Claire Bear - 1 Year Old!

Our little "Claire Bear" isn't so little anymore. On June 30th she turned 1 year old! This post is more difficult than ones past because I don't even know where to begin. Coming to terms with the fact that I don't have a baby anymore is difficult. I feel like I didn't cherish every day as much as I should have. I should have smiled more through the tough moments, I dwelled on the difficulties too long, and I didn't spend enough time teaching and molding her tiny brain. Even with a few regrets, I am delighted to see how much progress Claire has made in one year and how happy she has made Erik and I. Children develop so quickly, it amazes me everyday. If only we adults could learn as much as children can in such a short amount of time. Seriously, what did I learn in the past year? Not much.

This past year has been one of such joy and happiness. Sure we had to figure out the ropes of welcoming a newborn child into our family, but I honestly wouldn't change a thing. When I did something wrong, I tried to learn from it and improve the next time. When I did something right, I relished in the results (Claire is such a good sleeper) and patted myself on the back. Before I had a child, I had no idea how much I would doubt myself and the decisions I make and just when I was getting the hang of everything, I have found myself in a new, unfamiliar territory. Yes, the newborn stage was hard, but I feel like now the real challenges have begun. For example, I used to think children learned how to hit from others. Um, not anymore. Claire has just started to hit out of frustration and I promise you, she didn't learn it from any adults or children around her. I read tons of baby books prior to having Claire and I guess I better get started on the pre-toddler books as well. Any recommendations?

This past month, Claire has become a little sponge and is beginning to show many new signs of learning and progression. When we read to her, she doesn't care about the words, she just turns the page as quickly as possible to see what's next. When we are doing something on the iPad, whether it be flashcards, playing the xylophone, or tickling an imaginary teddy bear, she always has to grab it and look behind it as if she wants to know where the image is coming from. Hilarious! When asked "Claire, how big are you?", she puts her arms above her head and waits to be tickled. As of a few weeks ago, Claire started swim lessons and has made a lot of progress. She no longer cries when she is dunked and the instructor says she has great breathing control. How funny! My absolute favorite thing she does is when she points to something and says "whas thaa?" (what's that). It is completely adorable! And as of a few days ago, she has started to sign "more" by patting her hands together (it looks like she is clapping). Claire also finds it very amusing if you ask her to put something away (meaning put it in the bucket). She drops it into the bucket and waits for your reaction. It's so cute.

We are thrilled to see Claire progressing so much lately and I hope we can keep the few negative aspects of her personality, like her new-found hitting, to a minimum. This past year has been one of the happiest years of my life and I anxiously await the next year of Claire's. What a whirlwind it is going to be!

12 Month Bear Picture

(to view the others, click here)

*Note: birthday party post coming soon!*

Exciting Update (I wrote/scheduled the post above last week) - on Wednesday, July 6th, Claire took her very first steps! While standing in the kitchen, she took three steps and then plummeted to the ground. We are so thrilled, yet also a little nervous to see her mobility improving.