This kid loves to find the underwear in the laundry basket (clean) and put it on her head. Every time. She even found dirty underwear at a friend's house and put that on her head too! Lovely. And the other day she got away from her dad for a minute and we found her in the bathroom sucking on a burp rag that she had dunked in the toilet! And there was toilet paper on the rag so this was not even a clean toilet! There were no words, still aren't.
Claire turned 1 on July 22nd. The lucky girl got two birthday parties because Devon was absent for the first. On her actual birthday we were in Bear Lake with the Stephens family. Claire had a candle in a rice krispie treat, which she thought was fantastic, until she reached for the candle, at which point we all freaked and she started bawling. Although once she actually got her hands on the treat she was thrilled.
A few weeks later we celebrated at home so her dad could participate. She thought it was super fun that we were all singing for her and dug right in to her cupcake.
This little girl is just about the sweetest thing I have ever encountered. I have never seen a baby get so excited just because you walk in the room. When I appear and call her name her face lights up and she runs for me with her arms outstretched and giggles as I pick her up. I'm thinking there's not much better in this world than that. She also loves peek-a-boo and has now figured out how to do it herself. She will hide her eyes or crouch behind the furniture and pop up. Her ear-splitting screech has also made a reappearance. We thought we'd said goodbye to this fantastic skill but it came back. Alas, much of church is spent in the hall. Let me tell you, her dad is heartbroken about that. She has four awesome jack-o-lantern teeth and is growing tons of hair, albeit not necessarily in all the right spots--she looks like a 40-year-0ld man with a receding hairline. She now says mom, dad, Grace, and uh-oh and her sisters fight over who will get her from her bed after nap because she gives such fabulous snuggles and grins. Life is pretty fantastic with a one-year-old around. My father-in-law said Claire is "delightful" and I quite agree!
(For full effect, imagine glass shattering all around you.)
Please excuse the lack of clothing. She had just soiled herself. Yet another reason I don't need a dog!
Where has the time gone? Claire is exceptionally busy and wiggly (which makes church quite the adventure), super social, and gives the most spectacularly slobbery kisses. She's finally growing some hair and getting ready to walk. And she recently started trilling her r's when she cries and blowing raspberries, both of which are highly entertaining!
p.s. Blogging with a nine-month-old on your lap is no easy feat. I can't believe I finished this post!
Today I let my baby play in the garbage so I could have a few minutes to work on the computer. I am awesome.
After reading this post Devon told me I needed an addendum explaining that this was the office garbage and was only full of paper. Just in case you thought I was exposing my child to all kinds of disgusting trash. :)
This little bug is crawling everywhere and getting into everything. She thinks it's great fun. While it is occasionally quite annoying, it is also amazing to watch a baby discover so many new things every day. Today Claire discovered the joy of the playroom. It was clean for once so I let her in to have a little party. She was in heaven. When I went to get her for nap time I discovered she had crawled onto the shelf and was getting into some of her sisters' papers. Once she came out I noticed a note stuck to her leg. Apparently she is available for only $5.00. What a steal!
We are all legal to travel outside the United States with our newly issued passports. Can't wait to see my parents in June. I have to say that seeing this on a passport made me giggle!
So big--seven months old now and so much fun. Here are some of the things we love about her:
She loves her big sisters. She will follow them around and they typically fight over who gets to hold her first after school or get her out of bed after her nap.
She can now hold her own bottle and for some reason always sits cross-legged in her high chair. My not favorite thing about the high chair? She cries as soon as I put her in it. My other kids would cry until I put them in the high chair. Once they sat down they knew the food was coming. Claire, on the other hand, cries harder until you actually put the food in her mouth.
She has started babbling. Best word: dad. Not dada, but dad. Of course it doesn't mean anything yet but we all think it's hilarious. The girls have consorted with me to try and make sure her actual first word is mama. Every time she says dad we all reply with mom, which Claire finds quite entertaining.
Like all good babies she attempts to put anything and everything in her mouth, including this ball. Just before this picture I found her trying with all she was worth to eat this thing.
She now takes consistently good naps and sleeps through the night. Although I was apparently not paying enough attention the other day when I discovered she had put herself to sleep on this blanket in the family room.
She has started pulling up on things. Now this is what greets me when she wakes up from a nap. Love it!
And this picture is just funny. When Devon's parents were here we went to the AZ Museum for Youth, which has a section for babies. The walls of the baby area are mirrored and Claire was in heaven. I can't imagine having four of her!
