13 Months (and a few days)

 I think I'll keep doing these posts for another year - she is still changing so much. The biggest change this month: WALKING. She took her first steps on June 17, and has been walking a bit more each day since then. She looks like a wobbly zombie, and it is adorable.

She is teething again - which brings her total tooth count up to 11, I think. I have been so bad about recording when exactly each tooth has come in. She was extra crabby with this tooth. I can't blame her, but I hope she has a little break before the next one starts coming in. She is learning to use her teeth, though - she'll take bites off of pieces of bread or bananas. I am starting to give her bigger pieces of food because she wants her food to look just like Mom and Dad's. None of this cut up into small pieces business thank you very much.

We took swimming lessons at the local pool earlier this month. Clare LOVED it. On the first day, she barreled towards the water and went charging right in. (With me holding onto her, of course.) She was by far the youngest in the class, and also the least scared of the water (probably because she was the youngest and didn't know any better). She loved bobbing around and playing in the pool, especially after she made "friends" with one of the other young girls. I wish I would have talked more to that girl's mom - she seemed nice and I could have made a friend. Hopefully we'll see them at the pool this summer.

We took her on her first trip to the zoo this month, too. She seemed interested, but it was a very hot day, so we were all a bit wilted. She enjoyed seeing the snakes (gross) and the birds. She did not like the goat at the petting zoo, however. He made her cry. Rude goat.

Clare talks up a storm, but it is all in her own language. She obviously thinks she is talking, and you can tell by her tone that she is being very bossy. My mom called her the tyrant the other day. I think that is an apt description.

Some pictures of the tyrant in action, via outtakes from our recent photo shoot. As you can see, she was not being particularly cooperative. She was having fun, though.

Talk to the hand, you ridiculous dinosaur. I am outtie.