Claire

Claire is officially 9 months old! And she has now spent more time growing outside my body than she did growing inside.

It’s been a rough week. Claire got sick for the first time. She had a fever for a few days, was tired, and had no appetite. We took her to the doctor last Friday. After getting her blood drawn, her throat swabbed, ears checked, and urine sampled (through a catheter!), we were told she just had a virus.  It was a pretty awful experience. Claire cried so hard at the doctor that she threw up all over me. It was a new and panicky feeling to see my baby in pain. Eric was there with me, and I know it was tough for him to watch too. We just love little Claire so much; it hurts!

So on Saturday Eric and I had a wedding to shoot 1.5 hour drive away. Claire would hardly eat that morning, and woke up with spots all over her face and body! Sandy was sweet enough to watch our sick baby all day. I know Claire was in good hands; Sandy will hold her all day long if she needs to! When we got home at 11:30 PM, exhausted from a long wedding day, we were in for a long night. Claire was up nearly all night, whining and crying and needing constant attention. Eric and I took shifts sleeping. I really think it was the worst night we’ve ever had with her! She just would not sleep. When morning finally came we were resolved to go back to the doctor. Just before we were ready to go Claire finally fell asleep! Since then she has been slowly getting better. When I hold her now I can feel her tiny shoulder blades poking out. She has definitely lost weight this week and it makes me so anxious! So I have been constantly trying to shove food, water or milk in her face for a week. She finally seems to be getting her appetite back today, and its such a relief to my mommy brain.

Claire has grown up so much in the last two weeks. She reaches and grabs for everything now, and loves playing with her new toy (see photo below). It really fascinates me to watch her interact with objects. She used to just stick things in her mouth; now Claire will put two objects together, testing out how they interact. Can she make a funny noise? What happens when she drops something? It’s like she’s experimenting all day, discovering gravity, velocity, resistance.

Still no crawling yet, and she will only hesitantly put weight on her legs. I guess she has other things on her mind than walking. But I think she will start getting around soon. I’m sensing some real frustration in her as she wants to get objects and can’t reach.

Claire is becoming more and more of a real little human.  She will copy me now when I shake my head and say “no, no!” It is the cutest thing ever, and it feels like a new kind of communication between us– not just “I’m tired!” or “I’m hungry!” She is also really close to waiving “bye-bye”.

Claire is starting to eat lots of things. She really likes bananas, yogurt, puffs, beans, blueberries, and German pancakes. Her mealtime repertoire is growing every day. She likes to eat!

Just tonight Claire saw Honey sitting at the foot of her highchair at dinnertime. I watched as Claire intentionally picked up a puff and dropped it for Honey, watching with fascination as Honey ate it. No joke! That has to be a demonstration of how much she has developed– the physical control, the social awareness, the logic of execution. I know this is the most commonplace of moments, but it is moments like this that amaze me. It is so wonderful to watch this little person unfold!