Catching Up!

This hat is her favorite new accessory...it was Ann's! :)

Yummy! Cookie!

Swinging with Aunt Jenny and Grandmommy!

Feeding Uncle Daniel's fish

Hanging with Aunt Rachel and Anna and Uncle Daniel!

Sitting with Grampy!

Coloring with PaPa!

Playing piano with Aunt Rachel!

Fourth of July!

Botantical Gardens!

Hiking in La Jolla in July!

June in La Costa with the Nelsons! Playing with the cousins gun parts.

Lots has happened since my last update. Claire is changing so much every week! This week she has really just started talking more and more all of a sudden.

She has said a few phrases this week including: "I stuck!" and "here you go!" She now has about 30-35 words that she uses consistently and that we understand. She says lots more that we still dont really understand though but everyday she says a new word or two that we can make out.

Her newest words lately are: Bear, Bite(when she wants a bite of what you are eating), Nana(banana), pork (fork), puck (truck), wee (slide), go go go (when she is on the swing and wants to go high), bird, tree, quack, meow, ta-da (after she builds a tower but before she knocks it down), pig, horse, bubbles

She LOVES airplanes and helicopters. It doesnt matter where we are or what we are doing, if she hears one she stops, holds her hands up and out to the sides and looks all around until she spots it! She doesnt say airplane or helicopter yet, but just says "What's this?" meaning she wants you to show her where it is when she can hear one about to fly over.

She is starting to hum to correct melodies to certain songs like, ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle. She was laying in bed the other morning talking and singing and Chris and I heard her on the monitor and it sounded just like the ABC melody with her own combo of letters. So cute!

One of her newest and cutest things is to pose for the camera and say "cheese." So cute! That is until she gets tired of the camera and starts closing her eyes and saying no.

Her favorite things lately are her blocks (she loves building towers), drawing and coloring, blowing bubbles outside, and books as always. She is still best buddies with Allie. She has been full of hugs and kisses lately for Mommy, Daddy, and Allie. So sweet! She gives great big hugs now and wraps both arms around your neck really tight. We call this a "hug with arms." :)

She has mastered using a spoon and fork and actually insists on eating everything with one or the other. It doesnt matter what it is, she wants it cut up so she can use a spoon or fork to eat it. Yesterday, she used a fork to eat her graham crackers for snack, which made quite a mess!

We have started easing her into potty training a bit...we have her try every night before getting into the bath and she is successful about half of the time.

She used to have an obsession with shoes but now it is hats. Actually, one certain hat that she insists on wearing all day! You will most likely see it in lots of pictures that I post. She insists on wearing it from the time I get her out of her crib until time to take it off for bathtime. Funny!

She has become a great eater! Her favorite foods are peanut butter, guacamole, hummus, pizza, sweet potatoes, rice, pears and bananas. It is really nice though now because she will eat almost anything I make for dinner...or at least try everything I put on her plate which is so nice to only have to make one dinner these days for all of us. I know it may not last but Im enjoying it for now! :)

She is definitely in full toddler mode and just as busy and cute as ever! She definitely has her share of toddler moments though and can assert her opinion quite well when she wants to. On the plus side, we are dealing with far less time outs lately than we were about a month ago so she is figuring things out.

She is a very happy, playful, smart, loving, and sweet baby, I mean little girl!

I cant believe she will be two in October! Time sure does fly when you are having fun! :)

19 months!

So cute!!

Laughing on the carousel!

Busted!

Licking the birthday candles on Daddy's Birthday!

Posing for the camera!

Helping Daddy make Mother's Day breakfast!

Here are some pictures of Claire over the last month or so. Her favorite things right now are drawing and coloring, running wherever she goes, and changing her shoes. haha

Her newest words include: juice, please or peeeaaasss as she says, and shoes.

She still loves coloring and drawing and, as always, reading books!!

However, all of a sudden a couple weeks ago, she started having a definite opinion and preference about what pair of shoes she likes to wear. In fact, she doesnt like to be barefoot at all anymore. From the moment she wakes up and gets a diaper change, we can barely get her breakfast and milk before she is bringing us a pair of shoes and insisting that we put them on her. She does this many times throughout the day. Most days, she cycles through almost every pair she has before bedtime. I am hoping this is a phase and doesnt progress to clothes and outfits!

She blows kisses constantly but has slowed down on the hugs.

She can now show you and hold up one finger when you ask her how old she is. She nods yes and no really well when we ask her questions. She knows and points to almost all body parts when asked now...nose, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, hair, toes, hands. My favorite is when you ask her where her tummy is and she raising up her shirt to show you her tummy.

She is really starting to eat almost anything and becoming less picky but her favorite foods are: guacamole...without the chips or with just a spoon, pears, peanut butter, and yogurt (but only if she is given her own spoon and allowed to make an absolute mess feeding herself).

She is a big snacker and signs "eat" constantly some days and goes to the pantry to show me what she wants.

She is loads of fun and at such a cute age! She is full of personality and very busy! :)

About time I update this...

Swinging at the park

Watching Curious George!

Riding in style at the Zoo

Fell asleep with her cookie still in her hand!

Ready for a walk!

Watching TV with Daddy!

She decided to make Allie share her bed! :)

Pushing her shopping cart!

Claire and Allie running to the door as soon as they hear Chris pull up!

Cute!

Well, obviously A LOT has happened since August. That is just embarrassing that I havent updated this is over 6 months!!

For starters, Claire is almost 18 months old and busy is an understatement! She is walking, running, and generally making a mess of everything at all times! :)

Her favorite things are chasing and playing with Allie, anything involving books, dancing, being outside, drawing, and her pup!

She nows has a handful of clear words which include: Dada (although she has gotten a little lazy and lately just calls him D), pup, Allie, baby, cookie (which is used for crackers also), yum, bye bye, and a few other less consistent words. She babbles and sings and chats ALL the time, but we cant always make it out.

She signs "eat", "thank you", and "milk."

She now has 12 teeth and is working on her eye teeth, not enjoyable for any of us!

She is overall a good eater but definitely has her picky moments! Her favorite foods include: crackers, pancakes, yogurt, mac n cheese, pizza, guacamole, cheese, turkey, bananas, and apples.

She has become a great sleeper and loves her crib! She has been using her passy only in her crib for several months now and that is all it took for her to love going to bed. haha

When we ask her if she wants to go night night, she grabs her pup and runs into her room and is ready.

Since the last time I posted, Chris left for a deployment and has already come back! Claire took all of 30 seconds to warm up to him and become a huge Daddy's girl! She gets oh so excited everytime she sees him! :)