wouldn't be those people, but when you're in need of sleep so someone can go to work the next morning...or in a few hours...it calls for desperate measures, people. Anyways, she was asleep, propped up on a pillow, slightly snoring, and then she woke up. I mean headstands, talking, humming, waving arms- woke up. It was about 4 am at this point. Then the ear started getting pulled on and the word ouch coming from her little mouth. I got up at 5:15 to get ready for work because Justin was off today. They got out of bed shortly after and turned on Fresh Beat Band, aka "Band" if you speak Claire. I called the doctor and got her an appointment for this morning. I went in and got stuff ready for the hour I would be out and met them at the doctor on base. We got in pretty quick and her doctor informed us we have our first...

ear infection.

She is on medicine and should be back to normal. Although you would never know she doesn't feel good except for her extra runny nose and pulling on her one ear. Tonight she has taken her medicine, the humidifier is running, and a Vick's vapor thing is plugged in close to her crib.

I'm thinking this has been going on for awhile because she has been telling me "no" more often this past weekend or just not listening :)

Favorite Things

Claire is becoming more and more independent. She wants to put her own shoes on, doesn't want help putting on her clothes, wants to walk everywhere and not in the stroller, and so many more things. She knows she wants bubbles in her bath, chocolate in her milk, and her baby in her crib at night.

Playing outside is one of the things Claire enjoys the most these days. Every time we open the door to let Winston in or out she is running full speed to the door to help herself outside. Outside she is loving the park that is literally a 30 second walk from our backyard. We just open the gate and it's right there. She loves loves loves the "sings" or swings if you don't talk 21 month old language. We can't walk out without the screaming at the gate starting. We've also been spending lots of time in the pool in the backyard and blowing bubbles. She is definitely loves being out in the sunshine.

Dressing up in jewelry and finishing off her outfit with a backpack is quickly becoming her favorite activity inside. She loves her rabbit backpack so much and it's just really cute when she pretends she's a rabbit and hops around the house. I can't help but help her put it on.

Just to throw this in and don't judge our parenting skills...she loves "moobies" aka movies on the iPad. I will say that is really helps that she can hold it now while we go on a walk. I don't have to fight her to sit or struggle to get out half way through her ride.

27 More Wake Ups

There are 27 more days of school. Not that I'm counting. I took a mental health day in a few weeks because I have ample days left, two field trips left, my class has a huge production of Lei Day- it's a Hawaiian thing that we are in charge of, and I'm off a day to go to the dermatologist. Side note: I've been trying to get a referral to for 3 years! I was about to just pay to go out in town because my doctor was being so stingy but I said some big words and I got my referral :) Then we have to factor in the last week of school is just play time and that leaves me with about 16 or 17 days left to teach all I have to teach this year!

This class has probably been my favorite. I love their age, it's small, their parents are great.

But...I'm ready for summer in Texas! I'm ready to see my parents and sister, to lay in the pool, go on a road trip to Dallas, San Angelo, and Lubbock, and do nothing but be lazy. I won't worry about school or work and it will be so nice. I'm ready to spend the days with Claire doing crafts and taking naps. We are going to get our fill of Chick-Fil-A, Sonic, Pappasitos, and Chelseas. I.am.ready.today.

I think Claire's ready too! She's obsessed with being outside:

21 Months

Claire was 21 months last week. How can it be that she is inching closer and closer to 2?!? She goes from happy to crazy to completely losing her mind in a matter of a few minutes sometimes! She is constantly moving and into something. She has started talking to much more, responding to questions, and asking us "what you doing mommy/daddy?" It's so unbelievable cute.

Fun things going on with Claire recently:

• Started making more animal noises and counting. We took her to the zoo this past weekend and she was yelling and pointing at the animals. I can't wait to take her to the Houston Zoo for her birthday trip- my mom and dad took me when I was little and now we are taking Claire during our summer trips. 
• Likes dancing to music and "singing" along with anyone who sings to her. Favorites: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Where is Thumbkin, Row Row Row Your Boat, If You're Happy and You Know It, The Wheels on the Bus.
• Likes to blow bubbles and watch them fly away- she even asked for bubbles in the bath which is HUGE because before she would scream if they were in the bath with her. She also just wants to be outside all the time- which is great because it's always so nice here. We can't ever move. 
• Claire walks in to Ms. Diane's now. She also has learned her name and calls her "Di-dan". She also says her buddy at schools name, "Noah". Bryson started school with her this month and when I asked if she saw Bryson at school she said "yep".
• Called Winston by name and not just Buddy this month.
• Is expanding her food! While we were in China she just grabbed my cheeseburger off the table and started eating it. Since then, we've tried a cheeseburger, pizza, and tomatoes. She likes them all. She also loves raspberries, grapes, bananas, blueberries, cheese-its, yogurt, and "pop-ick-els".
• Carrying around her backpack is a new obsession. It goes everywhere. We looked like we were making our child do manual labor yesterday at the zoo because she wouldn't take it off. 
• Wearing size 18-24 month clothes with some 2Ts mixed in. How she got to toddler sizes is beyond me. A size 5 or 6 shoe depending on the shoe. TOMS require one size up because her feet are chubby. 
• She has become a great little sleeper! She goes down about 8 and sleeps until we wake her up for school. She still takes a nap at school and when she's home on the weekend she naps for 2-3 hours. 

It's crazy to think she's growing so fast! She says a new word every single day, loves to snuggle, and has a growing personality. I've been looking at ideas for a "big girl room". I'm not making any huge movements because I'm really okay with her staying in her crib, but I just can't help it and eventually we will have to make the move. 

We love you big girl!

This face/picture looks identical to a picture of me when I was little. I'll have to find it and compare :)

We made it home (a week ago)!

We had such a great visit and such a hard time catching back up on life since China! We got home on Saturday and I'm so thankful we came home and had a day to catch up. We landed at 9:30 am, went through customs, and were back on American ground and headed home by 10:15. It was an eventful flight from Tokyo to Honolulu. The lights didn't go off until 5 hours in and they forgot Claire's meal. We had a small child who didn't want to eat the fish and was overly tired.

When we got home Saturday I unpacked all of our suitcases in record time and headed out to buy groceries. Claire took a 4 hour nap and Justin joined in. I knew if i went to sleep I wouldn't get up and I wouldn't sleep that night. At 8:30 we called it a night....at 2:30 we heard our little bundle of joy screaming "mommy, daddy, mommy, daddy". There was no way we were getting up at that hour...so she slept with us and we all slept until 11 the next morning! Who does that with a 21 month old??!?! Obviously a very tired family.

Sunday we spent the day at the beach getting some fresh air (something China is lacking) and some sun (also lacking). That night Claire went to bed at 8:30 and I'm pretty sure Justin and I didn't go to bed. ever. I was doing school work and by the time we went up it was 11. Then our little sweetie pie woke up at midnight!!! She came back to our bed- lets just say my "she will never sleep with us" went right out the window. She wasn't in the mood for sleep though. She was in the mood for headstands, giggling, and not sleeping. The last time I looked at the clock it was 3:30 and then 5. Last week was a blur, but we are back on track.