New Stats to Report

Clara recently had her four month check up. Here are the current stats:

Height: 25.5" = 90%
Weight: 15 lbs. 7 oz. = 90%
Head Circumference: 40.75 cm = 50%

So I had to post this picture. Clara was being so cute, I put her down, walked into the bedroom to put something away, and when I came out I found her like this:


Oh it was so cute!

Here are some adorable pictures from this weekend's football game. It was rather chilly so we made sure we bundled her up really well. She looked like a marshmallow! I loved it.


Clara also had a milestone today: She rolled over! Scared me half to death, but a fun thing to see nonetheless.
We've also got McKay with us for the week! We love having him here with us! We are looking forward to football and food Thursday, Christmas festivities beginning on Friday, and one intense football game on Saturday!

Don't you just love the holidays?

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

So apparently Clara didn't think my earlier post was that funny. She went from that cute little outfit to this:

Yep, that's right...she blew out. It was bad enough that it came out the front of the diaper and got in her belly button. I didn't even know that was possible. So, it was straight to the tub. Oh the irony. That shirt is bad karma.

Dear Clara,

I am sorry I put you in that outfit. I love you sweetheart. Thanks for keeping me humble.

Love, Mommy

My Stylin' Baby

With as many times as Clara has either blown out, thrown up, or drooled all over me this past week, I thought that this outfit would be appropriate for the day:


Thanks to Grandpa Smalley, Uncle McKay, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Spence.

Halloween Marathon!

We had such a fun weekend, but during the week we were worried we weren't going to be able to do anything. On Wednesday of this past week our little Clara got sick. She had a stuffy nose and a little cough that just broke my heart. She was sleeping most of the day, and then sleeping with mommy most of the night.

By Friday morning however, she was doing much better and we were really relieved.

On Friday night we went to Brandon and Belinda's for their annual Halloween party. Every year it ends up being so much fun and Belinda is an excellent cook who is always fills our tummies. This year the theme was Princess Bride. It was so cool to see how creative everyone was.

Miracle Max and Valerie (aka Ben and Jamie Kent)

Westley, Buttercup and an ROUS
Fezzik, Inigo, and an ROUS (aka Brandon, Belinda, and Marissa Howard)

Clara and her friend Marissa. I love Clara's little pose in this one.
We had a great time. Clara was a champ. At her bed time she just fell asleep in my arms. I loved snuggling her and getting to stay out later than normal with friends. Who would've thought you could have the best of both worlds?

Then on Saturday, we started out the morning at Shannon and Travis'. The best part was that McKay hitched a ride down from Rexburg and was with us! We had a halloween breakfast and carved pumpkins (a little late, but better late than never!). Travis didn't like the smell or texture of the pumpkins so he was a bystander of the entire ritual. The rest of us, however, just went to town.

Yes, that is a bag clip on his nose.


The words "Slimy hands" in a munchkin voice with a Utah accent comes to mind.

The final result.

Then after the pumpkin carving, we changed into our second set of costumes for the holiday.

Meet the Flinstones:

And here is little Pebbles:

From Shanni and Travis' place it was over to Joe's cousins' the Wilcoxes for a little party. While we were there, we saw Joe's cousin's twins Aubrey and Devon. They were adorable in their little Halloween costumes.

After the Wilcoxes it was off the ward Trunk-or-Treat for some hot soups and lots of sugar high little children trying to see how many times they could come around and take candy from you without you noticing. What happened to door to door trick or treating? There really isn't any effort required anymore for Halloween Treats...especially when all the treats are concentrated in the vicinity of half of a parking lot. How sad.

Then we got back together with Shanni, Travis, and McKay, bundled up, and went to Joe's parents house for a hay ride. Joe's dad pulled us around on the tractor while Joe's older sister Liz told everyone scary stories. It was especially cool because of the full moon that she had behind her. We loved it!
It was also fun to see Shannon and Travis' costumes.

It was a great Halloween. I really do enjoy this holiday. Well, now it is back to normal weeks for a little while....

Boo Football

After the game last night Joe and I came home in such a mood that we turned on Harry Potter to try and salvage the rest of our night. I wish that our team could be the same team that came out to play Oklahoma. What happened? Now even the conference championship is up in the air. Vegas bowl here we come...again.

“I think the only way that our conference will end up having the BCS bid is if someone’s able to remain undefeated,” BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “So, TCU has the best chance of that bid. Again, I don’t think our league has the respect yet of a one-loss team, however, our conference is stronger than the WAC and I don’t think there’s any argument about that. The teams that the top three teams have lost to or might lose to should all be good football teams. So, it might be the year and I could be surprised, but I’m still of the opinion you’re probably going to have to go undefeated to get in.” (Full Article)

Well...so much for that.

California....Here we come!

This last weekened was a bit of an adventure for the three of us. We did something we really don't do very often...we were spontaneous!

A few months ago Joe's sister Miriam and her family moved from Illinois to Corona, California because her husband Matt graduated with his PhD and took a job as a professor at Chapman University. We were really excited that they would be so much closer. So all within a few days Joe's brother Jake and his son James, Joe's sister Rachel and her family, and Joe's parents all decided to go out and visit the McCarter family. Joe had a few day so off of school for fall break, I found a substitute for the three classes I had to teach, and we were off! I should also add that we were more than happy to leave behind the freezing temperatures of Utah and head for 93 degrees in Southern Cali.


Joe's parents were kind enough to let us hitch a ride with them. I was worried at first, just because I was thinking that Clara might be a little irritable after staying in her car seat so long. Much to my surprise, she was a champ! My happy little baby was either smiling or sleeping the entire 10 hour drive. It was wonderful! I even got to sleep a little myself.

One thing that I really enjoy about road trips is being able to see so many different things. It was so much fun looking at all the beautiful deserts and red rock of Southern Utah. The deserts through Nevada and California are a little less appealing to the eye, but still a nice change of scene. Our next family vacation should definitely be down to Zions or Bryce Canyon. It is so beautiful down there.

Being with Matt and Mir was awesome. They were so kind to be willing to host all of us at the same time. Hyrum and Gabe were in love with Clara. They kept saying, "Where's the baby giwol?" So cute.



On Saturday we went to the beach. I haven't been to the beach since Joe and I were engaged! It was wonderful. There was a cool mist blowing off the ocean that left the beach in haze. It wasn't too hot, but wasn't chilly either. We brought a long a pack-and-play for Clara, and while she snoozed I was able to go and jump in the water. It wasn't until I got in the water that I got chilly. I forgot how cold the Pacific Ocean is! Joe and Jake didn't seem to mind though...so much so that this is what happened when I pulled out the camera.
Haha...see how white we are?

Then Saturday night we stole the minivan and drove to Long Beach to go spend some time with my Grandma Smalley. We sprung it on her rather last minute that we were even in California, but she didn't seem to mind at all. We stayed at her house on Saturday night and went to church with her on Sunday morning. She was delighted to see Clara. It meant a lot to me that we were able to see her.


Then on Sunday night we headed back to Matt and Mir's for little Johnny's birthday party. He turned one! Happy Birthday Johnny! He was so cute and smiley. I don't think he realized what was going on, but he sure did love the attention and new toys he got!
We had a great time! Thanks Matt and Mir!

Cute Cousins

I almost forgot to post these! (Sorry Candis!) We had so much going on this past Saturday between two baptisms, a family barbeque, the BYU game, and trying to get our house clean that I spaced it. These pictures are just a quick update of Clara and Tom. These two are only three weeks apart, and are pretty close to the same size length-wise, but Clara's head is bigger and I think she weighs more (both differences manifested in their dads!). The two of them are so cute. Clara will just stare at Tom and break out into a grin when she sees him. I can't wait to see how they interact as they get a little bit older!

Tom, like his two older brothers, is looking very chic for the special occasion, while Clara, yet again, is in jammies (6 month PJs no less). She just had another growth spurt so we are back to trying to find clothes for this little one.

Life is good!

First Laugh

So I know the last video we posted was pretty close to a laugh, but last night Clara decided to go all out and put on a show for us. I love watching my Joe play with Clara! I love how excited he is to take on his role as Papa.

This is Joe. This was fun to see Clara laugh so much. To me, she is becoming more and more like her Gorgeous Mama. That makes me happy! I know there are more important things in life in store for our family, but seeing something as simple as my little girl laughing was incredible and surreal. I am not trying to be dramatic about a little two and half month old laughing, but it made me think about what else she will do in her life that will make her parents proud: getting baptized, converting herself to the Gospel, being successful, going through and worshipping in the Temple, sealing herself to a worthy man, having her own kids etc. But, it all made me think of the promise that if we keep our covenants, we may have joy in our posterity. I realize it means more than having a good laugh over an adorable baby. There is an eternal nature to having joy in your posterity. It is being sealed as a family of God to God; being bound to Him through covenants and the Priesthood power. It is an eternal increase. But, maybe it is also something as simple as being a pleased Papa at seeing his precious girl giggle at her goofy Daddy.

For Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles...

We are starting to think that Clara is going to be a chatterbox. She loves to coo and smile. Last night we caught her being so cute on video, but we think she was a little delirious because she was up and down. Just had to share it so everyone (especially those in New Jersey who have never even seen her smile) could get a kick out of it.

Million Dollar Smile

This is what makes everything worth it!

Swiss Days and BYU I

So the last couple weeks have been a little crazy, but so much fun.

On the 5th of September we journeyed up to Midway for Swiss Days. It was always the highlight of the year when we lived up there. So, since McKay was here in Lehi, and Shannon and Travis back from their honeymoon, the 6 of us drove up there to have a little fun.

For some reason we decided to be INSANE and wake up early to drive up there for the chuckwagon breakfast which started at 7am. So when Clara woke up for her 5:30 feeding I just stayed awake and got things ready. The true challenge was trying to rouse my husband at the last possible second, but also give him enough time to gain full consciousness since he would be driving.

When we got up there it was raining. Fortunately, we were able to eat our delicious breakfast under some large tents. Joe really liked the fact that it was all you can eat pancakes:)

Then after a quick nap in the cars, the sky had cleared and we were able to watch the parade. We were also able to explore all the millions of booths that were there. Of course there are many cutsie things there...(who do you think their biggest spenders are?) but everytime Shannon and I would walk into a booth with girlie things, the boys would just roll their eyes and give us a look that said, "how long is this going to take?" Trying to appease them, I said there were plenty of things there that they would like to look at. Travis then protested that none of the things here were useful. I laughed and said that we would go and find a "man" booth. This was one of Travis and McKay's favorites.

I love Swiss Days!

Then on Labor Day we drove McKay up to BYU-I for his first semester of college. I was so sad to leave him there, but I was way excited for him to be able to have the experience before his mission. I can't believe he is in college! We miss you McKay!

Last but not least, Clara turns two months old tomorrow, none of her clothes are fitting because she is growing so fast, and so I whipped out a dress that I thought might fit. It is still a little big, but she looked so darn cute I snapped a bunch of pictures. Anyone know of any good baby clothes sales?

The New Ride

Yay! So a couple weeks ago we sold our little Nissan Sentra. It was a great little car and got 30mpg, but it didn't work too well with a car seat! So, we decided upgrade to a "klunker" and we love it. It is a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer, the LT edition, so it has leather seats, sunroof and power everything. We absolutely love it. We can't wait to break it in when we take it to Swiss Days up in Midway this weekend, and when we take McKay up to BYU-Idaho on Labor day!

Bath Time and Cousin Tom

So Clara has decided she loves to take a bath! Here are some adorable pictures that I took of her after she got out the other day. She was just cooing and smiling...unfortunately I haven't been quick enough with the camera to catch a smile yet, but I will keep on trying.

Exactly three weeks after Clara was born, my sister in law Candis had her little boy Thomas Thayne. Up until then everyone kept saying what a Smalley baby Clara was, but seeing her next to Tom really brings out the Ellis side of her I think. They are so adorable!

Here are the proud moms.

...and the proud papas:)

A New Addition...

So here is a summation of my final days of pregnancy....

Yep, that about does it.

Our little Clara came five days late. I was due Friday, the 10th of July, and my doctor said if she didn't come on her own by the 17th, he was going to induce me. So early on the morning of the 15th she decided to come. I woke up around 1am with labor contractions and we got to the hospital by 2:15 (after stopping at McDonalds for a hamburger and chicken nuggets!). By 5:30 am I was complete and was pushing to get her here. A couple hours later she still hadn't arrived and every time I'd push her heart rate would drop. At 10:00 am my doctor came in and said he wasn't happy with how things were progressing and that we needed to get her out now. So four pushes and a pair of forceps later, Clara was born at 10:30 am.

Joe and I always knew that the addition of a baby to our family would be a lot of work. What we weren't prepared for is how much fun it would be. Clara is such a joy to have in our home. We constantly find ourselves in awe of this precious little girl.

We brought Clara home on the 17th of July to her Aunt Erinn, Uncle Spencer, and Grandma Smalley.

Ten days later, on the 25th of July, Shannon and Travis were married in the Timpanogos Temple. It was a beautiful wedding. Shannon looked like a princess. Her colors were plum and silver, and Clara looked adorable in the dress we got her even though it nearly drown her.

The next day, on the 26th, Clara was blessed. We were worried about doing it when she was so little, but we were also worried about passing up an opportunity when we had so many family members in town for the wedding. It worked out all right. Joe did a wonderful job. He had put so much time and thought into preparing for the blessing that it turned out beautifully.

Clara is actually named after my Great-Grandma Evans. She was raised in Malad, Idaho and was an incredible lady. I wrote my senior seminar paper on my Grandma Smalley (Clara was her mother) so I was able to get quite acquainted with this remarkable lady. Here is a quick little snapshot:

"Ilene remembers her mother as a neat and tidy person who, like her grandmother, was never idle. Clara made a different kind of commitment than her mother with the things she chose to busy herself with. Ilene said it was Clara’s resolve to not have her daughters have to wash diapers in the family. There were never lost shoes in the Evans home. Clara taught her children to take care of their things. Everything had its proper place and needed to be put back where it belonged, a trait very similar to the one seen in her grandfather, John Winters Lusk. Clara never told her children to go and do something, but invited them to come and do it with her. She never expected any work from them that she wasn’t willing to do herself. She would frequently turn work time into an enjoyable time to be with her children by singing to them as she worked, or talking to them about different things.
Clara was a small woman, with dark curly hair. Her slender build was a reflection of the work that she dedicated herself to day in and day out. Evan described her as a “pretty little dark haired girl” who was “all business.” There wasn’t much she wouldn’t do. She was shy and quiet in many ways, but she knew what she wanted and would work until she got it."

Another cool thing about Clara's name is that it fits her perfectly. Clara means "clear or bright." Right from the moment she was born she had her eyes wide open and she was just looking around observing things around her. She actually didn't even cry when she was born until they took her away from us. As soon as her daddy went over and started talking to her, she calmed right down and just kept looking around. She is probably the most alert newborn that I have ever seen. She is so engaging and really responds to her surroundings. Like I said before, being a mom is just plain fun.

A couple days after the blessing, all of us flew back to New Jersey and then drove up to my grandparents lakehouse in upstate New York. That was when we finally had some time to relax after all the madness of the summer. My Great-Grandma Benson lives up there, so (how cool is this!) we got to take a 5 generation picture!

My Grandma Benson was so cute. She didn't want to take her eyes off Clara long enough to look up at the camera! It was awesome. At the age of 96 she still has plenty of spitfire!

Clara's cord also fell out up there so we were able to give her her first bath in the kitchen sink where all of us were bathed as babies. She didn't really enjoy the experience as much as we'd hoped.
Now we've been back for a little while and are settling into things a bit more. It has been a wonderful summer.