Update in Words (for Photo Update, Scroll Down)

CLAIRE AT 12 MONTHS
She's a walker. One week she wasn't, the next she was. She started walking pretty much full time about two weeks before her birthday and hasn't looked back (or forward for that matter - which means she walks right over any obstacles in her way)!
She's a talker. She says lots of words here and there, but isn't consistent in her real word usage. She babbles, that's for sure! She will occasionally say Mama, says "DAD" (capped because it's usually said loudly and with enthusiasm), kitty cat, dog (usually followed by "bark, bark, bark"), this, that, yes, uh oh, juice, brush (of the hair or tooth variety), bite, and eat. There are probably more I've forgotten.
She has a few fascinations. She loves the neighbors' two mini dachsunds and wants to visit daily. She is VERY interested in the toilet and already shows signs that she will be interested in potty training early. (She will often bring me a diaper or go to her changing table when she's too soggy for her comfort). She loves the computer, especially the wires and cables - yikes!
She's independent. Claire is already self-feeding with a spoon and fork. I am actually surprised to see just how well she does eating cereal and apple sauce with a spoon and handling all sorts of things with her fork. She has actually gotten to where she doesn't want to eat things unless she has a fork or spoon to eat with.
She's small. She actually didn't show growth from her last doctor's visit, which is unusual, but we're not alarmed at this point. I think she'll hit a late growth spurt. She's 28.25 inches tall (25th percentile) and 18lbs. 4oz. (25th percentile). However, considering she has been weaned and started walking between the last check-up and this one, that may explain it all. She can still wear many 9 month outfits and is just beginning to wear some 12 month, throwing off some of my careful planning on wardrobe for the fall/winter. I guess we'll be hitting the consignment sale for her as well as for Evie!

20 WEEK UPDATE ON EVELYN
At 20 weeks pregnant, I have gained around 5 lbs. I have had remarkably good blood pressure (really low) so far, which is a great start since with Claire mine got seriously high toward the end and stayed high for nearly 2 months post pregnancy. Evelyn is proving to be a real wiggle worm. I can actually see her movements already in addition to feeling them, and even Claire has been able to feel her move from time to time (though, of course, she has no idea what it means).
At our last doctor's appointment we were told that Evelyn's progress will be monitored week to week starting at 32 weeks and that the delivery will come whenever the tests show that she has stopped thriving in the womb. We are hoping that delivery will be post-week 35, but planning ahead for an arrival as early as Thanksgiving. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy this trimester as it is much less complicated than the other two.

7 YEAR UPDATE FOR MER AND GEOFF
Today is mine and Geoff's seventh anniversary. It has been a full and interesting 7 years and all I can say is, "so far, so good." We're happy, we're healthy, and we have a growing family. Our cup overflows!

Birthday Photo Update

I'm not going to overload the blog with birthday photos, so I'm just sharing a few...

What are birthdays for?

OPENING GIFTS... EATING CAKE...
(ABOVE: Claire with cousins Matthew and Jonathan)

AND SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY BOTH NEAR...(Above Claire with cousins Sara and Mercy and neighbor Katie)

AND FAR... (Pop and Nani watching Claire eat her cake via Skype)

Happy Birthday, Sweet Claire!

Enjoyed a mud cake at our friend Isaiah's 1st birthday party. (Mommy used this as a precurser to figure out what Claire would do when confronted with her own cake tomorrow at her party - it's gonna be messy!)

Received a singing telegram from her cousins

And spent some time in the sprinkler

Tomorrow holds a party and surprise visitors!!! Happy birthday, my sweet girl!

Today - Then and Now

At this time one year ago, I was lying in a hospital bed in labor and delivery. The doctor had successfully turned Claire from a breach position into a head-down position, but something didn't feel right. I kept telling Geoff I didn't want to go home, that I was ready to have her. The doctors thought we might go home, but Claire wasn't doing all that well. We were in for one long day and night, made longer by the fact that I hadn't been able to eat for 24 hours due to the version (procedure to turn the baby).

This year today
I've been working on checking all those little things off my pre-birthday-party list so that I can spend tomorrow with my big one-year-old girl. I tried to take a nap, but at almost 18 weeks in utero, Evelyn is too squirmy for me to doze off this afternoon. I'm remembering this time last year and feeling thankful for my husband, thankful for my OB who is caring for me and Evie this year, and a little nervous about Evie's arrival in 16 to 20 weeks.

Evelyn Jane Peel

Here's baby sister at 16 weeks and 2 days. Sorry it has taken me so very long to update the blog. It's been a long and busy couple of weeks! Evelyn was literally so active that we hardly got any good still shots. I am hoping to upload a portion of the video soon. I've felt her little movements from time to time, but I am so busy with Claire that I don't feel Evie move as often as I'd like to. I'm sure that will change as she grows.
It's a BIG week in the Peel house with our little girl turning a year old on Friday. Expect plenty of pictures to mark this momentous occasion, as well as video of her eating cake and walking.