Summer 2009 Updates

I have been terrible about posting pictures & updates from the summer. We have been so busy & on my days at home with Claire, I find myself spending time outside rather than inside on my computer (I do that enough at work)! So please forgive my lack of updates and thank you to those of you who have scolded me. I am currently sitting out on the deck typing as Claire is taking a nap...I found the best of both worlds! Today, Claire & I went to the park together and she loved the swings but also has discovered the slide. We will have to explore that further when Josh is able to help me out!

Since I last updated, Claire has been busy busy growing & developing. She is now running around and her new favorite things are her Wee Squeak sandals that squeak everytime she takes a step. We think they are hilarious...and she really enjoys dancing & stomping her feet to hear the noise.

She recognizes a lot of words and can repeat quite a bit. She is a very verbal little girl. Her favorite words to say are: hi, mama, dada, nan/nana, grandad, look, oxley, tree, dog dog, & mimi (don't know what that one means). She likes to sing songs with us and last week repeated "ABCD" for Josh. She is a good eater & she loves to drink her organic whole milk.


She has grown quite tall this past month...hasn't put on a lot of weight, but is all legs. She is getting a little more hair each day and it is really red! Everyone makes comments to me about her hair when we are out in public and she's quite the popular one in Meijer. She waves to everyone and says 'hi' the entire time we are in the grocery store.


She has a very sweet disposition and loves to give hugs and kisses upon request. She is a nighttime snuggler which I love & cherish, but during the day she is on the go non-stop. She still takes two naps a day and I'm not sure when she'll grow out of that because she is so busy when she is awake that I think she needs those breaks!

Our dear friends Dan & Elizabeth Pierce visited from NC in June with their kids Will (2) and Caroline (11 mos). We had a great time with them & Claire loved playing with the kids. We went to the zoo which was a highlight for Will & Claire.

Claire has enjoyed Gran & Grandad Girth's pool this summer. She has a lot of pool rafts thanks to her Grandad & she has her very own life vest! She loves to be in the water. She has also enjoyed our inflatable pool that we have here at home. The weather hasn't been very warm in Michigan this summer, so she prefers her grandparents pool that has the heater :)

We celebrated Grandad & Josh's birthdays this past week with cake & ice cream and swimming & then dinner at the English Inn. Claire had learned animal sounds the week before & enjoyed barking like a dog randomly through dinner. It was embarrassing, but funny! She can also 'moo' like a cow and 'meow' like a cat.

Below are pictures to help catch you up--more to follow! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer--we are!