18 months!

1 and 1/2 years old!! Can't believe it!

She is one happy little girl! She loves to play in her kitchen, read books, ride in her wagon and play with her dolls. She is so sweet with her dolls - brushing their hair, feeding them, kissing them.

It's so fun spending time with her and seeing her personality develop. She's very sweet, inquisitive, and funny. She loves to make you smile and laugh with her funny faces and smiles!

She has 11 teeth now! Top and bottom molars are in. Favorite foods now - milk, fish, watermelon, chicken nuggets, meatballs, still rice and corn dogs!

She's now stringing more and more words together. The other day I asked her to pick out a toy for us to play with and she said, "Hmm, how about this one." It cracked me up. That's what David and I say all the time when picking out toys with her.

Hi there!

Trying out the water wings

Look at all of those teeth!

Milk!

The activity table works perfectly as a chair.

Made her own train

Pepe visit

Pepe!

Mema and Pepe visit!

 

17 months

At 17 months Claire is as fun as ever!!

Some new things this month...she has 5 more teeth! Her bottom 2 molars, 2 more on top and one more on the bottom have come in. Her top two molars will pop through anytime now! More teeth to chew with :) Her favorite foods this month...shrimp, corn dogs, corn on the cob (she loves to eat it still on the cob now), cheese sticks, pretzel goldfish, cantelope, waffles, pineapple and rice. She seems to love any kind of rice from the yellow saffron rice to spanish rice.

She will now give you a real kiss instead of the head rub she used to do. So far she have been so gentle and loving to everyone. She will try to hug and hold her friend's hands. And she is really into stuffed animals now. She will hug and love on them. She has a baby doll and dog stuffed animal that she holds each night for books and prayers and then hugs and pets them goodnight before she goes to bed. It's really sweet to watch :)

She will now say thank you!! And at the right time too. If you ask her "what do you say" when she is asking for something she says please and after she gets it will say thank you. A lot of time without beeing prompted which is so cute!

She is also talking so much now. It seems she will repeat anything you say and will remember it too!! She will go through the 100 Animals book and she can point to and name nearly all of the animals from ostrich to lady bug. It's amazing how her little mind works. She has started to string the words together and will say "Mommy pick up" or "Daddy close door."  

She has also started to step down the stairs instead of crawling down on her belly. She loves to try and dress herself too. She can get her sandals on but can't quite buckle them yet :) She will also try to put her shirts on. She will also let you know if she is ready for a diaper change..."clean diaper!"

Love her!

She's really into stacking things....

Like really into stacking things

Trying to blow bubbles...she did one...once!

Corn on the cob...yum!

Love this picture :)

Toys!!

Always following around Molly!

Homestead Visit!!

This past weekend we took a fun trip to The Homestead! Aunt Wendy and her cousin known by Claire as "Dis" :) were in the states all the way from Africa for a visit. We spent the weekend together to celebrate "MayMa's" birthday!

Enjoying all of the porch rocking chairs!

Always walking around holding someone's hand

Happy Birthday MayMa

Walking with Pepi

Visit to the local farmer's market

Always close by to her cousin "Dis"

She loved the pool!! We were there everyday :)

Spray fun!

Strolling

Funny joke Daddy!

Cheese :)

Hanging out on the porch

Loved hiking in her new backpack!

Leaning in for the kiss!

Mommy's sweet girl!

16 months

Time is still flying by, Claire turned 16 months on June 25th. She continues to amaze us and make us laugh everyday!

Some new things this month, she said her own name!! And she likes to use it all the time now. If I have my water bottle and her cup she points to mine and says "mommy's" and to her's and says, "Claire's." She does that with her shoes, dress, etc.

She also has started to take your hand and lead you to where she wants to go.

And she is a climber!! The other day I came into the kitchen and she is sitting on the bar chair looking through my wallet which was on the counter. I have no idea how she got up there on her own and thank goodness didn't get hurt in the process! Can't take our eyes off her now.

Food wise, she is trying more and more! And she is finally drinking milk, yay! And even asking for it instead of water. She really likes milk the most after she wakes up from her nap. Favorite foods now are: cereal with milk, mango, pineapple, watermelon, green beans, peanut butter sandwiches, and pizza!! She also is getting a lot better feeding herself with the spoon or fork.

Some cute (to me) stories :)
We go to a weekly music class where we sing songs, get wooden sticks to hit together to make noise, play with balls, listen to stories and shake shakers. The other day I told her we were going to music class that day and she says "sticks," "balls." She really is connecting the dots with things. She remembered what we do in music class and was so excited all day until music class. She is also very brave in class. The children go up to the front of class with the teacher to get whatever "instrument" it is time for. She goes right up, gets her instrument and comes back smiling and laughing to me showing me what she got! It is so cute! After class, the teacher gives out stickers and Claire goes right up, gets her stickers and both hands and comes back to me saying "stickers, stickers!"

Ready to take Molly for her walk, Claire loves holding the leash!

Some new favorites - bubbles and side walk chalk

The bow will now stay in her hair!! Until she takes it out 2 seconds later...

Well, she can use a spoon when she wants to :)

This day she decided to play with ALL of her toys!

Little bit of mommy's birthday cake frosting saved for later

This is where I found her after she climbed up on her own...

Feeding ducks at University of Richmond...

with some of her best buds!!

Swinging with Papa, Aunt Jiffy and Aunt Cindy at Blue Bird Gap Farm

Taking a break from all of the animals at the farm

LOVES the pool!! Keeps saying, Papa pool!!

Spray park fun!

A visit to the zoo!!

For Father's Day weekend we took a trip to the zoo! Claire LOVES animals!! And we have been wanting to go to the zoo for the longest time with her. We finally did and she was mesmerized by them. So much fun seeing everything through her eyes now :)

Monkeys!!

Waving to the monkeys some more!

Feeding the giraffe! She even pet one, so brave!

They had a bird area with parakeets where you could feed the birds with some seed at the end of the stick. Claire had no fear and when Daddy was feeding one she wanted to do it all herself!

I'll do it Daddy!

She loved it!

Want some more

Just strolling

Penguins!! Just like in one of her favorite books.