dear clara (five months and seven days)

Wow. I don't even know where to start this month. Every week since you joined us you have amazed me with how much you continue to grow and change in such a short period of time. But I swear kiddo... the last two weeks take the cake.

If we want you to do something for the first time, all we need to do is have you hang out with Sarah Q. (This is totally okay, since we like her a lot.) First, there were the giggles she incited last month. This month, you rolled over from your tummy to your back like it was no big deal while kicking it with Sarah and Addie in their bedroom. (Daddy couldn't be bothered to come witness this milestone, as he was too busy wii-ing with Cap. You can use this against him when you're a teenager.)

Among the other firsts this month:

Toof
I don't have a photo of it to show the world, but I can promise you it's there. Accompanying the teething, your favorite thing to chew on these days are fingers- not necessarily your own, although they will do in a pinch. You much prefer our fingers and those of our unsuspecting friends.




Solids
That is, if one can call rice cereal diluted in breastmilk a solid. You weren't too keen on the cereal part of the experience, and I can't say I blame you... that gruel hardly seems appetizing.


I promise we're going to try again in a few days, maybe with something yummier and prettier like squash. But the spoon... that's another story.


You la la love that spoon.

Feets
You have gotten pretty dextrous with those gorgeous hands of yours. But you recently discovered that you have not just two useful appendages on your body, but FOUR! Glorious four! Who knew those feets and toeses were attached to you all along, just waiting to join the party. Changing table time, already a hoot, just got much more fun.

I can't even remember how many other massive changes have taken place over the last four weeks. It's taken me a week to write this post, and you haven't given me a chance to catch up. I think the most striking change has been your awareness of the world around you. Your myopic 4-month old view of the world has expanded a million-fold. Instead of just paying attention to the 12 inch radius that defined your existence for the first few months of life, you now watch everything. I will be sitting at the computer and notice that you've grown quiet in your command center, and when I look over, you are studying me intently.


I think you must be comparing the inadequacy of your baby einstein fueled playcenter with the glory of the iMac. I know the OS totally chugs on that thing, but there's plenty of time in your future for computin', my dear.


But my favorite thing about you right now is how you've finally come to notice and explore me and your daddy. We spent the first few months of your life closely inspecting every inch of you, trying to parcel out all of your features to one of us or some other relative. (That reddish birthmark on the back of your neck, all me! Woohoo!) Staring at you has seriously cut into our Tivo time. But now you're staring back, and trying to get our attention. I melt every time you reach for my face with a curious and amused look. "Freckles? How come I don't have those?" And you loooooooooove your daddy's beard.


I like to think you're looking at us the same way we've been looking at you, in awe of how lucky we are to have this little family, and trying to memorize every sweet moment.

I love you baby bunny,

Mama