Clara has become quite the stubborn little girl! She has learned to throw tantrums complete with arched back, tears, and throwing her little body on the floor. These happen a million times a day every time she does not get what she wants. Luckily she is easily distracted and they are usually over as quickly as they began. It makes me really glad that I didn't get my teenage wish of having twin baby Shannons though...that would be a nightmare!
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| Chillin with Baby Cambria |
Apart from her stubbornness, Clara is still very happy. She loves people and waves to everyone she meets. We make friends everywhere we go and everyone comments on how happy she is. She especially loves little kids and babies and will just walk up to them, start waving and jabbering away. At Dada's triathlon, she walked up to some little boys and grabbed onto them trying to see their video game. One of them looked back at me and said, "I think she likes me!"
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| Making new friends |
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| Go Dada! |
This was a month of parties and celebrations and Clara got to play with her cousins a lot. At Logan's birthday party she got to jump in a bounce house with Dada which she thought was pretty great. She had fun watching Dada compete (and get second place) in his triathlon and even went to a couple of baby showers. She was a pro at helping to open presents and even at throwing things away. She continues to go with the flow and is easy to take places. She even went to a Peace Corps party where we got to meet other returned volunteers and send off some new volunteers. She got to feed baby goats there and thought it was the best thing ever. She didn't know what goats were so she called them dogs. Needless to say, she stole the show by running around waving to everyone and talking up a storm!
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| Pool full of cousins! |
Clara also got to go snowboarding with Dada, Fafa, and I. We took turns staying with her while the other two went on the mountain. She thought the snow was too bright but loved playing in the lodge and going for walks in the Ergo. Her naps weren't too good, but she had fun. Tia Laurie and Tio Chino went on their honeymoon this month and we got to take care of their animals. Clara thought it was super fun to feed the dogs and take them for walks. She actually carried the leash for half the walk and pulled on it and waved it around!
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| The snow is too bright! |
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| Mama's snowboard is NOT fun! |
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| Wearing Mama's hat |
The first tooth finally made it's appearance this month! We just assumed that it would grow super fast once it popped up. Turns out that is not the case and she still just has one little nub. We can see the spot on her gum where her next tooth is working it's way up. So far teething has not seemed to bother Clara. She did wake up a couple of times crying during the night, but either found her pacifier or just fell over and went back to sleep. I credit the hippy teething necklace.
Outside is one of Clarita's favorite places to be. She is such a good helper and pulls weeds and puts them in the bucket. She also likes to pull flowers and doesn't understand why I tell her not to do that. She eats the leaves, grass, and of course bugs. Leaves are apparently the best because she eats those nonstop! Clara loves swinging at the park with Abuelita and cries when it's time to go home. She also loves riding her tricycle and she and Abuelita often are out the door and off on a ride before I even leave for work. Clarita gives me a wave goodbye and off she goes! She rides all over the neighborhood squealing all the way!
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| Teaching the dogs tricks |
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| Teaching Tio Chino tricks! |
Clara has become obsessed with strawberries and grapes this month and those seem to be the only things she wants to eat. She knows that they are in her food bag and the refrigerator and becomes upset if she doesn't get them. She's starting to become picky and will only eat what she wants at that exact second. Unfortunately we don't always know what this is and she can't tell us so this makes her very frustrated and ends in tears while signing more. She will love something one day and want nothing to do with it the next.
Clarita's Stats
Weight:17.8 pounds (apparently she didn't gain much weight)
Height: 29.5 inches
Head Circumference: 17.5 inches
What Clara Wears
She is now wearing mostly 12 month outfits which are pretty big on her. Her 9 month pants still fit her pretty well, especially when she has on a disposable diaper!
Things Clara Loves
Mama and Dada, nursing, going for walks, naked baby time, pacifiers (especially her monito), car rides, reading books, people, taking showers with Dada, playing with her toys, animals (especially her cats), eating, playing peek a boo, running, empty bottles, cardboard boxes, phones, remote controls, brushing her "teeth", running up and down the stairs with Mama, Baby Signing Time DVD, stuffed animals, getting the ABCs sung to her while pointing at them on the wall, Tio Chino's wallet, riding her tricycle, swinging through the air, swinging, being outside, playing in her bucket of water
Things Clara Does Not Love
As Clarita becomes more stubborn, she dislikes more things. These depend on the day/time and include waiting (especially to eat), being told "no", having her face or nose wiped, having things taken away from her, getting dressed, going inside
How Clarita Sleeps
Clara takes two hour and a half to two hour naps between 9:30 and 10:00 and another between 2:30 and 3:00. She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00. Clarita sleeps in her sleep sack in her crib with her pacifier, monito, and pinguino. She generally falls right to sleep and if she wakes up during the night grabs her pacifier and falls right back to sleep. I wake her up around 6:45 to get her ready when she goes to Kevin's parents' house, but on days she doesn't have to leave early she wakes up around 7:00. She will often wake up and roll around and play in her crib for half an hour until someone gets her up.
Nicknames
Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggles, Wiggle, Baby/Bebe, Sapita, Munchkin, Birthday Twin, Monkey Butt, Loquita
Sign Language
Clara loves sign language and can sign eat, more, please, thank you, hat, ball, sleep, baby (her favorite), banana, water, milk, bird, dog, cat, mama, dada, hurt, shoes, socks, wash hands, frog, book, dirty, all done, car, bus, train, apple. Clara usually watches her signing videos with Abuelita and learns new signs that we don't know. Then she gets mad when she tells us something and we don't understand! She will do her signs spontaneously or to prompts in Spanish or English. She is getting quite good at signing please and thank you and will spontaneously sign more please if she really wants something.
Talking
Clara has really begun talking this month! She has said Mama and Dada for a while but now combines them with the correct signs. She also says and signs banana "nana" (we think she now calls all food banana since it is the only type of food she can say). Clara also says more "ma" (probably trying to say mas), bye bye "buh ba", ball "ba", and has learned some animal sounds, mau (meow), woo (woof), and she tries to tweet but it sounds more like the t sound. My mom swears that Clara said hat in Spanish, but we haven't heard it yet.
Monthly Exciting Events
April 20, 2014: Clara's first time coloring
April 19, 2014: Clara's first Easter egg hunt
April 7, 2014: First time riding a tricycle
March 31, 2014: Clara's first tooth FINALLY makes it's appearance!
March 23, 2014: Clara's first birthday party and first cake
Monthly Pictures
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| Look at the grape in my mouth! |
