Claire is a Christmas Monster...

...and getting pretty good at using the camera too. This serious face and boots picture made milk come out of Daddy's nose. Good times :D

For Grandma Henry

Dear Grandma, We hope you feel better soon! We took these pictures for you, but everyone else may enjoy them too :) Love, The Burch GirlsSometimes we laugh so hard it's impossible to focus.
Sophie is a beauty!
Sophia is 8 weeks old and very serious about being adorable.
Claire squirts herself in the eye to prove that it doesn't bother anyone to do that.
Claire is learning to take pictures all by herself.
Self portrait of the Ham as a young artist.

Tis the Season for Matching Shirts

Sophie is two months old!

Sophia continues to be a mild, sweet little girl. I feel badly about the eczema rash on her face but she never complains. She enslaves everyone with her dimple smile and "squeak-pop" laugh.

"Make Ups"

Claire is really interested in make-up right now (more so than before if you can fathom that). She figured out how to undo the lock on Hooma's make-up box and put together this little facial ensemble. I think she looks like a domestic abuse victim but she felt very beautiful, as evidenced by the pirouette reaction to Daddy's instruction to "smile for the camera!".

Trunk or Treat 2010

Check out the awesome tail.
Sophie's signature smile with a single dimple on the right cheek--this is the first time we've captured it!
Sophie stayed warm in the pea pod for the event.
Uncle Hans was "in disguise." Note the hair parted on the opposite side. For those in the know... WHOOO ARE YOU?!
Hooma was a lovely flower fairy.
Daddy was the official unwrapper for Claire's candy.

Anthon and his best friend dressed as "dorks."
Papa dressed as an "unsuccessful doctor" and Claire wasn't sure whether his candy was okay...
Cutest dinosaur ever!
Sophie was a flower pixie, although she wouldn't keep the hat on for the show.
Pixie Baby

Sophie Catch-Up

This is the face Claire gives me whenever I try to nurse Sophie...
And this is what it quickly devolves into.
Sophie likes constant motion, so pictures in focus are sort of a rarity.
Claire's not sure about a "sister picture."
Claire tries to play nicely for my sake while Sophie demonstrates abject terror of the owner of the pink boots that often seek contact with her forehead...
Claire snuggles with Hooma for a little one-on-one attention.
Sophia thinks deep thoughts.

Sorry for the bumski style delay, but here are pictures, in order, from Sophia's first five weeks with us!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to a patch just north of Pocatello the other day to officially prepare for Halloween.
Claire's final choice.

Claire wanted to pull the wagon by herself, but it was really heavy and difficult with the mud.
Sophie was really excited about pumpkins too, as you can see... (Note Claire and Daddy in back)

Welcome Sophie!

Sophia Magdalena Burch, born 1:57pm on September 20, 2010. 8lbs 6oz and 21"!
Best sisters...

Tea Time

Claire loves tea--no kidding! She asks for tisane when we go out to eat instead of soda or juice. She received this cute tea set for her birthday and after decorating it with Dora and Ariel stickers, she and her Aunt Hannah have been having daily (and sometimes hourly) tea parties. In this picture, Claire's mouth looks very pink because she's also now into "makeups" and she had applied a thorough coat of lipstick for this particular tea time.

Claire is 2!

We had an awesome pool party with plenty of friends and a perfect Idaho afternoon.
Claire's two favorite things united in one Sam's Club cake--Hello Kitty and M&M's! I had planned an elaborate Ariel cake but the bed rest for Sophie sort of put a damper on that party path...
Claire loves the "waterfall" in Papa's pool and the color changing lights.
The cupcakes were apparently awesome--she had three of them.
They were made of pure sugar! What a pretty lady--thank you to Neighbor Chris for taking pictures for us.
Claire's reaction upon receiving her first Barbie, an original Ariel doll. Ariel was very very important to me at her age too, so I always took special care of this doll and she's in mint condition.

Claire sings along with an over-sized birthday card from Hooma. The song is "A Dream is a Wish" from Cinderella. She gets distracted by a new dinosaur puzzle (Momma and Daddy's love of edutainment strikes again!) but resumes singing at the end. Notice the awesome playhouse in the background sewn by Hooma! I'll give the Happy Hut it's own post in the coming days.