23 Months

Attempt 1.

Attempt 2.

Attempt 3,423. 

A few weeks ago, we were at my grandparents' house in La Crosse. Clare asked where Baba (my dad) was. I jokingly told her that he left and never wanted to see her again. I honestly didn't think she would understand what I was saying. Wrong. She did. Her lower lip started quivering and she just looked so sad. It was heartbreaking, really. She started sobbing, and I had to take her out of the room to calm her down. I promised her that Baba did want to see her again, and in fact she is his most favorite girl in the world. When he came back to the house, she squealed and ran up to him with a huge smile on her face. All was forgiven and forgotten. But I will never assume she can't understand me again.

Clare's favorite thing this month has been playing outside, on the two whole days that this has been possible. She LOVES the park, especially the swing and the slide. She'll go down that slide 25 times in a row. I am hoping for many more nice days in the very near future. We also went to the zoo. I was a bit nervous about this, because last year she did. Not. Like. The. Zoo. At all. This time, though, she had her 5-year-old friend Gavin pointing out the animals to her and holding her hand. Oh, and her mind was blown by the airplanes flying overhead on their way to land at the airport. She'd never seen an airplane before. She was having the time of her life.

Clare, Parker and Gavin. Not pictured: Baby Blake.

Is it too early to start planning the wedding?

Clare is very particular about where people should sit. If I am sitting in a chair that she believes to be Daddy's, she gets very upset. She is rather bossy about it, I have to say. Ben and I try to switch chairs as much as possible just to mess with her world view.

Her vocabulary continues to expand like crazy, and she is doing better and better with sentences. She also now says "cat" in the most authentic southern Wisconsin accent you've ever heard. Caaaaaaaat. Just like her Mommy.

We've been going to story time at the library near my in-laws house, and it has been great. Clare loves reading books and singing and dancing, all things that happen at story time. I hope we find programs like this one to do this summer, once we are finally in our house.

I can't believe my baby is almost two! Things have been so crazy, I wasn't sure if I would get this post written and pictures taken before we leave town for several days, but then I realized it is the last one before her second birthday! I had to do something. So here's to my almost 2-year-old, you cute little munchkin.

On the Stone Arch Bridge.

Swinging with Daddy at Aunt Kakie's house.

Post-bath, pre-comb.

At the Como Park Conservatory. She loved looking at the water (or yater, as she says).