The Feger Family est. 2012: 14 months 2 weeks

Clara is on the go, go, go! She is now almost running when she feels the need. She is such a good little girl. She is all over the house and listens so well. I've had Christmas decorations out for the holiday and I don't have to watch her wander. I tell her, "No," once or twice and she doesn't go near it after that. We left our "bar" room the way it was, no need for cupboard ties, she is such a good girl. When she finds little things on the floor/ground she knows she's not supposed to have she'll bring it to me, and sometimes she cries when she hands it over for a second knowing she doesn't want to give it to me. I can wear earrings and she just touches and pushes my cheeks back and forth to see one and then the other. She'll touch them, and I say, "gentle" and she is, just like when she pets and kisses Shalimar.

Clara is so smart! Of course I think that. She repeats everything I say, very close most of the time. If it's a full sentence she'll repeat the last word. When we are out and about and she is cranky, I'll say, "Let's go home" and she'll say, "home" over and over. She has many words she says on her own all the time: cat, meow, HI, dada, "ommy", oops, oh no, up, down, out, NO! for everything. We ask her questions, she knows we're asking something she needs to respond to and it's always "no". Once in a great while it will be yes. She has mastered the sign, "please" and it looks like she is itching her armpit rather than rubbing her chest. I love it. She uses please instead of more now, when she needs help, when she wants things, which is everything. Thankfully most of the time we can accommodate but when we can't it's really hard since she doesn't quite understand the why. She is starting to learn "thank you" too. When I ask her if she wants something, she'll shoot a sharp, "No" so we're working on, "No, thank you". She can sign thank you but is not quite sure when to use it yet.

I don't realize how much she knows sometimes, and don't give her enough credit. For example, I said, "Lets go get a clean diaper," as I was in the midst of dishes and she strolled right to her room waiting for me. Today I said, "Time for a bath" and off she walked, leaving her toys, straight to the bathroom. She followed me into the laundry and I don't leave her in there with the cat litter and food so I said, "Come on Clara," and she was hesitant, as she wanted to stay. I put my hand out to her and said, "Come on love," and I signed please. She reluctantly grabbed my hand and came with me. Once in a while when a "no" takes place and she is tired she can throw a big fit, she gets over it fast but she can get angry/upset. Thankfully this is not common! I give her a sippy cup everyday, in hopes she drinks from it and she avoids it, throwing it from her high chair. Last night, she kept signing "please" but I didn't know why. It was the ONE day in months I haden't given her a sippy cup. She walked to the fridge and grabbed the handle with one hand and signing please with the other. I handed her the sippy cup of 70% water, 30% juice and she chugged the entire cup. This was the day after I had tried to rid her of a bottle so maybe she was dehydrated from the few days prior since she refused her sippy cup for days as I tried to wean her off the bottle. Needless to say, it's so wonderful she can communicate with me to a certain degree.

She is eager to learn. She has the patience to sit, listen and learn. When she is trying something and is unsure or frustrated, she'll let me show her. She listens when read to and loves to zone into her Bubble Guppies. She has many favorite toys but reading books is by far her favorite. When we come to the picture of a cat, that's the one she knows. She'll say, "Cat, meow". She will repeat the words I say and the animal sounds I make. She will say, "Fishhhh" when we walk by the tank, she knows dog and says "fffff, for woof" when I ask her what a dog says. She loves to practice her animal sounds and I can read to her for long periods of time, then she takes a turn. She points in the book as she reads like I do.

Her eating habits are the same. I probably should break her of her bottle, but I don't think she is quite ready. Many other mom's agree to give it a bit more time, as does Andre, so we will. She is starting to get a bit more picky with food. She is cutting some major teeth so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. She is getting weird about textures. She constantly goes through phases though, so I try not to read into it too much. Her apitite is not what it usually is this past week, she has had a temperature and is not her usually bubbly self. I'm guessing it's 4 molars cutting and I think a few others. My poor baby. I'm glad I'm home with her when she's going through these times. She is clearly walking around the house calling for "mommy" these days and it melts my heart. I need to hold her as much as she wants to be held by me.

She is out of 12 month clothes for the most part, pants for sure. Onesies I can force on when needed and a few 12 month t-shirts fit. 18 month tops and 18-24 bottoms now fit well! Her size 5 shoes are getting snug and the 6's will be coming soon! She is a big foot like her mama. Size 4 diaper still, they are long and we need a little more wide. She is a skinny baby but her booty sometimes hangs out the side of her diaper. In the evening, when she eats well her belly pops and it's so cute. Her hair is SO long, I can almost pull it all back in a pony tail. She has constant baby hairs growing that creates bangs. The ones there are almost along enough to pull back in her regular do. When her hair is wet it's past her armpit.

Her sleep has been inconsistent with the teeth issue. Thankfully I've been able to nap with her during the day for 30 min to an hour since sometimes when she wakes at 4 I can't get back to sleep. There were two nights she was up crying for hours, which she's never done. She has been sleeping in longer which is nice, sometimes we're not up until 7:30. I am usually up at 7 with the sun but it's nice not to have to get out of bed. She has had a few great nights sleeping sound from 7 - 7:30. I just wish it were a bit more consistent. She's never been a solid sleeper that we can count on, someday.

First week off Tuesday, Tyler and Julia came to play. Clara gave them both endless kisses and hugs when they came over, she loves those to have friends to play with!!

Clara on a stroll in the back yard.

Sleepy sweet baby.

Tiffany always told me how easy it was to feed Clara. I now know why. Hehe. Julia is a little harder to feed. Her mouth is a small moving target that only opens a small bit and only for a snap! I sent this picture to Brandi since Andre picked on how messy Elsa got when Brandi fed her. Letting her know she's in good company.

Brandi sent this back. Elsa wins! Sweet girls!

Between changing diapers, reading books, and feedings I managed to whip up Aunt Ann's cookie dough that needs to refrigerate overnight.

Relaxing with mommy in the morning.

This picture makes it look like she likes a sippy cup. She may have had one sip.

Time for tradition! Aunt Ann's cookies. Thanks dada!! Andre worked non-stop at rolling and cutting. I didn't think there was such thing as too much flour. There is!

Trying to get her to drink from a cup instead of a bottle, she holds it well. That's about it.

Clara loves smoothies. Since she hasn't been eating as good as usual I've tricked her into drinking spinach, mango, banana, yogurt smoothies. Anything that goes in this cup she'll drink.

Waiting in the car for dada. Roaming around having fun pushing buttons feeding her baby, hugging and kissing her cat.

Buckled in like a big girl. Not for a while.

The girls met up over the holidays. I miss you!

Cool bath to bring the fever down.

Slick Rick.

Pretty dress of Julia's she shared with cousin Clara. Clara is breaking in a lot of her clothes. Thank you!

We had the Crew Girls and the Feger kids Tuesday, my second week of break. 7 kids. A lot of pb'n'j's. We were planning on going to the park in the morning but were rained in. :( Sorry kids.