Clara is growing up

I know I recently did a post on Clara, but this little girl is growing up so fast another is due. Plus I have only had her around all week as Heidi was down at my parents.

Clara has hit a few milestones lately. She has caught on to the concept of talking really fast and had immediately gone into competitive mode when Heidi is around, now my house is really, really never quiet! She isn't even 2 yet and is in full swing "mine" and "no" phase. Lovely! Maybe she will pass through it quickly - I hope so. She is also starting speak in full short sentences and is pretty much clear as a bell! This was very surprising as Heidi still has trouble with some sounds. I think part of it is Clara talks slower, Heidi talks as fast as she can not leaving time to make all the sounds in a word.

With Heidi gone this week and Clara having the choice of what to watch on TV all week she got spoiled with a lot of Sesame Street and other videos with those characters. Clara has completely moved into another stage that most toddlers go through and that is the "ELMO" stage. Let me tell you Elmo is cool around here now. We actually have an old Elmo Jeff pulled out of the dumpster in his college days. I say old because he has no cool accesories or sound or talks or giggles. He is just a cute stuffed animal with big hard eyes. BUT he has been to Isreal and on several camping trips before he became an object of affection for both of our girls. Clara was extatic when I pulled it out of storage (Heidi declared herself done with Elmo about 6 months ago and he has been waiting to be loved since then in the closet).

Another talking stage that I totally was not ready for yet with this little one is the "why" stage. Yes, mothers it is here! She isn't even 2 yet. She actually asked me "why" 2 times in a row this morning! AHHHH! Time to come up with creative answers again.

I will end with a cute story of the week. Clara was in the bathroom with me one moring this week watching me put on my makeup. She brough me the cat dish because it was empty. So I filled it with water while I was telling her how good of a girl she was to take care of our cats. I set the bowl back down and a few minutes later I here these little sighs behind me. I turn around and she is sitting on top of her potty reclining back with her feet in the water dish. What a girly, girl! She knows a good foot soak when she sees one!
It is so hard to believe that 6 monthes ago she wasn't even walking yet. Boy I love my walking, running, imagining, attempting to jump, talking little girl.