Wednesday, April 20, 2005

This month: Claire becomes a championship crawler

This is Dad, writing my first post in some time. Much has happened lately, and here are some of the highlights:

- CH is gaining an uncle! Becca and Rory were engaged last month, and we all couldn't be happier for them, and to have Rory join the family. He'll be a great uncle. I mean, not a Great Uncle, but an uncle who is great at being an uncle.

- CH is gaining a cousin! Annika is due in two days! Two days! If this baby were on CH's pace, it only be 12 days until delivery. Better not to think such things.

- CH is getting verrrrry mobile. This presents a problem for the cats, who are too cool to move away quickly from CH's path of grabbing hands and curious mouth. While they used to be able to non-chalantly sashay away from the baby (who often crawls with her mouth wide open, hoping to catch the cat, or at least some fur, in there), now they must trot a bit. But more often they just sit there forlorn and despondent, while the baby grabs their fur and ears. This is what we parents recognize as a teaching opportunity, whereby we demonstrate gentle petting, and say "gentle, gentle."

- CH loves to crawl away and be chased. Even if you are not chasing her, she sometimes assumes you are when she looks back in mid-crawl. This sets her to giggling. Then she crawls a little more, turns, and giggles more. If you do actually start chasing her, she gets so excited that she can no longer make her legs crawl properly, instead succeeding only in wiggling her butt and legs a bit. This causes her to fall on her side in a fit of belly laughter.

- CH tasted dirt today for the first time. She got angry at it for tasting so bad.

- CH can eat all sorts of solid foods. If you give her a piece of dry toast (dry won't clump up and be hard to swallo), it's gone in minutes.

- At her 9 month check up CH weighed in at 21 lbs., 10 oz.

Happy Easter, everyone! Posted by Hello

Rockin' is for the young Posted by Hello

Great Aunt Jan made matching dresses for Claire and cousin Kristina Posted by Hello

Equal time for Ryan Posted by Hello

I'm hunting Boxer dogs Posted by Hello

Did you hear a dog? Posted by Hello

The view is great, especially from up here. Posted by Hello

Lots of love from Grandma Posted by Hello

I could get used to this sun thing. Posted by Hello

Grandpa's new toy. No, that's too much machine to call a "toy." Posted by Hello