I Am a Lioness

"Women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home and family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her."
(Julie B Beck, 2010 BYU Women's Conference)

Smiles!

We need naps

A family of four!

Savannah Jean was born October 11 at 8:02am. She weighed 7lb 6oz and was 19 inches long. She had been breech for a while, so she was born by a scheduled cesarean section. She is so tiny and has a sweet, happy temperament. It's so wonderful to have her in our family.

My labor with Clara was so long, so this was a welcome change, to be able to hold and get to know Savannah right after she was born. We gave her the middle name Jean, after my sister Angela Jean who passed away last year.


Clara wore her new "Big Sister" shirt to the hospital and is so thrilled that "Baby Savannah" is here. Clara always wants to kiss, hug and "check on" her. I'm glad she's here a week before her due date, too!



I couldn't get this picture to turn, but I think it's so sweet.

Almost three months later...

Wow it's been a long time! Here's the update:

Jason has started his second year of medical school, which has been quite an adjustment after 10 weeks of vacation. He's also playing soccer with people from school, as a goalie. Last Monday he got kneed in the back extremely hard and has a really deep bruise. Now neither of us can bend over or do any heaving lifting. He's healing, though.

I am 37 weeks pregnant with our second little girl. I think she'll be born sometime during the week of the 11th. I'm enjoying the fall weather, and hope it stays fall until March. Let's just skip the terrible winter weather.

Clara will be 3 1/2 in November and is lots of fun. She is in a "little preschool" (kind of like a joy school) with some kids in our ward. The moms rotate teaching it twice a week, which is fun. It's also nice to have a couple hours to myself each week! She just got her first bike with training wheels, which she is ecstatic about. She feels so fancy with her helmet and water bottle.

Clara is super excited about her sister coming and knows she's coming next month. She has also started enjoying dressing up in her leotard, tutu and ballet slippers. She is going to be a ballerina for Halloween, unless she changes her mind again and is a firefighter or one of the seven dwarfs.

Vacation

A few weeks ago we went to visit my family and had a great time. The weather was so hot the whole time, but we found ways to cool off. Clara had her first jet ski ride, which she thoroughly enjoyed! Jason went waterskiing and Clara and I floated behind the boat. She loved swimming; so did I! It felt so wonderful. I grew up going out on the waterway; I love it!





Clara jumped over the waves at the beach and loved it! She didn't love getting a mouthful of salt water, but she enjoyed herself. The kids buried Jason and flew Clara's kite and the weather was perfect. We had such a great time.

Perfect Day

Last Saturday we met our friends Steve and Bekah in Washington DC for lunch, then they watched Clara while we went to the temple. They wandered around the temple grounds for a while and then went to a park to play. She was so sweaty and exhausted by the end. We loved seeing our friends and Clara was so happy to see the temple. A perfect day.




This is how I felt when we got home, too.

Let Summer Begin!

Jason finished his first year of medical school a week ago Friday, and we celebrated by going out for ice cream. Needless to say, Clara was excited. Jason has been busy working all around the house this week and has gotten lots done. What a great guy! Clara has loved having her daddy home all the time. Here's to a great summer!

A Girl!

We found out today that we're going to have another girl in October! Clara came with us to the ultrasound and after five minutes wanted to go play with the toys in the waiting room. But Jason and I thought it was exciting! Clara thinks we should name the baby "Abra" as in "abracadabra," but...I think we'll try to sway her towards another name. We're so excited!

Spring

Jason and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with us both sick on the couch. I had a migraine and he had a stomach bug. Whoo hoo! (We celebrated the next week instead.) What a marvelous 5 years it's been.


Clara has really liked her dollhouse so far. What a cutie.


My parents gave her a gardening kit for her birthday, which she has loved. The other day we got her some gardening gloves like Daddy, but in pink. She is quite the fashion plate, isn't she? She even brought Baby out, which I thought was really funny.



Today we went to the Rail Trails for a walk, and Clara fell asleep on the way there. This is the only place she'll take a nap these days.



Jason looking very model-esque at the playground.

Birthday party!

Look at that sweet baby! I can't believe Clara is 3! It seems so long ago and like yesterday.


We made red velvet cupcakes, which looked like blood or paint in the mixing bowl. (The last picture is of us making it. It was incredibly messy.) We also made 4 colors of frosting and decorated them with sprinkles.


Jason's parents sent her an Edible Arrangement, which Clara was thrilled with. She loved the chocolate strawberries (as did Jason) and for days afterward would just reach in the fridge and get one out. It was pretty delicious.


We blew up lots of balloons and put them in her room the night before her birthday, thinking she would love it when she woke up. We almost woke her up taking them in, and then in the middle of the night she came into our room, crying and saying, "There are balloons in my room!" So we had to take them out again at midnight. But she loved playing with them the next day.


Last summer I found my old Playmobil dollhouse so I cleaned it up and we brought it with us. It can fall apart easily if she pulls on it, but hopefully she'll be kind. I love this dollhouse.


Oh I love this sweet girl.

Life

Well, it's been a while, but we're back. Spring is finally here, which has been wonderful. Jason has finished gross anatomy and has just started neuro anatomy, which he really enjoys. This week we will have been married for 5 years! I can't believe it. And also next week is Clara's birthday. She's excited to get a cake and pick out candles and balloons. Actually, I think I'm more excited than she is.

Today is the one-year anniversary of when my sister Angela passed away. I miss her every day and am so grateful she's my sister. I'm so grateful for the Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior and for the sealing power in the temple. I know that we'll always be a family and that we'll see her again.


Clara doesn't take naps in her bed, but she'll take naps in the car or on the couch pretty often. Lately she's taken to sleeping on the floor in the living room with a pillow over her head. Sounds comfy!


After she woke up she wanted me to take her picture again, but it didn't quite look the same...
Her hair has gotten so light and long! I love her cute pigtails. My dad came to visit for a couple days and brought a Donald Duck doll that sings. And when you pick it up by its ears it yells, "Put me down! Put me down!" My dad thought it was quite funny and got one for all his grandkids.

Princess Party

On Saturday Clara and I went with her friend Amelia to a "Princess Party" put on by the local ballet company. The ballerinas dressed up as the Disney princesses and there were games and crafts for the kids to do. Most of the little girls dressed up as princesses, which was so adorable. Clara and Amelia met Princess Tiana (from "Princess and the Frog"), had a tea party with Alice, and learned a princess dance with Cinderella and Prince Charming. I think Clara's already planning to go again next year!

Snowstorm

Last weekend we had a huge snowstorm...and it's still snowing. I've never seen it snow this much, even living in Utah for 8 years! It is supposed to snow for the next 10 days, too. Yikes. I'm finally getting a little stir crazy...hopefully spring is on its way!


The hard-working husband and his mountain of snow.

Clara and her "snow shovel" (dust pan) is always asking to help Jason shovel the driveway.

Dells and Dwarves

My mom gave us the "Snow White" movie for Christmas, and Clara will go around the house singing, "Hi-HO!" She's trying to sing "Hi-ho, it's off to work we go" and then she tries to sing and then hum the whistling part. But she keeps getting interrupted by her hiccups. I think it's pretty hilarious.



Here she's singing the end of The Farmer in the Dell, "the rat takes the cheese." In our book, after they pull the farmer out, everyone dances around and then the farmer falls backwards into the dell again. Here Clara keeps falling backward into the dell. I think she's pretty cute.

Tools, Goggles and Ponytails

Clara found Jason's swim goggles and pretended to "swim" around the room.

Clara and her imaginary friend, who is wearing her snow clothes. Jason was making the snow clothes dance around the room, which Clara thought was hilarious.

She has finally gotten enough hair that we can pull into a ponytail, but she hardly ever lets me. I think she looks like such a big girl.


She is always dragging Jason's tool kit out and is trying to hammer screws and nails into the walls, so we got her some tools of her own. She kept hugging us in the store and saying, "Thank you!" She's been playing with it for 40 minutes and just said, "This is my favorite toy I've ever seen in the whole world!" Now that's an endorsement!