Pool Day

We went to the Athens Drive pool this morning. We got there around 9:30 and there was no one there! I think the key is getting there early with a little one. Clara loved the splash pad and didn't fall which I was paranoid about thanks to Shelly giving Clara some awesome swim shoes.  I thought Clara would be big enough to be on her own in the baby pool but little miss fearless was a little too confident and kept falling and going underwater. So I had to hold her hand the whole time and follow her EVERYWHERE! I think I needed a nap more than she did.  

Indiana Vacation (PartII)

Gigi let Clara play cook with all her pots and pans. That girl can do some cooking!! Then uncle Kirt showed her how to wear them like a hat. 

Clara with Uncle Kirt, Aunt Gabby and Reagan. 

Cousins!!!

We went to the Indianapolis Zoo and Clara loved it!! Since we have gotten back home she has been a lot more interested in trying to make animal noises with her see n say. And wanting to look at the books with animals in them. 

Mom, that's the biggest turtle I've ever seen!

Clara and Uncle AJ both fascinated at the dog show. 

Playing with moms hair is way more fun than looking at antelope. 

Indiana Vacation (Part I)

Clara started vacation by spending the day with her friend Hayley. I had an early flight because I was flying standby and Brian's flight wasn't until later in the day so my sweet friend Lori watched Clara. I think they might have had a little bit of fun.

Sweet friends!!!

During our trip we went to Marshall Illinois for a couple of days to see Brian's grandma.

Brian's brother and his family came up to visit too. Clara had a blast trying to keep up with her cousins.

In Illinois we stayed in a hotel and got to go swimming.

Swimming made her just a little tired.

On Sunday I got to go to the Indy 500 for the first time!! It was awesome!!!

The reason it looks like I'm wearing a man's jacket is because I am. I had on like 4 layers of clothes! Its usually really hot during the race but it only got up to 65 degrees this time.  It was freezing when we left the house at 6AM so we could get a good parking spot.

The Clara and Titus duo

We might be putting together a new entertainment group with Titus at the piano and Clara providing vocals and dance.

Got to be NC festival

We had a great time at the fairgrounds today. Going on Friday was awesome because It wasn't crowded at all. We saw the draft horses pulling, some donkeys and goats, lots of tractors, and Clara's favorite played in the huge new fountain. What a great day hanging out with my family!!

Clara is 14 months!!

Clara has been impressing me this week by adding a new word to her vocabulary almost daily. Some things are harder to understand than others and she can get a little irritated with me when she clearly understands what she is saying and doesn't understand why I'm not responding! So far she can say: mama, dada, kitty, abby, lexie, outside, bye bye, no, hot, light, up, off, all done, more, hi, hello, and sit. She definitely attempts to say a lot more but we haven't deciphered most it yet. She can understand almost everything. When we ask her if she is ready to eat or hungry she goes in the kitchen and points at the pantry or goes and pats her highchair. When its bath time we ask her if she is ready for a tubby and she walks in the bathroom or if she wants to go night night she will walk into her bedroom. Today she was opening and closing the front door and she looks at me and says bye bye then closes herself between the screen door and the wood door and just laughs. She loves to play peek-a-boo and will cover her eyes with her hands then peek out between her fingers.

My favorite moments: I love that you are still so snugly!! You love to give mama and dada hugs and kisses. You still love to play outside and splash in the doggies water bowl.

Clara quirks: You are the bravest kid I know! I feel like you get hurt constantly because you are fearless!! But a little injury doesn't stop you one bit. You might cry for a few minutes and want me to hold you but then you want down so you can get into something else! At the playground you want to go down the biggest slide and climb up the ladder all by yourself. You still torture the poor Hope the cat all the time. Apparently you think some things are just worth getting a spanking for.

Nap/Sleep: We have been struggling with sleeping for the last few weeks! Soon after your first birthday you started getting up at 7 instead of 8 which is fine since you go down at 8. But lately you have been getting up at 6 which is not fine. Mom needs her beauty rest after chasing you around all day! Your naps were also starting to get shorter and you would talk in your crib for a while before you went to sleep so I'm trying to switch you to one nap a day to try and alleviate all these problems. The problem is any time we get in the car you fall asleep! And even if I keep you awake all morning then put you down at noon when you are exhausted, you still only sleep an hour! So then you need another nap around 4:00 which defeats the purpose of not taking a morning nap! Hopefully we will get all this figured out soon!!

Eating: This girl can do some serious eating! Breakfast is definitely her favorite meal! This morning she ate two fried eggs, 3 sausage links, a cup full of cheerios, and some pear applesauce. She then wanted a snack 2 hours later! She usually doesn't eat quite as much at lunch and dinner. She loves meat, black beans, peas, carrots, corn, pasta, oatmeal, beef and rice in the crock pot, sweet potatoes, bananas, cheese, bread, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, and ice cream!

Mobility: You just started to be able to get on and off Buzzy, your ride on toy, all by yourself. I think this increased your confidence and led to you climbing up in two of the chairs in the house all by yourself. Now you love to climb on anything that you can. We have a bunch of small boxes stacked up in the kitchen to get ready for moving and the other day when I was in the living room I could hear you fussing in the kitchen. When I got in there you had climbed up on top of one of the stacked boxes and was holding onto the wall but then you couldn't get back down.

Week in pictures

Our new obsession is playing "in" the toy box!

We had fun playing at Mrs. Shelly and Mr. Mark's house. Clara was NOT a fan of daddy playing with the boys. She would cry every time he started playing with them and not with her!

I got to go to my friend Alex's bridal shower. So fun!! Doesn't she look gorgeous!

Fun times at the mall.

Mimi and grandpa came up for a visit and we had dinner at PDQ!

Cheese face!