To her bewildered mommy, Clara Grace seemed to have suddenly transformed into a grown child. Everyone had warned her of this phenomenon, but she honestly believed that her perception of her baby girl was accurate enough to remain unshakeable even after she returned from the hospital with a helpless and tiny infant in her arms. All children grow up however, and Clara Grace’s mommy soon saw in alarming clarity with a mixture of regret and pride how the gradual effects of almost two years had worked their inevitable effects of change over her baby daughter.
The first time Clara Grace’s mommy kissed the top of her daughter’s head, she was utterly surprised at what now felt more like a Kindergartner’s curly noggin than the little baby’s soft brow she had left just days earlier. And when she rocked Clara Grace on the first day home, she couldn’t help wondering how she’d missed the way her baby girl’s head and long legs dangled over the arms of the rocking chair completely unlike the curled up baby girl she had remembered from less than a week ago.
Not only had the toddler seemed to grow physically, but her vocabulary and syntax had multiplied by leaps and bounds as well. On Friday, two days after Everett arrived, Clara Grace snuggled beside her mommy and baby brother on the sofa and pretended to sleep like her baby brother. “Are you sleepy?” her mommy asked quietly.
“Sleepy,” Clara Grace answered.
“Are you ready for your nap?” her mommy inquired.
“Okay,” Clara Grace replied.
“All right, let’s go to your bed then,” her mommy said and began to stand.
Clara Grace’s head popped up from the cushion in alarm and she shouted, “No!”
“But you said you were sleepy,” her mommy told her.
“Want to sleep on the couch,” Clara Grace informed her and then snuggled back onto the cushion.
That night, Clara Grace awoke uncharacteristically in the early hours of the morning. Her daddy checked in on her to determine the problem. "What’s the matter?” he asked his little girl.
“Fires on floor,” she told him dejectedly and looked wistfully through the crib’s bars at her discarded pacifiers.
“Why are they on the floor?” her daddy asked in an attempt to find the underlying cause of the night’s disturbance.
“I dropped them,” Clara Grace admitted ruefully.
“And why did you drop them?” her daddy persisted. “Hungry,” Clara Grace replied, “Need food.”
Floored by his one year old daughter’s grasp of cause and effect, Clara Grace’s daddy asked patiently, “Do you think you can wait till morning when we’ll eat a big breakfast?”
Clara Grace thought for a long moment and then answered, “Wait.”
Her daddy rocked her until the little girl told him drowsily, “Want to go to sleep in bed.”
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Baby @ Work
Clara Grace’s daddy took her to work with him on the morning of Friday, October the sixth. The day was designated as professional development, so he selflessly decided to allow the energetic toddler to accompany him and provide a few hours of rest for his wife and new baby boy. The first activity on the agenda was a session on “Brain Dance,”--one of the latest trends in education involving stimulation through movement to improve learning.
Once Clara Grace’s daddy had successfully interested his daughter in cooking at the play kitchen area, he joined the other teachers who were beginning relaxation techniques in the center of the Kindergarten classroom. “Stand with your feet on the floor,” the instructor directed in a soothing monotone.
“Where else would they be?” Clara Grace’s daddy wondered sarcastically.
“Let your feet sink deep into the floor,” the instructor continued.
“They’re as deep as they’re going to get,” Clara Grace’s daddy reflected silently.
“Now lie on your backs,” the instructor directed and Clara Grace’s Daddy obeyed grateful for the chance of a moment to close his sleep-deprived eyes. No sooner had he finally begun to give in to the feeling of relaxation when he heard the familiar “jingle, jingle, jingle,” of his daughter’s rapidly approaching shoes. “Ooof!” he grunted as twenty-five pounds of toddler landed squarely on his chest and lungs.
“Feel your body sinking into the floor,” the instructor carried on obliviously dispite the snickers from every corner of the room. Spurred on by the laughter, Clara Grace decided the grown ups area had far more potential for entertainment than the play kitchen. She scanned the room and decided to join in with this strange ritual by lying on the ground and performing her best imitation of snoring. “Sleeping,” she informed the room in case anyone had mistaken her performance.
Then, she glanced at her daddy’s half drunk coffee mug and announced, “Need some coffee.”
“Did she just say that she needed some coffee,?” one of the teacher’s asked incredulously.
“It’s not how it looks," Clara Grace’s daddy attempted to explain.
Once Clara Grace’s daddy had successfully interested his daughter in cooking at the play kitchen area, he joined the other teachers who were beginning relaxation techniques in the center of the Kindergarten classroom. “Stand with your feet on the floor,” the instructor directed in a soothing monotone.
“Where else would they be?” Clara Grace’s daddy wondered sarcastically.
“Let your feet sink deep into the floor,” the instructor continued.
“They’re as deep as they’re going to get,” Clara Grace’s daddy reflected silently.
“Now lie on your backs,” the instructor directed and Clara Grace’s Daddy obeyed grateful for the chance of a moment to close his sleep-deprived eyes. No sooner had he finally begun to give in to the feeling of relaxation when he heard the familiar “jingle, jingle, jingle,” of his daughter’s rapidly approaching shoes. “Ooof!” he grunted as twenty-five pounds of toddler landed squarely on his chest and lungs.
“Feel your body sinking into the floor,” the instructor carried on obliviously dispite the snickers from every corner of the room. Spurred on by the laughter, Clara Grace decided the grown ups area had far more potential for entertainment than the play kitchen. She scanned the room and decided to join in with this strange ritual by lying on the ground and performing her best imitation of snoring. “Sleeping,” she informed the room in case anyone had mistaken her performance.
Then, she glanced at her daddy’s half drunk coffee mug and announced, “Need some coffee.”
“Did she just say that she needed some coffee,?” one of the teacher’s asked incredulously.
“It’s not how it looks," Clara Grace’s daddy attempted to explain.
Baby Logic
Clara Grace’s mommy had done her best to prepare the little girl for the earth shattering arrival of a new sibling in the home. In the beginning, this had been done through requests for the toddler to please refrain from kicking or bouncing on mommy’s tummy, seeing as how a tiny baby lived inside. She further explained that the baby was getting bigger and bigger and soon would come out to play with his big sister. Clara Grace showed interest in the concept by continually asking her mommy to sing the “Baby song” which had been improvised for the occasion. Even so, her mommy couldn’t be sure whether the full magnitude of the coming event was fully realized by her little girl.
During the last week of pregnancy however, Clara Grace talked more and more about her little brother, almost as though her anticipation was mounting along with the rest of her family’s. On Thursday morning, four days before her brother’s arrival, Clara Grace commented to her mommy during a diaper change, , “Baby Brother coming.”
Her Mommy replied, “You’re right, baby Brother is coming soon."
Clara Grace carried the conversation further by stating matter of factly, “Baby Brother coming out door.”
With the imminent day approaching, her mommy reflected wistfully of a delivery where things could really be that simple. On Saturday morning, the day before her baby brother arrived, Clara Grace patted her mommy’s stomach during another philosophical diaper change and said, “Baby in tummy.”
Her mommy answered, “You’re right, there’s a baby in mommy’s tummy.” Clara Grace thought for a moment then reflected empathetically on what must seem like an eternal imprisonment for her baby brother, “Baby in time out?”
During the last week of pregnancy however, Clara Grace talked more and more about her little brother, almost as though her anticipation was mounting along with the rest of her family’s. On Thursday morning, four days before her brother’s arrival, Clara Grace commented to her mommy during a diaper change, , “Baby Brother coming.”
Her Mommy replied, “You’re right, baby Brother is coming soon."
Clara Grace carried the conversation further by stating matter of factly, “Baby Brother coming out door.”
With the imminent day approaching, her mommy reflected wistfully of a delivery where things could really be that simple. On Saturday morning, the day before her baby brother arrived, Clara Grace patted her mommy’s stomach during another philosophical diaper change and said, “Baby in tummy.”
Her mommy answered, “You’re right, there’s a baby in mommy’s tummy.” Clara Grace thought for a moment then reflected empathetically on what must seem like an eternal imprisonment for her baby brother, “Baby in time out?”
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