Feb 24th 03
Click HERE to go back to the current journal entries.
Mon 20 Jan 03
Claire has developed an affinity for gherkins. She just about exsanguinated a pickle at a downtown deli yesterday. I guess those 6 new teeth come in handy for something besides biting her parents.
Mon 06 Jan 03
Hi Kids!! This is GREAT! G'ma Evie just told me about your website so had to check it out. What a fantastic way of keeping up to date. She is just TOO CUTE! Taylor had the same spinal meningitis scare when he was 2 wks old. Not fun. Glad all is going well. I should start a website but all it would show is boys playing video games and dirty socks on the floor. So much for Donna Reed...you probably don't even know who she is... Love ya bunches and hope to see you all soon! Aunt Gail
Mon 06 Jan 03
Claire had the P.E. (Pressure Equalization) tubes installed on Friday morning. It took 12 minutes from the time they took her away till the doctor came out to tell us they were done. After about 20 minutes of screaming, Claire was essentially back to normal. The doctor said that she should be able to hear us better now (we can stop shouting at her!)
Mon 30 Dec 02
Claire is going in on Friday to get tubes put into her ear drums. This is because she's had 6 ear infections in the past 4 months (criteria for tubes is 6 in a year). While the surgery isn't supposed to be very traumatic for the patient, nothing has been said of its effects on the patient's parents.
Wed 18 Dec 02
This is the greatest!
Claire is such a doll.
I just found the card you sent me last year with website.
I have to appologize for calling her Emily.Love you all.Gma
Claire is such a doll.
I just found the card you sent me last year with website.
I have to appologize for calling her Emily.Love you all.Gma
Thu 12 Dec 02
Great-Grandma Marty showed us that Claire can do something new. Claire can point out the "kitty" on the pillow Grandma Marty gave us for Christmas. Sometimes we're amazed (and sometimes chagrined) that other people try stuff with Claire that we haven't thought of. I guess that is why we're social beings; if left only to the devices of our parents, we'd be messed up.
Tue 03 Dec 02
We've had to move most of the stuff off of the coffee table, cuz Claire is just rippen' them right off if she gets the chance. She's pulling herself up and standing up at every chance she gets!
Thu 14 Nov 02
Claire started crawling last Friday! She had been falling down and doing what we called "the Inchworm" to get from point A to B. Now she's toodling along on all fours (with a minimum of banging into stuff)!
Fri 01 Nov 02
Claire's first Halloween found her dressed as a little elephant. Ian was a skunk and Claus was a conejo (bunny rabbit). Who knew that elephants barfed that much? Pictures to follow...
Wed 16 Oct 02
This crawling thing is about to happen. It involves lots of whining and falling down (but enough about me).
We've started child-proofing the house with those little doohickeys that go in the electrical outlets. I've just about ripped off my fingernails trying to plug in the iron, so they should be sufficiently shielded from little fingers.
We've started child-proofing the house with those little doohickeys that go in the electrical outlets. I've just about ripped off my fingernails trying to plug in the iron, so they should be sufficiently shielded from little fingers.
Wed 09 Oct 02
8 monfs old today! Got two teef! Bouncin around like a pogo stick. I'm 8 monfs old!
Tue 24 Sep 02
Congratulations to Alyssa & Jerimiah, who had little Jack Lloyd on September 22nd 2002.
You picked a great birthday Jack!
Now Claire has someone unrelated by blood to take to the prom.
You picked a great birthday Jack!
Now Claire has someone unrelated by blood to take to the prom.
Wed 18 Sep 02
My dearest Claire,
I am so sorry that you seem to have inherited your father's teeth (as evidenced by the picture he posted of your chompers). I will start saving for your orthodontia now, sweetheart. I love you anyway.
I am so sorry that you seem to have inherited your father's teeth (as evidenced by the picture he posted of your chompers). I will start saving for your orthodontia now, sweetheart. I love you anyway.
Tue 17 Sep 02
We've been told that we should be extra vigilant next summer because the West Nile Virus may spread to the Northwest by then. I'm not worried, here's why.
Tue 17 Sep 02
Claire is betoothed!
We're so excited, we can now give her chicken on the bone, she can open beer bottles, light matches... think of the possibilities!
We're so excited, we can now give her chicken on the bone, she can open beer bottles, light matches... think of the possibilities!
Mon 16 Sep 02
Screaming? - Check
Crying? - Check
Runny Nose? - Check
Irritability? - Check
Teeth are on the way!
Crying? - Check
Runny Nose? - Check
Irritability? - Check
Teeth are on the way!
Wed 04 Sep 02
I've been takin Claire to daycare every day now. I'm not sure I like doing that very much. Gretchen gets to leave when Claire is still with me, but I have to leave her with a stranger.
Sat 31 Aug 02
Greetings Miss. "eClaire" and family. What a doll you are! Looking forward to spoiling you in the years ahead! Thank you for the updates, Gretchen and Grant. I think of you all and smile.
xo,
K
xo,
K
Thu 29 Aug 02
Can you believe I actually went out in public with these two? I might ask for a repeat performance when I teach Beowulf in about three weeks. Claire has been to daycare now for three days and seems to love it. She cries the minute I arrive to pick her up, and the daycare ladies rub it in by exclaiming "she hasn't cried all day!" As if that's supposed to make me feel better. She is more beautiful every day, with her giant smile (an inherited trait) and her blue eyes that sparkle like sapphires (hmmm...metaphors). She is the happiest baby in the bunch and sleeps like a champ while there. Why is it that she will take two-and-a-half hour naps while at daycare, and only 20 minute ones at home? I am enjoying my time at school, and I appreciate every minute I get to spend with her all the more once home.
Mon 26 Aug 02
OK, so it's one thing to barf on Mom & Dad, but Claire graduated to barfing on strangers this weekend. I took a day off and we all went to the Zoo. Gretchen was holding Claire up to get a better look at the elephants, when SPLAT! Some poor guy took it full in the back.
His wife said "No problem, we have 4 kids and he's been barfed on before!" However, his look belied his true feelings.
His wife said "No problem, we have 4 kids and he's been barfed on before!" However, his look belied his true feelings.
Tue 20 Aug 02
Man, it's been too long! Sorry for not posting sooner.
Claire is now able to sit up by herself, which is great. What's not so great is that her doctor said that this would lead to a cessation of the vomiting. Nope! She still vomits more than a sorority girl at a goldfish eating contest.
Claire is now able to sit up by herself, which is great. What's not so great is that her doctor said that this would lead to a cessation of the vomiting. Nope! She still vomits more than a sorority girl at a goldfish eating contest.
Tue 30 Jul 02
It's a good thing that this will never happen to Claire
I still have flashbacks to when this happened to me...
Mon 29 Jul 02
Claire is suffering her first fever - !GASP!
Dr. says not to worry, so she's spending today plopped in front of the TV, watching soap operas, eating chicken soup and sipping Sprite until she feels better.
Dr. says not to worry, so she's spending today plopped in front of the TV, watching soap operas, eating chicken soup and sipping Sprite until she feels better.
Fri 19 Jul 02
Eating real foods like oatmeal and rolling over like a champ, Claire is movin' and groovin' into her 6th month. Hard to believe she'll be half a year old on the 9th of August.
We're getting ready to start feeding her something different besides oatmeal (which is fine by me, it smells like papier mache goop). What are the best things to feed a kid the first time? We're trying to avoid peas and carrots, which can help develop a sweet-tooth. We have a yam in the fridge that we're going to cook tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.
Wed 03 Jul 02
Took Claire to Ocean Shores with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Mark & Aunt Kristen. Claire's activities mainly consisted of being held and barfing on people. Actually reminds me of the last time I was in Ocean Shores, except I was partying at a hotel with my fraternity at the time.
Wed 12 Jun 02
1 year ago today, I was presented with what would turn out to be one of the greatest gifts I've ever gotten.
Tue 11 Jun 02
I took Claire out to see her first solar eclipse yesterday. I made a Camera Obscura from one of Gretchen's shoe boxes and showed it to Claire. I know she's a little young, but it's never too early to expose your children to science.
By the way, did you know that an eclipse generates very interesting shadows.
By the way, did you know that an eclipse generates very interesting shadows.
Fri 07 Jun 02
AN OPEN LETTER TO JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
On January 28, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he spent $8,000 of taxpayer's money for drapes to cover up the exposed breast of The Spirit of Justice, an 18 ft aluminum statue of a woman that stands in the Department of Justice's Hall of Justice.
John, John, John,
you've got your priorities all wrong.
While men fly airplanes into skyscrapers,
dive bomb the pentagon,
while they stick explosives into their shoes,
and then book a seat right next to us,
while they hide knives in their luggage,
steal kids on school buses,
take little girls from their beds at night,
drive trucks into our state capital buildings,
while our president calls dangerous men all over the world
evildoers and devils,
while we live in the threat of biological warfare
nuclear destruction,
annihilation,
you are out buying yardage
to save Americans
from the appalling
alarming, abominable
aluminum alloy of evil,
that terrible ten foot tin tittie.
You might not be able to find Bin Laden
But you sure as hell found the hooter in the hall of justice.
It's not that we aren't grateful
But while we were begging the women of Afghanistan
To not cover up their faces
You are begging your staff members to
Just cover up that nipple
To save the American people
From that monstrous metal mammary
How can we ever thank you?
So, in your office every morning
in your secret prayer meeting
while an American woman is sexually assaulted every 6 seconds
while anthrax floats around the post office
and settles in the chest of senior citizens,
you've got another chest on your mind.
While American sons arrive home in body bags
and heat seeking missiles
fly around a foreign country
looking for any warm body
you think of another body.
And you pray for the biggest bra in the world John
because you see that breast on the Spirit of Justice
in the spirit of your
own inhibited sexuality.
And when we women see
our grandmothers, our mothers,
our daughters, our granddaughters,
our sisters, ourselves,
when we women see that
statue the Spirit of Justice
we see the spirit of strength
the spirit of survival.
While every day
we view innocent bodies dragged out of rubble
and women and children laid out
like thin limp dolls
and baptized into death as collateral damage
and the hollow eyed Afghani mother's milk has dried up
underneath her burka
in famine in shame
and her children are dead at her breast.
While you look at that breast John
that jug on the Spirit of Justice
and deal with your thoughts of lust
and sex and nakedness
we see it as a testimony to motherhood
And you see it as a tit.
It's not the money it cost.
It's the message you send.
We've got the right to live in freedom.
We've got the right to cheat Americans
out of millions of dollars and then
just not want to tell congress about it.
We've got the right
to drop bombs night and day
on a small country that has no army,
no navy, no military at all,
because we've got the right to bear arms
but we just better not even think
about the right to bare breasts.
So now John you can be photographed
while you stand there and talk about
guns and bombs and poisons
without the breast appearing over your right shoulder
without that bodacious bosom bothering you
and we just wanted to tell you
in the spirit of justice
in the spirit of truth
John there is still one very big boob left
standing there in that picture.
- Claire Braz-Valentine
On January 28, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he spent $8,000 of taxpayer's money for drapes to cover up the exposed breast of The Spirit of Justice, an 18 ft aluminum statue of a woman that stands in the Department of Justice's Hall of Justice.
John, John, John,
you've got your priorities all wrong.
While men fly airplanes into skyscrapers,
dive bomb the pentagon,
while they stick explosives into their shoes,
and then book a seat right next to us,
while they hide knives in their luggage,
steal kids on school buses,
take little girls from their beds at night,
drive trucks into our state capital buildings,
while our president calls dangerous men all over the world
evildoers and devils,
while we live in the threat of biological warfare
nuclear destruction,
annihilation,
you are out buying yardage
to save Americans
from the appalling
alarming, abominable
aluminum alloy of evil,
that terrible ten foot tin tittie.
You might not be able to find Bin Laden
But you sure as hell found the hooter in the hall of justice.
It's not that we aren't grateful
But while we were begging the women of Afghanistan
To not cover up their faces
You are begging your staff members to
Just cover up that nipple
To save the American people
From that monstrous metal mammary
How can we ever thank you?
So, in your office every morning
in your secret prayer meeting
while an American woman is sexually assaulted every 6 seconds
while anthrax floats around the post office
and settles in the chest of senior citizens,
you've got another chest on your mind.
While American sons arrive home in body bags
and heat seeking missiles
fly around a foreign country
looking for any warm body
you think of another body.
And you pray for the biggest bra in the world John
because you see that breast on the Spirit of Justice
in the spirit of your
own inhibited sexuality.
And when we women see
our grandmothers, our mothers,
our daughters, our granddaughters,
our sisters, ourselves,
when we women see that
statue the Spirit of Justice
we see the spirit of strength
the spirit of survival.
While every day
we view innocent bodies dragged out of rubble
and women and children laid out
like thin limp dolls
and baptized into death as collateral damage
and the hollow eyed Afghani mother's milk has dried up
underneath her burka
in famine in shame
and her children are dead at her breast.
While you look at that breast John
that jug on the Spirit of Justice
and deal with your thoughts of lust
and sex and nakedness
we see it as a testimony to motherhood
And you see it as a tit.
It's not the money it cost.
It's the message you send.
We've got the right to live in freedom.
We've got the right to cheat Americans
out of millions of dollars and then
just not want to tell congress about it.
We've got the right
to drop bombs night and day
on a small country that has no army,
no navy, no military at all,
because we've got the right to bear arms
but we just better not even think
about the right to bare breasts.
So now John you can be photographed
while you stand there and talk about
guns and bombs and poisons
without the breast appearing over your right shoulder
without that bodacious bosom bothering you
and we just wanted to tell you
in the spirit of justice
in the spirit of truth
John there is still one very big boob left
standing there in that picture.
- Claire Braz-Valentine
Wed 05 Jun 02
4-month Doctor Vist! - 24" and 12 lbs. That puts her in about the 25th percentile for weight and about 50% for height (just like Kate Moss).
Claire took her 3 immunization shots like a trooper - only crying until the next day. But she did get back at Mommy for taking her to the doctor - she bled on Mommy's white sweater.
Claire took her 3 immunization shots like a trooper - only crying until the next day. But she did get back at Mommy for taking her to the doctor - she bled on Mommy's white sweater.
Thu 30 May 02
Well, we thought we've heard Claire give a little giggle every once in a while during the past week. Little did we know she was saving up for a major chuckle-fest.
We celebrated a little milestone last night: Claire's first laugh. (AVI Video)
We celebrated a little milestone last night: Claire's first laugh. (AVI Video)
Tue 28 May 02
Claire & her entourage visited Everett this weekend to attend Cousin Janine's wedding. While the bride looked very pretty, the belle of the ball was little Claire.
I heard the term "precious" so many times I am starting to think Claire may be "The One Ring", (Nerdy Tolkien Reference).
I heard the term "precious" so many times I am starting to think Claire may be "The One Ring", (Nerdy Tolkien Reference).
Fri 24 May 02
Have a little fun at George Bush's expense. Also a good way to watch someone else do some aerobics.
Fri 24 May 02
Claire is keeping me busy...I thought maternity leave was filled with lovely, quiet mornings spent reading books and drinking coffee while the baby sleeps peacefully beside its mother. No one told me I would be covered in vomit and trying to keep Claire from peeing on the rug. I think I need to go back to work. This morning, we had our "exercise" session; Claire is getting good on her tummy and standing up when I graps her hands. Today we had a full body massage with lotion and all. Claire seemed to like it, cooing and talk ing through the whole thing. She also relaxed very well, so well that her bladder relaxed right on my rug! No naked massages for you, Claire. Before we know it, she'll be my highly trained, lowly paid personal masseuse. Isn't that why we had kids?
Fri 24 May 02
I think Claire is getting ready to begin sitting up. She's doing leg lifts every day... actually, when we put her to bed, her little legs are bouncing up and down for about 5 minutes until she falls asleep. I think she's getting an abdominal workout.
Otherwise, we're all doing great. Claire sleeps about 10 hours a night, which makes life for Gretchen and I a lot easier. She's growing out of some of her clothes, so we're having to switch up to the next size.
As so not to ramble, check out some of the new pictures...
Otherwise, we're all doing great. Claire sleeps about 10 hours a night, which makes life for Gretchen and I a lot easier. She's growing out of some of her clothes, so we're having to switch up to the next size.
As so not to ramble, check out some of the new pictures...
Thu 09 May 02
We are starting to get some of the pictures back from the sitting we had at Nordstrom a few weeks back. My mom had bought enough baby clothes there that they offered us a "free" sitting with the photogs.
Of course, the pictures are beautiful, but they want an arm and a leg for them. So I'm going to be scanning the proofs (FYI, we own them so no © violation) and posting them here as soon as I get them from my mom.
Of course, the pictures are beautiful, but they want an arm and a leg for them. So I'm going to be scanning the proofs (FYI, we own them so no © violation) and posting them here as soon as I get them from my mom.
Fri 03 May 02
Man - it's getting hard to keep up with how fast Claire is growing! She's still a little bit below average on the weight scale, but that's due to the fact she got a little slower start.
Every day she's getting a little bigger. She's growing out of the little be-footed sleepers already. 3 months has gone by way too fast, but we're getting used to it.
Every day she's getting a little bigger. She's growing out of the little be-footed sleepers already. 3 months has gone by way too fast, but we're getting used to it.
Fri 19 Apr 02
Hidey Ho!
Haven't written in a while cuz Claire is keeping us pretty busy. We had a great birthday party for Gretchen on the 6th and took some pretty good pictures. It was a "Tacky Party" you see... everybody who came dressed in their tackiest outfits. We had tacky food too: Squeeze Cheese, Spam, Jello shots and the like. Otherwise a great party.
We'll put some pictures online as soon as we get them developed.
Haven't written in a while cuz Claire is keeping us pretty busy. We had a great birthday party for Gretchen on the 6th and took some pretty good pictures. It was a "Tacky Party" you see... everybody who came dressed in their tackiest outfits. We had tacky food too: Squeeze Cheese, Spam, Jello shots and the like. Otherwise a great party.
We'll put some pictures online as soon as we get them developed.
Wed 17 Apr 02
Claire,
You are so lucky to have such loving and fabulous parents. I look forward to being a part of your life!
TR
You are so lucky to have such loving and fabulous parents. I look forward to being a part of your life!
TR
Wed 03 Apr 02
You made this?! She's beautiful! I can't even make toast.
Congratulations, Gretchen and Grant. Welcome to the world, sweet (e)Claire.
xo,
Kate
Congratulations, Gretchen and Grant. Welcome to the world, sweet (e)Claire.
xo,
Kate
Tue 02 Apr 02
Dear Gretchen and Grant:
She is lovely!! Please recieve our best wishes.
Lots of love
Alicia and Carla
She is lovely!! Please recieve our best wishes.
Lots of love
Alicia and Carla
Tue 02 Apr 02
I've gone ahead and created this new site for Claire. Quite a few people asked me if I was going to update the Pregnancy Site after Claire was born, and I couldn't see myself adding to that indefinitely, so here's the new one.
I've made it so anyone can post comments here, so go for it! Just click on the "Post your comments" link at the top of the page.
I plan on posting pictures and observations from our little fam as often as I can.
I've made it so anyone can post comments here, so go for it! Just click on the "Post your comments" link at the top of the page.
I plan on posting pictures and observations from our little fam as often as I can.
March 24th, 2002
We went to our labor class reunion today at Bridgeport brewing and got to see some
of the other kids that people had. Most of them are just a couple of weeks older than
Claire, but outweigh her by a couple of pounds at least!
I guess she still has some catching up to do...
Grant
March 1st, 2002
We've been back home for a couple of days and Claire is doing great!
She's sleeping much better now. Of course, she's waking us up every 2-3 hours
to feed, but that's OK.
Now she's gaining weight at the rate of about an ounce a day, which is what she's supposed to do.
Grant
February 26th, 2002
We spent last night at Emmanuel Hospital with Claire. We had the
chief of pediatric infectious diseases attending our case. Normally, it
would be cool to be an "interesting" case, but not when it's your kid.
They had to do a spinal tap on Claire to make sure that her spinal fluid was not infected (a sign of Meningitis). Luckily, after a couple of hours, they determined that there was no spinal infection and it was just a regular ear infection.
This explained why Claire wasn't gaining weight, because her ear hurt enought that she couldn't suck efficiently.
Suffice it to say that we were plenty worried about the whole thing. But they just ended up giving Claire antibiotics intravenously for the ear infection.
At this point, Claire is feeling better and she's eating a ton. I guess the drugs did the trick.
Grant
February 25th, 2002
Today wasn't a very good day. We have been taking Claire to see
the pediatrician since she was born and she hasn't been gaining weight like
she was supposed to. On Sunday we took Claire to see the doctor and he looked
at her ear. What he saw make him a little worried that she had an ear infection.
OK... no problem. Kids have ear infections all the time, right?
No - the doctor thinks it could be Meningitis.
Oh Crap.
Grant
February 11th, 2002
We brought Claire home today and it was great. Very different
from the hospital where we had people waking us up every 2 hours
to either take somebody's temperature, or take blood or something. Now
we only have Claire waking us up in the middle of the night.
Somehow this is still better than having a nurse do it.
Grant
February 9th, 2002
Claire Elizabeth is born: 8:49pm at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital
in Portland, Oregon. She was 7 lbs. 7 oz and was 21 inches long.
Labor went well. Gretchen went into labor on Saturday at about 12:30 pm and gave birth to Claire about 7 1/2 hours later.
Both of our families were there and overjoyed to meet the newest member
of the family.
Grant
March 2002
Welcome to the new home of Claire! I decided that, rather than making a contiuation
of the old "Pregnancy" site, I would start an entirely new site for friends
and family of lil' Claire-belle.
I plan on making this site a little more interactive, so anyone who wants can post info to the site (including Gretchen and eventually... Claire).
Thanks for stopping by and check back often!
Grant
