Katie's 2 Month Check Up

Kate had her appointment with Dr. Clarke (one of Mommy's many heroes) yesterday, and everything looked great! She weighs 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was 22 1/2 inches long - both her height and weight are in the 25%tile, which is a huge increase from the measly 3rd%tile she was at our last visit. Thunder Thighs is growing fast!

Kate also got her first round of shots and handled the actual shot part well. Later, when the Tylenol was wearing off and the wound was still new, she had a really rough time. Mommy and Kate just sat and cried in a warm bath for about an hour while the new dose of meds kicked in. Luckily, I was still recovering from the Christmas week, and so I slept right through her cries... but Mama says that Kate's cries were a totally new kind of sad. Apparently, Kate has lived a relatively painless little life until now and she didn't know what hit her!

(She's feeling MUCH better today and already her fever has gone back down! Praise God!)

Christmas: A New Way of Life

Katie-Bear's Official Christmas Uniform

This wonderful thing called Christmas has become a way of life for me of late. Mommy and Daddy counted 8 days in a row of some sort of Christmas... tomorrow is going to be a real shocker when I don't have someone offering presents to me at every turn!

This weekend, we got to go to Lockhart and have more Christmas! We got to have our first Christmas at Aunt Sandie's house and I had so much fun playing with my second cousins David, Derrick and Jenna!

Nanny's Christmas

Playing Chalk with David

It was a beautiful mess!

Then, I got to go play at my Great-Mimi's house. I immediately took to my cousins and also enjoyed all of the puppies (at one point, there were 8 dogs in the backyard!)

Christmas at Mimi and Gran's

I got to spend the night one night on my special princess sheets at Mimi's house and one night on a magic bed that appeared from under another bed at Nanny's house. There were so many adults that Kate and I BOTH got plenty of attention. I love visiting Lockhart and can't wait for my next trip!

Click here for more pictures of my weekend

Merry Last Christmas! (sort of... Uncle Trey and Aunt Erin will be here next month to celebrate...)

Watch out Kristie Yamaguchi...

Here I come!

"I so glad Jesus..."

Christmas Day is here!

I woke up this morning to find Santa came to my house! He brought me 2 Barbies, a car, a princess tent, Rudolph figurines, and a stocking full of wonderful things! It was sort of scary when Mommy told me this morning that Santa came last night. He's quite the imposing figure, and I didn't know how I felt about him in my house. Once Mommy cleared up that Santa came and left, though, I quite enjoyed the things he left behind.

My Santa Stash

After Santa presents, I went to see my Nonnie and her family. I got to open more princess presents (perfect for me!), another stocking full of wonderful things, and a leopard jacket that my Great-Nonnie hand made just for me! It was so fun to play with everyone and show off my baby sister. I especially enjoyed dressing princess Ariel in her many outfits and playing with a doll house and baby doll.

My new coat from Great-Nonnie!

We came back home for naptime and a relaxing rest of the day. After all of the presents and excitement of the last week, I walked up to Mommy this afternoon and said, "Mommy, I so glad Jesus." Mommy's pretty sure it comes from the "Happy Birthday Jesus" song*, but Mama and Daddy both stopped for a moment of appreciation at the sweetness and innocence a toddler brings to the season. Merry Christmas, everyone!

And because Mommy cannot just pick 3 pics, click here for more.

*("Happy Birthday Jesus, I'm so glad it's Christmas...")

Christmas in Wales

Christmas with Nana and DD is always done up right, and this year was no exception!

We started with a first class lunch from Chef Emeril "DD" Wales. Later on, we got to go to a candlelit service at Nana and DD's church. The most exciting moment of the night came when I was helping Daddy hold the candle. I was being ever so careful, but curiosity got the better of me and I leaned over to see Amanda and David's candles, too. Well, I leaned right into the candle and POOF! my hair caught fire! There's a section of my head that had soot marks on it and that is bald from the fire. Because Daddy was such a fast-acting hero and "patted" out the fire so quickly, it's only a small spot (also, I hear, hair doesn't really burn, it just smokes...). In all of Mommy's years of going to candlelit services, she's never once heard of someone catching on fire. I guess it takes an Avery Leigh to do something like that!

Moments before the Smoking Hair Incident

After all of that excitement, we got to go to Nana and DD's for presents. I got some wonderful things, but the best present of all was an authentic, straight from Disney World, Cinderella castle complete with singing doors, lights, all the princesses and their princes, and even Minnie and Mickey sculpted plants! This thing could not be more magical, and I have been playing with it every moment I can since I opened it!


Chef DD and the castle

A thing of beauty...

Kate is 2 months old today and is (in my humble opinion) one of God's greatest masterpieces. Her beauty takes our breath away, and we love her calm, easy going personality.

Kate's current accomplishments include:
Sleeping 5-7 hour stretches at night
Eating like a cow and gaining weight rapidly (9.0 pounds at time of post!)
Cooing and "social" smiling
Grasping objects that happen to be in her way

Avery has really taken to her and shows her love much like my old cat used to - by bringing "gifts" and laying them at my feet. Avery's gifts are usually works of art and favorite stuffed animals, although yesterday Kate also got several pieces of princess jewelry.

I tried to capture Kate's finest moments (cooing and smiling) on camera, but this is the best I was able to do:

A Very McClinton Christmas

In my new princess gear

On Saturday, we got to kick off the official Christmas celebration with Christmas at the McClinton house. Mommy and Daddy had been building it up for me, because they wanted to make sure I was prepared for all of the fun, faces, and activities I'd be encountering. While it did prepare me and I had a blast, it also ensured I would absolutely NOT nap during naptime on Saturday - I was just waaaay too excited!

We had a blast at the McClinton Christmas. My half-cousin, Olivia, was there, and I loved playing with her and learning all about being "a big girl now" (my new phrase... Olivia is 4 and had a lot of big girl toys!) I got to play with Grandma and Grandpa and Mimi and Popi and Uncle Sean and Jennifer and even my great-great grandmother Te-Ta! The house was full of love and fun and Daddy carved his first turkey so that Popi could keep holding Kate (she was happiest in his arms). Mommy and Daddy have learned their no-nap lesson and have not told me yet that this was just one of many wonderful celebrations for Christmas. I guess the rest will just have to be a surprise!

5 Generations of McClintons

Avery-Lee and Christmas

Last night, Mimi and Papa came over and brought Kate and me our Christmas gifts. I got an extra-special, princess-worthy, interactive vanity. You should see this thing! I can put make-up on Aurora and she tells me how gorgeous my color choices are and everything. It is perfection!
-Avery

Hello, World!

For some time now, "Avery" has been sending out weekly emails to her family, weaving tales from the week. It's one of my favorite things to do each Monday... I love "seeing" the world through her eyes and telling everyone about the fun she's had.

Jordan has been an advocate for blogging since these emails started last summer, but I've hesitated for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is because I love writing the emails from Avery's point of view so much, but have never seen a blog done like that and wasn't sure how it would translate to the new format. (The other reason, as you will soon see, is that each week I have at least 15 pictures I feel I must share! :))

After months of encouragement from DH, I've decided to give it a go. Every week, "Avery" will post, but occasionally I will post as well. I'm going to give this blogging thing a try and see how it goes!

More Christmas!

Hey family!

It was another Christmas-y week, complete with shopping, parties, and new house decor!

I asked Daddy to put lights on the house, and he couldn't resist my sweet smile. Then, while we were at Walgreens the other day, Mommy spotted an inflatable Rudolph ("Rude-Opp") that was half off! Since Rude-Opp is my current obsession, a $10 inflatable was perfect! Every night, I ask Daddy to take me out to see Rude-Opp and say goodnight to him.

On Wednesday, it snowed! It was very little snow, but enough to make me do a happy dance and spend some good time out there with Daddy. I also got to go to my school Christmas party this week. It wasn't quite what I expected, because it was missing balloons, candy, and presents... I turned to mom after the story, healthy snack, and craft, and said, "OK, Party Now!" School parties are verrry different. Luckily, we also got to celebrate at my playgroup's Christmas party on Saturday night. I enjoyed being with my friends and eating chocolate covered marshmallows, cookies, and brownies! (My kind of party!)

This week, our new church building got ready for us. Our last Sunday as a church without a home was last week. No more getting to church early to set up drums and sound systems! Yea!

Click here for pictures of the week (also included: a picture of me "nursing" my baby and being sweet to my sister!)

Love you!

Avery

Avery is Thankful for...

I asked Avery to list the things she is thankful for this Thanksgiving, and this is the list she gave me (with great gusto):

Mommy

Kate

Oscar

Dottie

Everybody ("A-body")

My milk

Daddy

Princesses

My books

Oscar and Dottie (Really thankful for them, apparently!)

The list continued from there, to name all of Avery's relatives, several friends, and some other things that might not have actually meant to be on the list - "my milk spilling", "Baby Kate awake", etc. :)

This Thanksgiving, we were especially thankful for our girls, our health, and all of our amazing families that have rallied behind us with so much love and support.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pictures from Kate and Avery's Thanksgiving (There are a lot of them! And turn up your volume for a music video from Trey and Jordan)

Angela, Jordan, Avery, and Kate