Little Owl

Claire often makes little owl noises - perhaps inspired by her shirt?

Mana has arrived!

And she brought Papa, Simone and Aileen - more photos to come.

Pretty Party

Last Monday, Claire and I visited the Benefit Cosmetics store on Chestnut Street for a "Pretty Party" with my February baby playgroup. I received a free brow wax and makeover while Claire was an angel. She even slept in her stroller for the first half hour, waking up just in time to sit on my lap as hot wax hovered over her head and landed on my brows. Two employees commented that Claire looks like a baby doll.

Photos of the event can be seen on the "Secret Life of a Benefit Girl" blog.

Front to back:

Jackson, Curran, Victor, Ellie, Claire

Daycare agrees with her

Claire likes spending time with Ellen at daycare. She'll go there full
time starting in August when Stuart Hall resumes after summer
vacation. She's there today as a stopgap until Mana arrives to take
over for the next two weeks.

Three Months

Here she is with her elephant at three months old

Escape artist

Twice now Claire has wiggled herself right out of her sleeve
overnight. We wake in the morning to see her cold, bare arm. Quite a
talent!

Tummy Time

If we catch Claire at the right time and in the right mood, she really does well at tummy time. She adores the mirror (sounds vain, but most (all?) babies like mirrors) and really gets her head up. Sometimes she lifts her head and feet and is balancing on her belly button.

Franklin wants in on the action.

Brunch with Robin and Arnaud

I'm thrilled that my friend Robin has moved to the Bay Area. Robin and I cheered and suffered through differential equations together at Dartmouth. She is now an attorney in Palo Alto and she and her husband Arnaud live near the ball park.

Robin and Arnaud had us over for brunch on Saturday, where we enjoyed their fabulous view while dining on home made sourdough pancakes with berry compote and bacon. In addition, they had a very special guest, 4 month old Santiago. Santiago's mother, also Robin, cheered with us as well. Robin and her husband were off celebrating their anniversary while Godparents Robin and Arnaud babysat. What a cutie!

Santiago helps open the Champagne bottle

Friends Holding Claire, a Series

I try to snap a photo whenever someone besides me holds Claire. This is the series so far (excluding family - those are posted in abundance!)

Janice, a colleague of Matt's, visited us at the hospital.

Mark, whose fabulous wedding we attended in Savannah last April, visited one evening with his wife Jenn. Both held her; both left adorned with spit up.

Maggie valiantly tried to get Claire to fall asleep. We appreciated the effort, but alas it was in vain.

Claire is still not as big as Greg was when he was born.

Anne coordinated nicely with Claire's outfit.

With 5 nieces and nephews, Brian is still not comfortable with the infant holding. He looks forward to toddlerhood and beyond.

Robin, my friend my Dartmouth year, claimed her as soon as we walked in the door.

Olivia was excited to hold the baby, with assistance from Lisa.

Earth Day 2010

Baby's First Muni Ride

I wonder if they make a bib for this first.

On our way to meet Claire's February baby friends at playgroup near
Ocean Beach. Why bother with the car when she revolts against her car
seat?

Not bad for a Thursday evening get-Claire-to-nap walk

Claire and Lauren in Action

We spent Easter weekend in Torrance with Betsy, Evan and Lauren. The girls had lots of quality time with each other playing on the floor. Frequently, Lauren would mistake Claire for a toy and try to put her in her mouth.

Rolling

Claire has started rolling over! She first performed this feat on 4/8 in Palm Springs and has done so a few times a day since. Here, I caught one of her rolls on camera:

Spring Break, Part 2, Palm Springs

Phase two of our Spring Break vacation was 4 nights in Palm Springs at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. Toby and Steve joined us for this part of the trip (retirement suits them, and their travel!). We found a good deal on a 2 bedroom villa which gave us a living room and a large outdoor area with hot tub. Having the villa meant we could hang out at home base but not feel cooped up in a hotel room. The outdoor space was fantastic!

This trip marked Claire's first time in a swimming pool. She enjoyed lots of cuddle time with Mana & Papa and some great fresh air naps.

Claire loves bath time anyway, but this was even better because of the giant mirror!

The scenery is amazing. Matt and Steve played two rounds of golf on what they say are two of the most beautiful courses they've ever played.

Concerned look as she enters the pool. The water is not quite as warm as her baths!

A bunch of girls, age 6-8 I'd guess, were fascinated by Claire. At one point, we were surrounded by them.

After all the swimming, it was time to nap. Toby walked her around as she slept, noting that the bathing suit's hood made a great sleep mask. Perhaps we should always dress her in hoodies to block the stimuli.

I like vacation!

Ok, who put on this diaper?

Cozy after her second day of swimming

Saying her goodbyes - just 4 weeks until the next visit!

Steve's photos of the trip can be found here.

Open Air Snooze

I could get used to having her nap on shaded grass. The hum of the
lawn mower provides her white noise. All in all a lovely day in Palm
Springs.

Spring Break, Part 1, Misc

Here are some more miscellaneous photos from the weekend in Torrance - they are too cute to keep to myself.

Pit stop en route to SoCal - side of the road burping

Lauren entertaining her self in her crib at the end of her nap - with one sock

(Safely) enjoying the warm sunshine in the backyard

Sun hats are all the rage for the under 1 set

Matt's trying to figure out what's so fun about lying down with arms up

Mom, I can't see!

Must. Get. Every. Last. Bit.

You have a little something on your face.