Six Months

Wow, I can't believe my little Wiggle is already half a year old! Where has the time gone? This month has gone by even faster and Clara has changed so much! She can now sit by herself and play with her toys for long periods (sometimes an hour)! As long as she is sitting with toys, and not tired or hungry, she is pretty good about entertaining herself. She rarely falls over and is getting quite strong.

This month has been super busy with Clarita attending her first wedding as well as multiple showers and birthday parties. She continues to be so very good and almost always happy. We make friends wherever we go because Clara just loves people! She will let anyone hold her and doesn't seem to mind being away from me. I spent the night away from her for the first time for Laurie's bachelorette party and Clara didn't seem to care. She did cry when I got home and want to nurse immediately, but was perfectly happy to play with Dada all night. She also spent her first night away from both Kevin and I when we went to Kevin's cousin's wedding. The little Wiggle stayed at my mom's house and had so much fun! She slept a whopping 10 hours and my mom said that she was an angel!

Daylyn's birthday party with Cam

Clara especially loves babies and kids. Clarita got to play with her friend Reedcito who is two, and it was the cutest thing ever! Reed was so sweet and asked if "that guy" wanted to ride his bike. He was also very concerned when Clara put the bottom of a cup in her mouth and showed her the correct way to drink from a cup!

Reedcito and Clarita playing with their aunties

Clarita babbles up a storm now and says things like mama baba, (but no dada ;)). She loves to "talk" and often talks to her pinguino as she's falling asleep (I think she tells him about her day). Clara also loves to roll and scoot all over the floor. She still doesn't appear ready to crawl (perfectly fine with us) but can really move around. She especially likes rolling after the cats and gets really excited when she touches them!

How big can you open your mouth?

Clara started eating solid foods this month and absolutely loves them! Her first food was avocado followed by sweet potato and we are now on carrots. She has liked them all so far and really seems to enjoy eating. She leans forward trying to get more and starts whining if we're too slow. She also drinks from her little sippy cup with a built in straw. The first time she sucked water into her mouth she was really surprised, but now thinks it is really fun. She loves to drink. The only bad part is that she now pees so much. Luckily with cloth diapers I can just put in another insert to make them more absorbent.

I got Lasik this past month (awesome!) and had to take steroid antibiotic eye drops. The doctor assured me that they would not affect Clara even though I was breast feeding, but he is a liar! She immediately developed her first diaper rash. I then did research about the eye drops and found out they are not safe to take while breast feeding and that one of the signs can be a diaper rash. So I stopped breast feeding (luckily I have a huge supply of frozen milk) and her rash went away immediately. I was not very happy with the doctor, but I guess five months without a diaper rash is a pretty good accomplishment. I credit the cloth diapers.

Last picture in glasses!

Clara had her six month doctor visit and got four shots. She was really tired to begin with having slept only an hour the entire day (her appointment was at 3:00), but was all smiles for the doctor. She shredded the paper on the examining table and even managed to get her doctor's name tag in her mouth! Clarita screamed when she got her shots but then fell asleep and was happy the rest of the night for dinner at Great Grandpa's house. She doesn't have to get anymore shots until she is a year old so that will be nice.

Caught in the act

This month I have really realized how blessed we are to have such great friends and family. Laurie had been watching Clara twice per week and had to go back to work at the end of August. At the same time Kevin's parents went on vacation for two weeks. That left my mom. Luckily we had tons of people who were willing to help out and even watch Clara spur of the moment when my mom got sick (thanks Kate!). Clarita is lucky to have so many people that love her!

I continue to be amazed with how flexible Clarita is. We have been gone so much lately and she just goes with the flow. She sleeps in the car or in her car seat or pouch wherever we happen to be. She plays by herself while I am helping with stuff for Laurie's wedding. She is happy to look at dogs or cats outside in her Pack N Play. She's really just so good. We have been very blessed and Kevin says that we can't have another baby because he or she would never be as good as Clara.

Clarita's Stats

Weight: 14 pounds 5 ounces

Height: 25.25 inches (apparently she shrunk)

Head Circumference: 42 centimeters

What Clara Wears

She still wears 3 month onesies but everything else is 3-6 or 6 months

Things Clara Loves

Mama and Dada, nursing and bottles, going for walks, getting undressed and having naked baby time, her "soothie" pacifiers (especially her monito and Bevo), snuggling, baths, baby exercises, car rides, the Baby Bjorn, reading books, massages, being a baby airplane, ceiling fans, drooling, the exersaucer, swimming, people, taking showers with Mommy in the Bumbo, playing with her toys, her teethers, rolling all over the floor, animals (especially her cats), food, playing peek a boo with Dada

Things Clara Does Not Love

Waiting, going to sleep when she’s overly tired, having a new diaper put on, being told no or having something taken away from her (like her Mommy's necklaces or hair)

How Clarita Sleeps

Clarita continues to sleep off and on throughout the day as she sees fit usually with at least one long nap in the morning or afternoon (sometimes both). She now uses a sleep sack at night and generally rolls over to her side, hugs her pacifier or pinguino, and falls right to sleep. She usually wakes up on her stomach super happy and plays for awhile until we get her out. She still sleeps in her Pack N Play next to our bed. Clara generally goes to bed between 9:15 and 9:30 and wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00.

Nicknames

Baby Butter, Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggles, Wiggles, Baby/Bebe, Bambina, Sapita, Munchkin, Drool Monster, Birthday Twin

Foods Clara Loves

Avocado, sweet potato, carrots

Monthly Exciting Events

September 15, 2013: First time drinking water (she loved her little straw!)

September 14, 2013: First night away from Mama and Dada (she had so much fun with La Abuelita she didn't even notice)

September 8, 2013: Clarita's first wedding - Cam and Bri

September 6, 2013: First time at the beach (she really liked the sand and the sound of the waves)

September 4, 2013: Clara's first solid food - aguacate which she loved! And the first time she slept on her tummy

August 30, 2013: Clara's first diaper rash (probably caused by the steroid eye drops Mama's doctor said would not hurt her)

August 26, 2013: Clara's first, first day of school with la Abuelita ;)

August 24, 2013: Clara's first night away from Mama/alone with Dada

August 22, 2013: Clara's first Fantasy Football draft party

August 20, 2013: Clara starts making actual word sounds (mama, baba, but no dada)

Monthly Pictures

Taking pictures is more difficult now that she moves everywhere

What a Weekend!

Clarita had a very busy weekend! I took the day off work on Friday and Clara and I went to breakfast with Kate who Clara just adores. We had a fun time and Clarita even took a nap at the restaurant! Later that afternoon, Kevin, Clara, and I headed down to LA to see Tia Biffy. Biffy was our site mate in Peace Corps and became like a sister to us. We're lucky that we live so close now that we're back in the U.S.! Clara had not met Biffy yet and we had not met Biffy's boyfriend (who got a gold star by the way) so it was an exciting trip!

Tia Biffy

We got to Santa Monica in record time for a Friday afternoon and Clara slept most of the way. We took Clarita to the beach while we waited for Biffy to get off work. Clara really liked the sand and immediately reached down and grabbed a handful. She would not stop staring at it if she was standing in it which made taking pictures of her hard! Clara also liked the sound of the waves and kept looking to see what was happening. We didn't put her in the water as it was cold and there were a lot of waves, but I'm sure she'll like that too someday! The three of us walked along the beach and on the pier and Clara just watched everything and eventually fell asleep.

Needless to say, Biffy and her boyfriend Kevin (that's right, there were two Kevins which was a little confusing) loved Clara! Clara also loved them and was full of smiles, laughs, and squeals! Biffy has a niece who is three weeks younger than Clara and we had planned to have the babies meet and play together. Poor little Audrey got sick and was unable to come visit, but Biffy's 18-month-old niece came over for a visit. Clara was fascinated with Jace and smiled and talked away. It was fun watching them play together!

Clara and Jace

She loved Kevin's chicken

We had such a great time with Tia Biffy eating lots of great food, going for walks, and even a trip to an awesome farmer's market. Clara also decided to give us the amazing gift of sleep. She slept until 7:15 and 7:30 while we were there which meant that we actually got close to eight hours of sleep!

My old roommate Beth and her husband Ken also live in L.A. so we got in a visit with them too. Beth was pregnant and was actually due the Monday before our visit. Her little girl decided that she wasn't ready to come out yet (she was born September 14) so we got to go to breakfast with them and Clara was finally able to meet them! She was fussier than usual at breakfast but still managed lots of smiles and laughs. I can't wait for our next visit when there will be a new friend for Clara to play with!

Come out and play baby!

On Sunday we headed to Santa Barbara for Cam and Bri's wedding and Clarita slept the entire way there! Cam has been one of my best friends since high school and their wedding was beautiful. It was on the beach and the weather could not have been better. Clara was very well behaved (although not as well behaved as Cam's nephew who is five weeks younger) and made it through the ceremony quietly. Our friend Megan entertained her with the string from the bubbles passed out at the wedding (much like a kitten would be entertained) and Clara thought it was awesome! She took a nap during dinner and then slept most of the way home (after a little crying when she didn't want to go to sleep).

Ewok sitter!

Ewok gets around!

It was a really long weekend and we didn't get home until after 11:00 PM on Sunday, but Clara did beautifully. It really made me appreciate what a good baby we have. I know that she got tired of being in her car seat in the car instead of rolling around, but she took it all in stride!

First Solid Food - Aguacate

On September 4, 2013, we decided to give Clarita solid food to see how she liked it. She had been really interested in our food for at least a month, always trying to grab it and put it in her mouth, so we figured it was time. I did not want to start with rice cereal because I feel like it is fake and processed so I decided on avocado since it's easy to mash up and not a lot of people are allergic to it (plus we love it). I mashed it up and added breast milk and fed the little Wiggle.

I was expecting some great faces involving her sticking her tongue out and not being sure if she liked it or not. Clara surprised me by sucking away at the spoon full of avocado (I think all her practice playing with her spoon helped!). She appeared to really like it and started whimpering when I stopped feeding her! She ate a good portion and didn't even make too much of a mess! It was quite funny watching her expressions and how much she concentrated on eating! Clara's first solid food experience was definitely a success!

Un Dia de la Vida de Clarita

I haven't written one of these in awhile since I'm not home with Clara anymore during the week and the weekends always seem crazy. I was home with her on August 23, 2013 and this is what our day looked like.

6:08: I wake her up and do a diaper change and nurse her

6:25: Clara falls asleep nursing so I swaddle her up hoping that will make her sleep longer and put her back in her Pack n Play

9:05: I see her stirring on the baby monitor but let her play while I finish planting flowers (she never sleeps this long she must know that I have a million things to do to get ready for Tia Laurie's shower)

9:15: Do a diaper change and nurse

9:36: Time to get ready for our day (tame her pelo loco and get dressed)

9:45: We play on the floor

10:30: The housekeepers arrive so we go for a walk to the grocery store and Clara falls asleep right away missing her chance to say hi to Sarah and Reedcito who we see at the store

11:30: Get home right as Dada does and Clarita wakes up. Dada does a diaper change and they hang out

11:45: Clarita plays in the exersaucer while we eat and then practices petting the cats with Dada

12:20: Nurse and diaper change

12:40: I put her on the floor for naked baby play time and she poops everywhere (this has never happened before, she has only pooped out of her diaper once before when she was teeny). Luckily I had just started a load of diapers so I throw the blanket in too!

1:00:Needless to say bath time follows since she's a disaster (but very happy even covered in poop)

Practicing her leg lifts

1:20: The little Wiggle seems tired so I put her in the stroller and we go outside so I can clean the outside bathroom. We do a couple laps in the stroller before she passes out.

2:55: Someone's wide awake so we do a diaper change, she plays, and nurses

3:30: Clarita plays in the exersaucer while I shower

3:45: Clara decides that she only wants to be held and cries while I get ready

4:00: I put her in the car seat and she screams like she's being tortured. I take her out thinking something is hurting her and she stops because she's so tired and wants me to hold her. I put her back in and the screaming stops once I pick the car seat up. Clarita falls asleep in car on the way to church to meet Stacy to pick up tables and chairs for the shower.

5:00: Tia Laurie picks Wiggle up so Stacy and I can decorate and get everything ready for the shower

I forgot to document the rest of our night once Laurie brought her home so here is an excerpt from September 3, 2013, a typical week night once I get home:

5:45: Meet La Abuelita at church to pick Wiggle up (ok this isn't typical, I usually get home at 5:30 and Clara is there, but my mom had a meeting tonight). She says that Clarita was an "angel baby" today! Clara plays with her monito azul on the ride home.

6:15: Get home and are greeted with yummy smells from the dinner Dada is cooking. Snuggles with Mama and Dada

6:25: Clarita plays on the floor in her room (one of her favorite places) while I put away her clothes and pack for our upcoming trip

Who needs toys when you have cardboard?

6:50: Hang out in the Bumbo and play with her spoon while Mama and Dada eat

Practicing for when she gets to eat solid food

I want that food!

7:08: Nurse/diaper change/baby exercises

7:24: Go for a family walk, Clara falls asleep halfway through

8:10: Get home, Clarita wakes up and helps Mama water the plants on the porch

8:32: Baby massage/naked baby time/diaper change

8:49: Nurse 

9:01: Get ready for bed

9:15: Read with Dada

9:25: Get into her sleep sack, besitos, and go into the Pack n Play where she fusses until I give her a stuffed penguin. She then proceeds to "talk" to her pinguino (probably telling her all the fun she had with La Abuelita)

9:45: All is quiet, Clarita is out for the night and doesn't wake up until 6:15 the next morning!