Focus on Claire (and musings on parenthood)

These days Claire demands more and more attention; as her mind, body, and spirit develop, she is more aware of her surroundings. Whenever one of us-usually mommy-walks out of the room she's in, she turns on the water works and wails like she's being attacked by a hoard of those little carnivorous dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. We often comment on the fact that if Heavenly Father hadn't made babies so cute, our job as parents would sure be a lot more difficult. Despite Claire's constantly growing need for one-on-one attention, our primary concerns in relation to parenthood revolve almost entirely around Carter who is internalizing more and more of the world around him which, as any parent knows, often means we're dealing with minor rebellions against our rule. Despite the constant struggle to channel Carter's undying energy, we feel incredibly blessed that we have a healthy, happy little boy and we know that his incredible energy is the sure sign of a healthy, happy man in the making and that makes the work of raising him less of a chore and more of a blessed adventure.

Now for the Claire photos (CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR LARGER VERSIONS):

First off, we present Claire in the famous "Ducky Pajamas." Carter used to wear these and some day I'll dig up a photo of him in these so we can compare. This picture makes me smile in that she looks so innocent and has her arms out to balance herself. Isn't it amazing to think that at some point it required balance to sit and that someday it will require balance to stand as we grow older!


Church dress.


Yes, that's a beret in Carter's hair. Don't ask me, that's Sarah and Carter's doing.


"It's like palming a mini-ball