Look Ma. No Hands

Claire's big feat for the week was finally sitting up by herself for a few minutes at a time. Early in the week she would sit on her own without for a short period of time and would still 'push back' onto whomever was behind her. By mid week she was adjusting on her own and shifting her weight and could sit out on her own facing whomever was playing. She really enjoys toppling her blocks and will do this for quite some time while giggling like a mad babe. She also enjoys playing with her feet and hitting her bongos. She has had a couple spills so we have taken to putting a blanket or other cushion behind her to lessen the impact. As long as we still cheer and make her think it is part of the game she hasn't had any major meltdowns.

She still hasn't mastered rolling from her back to her stomach. She can do it off her changing pad but doesn't really get into it when she is flat on the floor. She has rolled onto her back several times from her tummy and does it rather quickly as she seems to have shifted gears and changed her mind about how much she likes her belly. Lately this position has caused many tears and cries of frustration. Little does she realize that if she can get stronger here she will go far!

She headed to the doctor on Friday for a quick check up as she and mom have been battling yet another cold. Clear lungs and ears and no cough so the doctor said antibiotics will do her no good. The doctor thought there might be the possibility she has allergies but they won't do any testing until she is a least a year old. Claire weighed in at 15 lbs 8 oz and measured 26 inches! Since her last check up in early Jan she has gained 1 pound and added 2 inches. Most all of the 3-6 month clothing has been put away and she is finally moving into the 6-9 month stuff. Right on target for her gestational age.

Her latest funny habit is to take one of her rings and hold it in her mouth without using her hands. She looks hilarious and we think has caught on that it makes mom, dad and Jordan crack up. She even leans forward when you hand her a ring and opens her mouth expecting you to put the ring in for her. Then she sits back and grins. When she has the ring in her mouth and her bottom lip stuck out she reminds mom of Grandpa Irv McMahon.

Staying warm

Claire after eating 7.5 ounces. Man am I full!
Claire in her exersaucer.

Claire is staying inside this weekend! With temps that barely make it to 0' she has decided it just doesn't sound like fun going out in that cold. Smart girl.

She did venture out on Friday in the freezing weather for a visit to one of Maplewood's fire stations. Mom & dad took the opportunity to have the car seat checked out for safety. Turns out we weren't installing it 100% correctly and mom is going to get the other base. This is a wonderful, free service that most communities offer and Claire says all her friends parents should go and have their car seats checked.

Claire is still battling a cold. We're not sure if it the same one or yet another one (this would be #3). She is still eating well but is congested and sneezing more again. She's had a cold since the beginning of December and mom is hoping this isn't what Claire will deal with every winter. Yikes.

Claire got a new toy last week. Dad went to Once Upon a Child and picked up a walker. No pictures to post yet but you can bet we will get some soon. She really likes this option as it allows her to cruise across the hardwood floor in the kitchen. She has also taken to 'walking' while mom/dad are behind her supporting her by her arms. She actually puts one foot in front of the other! She still doesn't like sitting and hates belly time. Her favorite thing to do is to sit and then pull herself up to standing with mom/dad holding her hands.

Holiday Wrap-Up

Sorry for not posting in a couple weeks. The holiday season went fast and furious. Claire saw many family members and enjoyed time at both sets of grandparents homes, watching her cousins run around and listening to all the chatter. She slept through all of the gift openings but still managed to see much of the fun. The parties wiped her out and she had a couple of rough days recovering from all the activity.

NYE Claire headed to a party with mom & dad. She had trouble getting down to sleep due to the sensory overload and not being at home but went down hard when she crashed. Mom & dad learned that Claire doesn't transfer out of her car seat while in a deep sleep. Mom's NYE didn't end until 2:30 am NY morning! As a result, both mom & Claire are battling some tough head colds.

Ms. Claire is still eating solids at least once a day. She enjoys sweet potatoes but doesn't appreciate the peas. We'll try again in another week and see if that makes a difference.

Claire models her holiday outfit for her 6 month photos.

Look-alike

Ahh haha! Mom wins by a small margin!

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family name

In other news, Claire weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz at the doctor's this morning. She is gaining ground on the weight chart but losing ground on the length chart. A mere 24 inches long she fell to the 4th percentile. Dad explained to Claire that she will just have to get used to it... she isn't going to be breaking any height records with us as her parents.

6 months!

Claire hit the big 1/2 year mark yesterday. Can you believe it? Six months old! She has been working on sitting on her own. She much prefers to stand so she hasn't been all that keen on sitting but within the last four days she has gone from not being to lift herself up after bending at the waist to sitting straight up with only the help of the Boppy.

She is still battling the cold and we think she might be teething. She seems to be drooling a lot more than her normal quart a day. And she has taken to chewing on dad's hand, her keys and just about anything she can put in her mouth. She's always been a chewer but not typically on other people's hands.

She continues to eat her cereal well and finishes the amount we give her. Sometime in the next couple of weeks we'll start with the pureed veggies and fruits. Mom is thinking she might like to try making some of it on her own and freezing it since all the freezer space has opened up as Claire continues to work through the milk stock.

We can't wait to see what the next six months bring!

Solids & Stuffiness

Claire came down with a cold late last week. Mom and dad have been chasing her around the house with the bulb sucker. She is very patient and only rarely gets upset. Maybe she understands that it will make her feel better. Mom & dad are watching her to make sure it doesn't escalate into anything serious (like RSV). So far, no fever and she continues to eat, just not as much as normal. 

That didn't stop mom & dad from starting with 'solids'. Solid is a relative term... The first time we mixed the cereal with her milk most of it ran down her chin and onto her bib. Dad mixed it just a bit thicker the next day and she took all of it and then continued to finish her bottle. We tried again this evening but didn't have as much land inside her mouth. Claire tends to slow down how much she eats at night so we didn't have high expectations. Nevertheless, she smiled a lot and continued to open her mouth. All signs mom & dad like to see! 

Look at these chunky hands. Looks like Claire is eating plenty.  

Chunky Monkey

Claire takes a nap on mom last week. Dad took this right after she turned her head, hence the lines on the side of her face.

Claire tells her paparazzi father to step outside. Who likes getting their picture taken in the bath tub with a chunky belly?!?

Claire gets ready to cheer on the Vikings. She's just a wee bit bigger than the football.