Claire 5 months

Claire was sleeping better and then 2 teeth decided to pop through and now she is back to feeding every 3 hours during the night. I go back and forth of feeling bad for her and feeding her just so she will sleep and then getting frustrated that I am feeding her so much. It's got to be tough teething but it is also tough for me getting only 3 hours of sleep at a time. She has decided recently that she doesn't like the binky. I think it has something to do with teething. The stress of nursing a baby. She loves being around Ben and Siena. Just this week we got giggles out of her when the kids are playing with her. She is a very alert baby and is always looking for Ben and Siena.

I don't know why this is so dark. She couldn't figure out if she wanted the binky or not.







Siena entertaining her. Claire thought Siena was so funny.

Daves birthday!

Ben and Siena had a fun time making cards and finding things they could give daddy for his birthday.

Siena found a birthday crown for him.

The cake was on fire. 34 pink candles for our daddy.

Dave turned 34 on Tuesday. We had to go about our normal days activities but Dave and I did get to go out that night. The kids were so excited to decorate for his birthday and make him a cake. We made brownies and had ice cream and rasberries. It was delicious. We are lucky enough to have Dave's sister Karin living with us while she looks for a job around here. I told her she could be my nanny but she wasn't too excited about that. Things have been a little boring around here this week. So Dave and I got to go out while cool Aunt Karin watched the kids. We went to a fun Brazilian steak house Texas de Brazil.

Siena rides

She did it! Siena is so good at riding her 2 wheel bike now. She can start and stop all by herself. It's amazing!

Claire in her little Bumbo seat.

I realized if you tell Siena here is an Easter dress or a Christmas dress she will just wear it for that holiday. I found her Easter dress the other day and explained that she could wear it more than just one Sunday.

I don't know how we seem to stay busy but we do. I can't really remember what we have been doing but somehow the days keep passing by and we find something to fill them up with. If you ask Dave what we have been doing he will say spending money. I don't know where or how or on what but I am sure that is what he thinks I do all day. The weather has become more pleasant around here, not so humid. We have been out to the water parks frequently and now I realize we should have bought a season pass there because I have spent the same amount of money going as I would if I just bought the pass at the beginning of the summer. Next year I know. Claire is really good at the pool and likes being in the water for a short period of time. The kids are so good at swimming. I am nervous that they will lose it all by next summer. Siena will swim underwater a couple feet and Ben will go under occasionally. Only 2 more weeks till our big vacation to the beach. Before then I am trying to gear myself up for Siena going to Kindergarten. She is so excited. The other day we tried walking there and it was like pulling teeth. The kids were so miserable. They complained the whole way and wanted me to carry them. It was awful and Claire got sunburned being in the stroller. I knew we weren't going to be able to walk to school in the mornings because we just aren't morning people and would never make it there on time but it seems like the afternoon may be a struggle too. It is 1/2 a mile so for Ben to walk there and back is a mile. We did it Sunday for our family walk and it was really nice and the kids enjoyed it so it may be possible some days. Siena can't stop talking about school and I hope she really likes it as much as she thinks she will. I think she will. I hope I will be okay with her being gone all day. It just seems so sad to me. I can't believe I have a Kindergartner. I keep telling myself that I still have 2 weeks. She has started the reading program where if they read a book and fill out this paper about it and turn it in by the second day of school they get to go to an ice cream party. She is so excited about this I have had to limit one book per day rule. Somehow she thinks she can read. Mostly she has just memorized the books. We go to the library and she picks out all the books that are level 1 reader and she thinks she can read them. Then when I correct her on one of the words she gets all frustrated. It is frustrating for both of us and I can say I am glad that she is going to school and learning from a teacher and not me or we both would be frustrated a lot. She knows how to write a couple words and I think that is why she thinks she knows how to read. She is doing a good job with the books and she thinks it is fun to read them to Claire so it helps me out. Claire doesn't care what she reads or what she says so it's good for all of us. Ben is as crazy as ever. He is still obsessed with super heros. It is sad but I think he is about done with naps. He still takes one occassionally but it is usually at 4 or 5 in the afternoon when he has just fallen over from complete exhaustion. I don't know how I am going to entertain him all day when Siena is gone at school. Claire is as cute as ever. She still is not laughing which I worry about but we think Dave got a laugh out of her the other day. She popped a tooth on the bottom which is crazy early for my kids. The other two didn't get any till 10 months. She isn't even 5 months. I guess she just isn't in a laughing mood with teeth coming in. So now she is sucking on everything. I am trying to hold off feeding her solids until after our beach trip. She is mostly a happy baby though. I came out of my room today to Ben dragging Claire by one arm across the hall. I don't think I have ever yelled so loud. I was so mad. Poor Claire it looked like her arm was going to come out and Ben had no idea. I still have to protect Claire from Ben. Eventually I think Claire will torture him just give her a couple years.