Pulling Up & the Traveling Man

As of late, the job has Paul shuttling up and down the east coast, and today he left for a conference in Dallas. The suitcase is getting so much use, we don't bother putting it in storage between trips. And, since it so happens that anything new to Clara's environment is an obstacle to be surmounted, here she plops herself down on Paul's luggage. She is either celebrating a recent return or protesting the next trip. (Or perhaps we transposed those two verbs...you'll have to ask Clara.)

The crawling is morphing from commando-style (on the belly using elbows and feet for propulsion) to the more traditional hands-and-knees approach. She's excited about the new freedom of movement -- we'll put her on the floor of the living room, only to see her zoom into kitchen within a matter of seconds -- but it all seems prelude to a much stronger interest in walking. She's practicing for those first steps by pulling up on the couch, coffee table, ottoman, the bars of her crib, and at times (ouch, ouch, ouch) her father's leg hairs. He is currently contemplating the virtues of Nair-bare skin.

The longer Clara takes to walk, of course, the less he'll need the Nair solution. She's already taking out clump after clump and leaving the smoothest of bald spots.

War Clara!

Aunt Angela and Uncle Erik braved the torrential rain in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night to witness Auburn beat West Virginia 41-30. Little Clara slept through the game (full disclosure: mom and dad slept through the second half) but watched it with Paul early this morning. She clapped along to the fight song and threw on her AU onesie to celebrate the Tiger victory. War Eagle!

Thank you Aunt Angela for the Auburn baby garb! We received it yesterday just in time for the game.

And below we have Clara rubbing her gums across a cool glass of water. We suspect the next tooth is on its way.

Clara's First Glimpse of the Ocean

Early yet into their retirement years, Ted and Barb (Kate's parents) have already established a migratory pattern: Pennsylvania in the summers, September on the beaches of South Carolina, back to Pennsylvania for hunting season and Christmas, and return to the beach for January through March. It's an enviable life, but those of us whose imagination cannot muster the horsepower to conjure what (or when) retirement might be, and are prone to jealously...remember, they paid their dues for 30+ years. Still, if anyone can suggest a shortcut, I can promise an attentive audience of at least one.

September starts at Wild Dunes in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The McKnights have been renting the same house for nine years. Kate and Paul were able to slip away from Raleigh for a few days and made a cameo into their retirement paradise, giving us the first opportunity to introduce Clara to the ocean.

For posterity, she didn't care for the cold water and gritty texture of the sand when Paul plopped her at the edge of the waterline. Clara yelped and reached her arms into the air, insisting we whisk her away quickly.

Paul declared that Clara is a mountain girl.

Kate, given her infinitely more keen parenting insights, spent the next hour re-introducing Clara to the water and sand, coaxing her gently until our daughter found nothing but delight in her afternoon beach frolic.

Kate declared that Clara is a beach girl.

Clara's Six Month Weigh In

Our little girl's vitals at her six month visit:

• Weight: 16 lbs 1 oz (hold her for five minutes and you'll swear she's triple that)
• Height: 26 1/2 inches tall
• Noggin circumference: 44 1/2 centimeters (close to Guiness Book records)

She took the last vial of rotovirus vaccine like a champ along with three other needle pokes into her rolly thighs. Clara cried for all of five seconds. She's getting tougher.

Clara's Baptism

Clara basked in the adoration of the congregation, beaming as Reverend Inskeep dribbled baptismal water across her head. We picked the Sunday of Labor Day weekend for Clara's first sacrament. So while the pews had plenty of room for stretching out, the strong turnout from family and friends provided the sensation of a packed house.

Clara is showing the first hints of stranger anxiety -- very minor at this point, but we get the feeling it's coming. But for this special Sunday, she betrayed no hint that she might prefer anything other than full spotlight directly on her. From the service to the small luncheon afterward, our daughter showed no disapproval as she passed among the arms of many people she knows slightly at best. The anxiety is delayed for another day.

Thank you to all our family who traveled to Raleigh to be part of Clara's day; to friends that lent their support; and to First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh for being a welcoming home to the Dryden Family.

Da Bulls

The Durham Bulls clinched a AAA division championship on Saturday night, and approximately 40 percent of the Dryden Clan was there to witness. It was a micro-reunion built around Clara's baptism the next morning.

Brent has built an enduring family tradition: bring the kids to as many minor league baseball games in as many different parks as they can get to. I believe they've chalked up a couple dozen trips and have found along the way that minor league ball is an experience far away superior to the overpriced, stodgy world of the major league.

This was the first trip to Durham, and the Bulls didn't disappoint. The actual sport, of course, is a sideshow to the mascots, intra-inning shenanigans (can a 5 year old kid catch a stuffed animal in his oversized pants when it's launched 30 feet in the air with a t-shirt gun?...in this case, no...this is not a skill honed in kindergarten), soft pretzels, and fireworks. But there aren't many better ways to spend a September evening...

Peek-a-Boo

Clara has mastered the peek-a-boo game. And while she registers mild amusement at the new skill, her parents are tripping over themselves with giddiness.