11 Months

It is becoming more and more challenging to get these shots each month. It is definitely a two person job.

Clare has figured out what the remote control is for. She points it at the TV, waiting for something to happen. We are kind of embarrassed that she knows this, but on the other hand, at least she is observant, right?

She has two favorite Sesame Street videos that we watch on You Tube over and over. And over.  Feist singing "1,2,3,4" and Will.i.am singing "What I Am." (The Sesame Street versions, of course.) She loves Elmo and the other monsters. She also dances: turning her shoulders and bouncing up and down. She'll dance to pretty much any music, even my singing. If you have ever heard me sing, you know this is saying something.  Of course, I think the only person who has ever heard me sing is my friend Chelsea. We used to sing along to the "Lite" radio station in her car in college.

Anyway, Clare is getting pretty adventurous with food. She basically just wants whatever I am eating, whether it is refried beans or an avocado and cheese sandwich. She loves restaurants, thanks to the people watching she can do there, and even had her first French fries at the Night Owl here in town. Needless to say, those were a big hit. Oh, and mushrooms. She adores them. We also ordered her something off a children's menu for the first time: scrambled eggs and French toast. I made her eat the eggs first, because I knew once she got a bite of that French toast the eggs would be rejected. I was right.

Thanks to the early spring, we've been playing outside quite a bit. Clare rolled off her blanket onto the grass for the first time last week. She immediately lifted both feet and hands into the air. She was not at all sure she wanted to touch the grass. After sitting like that for a few minutes, she got bored and went on playing, perfectly comfortable on the lawn.

She is curious about everything, pointing and saying "this" or "that." She is babbling constantly, and I can't wait for more words to start coming out of her mouth.

She is very close to walking, and can take several steps with assistance from her walking toy. She can stand on her own for a few seconds, so I know this milestone is right around the corner.

She also loves technology:

Clare blogging.

Watching her favorite Sesame Street video.

Whew. I think that is it. 11 months! I said it last month, and I'll say it again: this is such a fun age.

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.”

Nine Months

Nine months. She has now been on the outside as long as she was on the inside.  I was looking at some pictures from last summer, and I just can’t believe how different she looks now. I’ve always thought she was cute as a button, but she really is so much cuter now than she was when she was first born. I think her personality has a lot to do with that. Clare has the cutest little laugh – have I mentioned it before? She doesn’t laugh that often, she usually just shrieks with joy, but when I can get that giggle it makes my whole day. The other thing that makes my whole day: Clare’s absolute excitement at seeing me when I come to get her in the mornings. I may have mentioned this before, too, but oh, it is so precious. She acts like we’ve been apart for months rather than hours.

Oh, and this happened:

She only manages to pull herself all the way onto her feet once in a while, but she is working hard at it. She has taken more than a few tumbles, but doesn’t seem to be any worse for wear. When I go into her room in the morning, I see her little hands on the top of the crib, her head tilted back as she tries to see over the top bar. We’ve already lowered her mattress once, and I think we will need to do it again soon.

She has been crawling like crazy – she still does the army crawl, but also pulls herself onto her hands and knees regularly. If Ben and I are in another part of the room, she charges for us. She will not be left out, Little Miss Social. She is babbling constantly – she says Dada, but I don’t think she’s made the connection to Ben. Other than that, I haven’t picked out any definite words yet. 

She loves playing with her blocks – I build a tower and she knocks it over. If I am holding a toy, she wants it, even if she has 3 in her hands. I guess the grass is greener even when you are a baby. She also loves books – and has actually started showing interest in the pictures on the page rather than just using them to chew on. (I had to stop letting her do that so much, I am afraid she has ingested more than just a little bit of “Moo, Baa, La La La.”)  She adores animals, and I can’t wait for her first trip to the zoo. She is going to absolutely flip. She also loves it when Mommy or Daddy is playing on the floor with her - Mommy is her favorite jungle gym.

She is growing and changing so fast – I feel like I can’t keep up. I just read Anne Lamott’s book, “Operating Instructions,” and it made me wish I had written more about Clare. I want to record every minute! I know this is not realistic, but still. It feels so fleeting. I just want to bottle her up so I can revisit this age when she has turned into an acne-covered, parent-hating teenager.

She is doing pretty well with solid foods. She had her first avocado last week, and is having her first chicken today. We started practicing with finger foods (mostly just some organic puffs I found at the co-op). She had some trouble at first, but seems to be getting the hang of it. With her 9 teeth, she looks like she could eat a steak. She also shared a banana with me the other day. We were in the living room – she wouldn’t eat it with her fingers, but she helpfully opened her mouth. Insert food, please!

I went away for a much needed girls’ night last weekend (Wine! Shopping! Gossip! Knitting! Yes, you read that right. I knit now. Sort of.) I had a blast, but I missed the heck out of Clare. When I got home on Sunday, she could have cared less. Of course, she had her Daddy. And, when it came time to eat, she was happy I was there. I guess Mommy is good for something after all.

I actually made that hat!

Home Alone

This winter has  been quiet, weather-wise. (I am not complaining, although I do find it some what worrisome.) We finally got some snow overnight, so I thought it would be a good time to introduce Clare to the fluffy white stuff.  Also: I wanted her to wear her adorable snowsuit at least once.

Edited to add: The hat Clare is wearing in this picture came from Japan - and Ben wore it when he was a little boy.

Ben has been at a conference in Las Vegas this week. I was apprehensive about being on my own with Clare. Ben and I split pick up/drop off duties at daycare, and he usually does all the dishes. Also, Ben always gives Clare her bath! Can you believe I have never bathed my daughter? I figured by the end of the week I would be buried in chores and extremely exhausted. I have to say, though, this week went a lot more smoothly than I expected. Except for the cat waking me up EVERY MORNING AND THEN PUKING AND POOPING ALL OVER THE HOUSE. Have I mentioned that I HATE THIS CAT? This morning it was 3 A.M. UGH.

Ahem.

On Monday, I had a stomachache. It was pretty bad, and I concocted an entire story where I woke in the middle of the night with a raging cash of appendicitis (thanks Web M.D.!) and had to call an ambulance, and where would Clare sit in the ambulance? And were would she go while I was in surgery? Would Ben fly back from Las Vegas? And what if I couldn't get to the phone to call an ambulance? What if I passed out? What would happen to Clare?

None of this happened.  We are fine.

On Tuesday, we web chatted with Ben. It took Clare about 10 minutes to figure out that it was her Daddy in the computer. As soon as she realized it, she lunged for the monitor, trying to get to him. It was pretty cute.

Also: I gave Clare TWO baths this week.  During the first one, I managed to pour water right into her mouth. She only coughed for a few minutes. Mommy of the Year over here!

Ben comes back today. I will be glad to see him. I need someone here to keep me out of my head. And to keep Clare clean.

Year In Review

Normally, I look back on the year and I think, "Wow, another year over - what the heck did I do?" Well, this year was a bit different, so I decided to borrow once again from other blogs and fill out this end of year questionnaire.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Gave birth to my lovely Clare.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

If I made them, I have no idea what they were. I will probably make some again this year, and promptly forget them. (I did tell my coworker that my New Year’s resolution was to stay away from the vending machine. So there’s that.) Actually, I do have one goal. I want to be cleaner and more organized at home. My house has kind of gotten away from me since Clare was born.

3. Did anyone close to you have a child?

Yes! Oh my. Several of my closest friends had babies, and Clare now has future BFFs/boyfriends Will, Archer, Alice, and Carter.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No. Thank God.

5. Where did you travel?

We took several trips to the Twin Cities, visited grandparents (Clare's great-grandparents) in La Crosse and Oostburg, and went to a wedding in the U.P. of Michigan.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Sleep.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?

June 7. Everything else is kind of a blur.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Well, I guess I have to say giving birth to a baby! Also, I am proud of the way Ben and I are handling having a child in our lives. We are still mostly sane.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Ugh. I don't know. I feel like I failed in lots of little ways, but it doesn't seem healthy to dwell on them too much.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Does giving birth count as illness or injury?

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Clare's butterfly mobile from an Etsy shop. It was the first thing she really focused on, and still loves it to this day. Also, our new car.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Our families have been wonderfully supportive and helpful with Clare, but I have to single out Ben. Having a new baby is stressful, and he has been very patient with me throughout this transition. Also, he was a saint in the delivery room.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Scott. Walker.

14. Where did most of your money go?

New crib, new bookshelf, new baby clothes, sheets, towels, shampoo, toys, nuks, bottles, breast pump, books....I could go on. Oh, and daycare. And a new car. Wow, we spent a lot of money this year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Clare. ALSO: my sister getting married! Her wedding was beautiful, and I adore her new husband. He is a wonderful addition to our family. Even though I think he might sometimes wonder what he got himself into. Don't worry, Andrew. It is worth it!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Mumford & Son's "Roll Your Stone Away." Anything by the ubiquitous Adele.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

Happier. I am not pregnant anymore, but I feel fatter. Definitely poorer with my reduced work schedule, but that is by choice so I am okay with it.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Talked to and spent time with friends, especially pre-baby. Spent time outside. Slept. Can you tell I am tired?

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Wasting time worrying about things I can't control. That is something I always do, though. I don't think it will change.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We ate our way through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my parents' house. I ate my weight in Christmas cookies at visits to both sets of grandparents. We all sat around watching Clare try to eat wrapping paper - it is funny how adults forget how to have a conversation when there is a baby in the room. Their little cheeks are just so distracting!

21. What was your favorite TV program?

Parks and Recreation. Hands down. I also loved 30 Rock, Modern Family, Community, Castle, Justified, and the New Girl. I quit watching Glee. The Office didn't make the list because I miss Steve Carell too much.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No.....I think I hated all the same people in 2010, too.

23. What was the best book you read?

The best book I read was "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey was a close second. The two books are so different you can't compare them, but I enjoyed them equally for very different reasons. Rounding out the top 5:  "City of Light" by Lauren Belfer, "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool, and "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott (I know! I had never read this before. I am way late to the party.)

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I don't know if I discovered anything particularly new, but I love Mumford & Sons and She and Him.

25. What did you want and get?

Most importantly, a healthy baby. Earrings for Christmas. A new car.

26. What did you want and not get?

Oh, there are lots of toys I want and didn't get. I'll go with the new iPhone.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

I didn't see many movies this year, but I adored Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. What a finish. I'll miss you, Harry.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I honestly have no recollection of what I did on my birthday. I know I turned 32. Seriously, what did I do? OH. I do remember. Ben and Clare baked me a chocolate chip date cake. It was delicious. They lit the candles in the garage and came in singing to me. It was very sweet.

29. What one [or three] thing[s] would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Dare I say more sleep yet again? Of course, more money would always help. Overall, though, it was a fairly satisfying year.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Anything clean, or at least mostly clean.

31. What kept you sane?

Carving out little moments for myself here and there. Even just an extra long shower when I can get it.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Hmmmm....there wasn't anyone in particular this year but I almost fainted when I saw Ryan Gosling without his shirt in Crazy, Stupid, Love. That man's abs are no joke.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

Where to start? Actually, I don't think I will list anything because then this post will turn into a rant rather than a review of the year.

34. Who did you miss?

My friends who live far away. Sometimes I miss my pre-baby self. Is that weird? 

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Clare, of course!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

I don't have anything particularly deep or insightful to say here, but I guess I learned that I can handle a lot more than I thought I could. My priorities changed a lot this year, and that is okay. Some things that seemed so important before, well, I learned that they just aren't. I have a whole new person to worry about, and she comes before anything else in the world. I simply can't imagine my life without her. 

Halloween

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. We always ate homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner, and then went out trick or treating. It was always cold, but that crisp, cool air just added to the excitement of running around the neighborhood getting candy. The best part was when we came home, and my sister and I would bargain with my brother - we're both allergic to nuts, so we traded our nut-filled goodies for something we could eat.

Clare is obviously too young to care about Halloween. However, that didn't stop me from buying her a costume at our local consignment shop. We took her trick or treating at my parents' house. She (we) got four candy bars. In my effort to document every second of Clare's life, we actually took a video of her trick or treating, so I don't have any pictures. However, we took many pictures of her in her adorable cow costume:

Clare the cow with all of her animal friends.

Ready to go with her pumpkin candy bag.

Daddy always makes her laugh.

She was so cuddly in this costume.

They made crafts at daycare! I was so excited to have Clare's first art project, even if she didn't do any of it herself. (The ghost is her footprint, in case it is not obvious in the photo.)

Random October Pictures

Elephant good.

Clare before heading out to the Dane County Farmer's Market. Please ignore the messy, unmade bed in the background.

Ben and Clare at the Dane County Farmer's Market in downtown Madison.

Clare and Grandma Jo during Clare's first Holiday Decoration Dinner Tour. (We get together to look at each other's Halloween decorations. What. It is not weird. We do it for Christmas, too. Oh, and did I mention there is lots of wine and food involved?) 

Something is amiss. Can you get that camera out of my face?

Foot good.

If you watch Parks and Recreation, you'll know why these cupcakes that Rob and Andri sent me for my birthday are hilarious.

Teeth!

She has one coming in. Maybe two. We had her 4-month check-up on Wednesday, and the doctor was surprised to hear Clare is teething. According to the doctor, most babies don't get teeth until they are at least 6 months old. But hey, she is the size of a 6 month old, so she might as well act like one too. (Stats: 14.4 pounds, 26 inches long - that's the 97th percentile for height and 62nd percentile for weight.)

She has been a bit cranky, but not too bad, all things considered. (Knock on wood.) She is drooling A LOT, and gumming down on everything, including Mommy. Last night, we tried the frozen wet washcloth, and she loved chewing/sucking on that. What a cheap, easy solution! I have no idea how teething works, but I assume she'll get a little break once these teeth come in?

Ben dropped our camera on the ground and it is busted, so until I get a new one - crappy phone photos!

Hmmm...why is Mommy hovering over me and Sophie with her phone?

Open up, Clare! Show the world that tooth!

Ta da! (Now, lets learn to chew on something OTHER than Mommy. How about Sophie? That's what she's for, after all.)

Milestones

We knew she had done it, because we found her on her stomach when she woke up from her morning nap. And then, later, we had proof:

Hmmm...I think my mom wants me to do something.

I guess I will perform my new trick.

As a reward, I will eat my toes.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be this excited about a baby rolling over, I probably would have rolled my eyes. But oh, it is so exciting when it is your own baby doing these things! I can't wait for the next milestone.

Four Months

Four months! FOUR MONTHS! When I was pregnant, I thought the baby would never arrive. And now here I sit, with a FOUR MONTH OLD!

 A few weeks ago, we were sitting around the dinner table at my parents’ house. Clare was in her car seat, on a chair pulled up to the table. We noticed she was staring intently at the toy dangling from the handle. She had never really paid it much attention before, but she was definitely focused on it now. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched it. The she reached out and grasped it and pulled, hard. Her eyes and mouth were open in amazement. “Wait," she seemed to be thinking, "These hands are attached to me and I can control them?” Her mind was blown. Ever since, she has been much more interested in toys and books than she was in the past. She smiles at her froggy rattle. Then she tries to eat it. She loves her soft Curious George book. She tries to eat that, too. She stares at herself in the mirror in her crib, and swats at the ball attached to it. She has yet to try to eat the mirror, as far as I know. It is fun seeing her become more aware of and interested in these things. Oh, and she LOVES the television. Is this a bad sign?

She is doing well at daycare. They say she is happy there all day, which is nice. I miss her like crazy when I am at work, but so far it seems to be a good balance. I like having adult interaction, but I still get my time at home with her during the week.

This has been another busy month. We traveled to the Twin Cities, Clare went to her first birthday party, and attended her second wedding - this time it was her Aunt Katie getting married, and she slept through the whole thing (Clare, not Katie).

Oh, and yeah. She was sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night. Now, not so much. For the past week, she has been waking up for two feedings a night. Fellow moms, any thoughts on why this might be? I am anxious to put a stop to it.

She still seems tall for her age, but what do I know. Her 4-month check up is next week, so I’ll find out then what her stats are.  On to more pictures!

Clare and her friends Archer and Alice.

Recovering after Aunt Katie's wedding.

Reading her favorite soft book.

Tummy time!

Three Months

Last month I wrote that Clare was very stingy with her smiles. That is no longer the case. This morning, she was giving Dad a huge smile. And then she gave the wall a huge smile. She especially loves people with glasses or facial hair, so Grandpa Steve is a big hit. (He has a very thick, bushy mustache. And glasses. Obviously.)

This has been a big month for Clare. She went to two new states (Minnesota and Michigan). She met lots of future friends and current family members. She went to the Minnesota State Fair. She was Baptized. She attended her first Brewers game. She was at part of her first wedding (until she cried and had to be taken away by Daddy). And she started daycare.  She has been there twice - so far, so good. Tomorrow will be her longest day there yet, because Ben can't pick her up so she will have to wait until I can get her after work (!).

Clare is getting better and better at holding up her head. She still hates tummy time, but is willing to try to pick up her head for a few minutes to humor me. She is trying out many new voices, and likes to be able to see the world around her. Her favorite color seems to be green.

Last night, she sat on her Grandpa Ralph's lap during dinner. She could see me down the table, and started to get whiny. She was hungry. I kept eating and she kept looking at me and whining. I love that she knows where her food comes from. She perks up every time she hears my voice. Of course, like I said before, she smiles at the wall, but I still like to feel special.

This month brings big changes for me, too. I started back to work yesterday. When I first got there, it felt like I'd been gone forever. Then, I sat at my desk and logged into my computer and I felt like I'd blinked and the summer was over. I am only back part time, so I am off again today.

The weather has changed to fall, so now I am worrying about Clare having enough warm clothes. I think another day of shopping is in order! It is hard to know how much to buy in each size, because she is growing like a weed.  She doesn't go back to the doctor until next month, so I'll have updated statistics then! Now, back to laundry. I am not at work, but I am certainly working all day.

Clare's First Day

It was almost as if she knew it was the night before her first day at daycare. Clare slept the way I always slept the night before my first day of school - fitfully. Each time she woke up, she was happy...just grinning up at me from her crib.

I was less happy. I wanted to practice my morning routine, so I set my alarm for 5:45. After a 3 a.m. feeding, the alarm went off way to soon. I got ready, but when it was time for Clare to wake up, she wasn't having it. I think she will be a difficult one to get up for school someday.

I took her to daycare, where we met Annette, one of the teachers in her room. She showed me around.  I tried to make myself get Clare out of her carseat and leave, but I kept thinking of reasons to stay. More questions, more things to put away. Finally, I handed Clare off. As I left, I saw her grinning up at Annette. Of course, Annette has glasses, one of Clare's favorite things. I cried the whole way home.

I spent the day shopping and spa-ing. And worrying, worrying, worrying. Even at the Spa, I couldn't put my phone down. Luckily, I didn't ruin my nails. (Yet.)

And my toes match!

When I went to pick Clare up, she was busy eating. She looked at me, and kept eating. Annette informed me that Clare was an easy baby. She spent the day smiling at everyone. When she got tired, Annette put her in her crib, and she put herself to sleep. Wait. What? She never does that for me! If she is not all the way out when I put her down, those little eyes pop open and she won't go to sleep until I rock her. (I know, I know - bad habit that I need to correct soon.) Well, I was relieved. I am glad Clare enjoyed her day and wasn't upset to be away from home and Mom.


Then we got home, and I got this:

Life iz hard.

Sigh. And yet - I couldn't be happier. And now I have to go, I hear Clare calling for me, in her adorable "annoyed" voice.