Happy New Year.

Yes (Grandpa), I have kept a post about my baby being 4 months old for two and a half months. Please forgive. It's a hackneyed story, but we are DANG BUSY over here and I'm wishing I could clone myself several dozen times and then hire out the rest of the work.

There are so many wonderful blessings showering down upon us right now. I can't imagine 2012 could even touch 2011 in terms of excitement and blessed-ness, but so far so good.

We bought our first house. Closed on December 23rd, moved in over New Years. Lots of help from friends (gotta love the Elders Quorum) and my mom, who came down for a few days to help with unpacking efforts and take our third car off our hands. We are thrilled to be homeowners and the owners of an orange tree, lemon tree and palm tree.

Claire is 6.5 months old and is now sitting up, eating solid food (which she chews with her two bottom teeth), and delightful. Still bald as ever, and probably will be until she's 3.

Chris is working hard. Together we are learning about mortgages, home ownership, maintenance and DIY. We tore out some shelves in Claire's room and subsequently made 6 giant holes in the wall. Hooray for Youtube tutorials and help from a contractor friend...we gave them a good patching and it's almost like nothing ever happened!

My design business is still in full swing. Working from home has a deceptively casual ring to it. It's a challenge, but I must...keep...designing. At the very least it will help me justify large furniture purchases in the near future.

We still somehow managed to have a relatively normal Christmas, got Claire's picture taken with Santa and covered all the other major tradition bases, and took some pictures which I will probably get around to posting in May :)

Happy 4 Months Baby Claire.

Look at those smiling eyes!

You got your first cold this week, with tiny baby boogers and a dainty baby cough

As a result, you're waking up at night again (I'm trying to be understanding)

You visited the doctor on Halloween and wore your bat costume, to the delight of the nurses

You weigh 13 lbs, 3 oz and are 24.5" long

You are ruining so many of your clothes...I think it's time to go up to size 2 diapers

When I'm on the computer and you start to fuss, I sometimes let you watch this

You can roll expertly from your tummy to your back

We still "double swaddle" you for bedtime and for naps...you prefer to be snug

Your eyes are crystal blue as they were the day you were born

You laugh when something startles you

I'm slowly memorizing all of your little books, we read them so often

You also answer to Claireby, Creeb, BABY!, and Cutie McSweets

A walk in the park...

Behold my 3 month old behbeh:

At 3 months, Claire is:

Stuffing her hands in her mouth at every opportunity (as pictured)

Sleeping like a teenager

LAUGHING an occasional halting, low pitched, grunty laugh

Master of an impressive mini-pushup

Drooling profusely

Looking at herself in the mirror, loving her reflection

Cooing up a storm, shaping her mouth to make different vowel sounds

The craziest active sleeper, slowly rotating herself around in circles every night

Taking 3-4 naps a day, preferring often to catnap

In the 50th percentile for weight, length and head size

SOFT, SQUISHY and DELIGHTSOME

My family came to town for this little girl's blessing day.

To show everyone a good southern California time, we did did lots of fun activities, only some of which were photographed because I was too preoccupied whisking a crying baby off to nurse or changing a diaper in the trunk of the car.

We went to Disneyland, where my Dad got the highest score on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters while holding Claire and shooting left-handed:

Very impressive.

We also visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park...

My favorite part...a baby Gorilla the same age as Claire!

Lots of laughs with Ben and Jax

Grandma holding time

*

That Sunday, Christopher gave Claire a name and a blessing at church. It was beautiful and she looked like an angel baby in the little white dress my mom made for her.

She didn't make a peep during the blessing, either. Good baby.

I just love this one...

The Dreamparents (aka Great-Grandma and Grandpa Hiatt) came all the way from Sandy.

I love my family dear.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Claire's special day!

Okay, so maybe I'm a little jealous...

Claire's best feature at 2 months? It's a toss-up between her double chin and her double eye wrinkles.