Dr. Mom

Just in case the shirt doesn't tell the whole story, Heather passed her dissertation defense today, which means that she has completed her Ph.D. program, and is now Dr. Heather Donahoe LaForge!! Her committee was very impressed with her performance, calling her the "epitome of grace under pressure." Clara and I are tremendously proud of Heather and her accomplishment, and have been overjoyed to celebrate this moment with her.

(Yes, the blog is still going private, but we've been a little busy this week. To everyone who has left us an email address, thank you so much-- expect an official blog invitation in the next few days. To those who haven't --there's still time! Leave a note and I'll include you.)

The blog is going private!

Since we're sharing so many pictures of our little baby girl, Heather and I have decided to switch to a login system for the blog. We love sharing Clara's life with our family and friends, and reading everyone's comments, so please don't stop checking in! Just leave your email address as a comment to this post, and I'll send you an invitation. I'll switch to the "private" setting sometime in the next week-- don't get left out. :)

Also, please be sure to see the last public post below, "Celebrating Great-Grandpa LaForge's Life."

This shouldn't be too much of a hassle, so thanks for understanding!

Celebrating Great-Grandpa LaForge's life

The beginning of June found us in the car again, but this time for an ostensibly less joyous occasion. Clara's great-grandfather LaForge passed away May 25, after 90 rich years. He was a warm, brilliant gentleman who embraced new challenges and loved being with his family; he will be deeply missed. Clara was lucky to have met him two months earlier, and he jokingly announced "we'll have to get her up on the tractor!", a true honor in the economy of the ranch.

View through the garden gate toward the hog unit, (LaForge Ranch in Yokohl Valley, Exeter, CA)

As it turned out, the weekend was full of joy: celebration of the full life that Grandpa LaForge enjoyed; happy recollection of our favorite memories of times we shared with him; appreciation and reuniting of our large, diverse family; and welcoming of new life into the family, through Clara.



Clara meets her very proud Grandpa.

Hanging out with Clara is always a welcome interruption for Auntie Coco, even in her towel.

Most of the 22 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and spouses.

Clara meets her great-Gramps Balfour.

The family under the old Weeping Willow tree: Tio Rafa, Tia Lauren, Auntie Coco, Grandpa Jon, and the usual suspects.

Clara is used to a lot of attention by now.

Quality time with Grandpa Jon at the Ranch. As long as she had her pacifier, Clara would have posed all day.

Lots of generations together: Nona, Grandpa Jon, Grammy and Great-Gramps.

Grammy and the gang.

Clara meets her second cousin Brianna, the other great-granddaughter of Grandpa LaForge.

Dusk is a magical time at the Ranch. Here we share the evening glow with Grandpa's roses.

Clara attends her first wedding

Our friends Tony and Rachel got married on Memorial Day weekend, so we loaded up the family and drove to Paso Robles to celebrate. Clara was a very good sport for the whole trip, enduring the long car rides and festivities in good spirits.



On the way up we stopped at Grammy's house, where Clara met her cousin Kylie, and finally showed Grammy some good smiles.

We got to spend some quality time with my good friend Adam and his family. Melea and Clara were friends from the start.

Clara does a little hula to get ready for the wedding.

The beautiful mother and child.

Drew and the boys: Adam, Ethan, and groom Tony.

The Altermatt family: Adam, Melea, Lori, and Addison.

Clara unwinds with quality time with Mom.

Everyone loves holding Clara

Clara met more of her loving family last month and proved herself to be an equal-opportunity fusseroo/sleepyhead-- crying, then sleeping, in the arms of all who would take her.




Nana Pete (Clara's great-grandmother) could not get enough of the peanut, and would have held her all day.

Nana also was not shy with the grandmotherly kisses to the forehead.

Aunt Melanie managed to wrestle Clara away from Nana once or twice.

Aunt Jessica single-handedly ran away with the title of "Favorite Lap to Sleep On."

Uncle Sean was "The Natural."

Cozy time with The Godfather. That's an offer she couldn't refuse.

Zonked out with the Fairy Godmother.

The swing does a pretty good job too.

Clara enjoying some San Diego weather with her shaggy dad.

Amazed at her beautiful mom.

You want to hold her now, don't you?