Today we met with Clara's daycare teacher for her 2-year-old assessment. She had a single-spaced two-page list of milestones to discuss. She said Clara is "very smart," "very sweet," "very dramatic" and has a great imagination. The only thing she's lagging on is potty training, but we haven't really been pushing it.
Hilariously, Clara is the Hermione of her class. She eagerly answers all the questions while the other kids are "in the back kicking each other" (to be fair, she is one of the oldest).
But she likes non-academic pursuits, too. Behold, the State Fair:
a $2 bag of carrot slices = big fun
Still planning to get back to regular blogging someday!
Clara is pretty independent, with the exception of still liking to be fed a bottle like a tiny baby - cradled and you holding it for her! It's funny, but I don't mind at all since she's growing up so fast. However, as of Wednesday, there's officially no denying she's now a toddler:
Our sweet girl turned 9 months old today, and celebrated with kindermusik and chik-fil-a [deconstructed grilled chicken sandwich] with dada :)
She is such a blast these days. Eating everything in sight, even weird stuff like feta, pesto and balsamic vinegar. Very close to walking. Still only saying dada (all the time... see below). Playing independently, which makes me both proud and sad - my baby is almost a toddler.
She now loves to sit in your lap and read books, especially Baby Einstein "Violet Sees - Birds and Nests." Her favorite toys range from a silver rattle, which she drags all over the house, to the Wii controllers/TV remote, to her stuffed Clifford.
I can entertain myself now, Mommy
Her first two teeth came through (together) about a week ago. It was no big deal other than her having a bad runny nose. She goes to the doctor in a couple of weeks for her 9-month checkup and I'll update with her stats then. She's wearing 12-18 months in Carter's and size 3 Pampers.
check out my chompers
She's just figured out how to take off loose pants when she's tired of being in her crib (a hilarious rebellion), and won't tolerate socks. She's learning how to "pet not pull" the pets' fur, and reportedly is now "petting" other babies' hair in her music class.
Finally, Grandma Swafford has requested some videos of Clara's vocalizations, so here you go :)
one year ago today, this was (a very flexible) Clara:
scott said the other night "who knew having a baby would be so awesome?" truthfully, even though we badly wanted a baby for so long, we had no idea it would be so awesome. some snapshots of our sassy girl today:
cramming apples and cheese in her mouth like they're going out of style
I want to smile but my mouth is full...
who are you calling chipmunk cheeks?
I like spending mommy's money...
and tearing up daddy's exercise book
why do they call this a cat door? it's just my size! bye bye!
This week Clara turned 8 months old and I turned 33 years old. At 8 months, Clara is crawling and clapping all the time, and starting to pull up and wave. She's a bit shy around strangers at first. She loves sliced banana, mama's homemade pizza, and organic whole grain waffles with a bit of maple syrup. She's using a straw sippy for water and diluted juice. Every time and age that passes with us thinking she can't possibly get any more delightful, she does :-)
Showing off her clapping skills (while eating bananas - she's multi-talented):
Chasing the kitty all over. Baby: 0, Kitty: 1. (Warning: This video is only for relatives who infrequently see the baby and can afford to waste a few minutes of their life on this.)
On my birthday, I had to work and then Scott had class that night. Exotic, huh? Well, at least I got all these (and a few more) awesome cards and presents...
Clara's fingerprint cast in sterling w/birthstone
(Jane Wear @ Etsy)
Clara is so advanced.
And a pizza party at work (I love pizza)... and then a couple of hours after the pizza party, I was summoned to the conference room and saw:
I was so happy! It's rare I get to see my girl in the middle of the work day. Thanks a ton to Scott and my gnomey Pamela for making that happen!
Baby girl is so big! Will I even be able to lift her on my next birthday??
we are so busy these days with my work, scott's school, trying to get our house ready to sell, and a crawling, inquisitive baby! she's doing great and I'll try to do a more substantive update on her 8-month bday tuesday. she loves swim class, chasing the pets, pretty much all food, and things she shouldn't play with like cords and daddy's textbooks. she laughs and smiles most of the time, and just started clapping when she's excited (will try to get a video). some pics from the last couple of weeks:
mommy had a long day but I get the leg massage! score.
blueberry protein pancakes.... necessitate baths
mommy's homemade pizza.... better without a bib
pretty please let me out of here?!
this goat... needs a diet
my Tennessee relatives (Vols fans) wanted me to fight the Florida gator
After learning to crawl last weekend, Clara has perfected the art now. It is the cutest thing EVER and she is so proud of herself! The only downside is that now we have to baby-proof a bit. Luckily when Scott switched our "bisque" outlets for bright, modern, white last year, he installed the kind that are automatically baby-resistant (you have to stick something in both slots at once for either to open). We also traded in our glass coffee table for an upholstered storage ottoman and tray. Now we just have to strap the TV to the wall, gate off danger areas like the bathroom, fasten a rogue lamp cord to the baseboard, and install small hooks for the blinds' cords . We're not going to worry about kitchen cabinets and such at this point since we're hoping to sell our house soon and not have to do all that in two houses.
Scott went to check on Clara on Thursday and she was standing up in her crib! She hasn't done it since, but we went on and lowered the mattress to be on the safe side. It's unbelievable to me that in the course of a couple of weeks, she's started talking ("dada"), crawling, and pulling up. Can someone please stop time??
I have a post about breastfeeding ready to go up later this week, but since Clara's paternal grandmother is reportedly in withdrawal from no new pics, this is enough words for now :-)
my first carousel ride - with grandma!
crinkly-eye smiles are the most fun
the kitties are in big trouble now that I can crawl
CRAZY SMILE
meeting daddy's brother, Uncle Don T, for the first time. he likes cool stuff like cartoons. I think we will be bff's.
mommy thought it would be fun to take pictures in the grass. I thought it would be fun to eat grass.
At seven months old, and with her Chattanooga grandparents in town, Clara learned to crawl this weekend! I was in the kitchen washing pump parts (%^&$!^^* - the one thing I won't miss about nursing when I'm done) when she first did it. A minute later, giving me time to get the video camera ready, she did it again:
More pics from the weekend soon... Hope y'all have a great (short) week :-)
-G
Today is Clara's five month birthday. I'm sad time is passing so quickly (especially these last two months with me back at work), but it's amazing to behold the sweet and occasionally sassy little girl Clara has become.
Clara, 1 day old. Note stick legs.
Though she arrived a week late, Clara was only 6 pounds at birth. Perhaps her length (21 inches) at that weight should've been an indicator for how she'd grow over the coming months, as she doubled her weight at 2 months, and is now in the 86th percentile for height and the 71st for weight. This child is going to outgrow her tiny momma at five years old!
Clara at 5 months. Note big strong girl legs :-)
(Please don't worry about the power cord - Daddy was right there and it wasn't plugged in)
Mmmm.... baked bananas and pears (recipe from Weelicious)
We took Clara on her first road trip this weekend to her Great-Grandmother's 85th birthday party in the Mississippi Delta, and it went really well:
Clara and Mommy
Clara met her Great Aunt Leigh... and promptly fell asleep on her.
Four generations of pale blondies
Clara with Daddy in party outfit #2
On top of honing her traveling skills, these days Clara is enjoying sitting and standing (supported, of course), trying new foods, and pulling the dog's hair (the cats won't tolerate it!). She still hasn't had any formula, and I keep pushing my nursing goal longer and longer as I see her amazing health and growth on breastmilk. Ideally, I'll nurse her for 9-10 months and have enough milk in the freezer at that time to take her through the end of the first year - then she can just transition to organic 2% cow's milk. Fingers crossed everything works out for that to happen.
Check out my sweet mohawk.
Mommy made me this cool bib. (Flannel backed with micro-terry. Both from fabric.com)
