Clara's 2nd Birthday

Clara turned two today!

We had cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate. She spent her birthday playing out back in her new baby pool while Dan, with the help of the Elders, finished the septic tank project. 

It is fun, and exhausting, to see Clara's personality develop. We've got a fiery-red-head that 's for sure.

I love singing with Clara at bed time. She is such a cute little talker right now so hearing her sings is so cute. She knows Silent Night, I Am A Child of God, Whenever I hear...  She goes through the same routine every night with me, mimicking what I've done. With her pointer finger to her lips--Hmm What song to do?? I know! and then she sings. She has become so independent these days that she usually sits in the rocking chair ALL BY HERSELF while I kneel and rock her either reading a book or we sing. Then she insists on climbing in her crib herself. Heaven forbid I touch her or want her to move faster. WOW!

She copies everything we say and the tone we use. She is quick to reprimand the kids right after I have, with hands upon her hips. Oh'boy!

She wants our full undivided attention all the time. Her volume level increases at dinner time until I can't handle it and have to stop everyone and make them look and listen to her for a few minutes. She hollers "Stop-it" and "Listen to me". "I DO! Mommy I DO" is the most common.

She loves to play with "the guys". The "guys" being the older kids.  I'm grateful she goes down easy for a nap as long as I reassure her that after her nap she gets to "play with the guys".

She says the cutest prayers.

She is scared of "boom-booms" and "shadows". Really scared. There was an incident with "boom booms" when the kids were playing in the car while she was napping and they accidentally made the alarm go off. Dan may have also terrified her by telling her about the three little pigs and big bad wolf recently. Pretty funny.

Last month she got really sick. She had, what I consider a high fever, for 5 days straight. All she did was lay on me. ALL DAY LONG. I loved it, and was impatient, and then loved it. On the 5th day I took her to the doctor where the doctor informed me she was wheezing pretty bad, which explained the the very lethargic behavior. They did a nebulizer treatment so I got to wrestle with her for 10 minutes. I kept telling her that this would help her over and over. I think I did that more for my benefit and to keep from crying myself. Not Fun! We then did the nebulizer at home every 4 hours with steroids for a week. Poor girl.

She is into everything. She is a mess maker. She is a climber. She is stubborn and hollers no at me if I use that word too often with her. She has to do everything herself or a huge tantrum will follow. At the pool she doesn't want me to touch her at all, which just doesn't work in the big kid pool. While trying to get the older girls and myself ready for church the other day she climbed and emptied an entire cereal box on the floor. As I swept it up she hollered at me because she wanted to eat it and then sweep it. I have found the lid to the flour open on more than one occasion... I need to find a way to lock the pantry.

 I love her hugs and kisses. She is quick to give affection. When Dan leaves he'll say to Clara, "I'll miss you baby" and she'll reply "I miss you too". Melts your heart!

She is our very INDEPENDENT book-end! Which is quite fitting sense her name comes from THE Declaration of Independence. I'm going to miss the baby stage! Yes. I. AM.