Prayer Request - Travel

Nathan and Andrew will be traveling a total of 31 hours and 40 minutes to get to South East Asia. They will likely go through customs twice and they have many important documents and items to keep track of. There are many things that could go wrong and plenty of opportunities for plans to change. Sleep deprivation brings emotions and tensions to the surface and can fog memories and reason.

• Pray that they sleep well when they get the chance.
• Pray that they don't lose anything and if they do that it can be easily replaced.
• Pray for safe travel.
• Pray for no delayed or cancelled flights and no schedule changes.
• Pray that they keep their spirits high and are constantly reminded of the purpose for their trip.

Easter and Mission Trip

I know I've been MIA lately, but what's new? I don't have a whole lot to share but I just wanted to mention a couple things.

1) We did actually try to get a video loaded on here of Lela hunting eggs at Easter but it must have been too big. But I can offer some iPhone pictures as a consolation (even though it's been more than two weeks since Easter!).

She did great hunting eggs. It was like she knew exactly what she was doing. But I must admit she had some practice prior to Easter Sunday so that may have accounted for her seemingly professional egg hunting skills.

2) I've decided monthly posts about Lela is a little strange past 12 months. But I will do my best to post about her because she is still changing so quickly. I will definitely post an update every time she sees the doctor (for well visits. I doubt you want to hear about every cold and ear infection).

3) Please remember Nathan these next couple weeks. He and Andrew are leaving for South East Asia next week to go on a mission trip. They'll be working with full-time missionaries there. Also, we recently found out they're going to lose two days because of a last-minute cancelled flight. It's kind of a bummer and changes their plans. But we know that God is still in control and this doesn't surprise Him. There is a reason for everything and God is not bound by earthly limits like time. Just pray that their time there will be fruitful. I will be posting specifics about the country and the people while they're over there so you can pray more specifically.

One Year!

Lela, you are one year old!!

• You are 17.9 pounds (according to thedoctor, not my scale. Yay!).
• You wear mostly 9 months clothes and most 12 month clothes are too big for you.
• You are still in size 3 diapers.
  
  
• You are a full time walker and I'm having a hard time keeping up with you!
• You love to open the cabinets and pull out all the things you shouldn't play with.
  
  
• You babble all the time and you already have a big sense of humor.
• You love an audience and you know how to keep everyone's attention.
  
  
• You have a habit of finding pacis and keeping them in your mouth ALL THE TIME. But fortunately it doesn't seem to bother you when we take it from you. I guess we have to be better at hiding them from you.
• You are continuing your big girl approach to bed time and nap time and I can lay you down with minimal rocking and you don't cry, even if you're awake (which is always the case since my the combination of my height and my baby bump prevents me from getting you all the way in your crib without dropping you the last couple inches :/ )
• You are also taking two naps in the morning and afternoon.
  
  
• My prediction about breastfeeding was right and you gave it up completely a few weeks ago. We started you on whole milk a couple weeks early since you weren't getting the breast milk.
• You're not as crazy about food these days (thank goodness) but you do have a tendency to be picky. But as long as I've got bananas around, you're happy.
  
  
• You still have separation anxiety when we leave you in the nursery but the reaction doesn't seem to be as intense.
• You are beginning to understand a lot of what we say to you and you respond appropriately. Like I can say "Go get the ball," and you'll get it and bring it to me. When we say "relax" you lean all the way back and lay your head against the wall.
  
  
• We have added brushing your teeth to your daily routine and you love to hold the toothbrush and suck all the toothpaste off of it.
• You have proved to be a bit of a climber. You always trying to figure out how to get on top of things. You got a stool for your birthday and instead of sitting on it you try to stand on it and use it as a step to get on top of other things!
• Taking your picture was a bit of a challenge this time around and our first attempt was a complete failure. This is the best we got.
  It ended immediately after this picture and I'm fairly certain I caught you in the very act that ruined the photo shoot. For some reason your diaper didn't hold all your "deposits" and when I picked up after this picture, the bed and the teddy bear were all wet! Somehow your clothes stayed dry, but after changing the sheets I was not in the mood to take any more pictures % )

It's amazing to see all the things you've accomplished since you came into the world and I can't believe it's already been a whole year. I know you will be a great big sister and I can't wait to see the girl you will become.

Eleven Months Old

Lela, you are eleven months old!

• You are 17.5 pounds (you are apparently not gaining significant weight despite the fact that you eat everything in sight!)
• You wear 6-9 month and 9 month clothes, some 12 month clothes fit you.
• You are in size 3 diapers
• You have two teeth peeking out under the gums on the bottom!

• You love to walk and you're getting better and better at it but crawling is still faster for you.
• You are very expressive when you talk and I can tell you try really hard to repeat the words we say.
• You have begun a new stage where you don't cry when I lay you in your crib! You have ALWAYS cried when we lay you down to go to sleep. We would have to wait until you were asleep to lay you down. But I guess you've realized that sleep is inevitable and you've stopped fighting it. We'll see how long it lasts ;)
• You take two naps at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm like clockwork everyday; without tears!

• You have always thrown your pacis out of the crib when you wake up but this is the first documentation I've acquired of the paci graveyard (how many do you see?).
• You only breastfeed once or twice a day and I have a feeling your last feeding is right around the corner.
• You eat three meals a day and you would snack constantly if I didn't stop you. If you any food or anyone eating you have to have food right then!

• You have begun to cry when we leave you in the nursery at church but you calm down quickly once we're gone (so we're told!).
• You have started shaking your head "no" when we try to make you do something you don't want to do. You will reach for things you want and if I give you the wrong thing, you shake your head.
• You love to play and you're always into to things you shouldn't be. Anytime we tell you not to play with something, you always laugh and continue doing what you please.

You are such a sweet girl and you are a joy to be around. You take everything in stride and there's not a whole lot that bothers you. Many things have changed since last month including a new home and a new life! I know you'll be a great big sister!!
Meet the newest member of the Clardy family!
Due August 7th!

Ten Months Old

Lela, you are 10 months old!

• You weigh 17.5 pounds (according to the bathroom scale which has been proven to be somewhat unreliable).
• You wear mostly 6-9 month and 9 month clothes.
• You wear size 3 diapers
• You are getting really close to walking and you took four or five steps yesterday for Miss Linda and Miss Sara at the church.
• You sleep good at night but bed time is not your favorite time. You are also waking up earlier in the mornings which means I have to get up extra early so I can get ready for the day :] But you still typically take two naps a day.
• You breastfeed four or five times a day.
• You are doing good eating three meals with snacks and you love to feed yourself.
• You don't have separation anxiety and you always smile back at a friendly face.
• You love to talk and you're getting better at imitating the words we say.
• You are getting better at communicating with us by reaching for things you want and putting your hand over mine and Daddy's mouth when you want us to stop talking.
• You put everything in your mouth including bugs you find along the baseboard.
• You've always loved to dance to music and now you've started to sing along with the music.

Taking your monthly picture has become somewhat of a challenge since you automatically think I'm putting you down for a nap when I put you in your crib . . .

. . . that's why you have a pin drive in your hand. For some reason holding the pin drive made everything ok. But if I took the pin drive away . . .

. . . it wasn't ok anymore.
I am proud to say I got one good picture without the pin drive, although it's not very smiley.

You are such a happy girl and you love to have fun and make everybody smile. I can already tell you are a little performer and you love to be at the center of attention. You are so smart and you're always looking for an opportunity to learn more. You are so loving and my prayer is that you'll learn to love Jesus just as much.

































































































































































































P. S. Yes, I took a nine-month crib picture but because she was crying, I didn't post it until now.