14 Months

Clara had a lot of fun this month! She went to a couple of birthday parties, played with a lot of little kids including Reedcito, Kierito, Lyla, and Cooper, and even got to see some Clydesdale Horses! Clara really enjoyed herself at her boyfriend Parker's first birthday party. She loved helping him open presents and then swinging in the swing with Eden (two babies in a swing are way better than one). 

The twins giving her hugs

Swinging with Bri

Helping Parker open his presents

Swinging with cousin Eden

Two babies are better than one!

We took Clara to the Hanford farmer's market because the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses were there (turns out it is an awesome farmer's market and you should check it out). We didn't know if Clarita knew what horses were, but as soon as she saw them she started signing horse and saying "ney ney". Then when we showed her ponies she signed horse and then dog. I think she was confused because they looked like horses but smaller like dogs!

Clarita has continued to become more stubborn and strong willed. She knows what she wants and she becomes upset when she doesn't get it. This little girl can throw a tantrum with the best of them. Abuelita said that Clara is even more strong willed than I was at her age so I say watch out world! I think we are going to have our hands full with this one! That being said, she is still very happy and loves to laugh and "sing". She sings away in church and has quite a following!

The little Wiggle never sits still. She moves from here to there and people are always commenting on how busy she is. One of her favorite activities is taking all of the things she loves (aka fruit, vegetables, and plastic containers) from the kitchen and ferrying them into the dining room where she stacks them on the bench. This can occupy her for a good half hour. I don't think there is a mellow bone in her body and she goes 100 miles per hour from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to sleep. I think this may be why she sleeps so well...just like her mama she needs to replenish after a busy day. Dancing is a new favorite of Clara's and she starts swaying and bouncing anytime she hears music. She is especially partial to Spanish music. 

I couldn't figure out where Clara had gone
 until I saw a tiny foot behind the curtain...

There she is!

Although I would not call Clarita picky, she definitely knows what she wants to eat and what she doesn't. This changes on a daily basis and she will love something one day only to want nothing to do with it the next day. This means that we have to keep a variety of food on hand at all times. Clara also decided this month that she does not want her food cut up into pieces. Apparently she is a big girl and wants strips of food. One day I gave her small pieces of avocado and she would not eat them. She would, however, eat the strips of the exact same avocado I gave her. It makes less work for me so I can't complain. Now if she would only grow more teeth so it would be easier for her to eat (although she does pretty well for only having her two bottom teeth). Tia Erika got her some bunny cookies (more like graham crackers) and Clarita is obsessed with these. She knows where they hide and will often point to them and sign more, please, thank you (what she signs when she really wants something). She cries when she doesn't get them and gobbles them down when she does. She has become obsessed with fruit this month and loves all berries (especially the blackberries picked by dada), and peaches and nectarines from Fafa. I think she would be content to live off fruit and Greek yogurt if we let her.

Clara taking a selfie

All things said, this little girl (she's definitely not a baby anymore and Reedcito even re-named her Big Girl Clara instead of Baby Clara) is so much fun and brings us so much joy. She waves to everyone she meets and I have yet to see someone refrain from smiling when she greets them. It's impossible to be in a bad mood with her around because she is just so happy and friendly!

Clarita's Stats

Weight:18 pounds 

Height: 29.5 inches 

Head Circumference: 18 inches

What Clara Wears

She is now wearing mostly 12 month outfits which are still big on her. Her 9 month pants still fit her pretty well, especially when she has on a disposable diaper! I put 12 month shorts on her with a disposable diaper and they fell off...we have a tiny one.

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, being swung through the air, swinging, being outside, playing in her bucket of water, car seat roller coaster rides with Dada, blowing bubbles with Abuelita 

Things Clara Does Not Love

This really just depends on the day/Clara's mood. She is generally happy but has steadily become more and more stubborn. Abuelita says that she is much more stubborn and strong willed than I was at this age and I say watch out world! Clara dislikes being told no, or not getting to do what she wants when she wants it. Tantrums often ensue and this little baby can throw herself on the ground and scream with the best of them. She is getting better at letting you wipe her face and likes putting on socks, pants, and leg warmers, but often does not want to put on her dress or shirt.

How Clarita Sleeps

Clara takes two  naps, the first between 9:30 and 10:00 and another between 2:30 and 3:00. She has been sleeping for about two or more hours each nap this month. 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. She has been waking up between 6:30 and 6:45 this past month. 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, Midget (thanks Abuelita)

Sign Language

Clara loves sign language and can sign eat, more, please, thank you, hat, ball, sleep, baby, banana, water, milk, bird, dog, cat, mama, dada (her favorite), hurt, shoes, socks, wash hands, frog, book, dirty, all done, car, bus, train, apple, horse, yes, no, bath, bubbles. Clara also makes up her own signs and has a sign for pacifier that looks similar to eat. We teach her awesome things like how to beat on her chest like a gorilla and she has now translated beating on her chest into the sign for monkey which she consistently uses with her pacifier sign when she wants her monkey pacifier.

Talking

Clara says quite a few words but most of them sound very similar and only people that spend a lot of time with her can understand them. She says banana "nana" and her favorite word no no "neh neh". Clara also says more "ma" (probably trying to say mas), bye bye "buh ba", ball "ba", monkey "mo mo", eat "mer" (most likely from comer), yes "ya", thank you "da" (not sure where that one came from but she consistently says it accompanied by the sign), and has learned some animal sounds, mau (meow), woo (woof), (ney) neigh and she tries to tweet but it sounds more like the t sound. 

Monthly Exciting Events

May 10, 2014: Clara's first group bath!
May 8, 2014: Clara starts spinning in circles

May 2, 2014: Clara starts walking backward

April 20, 2014: Clara's first time coloring

Monthly Pictures

La Loquita

She would only stop crying if she held the pool net

I love pictures!

Dala Trotting and Century Riding

This past Saturday was an active day for the Parkinson family! Clara and I participated in the Dala Trot and Dada participated in the century bike ride. Since I refuse to push in strollers in races, Abuelita pushed Clarita in the two mile run/walk. Tia Laurie also ran this event and was able to finish quickly enough to snap a picture of Clarita and Abuelita as they crossed the finish line. This was Abuelita's first ever race and she got second in her age group! She is now planning on beating her time for the race next year! Clarita's favorite part of the race were Dada's grapes at the finish line. She ate my entire package and then cried for more!

Run Abuelita, run!

Add caption

Mas uvas!

Part of Team HMC and Team Crossfit

I have run the Dala Trot 10K four times and always go into it with the intention of winning that horse. This year my dreams were dashed before the race even began when a friend informed me that the fastest female around had shown up for the race. I knew I couldn't beat her but was hoping for second place. Sadly that dream was also crushed as a mother of five also beat me. Talking to her after the race gave me hope that I can continue to run fast even after having multiple kids! I drowned my sorrows in the Swedish pancake breakfast and rejoiced in the fact that I still got my personal best in just under 42 minutes.

No matter how hard I try to look normal
I always look like I'm flailing when I run

After the race Clara took a nap and then we rushed to get ready and see Dada finish his century bike ride. Yes that's right, he is crazy and decided to ride his bike 100 miles including up the giant hill to Abuelita's house (too bad she wasn't there because he rode right by her house)! Tio Chino and Michael Toms also did the ride. Clara and I arrived in time for her to eat lunch, cheer for some bikers, and watch Dada finish. He finished in just over seven hours (including stops) and we were very impressed. He even pulled two guys (lead them and broke the wind) for the last forty miles and they said he saved their lives!

mmm Sweet potatoes

She kept saying "Dada? Dada? Dada?"

Almost finished and still enough energy to wave!

While we waited for Tio Chino and Michael to finish, Clara had fun waving to people and standing in the middle of the table yelling. She was overly due for a nap and turned into Clarita la Loquita! After the ride we headed to In N Out where the guys got a well deserved (and very gross looking) four by four (that's four hamburger patties) and Clarita got some french fries and part of my grilled cheese. Clara was so worn out she slept the entire way home and stayed asleep until 7:00 once we got home! In a couple more years Clarita will be running and biking alongside us!

La Loquita

Four by fours!

Mother's Day

This year Mother's Day was a busy affair. It probably just seemed really busy because I was super tired and just wanted to relax and rest all day. We started off the day with a yummy breakfast made by Dada and then headed to church. Clara fell asleep on the way to church and actually stayed asleep for 20 minutes of the service so she got a whopping 45 minute nap...better than normal Sundays!

After church we headed to Tio Robert and Tia Erika's house and Clarita refused to sleep on the drive there. She was really excited to see their two dogs and spent a lot of time by their kennel woofing at them and signing dog. She especially loved when they jumped in the air and licked her fingers through the fence. Tia Estefana got all of the mothers beautiful orchid corsages and Clara thought that was a fun new toy to play with when I held her.

We had a super yummy lunch of pasta and all the fixings. Clara was pretty tired by lunch time and only wanted to eat fruit and bread. I'm pretty sure she ate her body weight in fruit! We actually remembered to take some family pictures before everyone scattered to their next events!

Clarita fell asleep on the way to Tia Alyssa and Tio Rene's house but woke up as soon as we got there. She was so curious about all the people talking that she would not go back to sleep. A 45 minute morning nap and hour afternoon nap are not enough for Clara so she was not her normal happy self. Teagan kept pushing and hitting Clarita if she got too close to her toys or her mom and the poor little Wiggle just couldn't handle this in her tired state. She started crying on a couple of occasions when Teagan hit her. Tristan wasn't feeling well and spent most of the afternoon sleeping on the couch. Clara loves Tristan and kept walking up to him and patting him. She was really excited when he woke up and smiled at her!

This is her "Why does Bubbles keep hitting me
when I push the red button? face

By the end of the evening both Clara and I were exhausted! Teagan decided that she liked Clara better when she was in her car seat and came over to say goodbye to her and give her nice pats. We forgot to take family pictures there, but I did get a few of the girls playing nicely. Clara was asleep the second we drove away and woke up to play a little before bed once we got home. It was a super long day for her but I think she had fun.

Since this is a Mother's Day post, I want to take a minute to reflect on all that my mother does for us. Don't get me wrong, there have been so many people that have helped us out with Clara, but Abuelita really goes above and beyond. She watches Clarita three days a week and never complains. In fact, all she can talk about is how much fun the two of them have together and how much she loves Clara! She is the definition of a doting grandmother and says that she smiles the entire drive home after watching Clara. When I have to go out of town for work, Abuelita comes early and stays late. She takes diapers off the line and stuffs them while Clara sleeps and she brings Clarita to meet us at doctor appointments so we don't have to miss too much work. She basically always does whatever she can to help, usually without being asked.

Clarita loves Abuelita and often jumps out of my arms to get to her when she arrives in the morning. They have so much fun together at the park and all Abuelita has to do is ask Clarita if she wants to go swing and the little Wiggle has already forgotten about me! When I was young I swore that I would be nothing like my mom when I grew up and had kids of my own...turns out I followed in her footsteps and hope that I can do as good of a job raising my kids as she did with my brother, sister, and I! We love Abuelita!

Farm Babies

Last Saturday was a country/farm kind of day! Clarita and I left at 7:40 and headed up to Abuelita's house to help with some yard work since the wild boars destroyed her yard. Clara thought it was really fun and helped pull weeds and played in the dirt. She was obsessed with the dogs and spent quite a lot of time standing next to their pen saying woof woof and signing dog. She loved putting her fingers through the fence and laughing when the dogs licked them. Clarita even found a shovel to lug around! Clara worked up such an appetite that she ate an entire slice of pizza, bite by bite (she would only eat the veggie pizza and refused to even taste Dada's meat pizza)!

We headed back to Reedley and Clara took a short nap in the car on the way to Lyla and Cooper's birthday party. They turned two and had a party by the river. We took a tractor ride from Natalie's parents' house (right by Fafa and Abuela Sheri's house) to the beach and Clara thought it was pretty fun. Once we got to the beach she had fun playing in the dirt and chasing after the other kids.

Unfortunately it became super windy which caused us all to be covered with dust numerous times. It was finally decided to pack up and move the party back to the house. We decided to walk up instead of taking the tractor as we thought it would be faster and less dusty (we were right on both accounts). The walk was nice through the orchards where I used to run when we lived in Kevin's grandma's old house. It made me nostalgic for country runs! Clara thought that the walk back was fun and insisted on carrying her rake the entire way!

After Lyla and Cooper blew out their candles and got their first real taste of cake, we decided that the kids needed a bath as they were covered in dirt from head to toe. It was hilarious trying to bathe all three in an old claw foot bathtub with dish soap because none of us had baby soap (fyi it works just as well and didn't even cause tangles). Lyla spent most of the bath on her stomach blowing bubbles and drinking bath water, Cooper kept "adjusting" the water temperature, and Clara refused to sit down instead standing in the tub waving to Lyla and drinking bath water. They eventually all got clean and it was a fun group bath experience! As Natalie put it, "this is the life of a farm baby!"