Clara, you are just growing up so fast! I love to see you grow and change and learn new things. I just wish it could last longer! Before we know it, you'll be sitting and crawling and walking and talking. And those things will be exciting too. But for now I'll just enjoy how small you still are.
This month it really feels like you've grown out of being a newborn and you are now a bit more grown up. You love to look at people and smile when they talk to you. You especially love to smile at Daddy, Mama, Levi, Kayden and Maddie. When I lay you down and talk to you, like when your diaper is going to get changed, you just coo and gurgle and "talk" away. Sometimes it even seems like you've got a laugh coming. You make such happy noises and your face is just so expressive. Sometimes you get a really good, loud happy shriek out and surprise yourself. It's pretty funny to watch. You're definitely learning to use your voice! Kayden keeps hearing sounds you make and thinking that you're saying your first words already but I think you have a ways to go before you start saying actual words!
You suck on your hands a lot and drool quite a bit these days! Your shirt is often quite wet when you've been sitting up. You've also started turning a bit when you're laying on the floor. Your feet push you in a circle. You've also almost rolled over while laying on the floor, though I think rolling off the edge of the blanket you were laying on helped you with that. You seemed quite happy to lay on your side, though, and suck on your hands!
Your eyes are still so blue, my girl. I keep wondering if they'll change. Nobody else in our family has blue eyes but that's not to say you won't! Kayden's were just like yours at this age and they turned into a golden hazel so we'll see what happens with yours! Your hair sometimes looks like it has a bit of a red tinge to it. And speaking of hair, you haven't lost any of it yet! It still does a perfect swirl at the back. So beautiful.
You're officially grown out of all your newborn clothes and almost out of your 0-3 month clothes. I've given away your newborn clothes to a friend and have filled your drawer with the 3 month clothes. It's interesting to see how, despite wearing the same clothes as your sisters, you each look different in them! Your growing taller all the time (you were 21.5" at your 2 month immunizations) and are getting heavier every day! The home scale says you're 11 pounds! The only time you feel lighter than I remember is when I've been holding your sisters and brother during your naptime.
You have been outside more this month than ever before, Miss Clara. You can handle the wind a bit better by now and if we find you a nice, warm, shady spot to sit, you're happy to enjoy the great outdoors. You don't like the stroller much, unless you're able to sit in it rather than lay down. I've been using my wraps to carry you around a lot lately and you seem to like them more than the stroller. You visited your grandma and grandpa Buhler at their house for the first time this month. You were a perfect traveller on the drive there (just mama and the kids!) but cried for 2.5 hours of the 3.5 hour trip home. You don't like your car seat very much, especially when you're tired, I guess.
You are full of beautiful smiles, Clara. You're usually such a happy girl. You have this smile where you wrinkle your nose when you're especially happy to see someone. You like to take everything in, often content to just sit in your bouncy seat and watch everything that's happening around you. You take all the activity and noise of your three older siblings in stride. Nothing seems to bother you with all that's going on. The only times you get fussy are when you have a dirty/wet diaper, when you're hungry or when you're tired. Oh, and when you're being held on your back. You would much rather be held upright or be sitting in our arms. You like to see everything that's happening!
You still eat every two hours during the day, unless you nap long...like you are right now. Then sometimes you'll go three hours between feeds. You usually go down for a nap after being up for about an hour, if I can get you to sleep. That means you still nap three or four times a day, depending on how long each nap is. You have started fighting sleep like crazy this month. I used to just be able to hold and bounce you for about 3 minutes with your face covered and you would be asleep but now you won't even let me hold you in the position I usually put you to sleep! Because you always want to be upright, you don't settle into sleep very easily. But once you're asleep, you sleep well! You nap in the living room in your wicker basket, surrounded by music and noise. You sleep through it all. At bedtime, you sleep swaddled in our bedroom in the playpen. You are usually pretty ready for bed by bedtime, and go to bed fairly easily around 8pm. Once you're asleep for the night, you often sleep until 2-4am and then are up for another quick feed at 7:30-8 and are either up for the day then or sleep another hour or so after that. One night this month you slept for 9 hours in a stretch. Mama likes when you do that! But I really can't complain. Being up once or twice during the night with you isn't too hard. I don't mind my middle of the night snuggles while you're young!
Clara, you are a joy to have in our family. Your siblings still love you so very much. The novelty of having you around hasn't worn off at all. They still ask to hold you nearly every day. Maddie makes sure everyone knows your name is Clara. If anyone talks about you being a baby, she corrects them and says, "That's CLARA!" Kayden loves to choose your sleepers and burp cloths. Levi holds you and burps you and snuggles you. You are SO loved by everyone in this family. Keep growing and learning, my girl! We are so proud of you!
