Tu-Tu Cute!

Aunt Joi sent Clara this tu-tu.  Isn't it adorable?  Girls clothes are so much fun!! Here's our sweet girl at 2.5 weeks:

Halloween

Yep, you read it right....Halloween.  While the whole world is getting ready for Christmas I want to take a minute to backtrack and blog about our Halloween.  We had a great time celebrating the spookiest day of the year! :)  Jackson decided months before that he wanted to be a Cowboy.  I'm pretty sure Toy Story and Sheriff Woody had a big influence in his decision.  Knowing he had jeans and cowboy boots already in his closet I was thrilled with his choice.  All he needed was a cowboy hat (he asked for a big one), belt and a shirt.  More than anyone, Pawpaw, a cowboy at heart himself, loved his choice of costume.  The day before Clara was born Pawpaw took J shopping and made sure his costume was complete.  Have to admit, he made one adorable cowboy!

Jackson wore Cole's cowboy belt from when he was a boy.  J thought it was very cool to wear the same belt daddy wore when he was his age.  Good thing they have the same middle name!

Grammy and Pop came in town for the weekend to meet Clara and help Jackson trick or treat.  They brought Jackson the finishing touch for his costume a gun holster and a little orange pop gun.  He got a big kick out of quoting Woody...."reach for the sky!"

J had a great time trick or treating and by the end of the night he even won the heart of Cinderella....

Not to be out done by her older brother, Clara insisted on dressing up too.  She chose a lovely flower costume.  I love the look on her face in the pic below.  You can just tell she's thinking, "what has mommy dressed me in now?!?!?"

foursome

Below are the first few pics of our new family of FOUR.

Clara 5 days old

Clara 10 days old

Clara 17 days

Jackson meets Baby Sister

I will never forget the moment Jackson met Clara.  He  bounded into the hospital room and ran straight to the bassinet.  Once there he stood on tip toe and said very loudly, "Hi Baby Sister.  Its ME!"  Then he demanded to hold her.  We sat him on the couch and placed sister on the boppy pillow so he could "hold her." Next thing I know he's giggling and said "Mommy, sister licked me!"  Before I could even react he leaned down and licked the side of her face.  Then he said, "Its ok Mommy.  I licked her back."  I couldn't help but think to myself this is just the beginning.

Over the next few weeks the "newness" of sister wore off and Jackson slowly realized she was here to stay.  After waiting months for her to arrive, I think he was slightly disappointed at her inability to play with him.  Below are a couple of comments he made while adjusting to our new family of four.

"Why did she come out of your tummy?  Can you put her back?"

"Mommy, put her up. Put her in her crib or in the pack in pay (pack n play)."

"Nice to meet you"  while shaking her foot like you would someone's hand. 

"Mommy, did she toot? Why does she poop in that diaper?"

"I don't want to smell her anymore. She stinks." (After she spit up a little while sitting next to him)

"Mommy, her eyes are awake!!"  (he says this one all the time and in complete amazement any time he sees her eyes open.)

"Mommy, I like her."

"Mommy, she looks cute.  She looks perfect for us."  (one morning after I finished dressing her)
"Mommy why is sister eating you?" (he walked into her room while I was feeding her....when I explained that this is the way sister eats because she is not big enough to eat food like he does he responded with.....
"No she doesn't, she not a goat!"  (no idea why goats came to mind)

One thing is obvious, Jackson loves his baby sister.  He tells everyone we see,  "I have a new baby sister.  Her name is Tara E lizbith."   Its so fun to watch him with her.  He sings her songs and shows her all of his animals.  She is starting to return the affection.  She lights up when he talks to her and instantly stops crying when he pays her attention.  It is so sweet! I love watching them together.  Can't wait to see how their relationship grows and develops!  

Clara is here!!

Our precious Clara Elizabeth arrived on Wednesday, October 13th at 6:57 pm.  She weighed a healthy 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20 inches long.  What a tremendous blessing!   I can't wait to post more about her arrival but as you can imagine life with a newborn and a big brother under the weather doesn't allow much time for blogging.  Don't worry I'm making a list of everything I'd like to share and hope to catch up in the next few weeks.  For now here are a few pictures of our new little angel.

First pic with mommy and daddy

Mommy and Clara

First kiss from big brother

First day home

Berry Patch Farms

Jackson and I spent the morning picking raspberries.  We went to Berry Patch Farms with some friends and had a great time.  Actually, let me clarify, Mommy spent the morning picking berries Jackson spent the morning eating berries (the raspberries are organic and safe to eat off the bush).  He ate as fast as he picked and any that mom put in his basket.  Lucky for J, mom was diligent in her efforts and managed to fill a basket....just about enough for a tasty cobbler for dessert tonight!!

A Day out with Thomas

We spent our Saturday with Thomas the Train!  The Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Golden (about 30 minutes from Denver), hosts a Day out with Thomas Event each year.   This was our second year to attend.  It is so much fun!  I thought Jackson loved it last year but this year was even better.  He ran from exhibit to exhibit with a huge smile on his face.

The ticket price includes admission to the museum, a 25 minute ride on a full size Thomas and access to all of the carnival style Thomas exhibits.  It is definitely a Thomas enthusiast's paradise and Jackson was in heaven.  He had his picture taken with Thomas, met Sir Topham Hatt for story time and played with all of the elaborate train sets in the Imagination Station.  A local fire station brought one of its trucks for the kids to sit in.  They also passed out jr. fireman helmets to all the kids.  The regular trains at the museum are fun to look at and explore as well.   It was a great family outing and we are already looking forward to next year!