Personality

As Clara develops and grows, so does her personality.  At this point in her life, this is how I would describe it:

smiley

social

happy

silly

animated

friendly

on the go

outgoing

confident

curious

likes to be part of the action

The Slippery Slope of Growing Up

On Saturday I came into Clara's room to find her sitting up in bed.  I was amazed.  It was so cute to see that she'd finally figured out how to sit up without help, and she was awfully proud about it. She seemed like such a big girl!

On Sunday I can into her room to find her STANDING UP in bed. She was REALLY proud about that one.

What? What a minute? Back up. When did this happen? I was looking forward to the sitting-herself-up phase. Did it really just come and go in one day? And now she's moved on?

Might I add that the "drop side" of the crib was down when she accomplished this feat, as I was completely clueless that she was anywhere near standing herself up, and when I discovered her, she was leaning over its edge, reaching for her nearby dresser. Yikes.

By Monday she'd begun taking steps (while holding our hands or her walker) with increasing proficiency, and today she crawled up and down the step between our family room and kitchen.

They say once a baby starts becoming mobile, locomotion is a fast progression.  I have to say, to me it feels more like a slippery slope to the inevitable: growing up.  And things are in full "motion" around our house.

On the go.

Clara at 9 Months

You've gotta love the cute eating pictures.

Weight: 21 lbs. 13 oz. (91st percentile)

Length: 29" (91st percentile)

What she can do: Clara can crawl within a few feet of her starting point, support herself against the couch while standing, eat cheerios, pull herself up to standing occasionally (still pretty shaky), sit herself up, clap, bang two objects together, drink from a sippy cup, and roll/wiggle/squirm in an attempt to crawl right off her changing table.

Yes, she does have two legs.  The other one's just hidden do to the wide stance required for balancing.

Mommy time

What she likes: Clara likes other babies.  She squeals and giggles when she sees one across the way in the grocery store.  Other moms just have to laugh.  She likes a container of objects that she can reach into and pull items out to play with one by one.  She also likes ...me.  She's becoming increasingly clingy, especially in new situations or around new people.  My not-so-cuddly baby is becoming more cuddly, and I love it.

Clara and her friend Izzy, just being babies.

Clara is crawling some, but she still can't quite keep up.

Sleep: A few days ago I stopped feeding Clara at night, so she's been pretty unhappy with me when she wakes up wanting to nurse.  As a result she's spending lots of time crying before going back to sleep. I use the Ferber Method to comfort her by patting/rubbing her at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minute intervals.  When she sees me come over to her crib she initially cries much harder and louder because her expectation of nursing isn't being met.  It's been tough for everyone, but two nights ago she slept all the way through the night without waking.  The next morning Mitch left for work with an extra spring in his step saying that was the best night of sleep he'd had in a long time.  We're on the right track I think... we're going to stick with it for at least a while.

Other Information: Clara has a ready smile and likes to socialize.  People frequently comment that she's a happy baby.  I like hearing that.  She is smiley and likes anyone who interacts with her.  Also, she's in almost all 12 month sized clothes now.  Still, her growing seems to be slowing a bit.

Bedtime = The Best Time

As the clock strikes 7:00 o'clock, Mitch grabs up Clara and marches her to the bathroom to fill her ducky tub with water.  It's bedtime for babies at the Bennett house.  Once the tub is ready, it's Clara turn.  She's taken to her room and stripped of her now grimy clothes and wet diaper.  I love seeing her cute baby bottom pass by as Mitch carries the giggling Clara at arms length to the bathroom.  Her little legs kick around in the open air below her, causing her whole body to wiggle and swing effectively along the way.  She's then plopped into her bath water.  I pop my head to observe the fun.  Clara splashes and plays, giving 100% of her attention to her toys, and doing her best to ignore the inconvenient scrub-down that is simultaneously being administered by her dad.  Once suitably clean, she is transported back to her changing table where she receives a new diaper and is quickly zipped into her feety pajamas and laid in her crib.

Now it's my turn.  I select three books from her shelf and place them along the side of the rocker for later, then rescue the now-whining Clara from her crib.  She nurses while we rock.  It's relaxing.  Once finished, I try to burp her as she tries to climb me.  I try to pat down her wet hair as she tries to reach the blinds and scratch the wall.  I try to squeeze her for a passing hug as she tries to pull and eat my hair.  Eventually we re-situate with her sitting on my lap and the reading commences.  As I turn the pages, she sits, completely relaxed against me (anyone who knows Clara well can appreciate that this is a rare occurrence), and listens to the words while watching the pages turn.  It's so SWEET.  It's hard for me to eventually stop reading (we may have done all the books twice by this point) and put her to bed.

I always end by laying my hand on her head and praying for her or blessing her.  Most often I pray, "God would you bless Clara so that she would grow to know you, the one true God and your Son, Jesus."  There's nothing greater that I could wish for my daughter.  As much as I love her, I know that God loves her infinitely more.