Category Archives: Familia

Clare’s Birth Story

There isn’t all that much to say about Clare’s actual birth.  It’s really the months leading up to it and the days following that make any kind of story at all.  That said, be warned that this is really, really long.

When we found out we were pregnant again, we started looking for the next best thing to a home birth, because we didn’t think that there was a midwife nearby who would take us.  So we looked into the new birthing center at Oschner in Baton Rouge, (actually, we looked at it before we found out we were pregnant…but who’s counting?) and it all looked pretty good.  So we had a couple of appointments there, figuring that it was very close to Craig’s parents’ house, and only a tiny bit further from our house than we had to drive for Samantha’s birth.

Christmas 2010

I only have a couple of pictures, but here are some of the Christmas festivities.  A couple of weeks ahead of time, Craig made a gingerbread house.  It never did get decorated!

Christmas was two days after I got out of the hospital from the original bleeding episode, so no pics of me!  But here are the girls, dressed and ready for mass.

Of pickles and hot-tars

The mini-guitar has made a reappearance the last couple of days, and Samantha has been handling it well enough that I don’t have to fear too much for its safety now.  Funny things that go with the guitar:  Lucy used to call it a hot-tar, and the pick a pickle.  Samantha has the pick right (although Craig now calls it a pickle…) but she says “but-tar”.  It’s held Samantha’s attention better than anything else I can think of recently, and today she was strumming and making up songs.  One included monsters, and I think she sang, “Monster, monster, don’t come get me!”  Another repeated, “Grandpa died, Grandpa died, now in Heaven” over and over.  I’m waiting to hear tomorrow’s songs…

Lucy’s birthday party, now that she is almost 4 1/2

So the pictures are a little late.  But we made the cakes ourselves.  Lucy wanted pink and purple and cake and cupcakes.  So the guests could choose what they liked best, of course.  : )

Papa Ben and Samantha (and Mary Lou’s famous Jello in the foreground.)

Uncle Sean with the Birthday Girl.

Mimi, B-Bob and Nana helped celebrate.

It takes a lot of concentration to blow out those candles!

Lucy got a little more help than she really wanted blowing out the candles.

Termite Invasion III

I hate this time of year.  The termites are swarming, and a few always manage to make it into the house, which is gross in itself, but sends the girls into a panic.  We’ll see if we sleep tonight.

Does she ever sleep in her bed?

You tell me.  The last one was shortly after an extended screaming session last week.  She laid in bed with me and Clare for a bit, then announced that she had to go potty, and when I got up (Clare had already napped and didn’t want to lay down any more) this is where I found her.

A Photo Update…I hope

Let’s see how far I get with this – we’ve been too busy living to spend time writing about living lately!  So here’s what I’ve got saved up…

According to my camera, this is from last June.  But I think the date is wrong, and it was actually October.  Either way, it’s been a while since I went through the pics on the camera!

Livin’ Large

Craig: Did you know your Mom is 28 years old?

Lucy: She’s so large!

Horses…

Lucy turned the rocking horse on its side since it was sick, and was looking at its tummy.  ”It’s a girl,” she announced.  ”How can you tell?” asked Grandma.  Lucy: “It has eyelashes.”

Quotes from Clare’s 1st week

A little late, as she is now two weeks old!  I thought I had already posted this.

I just wish I could remember them all…the girls have been on a roll!

Samantha: “Why your bottom is scary?” (“Scary” is how I described my incision.  I don’t know why she thinks it’s on my bottom.)

*****

Grandma: “What we need is a yardstick.” exits toward room where yardsticks live.

Lucy: runs for the back yard to get a stick.

*****

Samantha (chalkboard eraser in hand): “I don’t want Lucy on there anymore.”  (She tried to remove her drawing from the calendar.)