21 Months

This month has been a whirlwind of activity. I had to go out of town for work for a few days which meant lots of fiestaing (and wearing atrocious outfits) with Dada and Aba. Clara does not seem to mind at all when I am out of town and has tons of fun with Dada and Aba. We had fun face-timing and she even tried to give me her chuponcito and brush my teeth over the phone! She will now answer some of my questions on the phone and talk to me. It may help that she can see me so she knows I am real and not just a voice.

"Mama, take picture Cawa"

Just going for a stroll

"Clean casa"

Clarita continues to talk up a storm. She has begun "singing" her ABCs (I use that term loosely). It is quite hilarious as it is a jumble of letters in English and Spanish. She starts off with "ABCDF" (never E) and then has certain spots where she jumps in correctly, but the rest is gibberish. She will point to most letters correctly and can say most of them too. Clara loves counting and can generally count to 10 in English and Spanish, but has started skipping numbers like six and seven. She really likes eight and likes to jump to it and them jump back to it. Kate swore that Clara counted to 20 for her which is entirely possible. I never count in English with her so I have no idea how high she can go. She has also learned most of her colors and likes to point out different colors. She generally says them in English with the exception of black; she almost always says negro. However, if you ask her how to say a certain color in Spanish, she usually gives the correct answer.

The stubbornness and independence have not slowed down. Clarita's favorite phrase is now, "No Mama, Cawa do it." This is used for teeth brushing, hair brushing, stirring cookies, basically anything I want to help her with. Unfortunately she has not mastered most of these activities sufficiently to do them on her own. This results in tantrums when I insist on helping her. Brushing her teeth is great fun and involves me holding her down with my legs while I brush her teeth and she screams. As soon as I finish she is happy as can be and you would never know she just screamed her lungs out!

Who doesn't bring their Christmas tree to breakfast?

Covering Dada in toys

Fafa and Abuela Sheri were gone for a couple of weeks this month which meant that Clara got to hang out with the Miltons, Tia Laurie and Bailey, and stay home one day with Mama and one day with Dada. I think she had tons of fun on all of these days, especially her day with the Miltons and with Tia and Bailey. Tia Laurie insisted on taking Clarita to her Christmas program. She fed Clara her first cookie and told her not to tell Mama (what are Tias for?) and decided that she is never having two children! She said that Clarita was better behaved than Bailey and loved watching the ninos sing.

Playing with Teegee and Tristan

Helping Connor unwrap presents

Clara has gotten pretty good at throwing a ball and will alternate hands. She also loves kicking balls but isn't quite as good at kicking as throwing. She continues to be generally good and happy. She likes to sign and say happy which I assume means that she is happy. I thought she would show a disinterest in signing once she began talking but that has not happened (perhaps because that's the only TV she gets to watch). I think I will start her on regular Signing Time shows and see if she continues to learn. She now sings and signs the complete Baby Signing Time song and likes to sing along to the radio. We have been listening to Christmas music and she sings phrases like "let it snow let it snow" and "baby it's cold outside." She loves music!

Making cookies

This is what happens when she picks out her clothes

Thanks for the boots Tia!

Clarita's Stats

Weight: 22.2 pounds 

Height: 32 inches 

Head Circumference: 18.5 inches

What Clara Wears

She is pretty much in all 18 month clothes and size five shoes. Without her cloth diaper the pants are quite large.

Things Clara Loves

Mama and Dada, going for walks, naked baby time, pacifiers (especially her monito), reading books, people, playing with her toys, animals (especially her cats), eating, playing peek a boo, running,  Baby Signing Time DVDs, stuffed animals (especially Momo, Bafa, and Pigo the penguin),  being swung through the air, swinging, sliding, being outside, water, blowing bubbles with Aba, dancing, shoes, esnugles, baths, letters, coloring, crafts, anything related to music, trains, looking at photos

Things Clara Does Not Love

Being helped with anything or having someone else do something for her that she wants to do herself (brushing her hair, teeth, etc.), being woken up from a nap

How Clarita Sleeps

She's still taking one two and a half to three hour nap and goes to down between 1:00 and 2:00. At night she has been going down around 8:30 and getting up around 6:30. Clara sleeps in her sleep sack with Momo, Bafa, up to three pinguinos her chuponcito, and now a blankie.

Nicknames

Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggles, Wiggle, Baby/Bebe, Munchkin, Birthday Twin, Loquita, Pipsqueak, Wigs, Loqs, Puff (thanks Mama)  

Talking

This little girl never shuts up. She even talks to herself and her stuffed animals when she's by herself. She now uses four and five word sentences. She asked Tia Laurie for leaves for lunch one day. Luckily I had warned Tia that Clara called lettuce in my salad leaves the night before so she wasn't too shocked!

Teeth

Ten, double digits! four top front, four bottom front, one top molar and one bottom molar (two more molars on the other side are about ready to pop out).

Monthly Exciting Events

December 19, 2014: Clara attends her first Christmas program, eats her first cookie (thanks Tia Laurie), and tries hot chocolate

November 28, 2014: Clara starts singing the ABCs

Monthly Pictures

She wouldn't give up chuponcito