I can't believe it's been two years since we brought tiny Clarita home from the hospital! Needless to say she's changed so much in that time as have our lives. It's hard to imagine life without Clara. She has brought us so much joy (and some frustration too) and we love her so much. She continues to amaze me everyday by how observant she is (even though she runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off and I swear she doesn't pay attention to anything), how polite she is, and how much energy she has! She certainly keeps me on my toes and wears me out by the time she goes to bed. This will be my last monthly post. I'm sure I could write about Clara each month forever and always have something to say, but I know there is no way I am going to be able to do two monthly posts/pictures each month when this new little guy arrives. And, while Clara keeps changing, the changes are a lot less pronounced from month to month. I think I will do quarterly updates and maybe add funny things she says now that she is talking enough to say funny things.
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| This isn't how you use this thing? |
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| Who needs sleeves? |
This past month Clara has really been into singing. She not only sings the kid's songs she learns at the library and on Signing Time, but sings songs from her toys, the radio, and catchy ads. She loves to sing and dance and starts dancing almost every time she hears music. This little girl has got some moves!
Clarita continues to impress us with her ability to learn new things. She repeats everything she hears and often we will hear her quietly repeating conversations we are having, just like a little parrot. She can spell her name and can identify all the letters in the alphabet and sing the ABCs correctly in English (not as good in Spanish). She can count to 10 perfectly in English and sometimes up to 20. She can also count objects and while she sometimes gets excited about counting and continues past the correct number, she will usually tell you how many there actually are if you ask her.
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| Selfies with Dada |
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| If I can't swim I'll ride the toys! |
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| Kumquats aka tiny oranges |
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| Giving Baby Emmett pats |
While we haven't started full on potty training yet, we have been telling Clarita for months that when she turned two she would go potty in the toilet. We encourage her to tell us before she has to go and she is hit or miss telling us when she has to poop and pooping in the potty. She will have a week where she tells every time followed by a week when she never tells us. She almost never tells us when she has to pee. After she poops in the potty she gets to wash her hands with soap and water which she loves (that's right, I withhold soap from my child as an incentive to poop in the potty)! Clara has also started disliking her diapers and often tells me that she does not want to wear them or that they hurt. I remind her that once she goes potty in the toilet all the time she will not have to wear them anymore. If we ever have free time I plan to take Clara to pick out big girl underwear as an incentive to go potty in the toilet. Then we need to spend a weekend outside naked working on potty training. It's my goal to have her potty trained by the time Emmett is born because I really don't want to wash a billion diapers!
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| Excited to sit in Bailey's Bumbo |
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| Birthday twins! |
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| The many faces of Clarita |
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| No fear |
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| Smoothie treat for being so good in church |
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| Just swingin'! |
Clara is generally pretty polite and always says please and thank you when prompted. She often says them spontaneously (especially if she really wants something) and has been saying sorry too. The other day I heard her say, "Oh no, I hurt stroller, sorry stroller." It was hilarious! She also tells Dada she's sorry when he has to get out of her rocking chair so I can read to her. If Clarita hears another kid crying she becomes genuinely concerned and will stop what she is doing to say that a baby or nino is crying. She brings Bailey various things to comfort her when she cries and even gives Bailey her coveted stuffed animals to snuggle! Recently Clara has started setting down her "Baby Patch Kid" or one of her stuffed animals and then making crying noises and coming back to pick it up and rock it while saying "shhh shhh shh." She's practicing to be a big sister!
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| "No Mama, Bay do it!" |
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| Dada, Clara, and Bailey dancing |
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| She wanted Bailey to wear her Crocs |
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| "Take picture Clara, Bay, and Aba." |
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| Teaching Bailey how to exersaucer |
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| Dada practicing for two! |
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| Comforting Bailey Redneck style! |
The little Wiggle really is a joy even if she is extremely stubborn and opinionated. Her tantrums are usually short lived and she goes back to playing like nothing happened. We have been working on getting rid of the chuponcito and it has not been as bad as I expected. This month we started telling Clarita that she can only have it in the car or in bed. When she asks for it we ask her if she wants to go to sleep and she generally says no. On the occasions she has said yes I took her to her crib and she quickly changed her mind. By the end of the month she pretty much stopped asking for it unless she was really tired/upset and she doesn't even try to get it out of her crib if we are in her room playing.
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| She insisted on trying her new shoes on right away! |
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| Too lazy to push |
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| Waiting for the doctor |
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| Finally got her birthday ice cream! |
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| She liked it so much she stole Mama's! |
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| And tried to eat the wrapper... |
I can't wait to see what the next year brings and watch as Clarita continues to blossom and grow!
Clarita's Stats
Weight: 23.5 pounds (10th percentile)
Height: 33 inches (20 - 25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.5 inches (10th percentile)
What Clara Wears
She's still wearing 18 months clothes and size 5 shoes but the shoes are getting a little tight and the pants are a starting to get short and the sleeves of her long sleeve shirts are getting short. Since she's so skinny the waists still fit her well even with giant cloth diapers. I think she inherited my monkey arms and legs though!
Things Clara Loves
Mama and Dada, going for walks, naked baby time, pacifiers, reading books, people, playing with her toys, animals (especially her cats), eating, playing peek a boo, running, Signing Time shows, stuffed animals (especially Bafa, Meerkat, and Pigo), swinging, sliding, being outside, water, blowing bubbles with Aba, dancing, shoes, esnugles, baths, letters, coloring, crafts, anything related to music, trains, looking at photos, taking selfies with Dada, singing, touching her eyebrows, ninos especially Bailey and Teegee
Things Clara Does Not Love
Not getting her way immediately, waiting, being told no, doing anything she does not want to do. She's getting better at having her teeth brushed but it is still a struggle at times.
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 a herd of stuffed animals, her chuponcito, and two blankies which often get kicked off in her tossing and turning.
Nicknames
Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggles, Wiggle, Baby/Bebe, Munchkin, Birthday Twin, Loquita, Pipsqueak, Wigs, Loqs, Puff
Talking
She never stops! Her sentences are getting longer and she has started saying funny things. Here are some examples: We were trying to explain middle names to her and told her that hers is Martine. She became perplexed and said, No, Aba." Aba's name is Martina (not spelled the Norwegian way) but we didn't think Clara knew that since most people call her Marty. Clara remedied the situation by declaring that her name is not Clara Martine but "Clara Aba!"
One day we were walking past the post office when Clara said, "Grandpa Bill." I asked her where Grandpa Bill lived and she said, "In there." and pointed to the post office. Since we go there to mail him things I guess she assumes it is his house. When you ask her who lives in the post office now she says, "Mail man and Grandpa Bill."
I recently asked Clara why she was playing with her food and making a mess and she said, "No, I making cake." The next day when a similar situation happened with Aba she said, No, I making play dough."
At night Clara likes to rub Dada's chin and tell him, "Dirty face Dada." We have tried telling her that it is hair for growing a beard but she just shakes her face and laughs like we are crazy saying, "No Dada have dirty face."
Teeth
Twelve! Four top front, four bottom front, two top molars (one on each side) and two bottom molars. Maybe she will get all of her teeth by the time she is three!
She never stops! Her sentences are getting longer and she has started saying funny things. Here are some examples: We were trying to explain middle names to her and told her that hers is Martine. She became perplexed and said, No, Aba." Aba's name is Martina (not spelled the Norwegian way) but we didn't think Clara knew that since most people call her Marty. Clara remedied the situation by declaring that her name is not Clara Martine but "Clara Aba!"
One day we were walking past the post office when Clara said, "Grandpa Bill." I asked her where Grandpa Bill lived and she said, "In there." and pointed to the post office. Since we go there to mail him things I guess she assumes it is his house. When you ask her who lives in the post office now she says, "Mail man and Grandpa Bill."
I recently asked Clara why she was playing with her food and making a mess and she said, "No, I making cake." The next day when a similar situation happened with Aba she said, No, I making play dough."
At night Clara likes to rub Dada's chin and tell him, "Dirty face Dada." We have tried telling her that it is hair for growing a beard but she just shakes her face and laughs like we are crazy saying, "No Dada have dirty face."
Teeth
Twelve! Four top front, four bottom front, two top molars (one on each side) and two bottom molars. Maybe she will get all of her teeth by the time she is three!
Monthly Exciting Events
March 8, 2015: First time driving a motorized car
February 25, 2015: Poops in the toilet for the first time!
Monthly Pictures
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