Clara - 1 year old!

Dear Clara,

You're 1!  I'm teary at that realization!

You are full of life!  You are incredibly smart (of course your mama and daddy thinks so).  You are a total doll, and you have a little bit of the dickens in you, too!

Things you love.
Your singing lantern toy
Sneaking up the stairs
Rolling balls with Ella and Gabe
Drinking out of Ella & Gabe's water glasses
Hugging dollies and stuffed animals and saying "awww"
Being wrapped in your pink fleece wrap to sleep
Teasing Gabe by playing with his toys
Reading books, especially the peek-a-boo ones and the puppet ones
The birthday cake toy - blowing out the candles & listening to the "happy birthday" song!

Words you say.
Mama, Da, Ella, Hankie, pretty (especially while brushing your hair), baba (bottle), puff (the gerber snack), up, num num, all done, more, WOW, brat (definitely repeated after the first cookout of the year), cheese, bread, buh bye, uh oh!

You wear size 4 diapers, 18 month clothes, and size 5 shoes.
You eat almost every kind of pureed food, bread, cheese, puffs, melts, mac & cheese
You have four teeth, and the top two eye teeth are so close...they were bothering you on your birthday, causing a runny nose and cough and making you a little out of sorts :(
You have really started "playing" with your toys.  It is so fun to see!  You especially love sorting things and taking things in and out of bins.
You are pulling up and cruising on everything.  You walk great holding on to our hands - you just have to get your balance and you'll be off to the races!
You have stayed in the nursery a total of once in your first year - the weekend in February that we were in Nebraska for daddy to preach.  You like to flirt with strangers, but don't want to be left with them!!

Clar Bear, we love you so much!  When you fall asleep most nights, I hold you and your daddy and I talk about how blessed we are to have such a sweet baby girl.

… what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.You may become a Shakespeare, a Michaelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel…. -Pablo Casals

Clara is 10 months!

Sweet baby girl,

You are 10 months old!

You're eating baby food at breakfast (oatmeal w/ fruit), lunch (fruit), and dinner (pureed meat & veggies)!  You're also loving bread, puffs, melts, and all of the junk food your brother & sister never got away with (little tastes of whip cream, ice cream, cookie bars).  Sometimes it does pay to be the 3rd child :)

You're crawling like crazy, pulling up to a stand, and sitting back down again.  You don't like to be contained by the jumper or the pack & play anymore.  You like to be chased!  You love knocking down towers and anything with music.

You're wearing 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

You say "Da Da," "Na Na," (for Mama) "MaMa" (for Mama), "Ella," "Hankie," & "Uh oh." I'm sure you are saying more - you babble all of the time!  You definitely talk to & recognize Gabe, just haven't heard the word yet.

You got to go on a solo trip with Mommy and Daddy this month to visit Nebraska.  We were supposed to fly, but our flight got cancelled and we made a last-minute decision to drive instead.  You did great on the 8 hour drive, and your cheeks charmed the pastoral search team at Papio Creek.  No one could believe how laid back you were.  You experienced almost the whole interview process, and we enjoyed spending some two-on-one time with you at the Embassy Suites!

You have survived one of the harshest Chicago winters ever, mostly from the comfort of our warm house!  A few days this month were -30 degrees windchill, and the snowfall has been record-breaking.  The weather people have called it to the "Polar Vortex" and "Chi-beria"!  You have spent many days standing at the back door watching Ella and Gabe make snow angels and snow forts.  One day we got you out on the sled for a photo opp, but other than that you have been homebound for most of your 9th month.  We are looking forward to warmer temps so we can get you out to discover the world!  

Clara - 9 months

Dear Clara Ann,

You are on the move!  You have mastered the art of crawling this month, and even started pulling up!  You have also mastered grabbing every little toy, piece of dog hair, and lint off the floor and putting it in your mouth!  We are trying to keep the floor clean and open for you to explore... it is sure hard these days!

You continue to amaze us with your calm and smiley demeanor.  You LIGHT UP when you see Ella, Gabe, Mommy, Daddy, and Hank.  You're starting to recognize Grandma and Grandpa Vroom and Uncle Dan!  Sometimes you give a huge smile to a stranger!  We have tried to put you in the church nursery twice lately - once at Grandma's cantata, where you lasted until the sermon and the nursery workers had to call me to rescue you, and once at Parkview where they called us during the second song because you hadn't stopped crying.  You do great in church, though!  You like to sing along.  I hope that your stranger danger is starting to end.

Naps continue to be a challenge, but you're sleeping through the night or waking up once for a 6 oz snack, so I can't complain!  You have napped a few times in your crib for 30-45 minutes...progress!!  You start humming really loud before bed - that means that you want someone to sing to you.  You also love to hold onto something when you go to sleep, whether it is a blanket or hoodie string or finger.

You are wearing 12 and 18 month clothes and size 4 dipes.  Your cheeks and thighs are so kissable!  You are eating stage 2 foods twice a day.

You had a great first Christmas!  You had a great time shredding wrapping paper and trying to take a taste of it.  Your favorite toys are the Disney Klip Klop Stable and the Fisher price lantern.  You had a great time with your Parrish aunties right before Christmas - Aunt Julie & Aunt Mandie.

You were 23 lbs 6 oz at your 9 month checkup (99%) and 100%ile for height.  Dr. Diamond said you are perfect!  That didn't seem to effect your opinion of him - you cried the whole time :)

We love you, pumpkin pie!  I'm excited to see you grow and change, but wish it wasn't happening so fast!