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.

Mother/Daughter Bonding Time

Christopher made President's Club again this year and is currently in (Aruba, Jamaica...) BERMUDA. Since Claire is a bit too young for international jet-setting, he is going it alone. He was not particularly looking forward to taking this trip solo—I actually had to convince him to go—but we just skyped tonight and he's looking tanned and happy after spending the day playing beach volleyball and cooling off in the turquoise ocean. I almost had to laugh when he asked me what I did today. Well, let's see. I did a couple loads of laundry, attempted to scrub dried baby poop off of a pillow, and got in-n-out for dinner with a baby fussing in the backseat!

But I don't feel like I'm missing out at all. Seriously. I used to always hate that poem "...you are my piece of foreign sky" because it seemed so defeatist, but I am totally feeling the author's sentiments right now!

Life with Claire is pure, unadulterated joy. For the last 8 weeks, our days have been simple, but magical. I have the feeling that years from now, I am going to look back on this time with fondness and longing...so I am clinging to it with all of my might, because she is growing and changing by the day.

8 weeks facts-at-a-glance:

Consistently sleeping through the night. It is delicious to my soul.

Beginnings of social smiles...and still the queen of the biggest, munchkiny sleep grins.

Outgrowing almost all of her newborn clothes. Chris had to put a bunch of them away because I think I would have tried to keep stuffing her in them, they are so tiny and darling.

Loves bathtime, diaper changes, and Claude Debussy (her pack and play has a music feature that plays "Clair de lune")

Dislikes inward-facing baby bjorn, gas pain, and tummy time.

Does not like to be in a stationary vehicle, but will sometimes accept attempts to "rock" her by pumping the break pedal on and off at a stoplight.

(Hopefully) likes being mugged on 24/7.

Hey! I'm one month old! And I am an awesome baby because...

I am cute and pweem* (bye bye baby acne!)

I sleep pretty darn well (6 hours...sometimes!), love to eat & am growing like gangbusters!

I make lots of fun expressions, follow you with my eyes, grunt, snort, coo...

Eye you suspiciously, and sometimes even...

Smile.

*A made up family word for smooth/creamy/flawless. Another example: the surface of a jar of peanut butter right after you open it is pweemness at its finest.

Baby's first Sunday!

Claire's talents for hiccuping and grunting are unsurpassed!