10 Months

I feel like I just wrote the 9 month post, and here I am again! 10 months! (And a few days. I didn’t have a chance to do this over the weekend.) I know I say this every month, but I can’t get over how fast Clare is growing. This morning I was in the kitchen, and I glanced out in the living room and saw Clare standing at the end table, playing with her books. I thought, “who is that little girl and what happened to my baby?” I know they change fast at this age, but sometimes I feel like I am getting whiplash.

We had Easter at my parents’ house this weekend, and I am happy to report Clare no longer cries when she sees my dad. In fact, she had a lot of fun with him this weekend. She was a little frightened of Uncle Robby at first, but that’s true for everyone. (Just kidding, Robby. I know. I am hilarious.) Clare was busy showing off all of her new tricks: clapping her hands, blowing raspberries, putting her wrist in her mouth and moving it back and forth while singing.

She also waves hello and goodbye, says Dada when she sees Ben, makes the sign for milk when she is hungry, gives high-fives, and smiles for the camera. When we were at dinner on Sunday, she played the peekaboo game by herself by holding a napkin over her face, waiting for us all to scream, “Where’s Clare?” and then pulling the napkin away, smiling with glee. (She learned the game a few minutes before from her grandma, and was happy to continue it for several minutes. It was just so cute watching her cover her face with the napkin, especially since she sometimes forgot to cover her eyes. I think she liked looking at all of her adoring fans.)

She is very interested in anything Mommy and Daddy are drinking (water, beer, whatever), but refuses to drink out of a sippy cup herself. She is a pro with finger food – but is also a pro at letting us know when she doesn’t want any more by throwing it on the floor. She tried blueberries for the first time last week, and loves them. She also loves Cheerios, and her eyes light up when I pick up the box. Oh, and cheese. If I put vegetables and cheese on her tray, she ignores the vegetables but gobbles up all of the cheese. A true Wisconsin girl. I think we are going to try eggs this week. I am crossing my fingers that she is not allergic, because then I can start giving her pancakes and ravioli and other yummy things made with eggs. Also, having an egg allergy would suck. Then we wait until she is 18 months old to try the foods I am allergic to (peanuts, tree nuts, fish).

Clare had a lovely first Easter, although she wasn't too sure what to think of her Easter basket.

Grandma Mary Theresa gave her a book and the bunny. I filled the basket with all of my favorite Easter candy. Clare can’t have any, of course. Isn’t that convenient? As we say in our household now, “Nom Nom Nom.”