Clairey Baby (June 2010)

Claire is changing so much these days.  Even in the last week, her development is astonishing.  Here are some of our favorite things:

She is talking more everyday.  Last night, Chris got up with her when she was crying in the night.  I didn't even know Chris had slipped away (he wanted to let me sleep-- how sweet).  In the stillness that is 1 a.m. a little voice broke through the stretches of darkness yelling "Milllllll!!!!"  Chris had poured her a bottle of milk and she was more than eager to devour it.

Claire loves to be on the go.  She always has.  Before she started talking, she would start flapping her arms when we gathered things to leave the house.  If I ever was holding her when I went into the garage, she would start crying if I came back in without buckling her into her car seat and driving away.  Now, she just tells us what is on her mind.  She'll just look at us, smile, and say "Bye! Bye!" in a sweet (but very direct) voice.

Claire tells us "fooooo" (food) if she is hungry.  Or signs "more" and says "mo-mo-mo" with a staccato tempo.  In addition to "mill" (milk) she tells us "ba-ba" for bottle.  With every bottle, she takes a few drags and then passes it over to whoever is holding her and smacks her lips several times as if to say "Would you like some too?"

She says "yay" and she is starting to say "no" when she is whining.  She also says "bi-per" when we change her diaper and points to every light fixture to say "lie" (light).

If we say "one . . . two . . ." Claire will finish with an animated "Thhh-eeee!"

Our baby loves babies (in the form of stuffed toys).  When she sees one she squeals "baby! baby!" and then hugs it to her face with all her strength. 

Claire is getting great with communicating.  Even though her vocabulary is still limited she understands quite a lot.  That makes it easier to communicate by asking her questions.  "Are you hungry?" yields a nervous and excited laugh from Claire that tells us to get that baby food pronto.  If her answer is no she'll just shake her head or wipe her face and ears to show her disapproval.  This is also her sign that she is ready for nap time-- rubbed eyes, ears, and nose are the symbol that Clairey needs a baby, a blanket, and a crib.

Up to this point in her life she has been a supreme "Mommy's girl."  There is no place she rather be than on my hip or in my lap.  Now that Daddy is off of school and home for summer, she is relishing daddy love.  She loves to lay down with Daddy and lets him hold her sideways.  She even rests her head on his shoulder.  She never does either for me.

Our snuggle baby is active, active, active these days.  Instead of her usual sitting and observing, she is taking off.  She can do a traditional crawl but sticks with the army crawl (more out of habit, I'm guessing).  She isn't pulling up to standing yet, but is always pulling up to her knees and pulling books off shelves and toys off tables.  Our electrical outlets are protected but we need to do some child-proofing to cabinets pretty soon. 

Claire's attitude is a reflection her new found physical freedom.  She is vivacious and impatient.  She is sweet and a little spicy too.  If she is unhappy, she'll quickly let us know with shrieks of disapproval.  But she is so round and cute and never complains about the shower of kisses her three family members squish on her cheeks several times daily.

This morning our family of four was snuggling together and playing.  Hallie was tickling me and I told her I was all done.  Hallie continued to squirm and I looked over to find Claire stealthily tickling her sister with her chubby little hands.  Funny baby.

That's our Claire in a few paragraphs.  We really can't capture her in words though.  You've got to see this cuteness to totally believe it.