Clara the Ballerina

Clara just finished her first dance class at Wishes Studio in Fishers. We went for 6 weeks and this week she got to show off what she had learned in a small recital. Blair, Elias, grandma Toni and I were all in attendance for Clara's big show. We are a little partial, but we thought she was the cutest sugar plum fairy out there! ;0

The sugar plum fairies!

Each girl had a solo dance. Here's Clara in the spotlight!

and the aerobesque...not bad for a 4yo! ;0

jingle jingle dance

Clara Elizabeth 'the ballerina'

A photo of Clara, Leslie the dog and grandma Toni

Happy 4th Birthday Clara

Happy Birthday to my sweet Clara. Every mother says this, but where did the time go?! Four years old sounds so old! I think it really hit me when I went shopping for Clara and realized I could now shop in the 'girl' section at stores to buy size 4/5. My baby is not a toddler anymore! :( Although saddened to see my 'baby' grow up, I am blessed to see her blooming into a beautiful little girl!

Clara is such a sweet girl. She is very thoughtful, kind and loves her family. She also is in LOVE with all animals, especially with dogs and horses. I asked Clara what kind of birthday party theme she wanted and she quickly said, "My Little Pony!" This is fitting for the year's theme, since she was My Little Pony for Halloween and loves her ponies and barn to play with at home.

On Saturday, Blair and I decided to take Clara out for a special birthday outing just the three of us. We left Elias behind with his auntie Ty. Clara thought it was pretty cool to have all of mom and dad's attention. We went to Build-A-Bear in hopes of making our very own pony. Clara has never been to Build-A-Bear, so this was a special treat. Upon getting there the staff greeted Clara with a birthday sticker and we started to look for the perfect animal to make. Unfortunately they don't keep stock of the horses in the stores, so we had to settle for the second favorite animal in Clara's book...a dog! She picked out a Jack Russell Terrier to make. She LOVED watching her doggie get stuffed and was able to do the heart ceremony (rubbing the heart on her nose, so the dog 'knows' her, holding the heart to her heart and kissing it before putting it in her doggie). We did upgrade to the pulsing heart, which pulses like a real heartbeat in the dog. SOOOOOO cool! Clara then went to give her dog a bath and then on to name it. She said her dog was a girl and named is Leslie. Blair and I aren't sure where Leslie came from, but that's what she picked! :) She's been sleeping with her dog ever since. She told us she was going to be the best owner ever! Ahhh melt my heart! I told you she was sweet!

On Sunday (Clara's actual birthday), we had a family party. We decorated My Little Pony style with pink and purple streamers. Daddy even picked up a few balloons...one being a huge pony balloon! Clara was in heaven! We had a wonderful time celebrating with family. Clara's response after we all sang Happy Birthday to her was, 'Ah thanks guys!' :) :) :)

We are so excited to see what the age of 4 brings. We are sure to be kept on our toes at times, but I anticipate lots of heart warming memories as well! Clara has been saying to me recently, "Mom...will you be my best friend forever?" If that question is any sign of the 4's...I'm going to LOVE them!

Happy Halloween

Clara as My Little Pony-Star Song and Eli as the happy dinnasaur


We had a fun Halloween this year. Around the first week of September I started asking Clara what she wanted to be for Halloween. She went back and forth from Strawberry Shortcake to My Little Pony. Finally, at the start of October Clara decided she wanted to be My Little Pony-Star Song. As a mom, I said, "well then My Little Pony-Star Song it is!" While saying this I was thinking, "how in the world am I going to make this outfit?!" :) Let me pause for a moment...THANK YOU mom for all the Halloween costumes you made for me ! I know you put lots of TLC into them! Well, after lots of stops to find a purple sweat suit and all the accessories needed, we had our very own pony! Clara had a blast being a pony and it's quite fitting since she LOVES horses right now!

Eli was a happy dragon (or dinnasaur). He didn't quite care what he was, but he sure made a cute animal!

Clara LOVED every part of trick-or-treating! We went to Aunt Kaeb and Uncle Jame's neighborhood this year. Clara figured out this year that she could get lots of candy by running house to house! I'd say next year, she'll be sprinting to each house!

Elias is one!

Birthday Boy!

It's celebration time!

The Lynch clan

Happy Birthday to you...

Can we say YUMMO!!!!!

On September 30th, Elias celebrated his big '1' birthday! I think every parent says this, but seriously, 'where did the year go?!' I really feel like the first year of his life has flown by. It definitely went faster than Clara's first year! Maybe it's because we felt more comfortable as parents or trying to take in every stage or maybe it's because we were having SOOO much fun! I'm going to say all of the above!

We have been so blessed by Elias. He is such a happy and laid back fella. He warms my heart with every smile he shares. He's changed so much in one year. Here's the breakdown of what's happening in his life these days.

* Eli is into EVERYTHING. His favorites are pulling spices out of the lazy susan, trying to get through the blockade to get to the steps, pulling out tupperware from the cabinets and fishing in the toilet! {Gross Right?!} I've really had to give Blair lessons on making sure the lid is down and door is shut. Mmmmm this might actually be a win-win in the end with this new behavior! ;0

*Eli is a very laid back cat. He might be the only kid I know that you can take up to bed, sing one song, lay him down and leave the room. WOW...did I mention laid back?!

*He is starting to show us his independent side. {I knew it was coming!} He has his favorite toys and when they are pulled away...look out. One of those being the remote control!

He's cruising everywhere and pullling to stand like it's his job. I'd say walking is right around the corner! Until then...keep on cruisin' Eli!

On Sunday, we celebrated his big bday with family. We had a full house with lots of loved ones. How awesome that was! Elias gave us all his serious poker face while we were singing happy birthday! A common look he gives! :) As soon as the cake was placed in front of him the tasting began. He LOVED it! This kid likes almost all foods, so I figured the cake would be just another, but a great one at that! Who doesn't like sweets?! Here are a few photos of our celebration! Thanks to all our family that made the day so special!

A Mexican Wedding

On September 18th, Blair's sis tied the knot to Bryan Spisak in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Yes, we were blessed to be able to make the trip and witness their union. The wedding being in a vacation spot was just a bonus! ;0 We had a WONDERFUL time. It was our first trip away since Eli was born, so it was much needed time for Blair and I. We stayed at Dreams Resort and it was beautiful there! The weather was hot, but nothing that couldn't be cured with sitting by the pool/ocean and a fruity drink in hand!;0 There were no worries there. Our hardest decision was, what kind of drink should I have next {gotta love all inclusive resorts!}, where to go for dinner tonight and should I attend yoga at 8AM or sleep in?! We were joined by several of Ty and Bryan's friends/family. We had a great time hanging with the whole gang while were there. We even took a trip in town and visited some markets. I love being able to actually see the culture when traveling. Here are a few favorite photos.

Blair was honored to walk his sis, Ty, down the aisle. She looked like a goddess!

I love this photo!

Such an adorable couple!

Blair buying palm water from a local merchant.

Ty & Bryan we wish you all happiness in the world. May god truly bless your marriage!

Apple Time!

We had our first fall outing and visited the apple orchard. I remember this time last year vividly. I was 9 months preggo and ready to pop. Don't let me fool you, I loved every minute of being pregnant! :) This year, we toted both kiddos and they had a blast! Elias was just along for the ride, but still loved the scenery and trying to grab for apples. Here are a few photos from our adventure!

Finding the perfect apple
Elias had his eye on this one!

Brother and sister lovins!

Lucy Marie Justin

Shout it from the mountain tops..."I'm blessed to be an auntie again!" Miss Lucy Marie Justin made her way in the world on September 9th, 2010 at 10:23 p.m. She was 7#9oz and 20in long. Kaebra did amazing with her labor and without meds, may I add! What a champ!

Lucy is already adored by the whole family, especially her cousin Clara. Clara said to me, 'oh we are going to be best friends!' How cute!!!!!

Kaebra and I are blessed to have such a close relationship and to be able to share all of life's greatest joys together. Motherhood has to be one of god's greatest blessings too! I look forward to watching lil' miss Lucy grow and seeing her personality blossom. She's sure to bring lots of joy to our family!

Back to school

First day of school!
What a big girl! All smiles and ready to start the day!
Clara's class

Clara is back to school! On Tuesday, Clara had her first day of preschool. She's a big girl this year and going two days/week. Her class is called "God's Garden-The Little Critters" and her teacher is Miss Bridgette. Clara was very excited to get back to school. There was not one bone in her body that was scared to go into a new classroom, with new friends and a new teacher. Mmmmm...I thought this would slightly bother her...guess not! ;-0 She barely hugged me goodbye when she went in on the first day. This year they get to rotate to different rooms for activities and it appears to be more 'school like.' Clara even brought home 'homework' after the first day. One assignment was to put 5 things in a brown bag that shared something about Clara. Mommy and daddy helped with this homework. We placed in the bag 1) a small horse {clara LOVES horses 2)a pink piece of paper {clara's favorite color} 3) a photo of our family 4)a cross to symbolize love for Jesus 5)a cookie to symbolize Clara's LOVE for sweets! :)

Now that Clara's in school, this will provide me with a 'lighter' load 2 days a week and give me some more 1:1 time with my lil fella, Elias! I'm looking forward to that!

My poor lil Eli

Our poor Eli had his first visit to the ER this week. Sigh...I knew it would happen at some point, but before his 1st bday seemed too soon! We have been very fortunate and blessed that we hadn't been there sooner. I hear so many parents telling stories of visiting ER for all the random boo boo's that kids get. Well...our first visit went like this...

Elias started to run a temp last Wednesday of around 102. On Thursday AM, he seemed to be feeling better and temp was down. As the day went on, I could tell he was getting warmer. The warm then went to HOT feeling and he started acting very subdued. Laying his head on my lap and being very cuddly. Although I loved the cuddling, I knew something was not right. I took his temp and he was a whopping 105!!!!!!!!!! We barely missed the walk-in times at our pediatrician office. I knocked on their door to ask where they recommended we go for a check-up. They sent us to MedCheck. We barely checked into MedCheck, where they checked his temp and looked for 'obvious' signs of a temp. They mentioned concerns of seizures with high temps and then I started to get really worried. Off to ER they sent us. All this time, poor Clara was saying, "We need someone to help Elias!" "He doesn't feel well!" Mommy kept saying, "I know Clara, it's a bummer that we can't get help!" That was PG for one irate momma that wanted to say, "who in the hell is going to help my sick baby!"

We got to ER and Eli was now 105/106!! They admitted us and we awaited to see a physician. The Physician's Assistant came in and did a physical assessment. Then explained that they would need to do an in&out cath, blood work and a x-ray. All this was happening, while my sweet Clara was rolling around on the chair in the room. Sigh...my patience was really being tested. Thankfully, my sweet sis was able to come get Clara and Blair got there shortly as well! Elias obviously hated the testing {as did momma}. All the tests came back normal {thankfully} and the MD mentioned they thought it was a virus that caused the temp to spike so high. We were discharged and given orders to follow up with our pediatrician the next day.

On Friday, I took off work to be with my sick babe. We went to the pediatrician office at 11AM. I filled the RN in on what had happened the night before at ER. Her first question was, "Did they check for strep?" Mmmmm...I didn't remember them swabbing Elias' mouth. I mean they did EVERY OTHER TEST imaginable. Well...I can sum this up quickly. After a quick mouth swab and 5 min later the MD came in saying Elias had strep, which would be easily curable. Ugh...I was SO glad to hear it was a minor issue, although steaming inside that Elias had to go through all that testing for nothing. MedCheck and ER failed to do a simple mouth swab to test for strep. What?!?

Momma bear definitely voiced my concerns to the hospital about our 'experience!' Elias is now on antibiotics and feeling much better! Thank the lord!

Elias is 10 months!

Clara and Elias playing together
Where does the time go?!?! My sweet baby boy is 10 months....well...actually almost 10.5 months. I'm a little behind on my postings! ;0 A lot has happened in 'Elias World' over the past couple months.

1) We went to the MD last Tues for his 10mo check up and he's 18#4oz (8th%) and height of 28.75 (48th%). I would have never dreamed the 8th percentile for this little fella, but he is. The MD confirmed there was no concern with the drop in percentile, as long as it evens out over the next couple visits. The boy eats regularly....I promise you that. I mentioned to the MD that Elias was still waking occasionally around 3-4AM crying. She checked his teeth and ears and gave me the green light to let him cry it out. She kinda looked at me like, 'you're crazy for not doing this yet!' I'm all for letting the babe cry a little when necessary, but it's also hard to know when they are going through growth spurts/teething and need that extra TLC from momma!

2) Which leads me to #2....I'm happy to say that Elias is now sleeping 8pm-6am-ish! Ahhhhh finally this momma feels well rested. 'Bout time after 10 months...WHEW!!!!!!!

3) Elias is quite the busy bee. He is now crawling (at high speeds!), pulling up and furniture walking on everything!!! He has also found the stairs, in which he LOVES to try and sneak his way up to the first step. He gives me this look like, 'ah I thought I had it this time!'

4) He is finally starting to show interest in table foods. Elias kinda skipped the cereal/pureed phase and went straight for the small pieces of soft foods. He loves about anything I serve him...even broccoli! :)

5) Eli's temperment continues to be laid back. He is starting to play with more toys and does show a bit of frustration when one is taken away by his big sis! ;0 He is a momma's boy and did say 'ma' before 'da!' Waaaahhooooo!

A sweet moment with grandma Darla

Just relaxin'...

Next month we will be celebrating Elias' big '1' year bday! Mmmmm, I wonder if he will dig into his cake or shy away?!?! My guess is dig in, but we'll see! This momma has lots to do and better get to planning the big bday bash. We have a lot coming up in September with our trip to Mexico to celebrate the marriage of Blair's sister Ty and anticipating the arrival of baby girl Justin! Our family is blessed beyond belief with so many joyous occasions to be thankful for!

Indianapolis Children's Museum

A couple weeks back we took a trip to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. It ended up being the perfect day for the adventure, since it was raining. Clara had never been and we knew she would LOVE it. Boy were we right! Elias also enjoyed the scenery and did great on his first museum adventure. Here are some photos of our fun day!
The Children's Museum has an exhibit to celebrate Barbie's 50 year anniversary! Clara and I had so much fun playing in Barbie world! Clara got to take a phone call from Barbie welcoming her to the 'Barbie Fashion Experience!' The fun continued where we saw all the Barbies over the past 50 years on showcase. While in Barbie world we got to be fashion designers, hair stylist and even models!!!! Clara loved picking out an outfit to model. We got to strut down the cat walk and show it off. WORK IT CLARA!!!! Clara loved it all!