Potty Mouth

Clara Grace’s daddy took his turn changing her diaper on the morning of Friday, December the thirtieth. “Here’s your new diaper,” he told his daughter conversationally as he fastened the snaps. “Diber!” Clara Grace said for the first time.

She's Listening

Wednesday, December the twenty-eighth, Clara Grace pushed a rubber frog across her tiny bathtub. “She ate such a good dinner tonight,” her mommy said to her daddy, “maybe she should get a teensy weensy bit of ice cream.” Clara Grace looked up and said to her parents’ amazement, “Teensy teensy.”

Pavlovian Baby

In her short fourteen months, Clara Grace has become familiar with several routines. For example, when her mommy says, “Get your coat,” that also means “We’re going outside.” On the morning of Friday, December the twenty-third, she heard the familiar “Pop!” of the toaster and naturally assumed her blueberry waffle was on the way. She squealed with delight and was so overcome with joy that she flung the soggy cracker she’d been munching into her Daddy’s cup of coffee.

Big Shoes to Fill

Clara Grace played dress-up for the first time on Thursday, December the twenty-second. She set her mommy’s boot down with a clunk, and then proceeded to place her entire foot, shoe and all inside. She seemed pleased with the boot, even though it swallowed her whole leg and made walking extremely awkward.

It Could be Worse

On Wednesday, December the twenty-first, Clara Grace’s Aunt Amy took her to the aquarium. She watched as Clara Grace splashed her hands playfully in the pool of petable stingrays and bamboo sharks. When an unsuspecting ray glided near, Clara Grace stretched out her hand. On touching its silky skin, Clara Grace drew back with a surprised, “Ooooo!”

And She Sits in the Back Row, Too

Clara Grace’s mommy and nana went out for lunch at the Chinese restaurant on Monday, December the twelfth. Nana was so intrigued by Clara Grace’s folded hands, that she had to peek during mommy’s prayer. Clara Grace unclasped her hands until the familiar phrase, “In Jesus’ name…” Nana reported that the little girl’s tiny hands were refolded just in time for the Amen and opening of eyes.

Mutual Bye Bye's

On Saturday, December the tenth, Clara Grace’s daddy was shocked to hear his little girl repeat “Bye, bye" right in his arms. He promptly began a game of entering the living room and greeting the visiting Paulson family. Then he left with a very loud “Bye, bye,” which Clara Grace happily repeated time after time.

Partners in Crime

Clara Grace followed her cousin Peter away from the noisy Paulson crowd assembled in her mommy and daddy’s living room and into her nursery on Friday, December the ninth. Her daddy peeked around the door in time to watch Clara Grace reach into her diaper holder and withdraw one of the freshly laundered pampers for Peter and one for herself. She then went about showing him how to join in her favorite game of strewing the diapers around the room in all sorts of hard to discover places. Each time she went to the bag, she took two diapers and only went for more until she was satisfied both hers and Peter’s had been adequately distributed about the room.