Ladies and gentlemen...we have had a breakthrough! Two in fact!
That's right, I'm talking about teeth. We have finally seen the results of weeks upon weeks of gnawing, gumming, drooling and fussing. Claire has two botttom teeth protruding through her gums. They are still in the process of coming up, but they are completely visible and sharp! I honestly think they could cut through metal...they are razor-like...especially when she comes in contact with...ahem...sensitive skin!
A lot has happened in the last few weeks. Ryan has been teaching summer school half-days for the last five weeks, and we have been keeping busy both during the week as well as the weekends. The week after Aunt Ashley's bridal shower/bachelorette party, it was 'soon-to-be-Uncle' JJ's turn to party. JJ's entourage spent their time celebrating the last few days of singlehood up in Eagle River, WI. As most of you probably know, that's just a stone's throw from my parents' place in Minocqua as well as where my grandparents reside. So we packed up for another weekend and hit the road heading north. Ryan spent some time with the boys doing manly things (i.e., watersports and...you can imagine) and I hung out with Claire at my folks. We also spent some time with the great grandparents that Sunday. On our way back home we also visited with Grandma Penny and Grandpa John in Merrill.
Great grandma Phyllis
hanging with gramps
The following weekend was the 4th of July; after several weekends on the road, we decided to spend a nice relaxing weekend in De Pere. We all headed over to our friends Matt & Sarah's house for dinner on the second. On the third of July, we packed a little family picnic and headed to Voyager Park. We trucked across the big park with Claire in her stoller and our cooler packed full of yummy goodies. We popped up Claire's little sun-tent, let her play in it, and enjoyed a great lunch while taking in the beatiful weather and nice view of the river. We also hit the playground, swinging in the swings and riding down the slides. It was very nice.
My first 4th of July
Later that night we headed to Ryan's aunt Candy's home in Kellnersville for fireworks. I was very worried that Claire would not take well to the fireworks, but she ended up staying up so much later than her normal bedtime and was so worked up from being around people that afternoon/evening, that she finally just crashed right before the fireworks started--she didn't even stir when the explosions started!
On the 4th, we just stayed home. We could have headed downtown for fireworks, but it was kind of a crappy day outside, drizzling most of the day, and we didn't want to deal with crowds. On the 5th, however, we celebrated our second wedding anniversary. Instead of getting a babysitter and going out for the night, we made ourselves a gourmet meal at home after Claire went to bed. It was a great day. It was nice to relax in preparation for the coming week...Aunt Ashley's wedding!
On Friday the 9th, we left for Stevens Point for Ashley & JJ's wedding weekend. We got into town, headed to the hotel, relaxed for a while and then went to set up at Ashley/JJ's house. 
hanging in the hotel pool
After a nice rehearsal dinner, albeit very hot rehearsal (the church didn't have air conditioning--whew!), we headed to Ashley & JJ's house for the catered dinner. 
looking pretty for rehearsal
too hot for clothes in the church!
The next morning, I, along with Ryan's aunt and cousins headed off to the hair salon to meet up with the rest of the girls in the wedding party. After that we headed to the church to get ready before the ceremony. My parents came into town for the wedding & reception and watched over Claire while Ryan and I partook in our bridal party festivities. As the wedding began, Ryan and I walked up together, Ryan carrying Claire. It was so sweet to enter as a family. After the ceremony, the bridal party headed out to take pictures and celebrate together before heading back to the reception. Claire was such a good girl the whole day, even through dinner. It was so great to be surrounded by the family's friends and relatives--everyone loved seeing Claire and it was so much fun to show her off!! Ryan and I were so lucky to have so many people helping us with Claire that weekend--especially my parents. 
We got to extend our fun long past Claire's bedtime!
Other major happening includes the start of swimming lessons. For three weeks now, we've been going to the Cerebral Palsy Center's Aquatic center. She's the littlest one in the class and can't really do anything (aside from chewing on the toys that they give us in the pool), but at this point it's more for our entertainment and for her acclimation to water.
swimming lessons
Claire continues to amaze us everyday. The most amazing thing about her is just how much she changes seemingly everyday. She's just, in my opinion of course, HUGE!
She's definitely becoming her own little person. There was a time where I sort of only thought of her as an extension of myself. I don't mean for that to sound vain or anything, but it's a weird feeling...this feeling of connection to her. Ryan had sent me a forwarded email around Mother's day...in it there was a line that went 'before I was a mother, I never felt my heart beat outside of my body'...and that is what it feels like to me. When I hold her to my chest and she puts her head down on my shoulder when she's tired...it's as though a piece of myself has come back to me and I feel complete. Totally cheesy, I know, but it's the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. As she becomes a little more independent and her personality develops day by day, I worry that maybe that sensation will become a little less and less? I hope not. Speaking of her personality, she has these two cute little things that she does (well, they are cute for a while--they can get a bit annoying at times). For one, she likes to beat her feet against the countertop, or in her car seat, in rythm. It's like she has a tune in her head that she's tapping her feet to. Another is when she's getting impatient, usually around feeding time, she'll raise her hands up and slam them down on her tray to get our attention...over and over and over. Maybe she'll play the drum.
Her new sound is 'vfffph'. She alternates that with 'bah-bah-buhs' and straight up screaming. She loves to screech and scream and sometimes I think my ears will bleed from the shear volume and intensity. We're working on Muhs and Duhhs...hoping she'll say those two words we're dying to hear.
Today I packed away all of her little bitty baby clothing and was marveling at how little she once was...even looking back at photographs doesn't make it seem real that she was once that little. It already makes me sad that she's growing up so much. She's working on the whole crawling thing, although she's not much further along than the last time I posted. She pulls her body up if I hold her hands to a standing position and will try to climb atop of me or my legs if she's on the ground, but has little interest in trying to get her legs underneather her. She's not pulling up on the furniture yet, and I am almost thankful for it. I am terrifiied for the day she's completely mobile. She banged her head the other day falling forward and I almost had a total meltdown--I felt like the worst mom ever.
She also still doesn't care for rolling...she's an ambi-roller (only to the left). While sitting, she'll almost throw herself forward or to the side to get a toy she wants (or remote control if we're not looking). She has no fear--however, when she falls forward on her face after the fact and is on her belly, she looks at you incredulously as if to say 'what the heck? why am I lying here?! get me up!' Ahhh...one of these days she'll connect the dots.
Anyways, that's all for now--hope you enjoyed catching up with us. Maybe next time we'll have reached a developmental milestone! Until then...
Love,
Katie & Ryan
