Happy Halloween From Clara Belle the Cow

Kate found this Clarabelle the cow outfit for the little one, and we watched her ham it up with Jason and Sarah's son, Davis (who was Puff the Magic Dragon) before a neighborhood get together this evening.

Clara liked the attention but had little patience for the huge cow face atop her noggin. She was glad when the evening came to an end and the bovine suit was packed away. But, of course, we snapped plenty of pictures.

Blah, Blah, Blah

Quite the conversationalists, these two. Clara has been much more vocal over the past week and seems to imagine that she's an active part of conversations going on around her. Interspersed among the squeaks and squeals, we get plenty of "ba" sounds and the occasional "da." But she's often amused by yelling loudly, especially at other children.

Auntie MJM Pays a Visit

Clara delivered her well rehearsed adorable performance when Melissa Jakeman Mitchell came to visit on Wednesday. Paul and Melissa have been close friends since high school, and we were glad she made the trip up from Gastonia to meet Clara for the first time.

Whose Child Is This?

Katherine Caldwell McKnight circa 1979...

Clara Katherine Dryden 2009...

8 Months - Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Clara came into the world during a cold, rainy February. Through these eight months she has seen her first spring, summer, and we're working through autumn now. For the most part, this time is passing far more quickly than we anticipated.

Clara is doing so much so rapidly, we wish we could press "pause" for a few brief moments to take it all in. It's becoming clear that's not how it works. Everything just seems to be accelerating.

But every once in a while we have the video camera handy and capture something like this belly laugh below. It's as close as we get to a "pause" button.

Those Six Little Teeth...

Those six little teeth...two on bottom, two broken through up top, and those two bucktooth candidates slicing against the gum line causing Clara a world of pain and her parents night after night of insomnia.

Still, you gotta care for the teeth you want to keep. To that end we're establishing good dental hygiene habits early. Clara loves the electric toothbrush.

Our Pumpkin In the Pumpkin Patch

We joined four other Davidson couples yesterday for a jaunt through Durham's favorite autumn pumpkin patch. Clara demonstrates her extrovert tendencies, babbling away with the older kids and inserting herself into all their fun activities.

No Slowing Down

October Upon Us

Clara is prepping for Halloween in these pictures from early-October, sporting some PJ's that come courtesy of Uncle Brent & Aunt Deidra (reading "I'm So Cute, It's Scary!"). Also, the Grandparents McKnight give their granddaughter her first pumpkin.

All of which seems perfectly normal. Things get odd with cats. Neither Paul nor Kate have an interest in the feline variety of animal (quite the opposite, in fact), yet Clara lights up anytime one of these neighborhood beasts stops by. And in her animal picture book, she lingers at the kitten page to laugh and kiss the tiny creature.

Whether she likes it or not (and whether it's truthful or not), Clara will find out soon enough she is severely allergic to cats and can never, ever have one.

Mordecai Friends

The Mordecai neighborhood is a cornucopia of young families, easing the social changes that come with having small children. For example, Carter and Laura (with their 3-month old Olive) host us last night for a dinner that starts promptly at 4.30 and breaks when the clock chimes 7. When thinking back to our former selves (pre-baby), there is a surreal element to it all. Who might have thought we would all be content sitting around the table at 5.30, infants in lap, animated in discussion about pureeing sweet potato for homemade baby food? Life comes at you fast.

Clara and Adah (daughter of Debra and Skully) are only five days apart and pace each other through each development milestone. Clara, still groggy from a nap last night, was thoroughly bored with her parents prior to walking down the street for dinner. Once she saw Adah, the social animal came raging from its cage. They squeal in delight at first sight of each other.

Morning Eyes & The Child Stands Alone

Friday may have been the night with the least parental sleep outside of those first two weeks home from the hospital. Clara has made her way back into the bed, but it does little to calm her OCD-drive to crawl and climb. Funny how a queen-sized bed that has seemed so spacious through three years of marriage is shriveled smaller than a kindergarten mat with Clara's addition. A father and mother are sequestered to opposite edges of the mattress, while a 17 pound child sprawls herself spread eagle in the middle.

Yet she wakes us each morning, oblivious to the helter-skelter of the night, and tosses us these doe-eyed smiles.

Also, Clara takes a brave (albeit reluctant) stab at standing alone.

The Feeding Chair

Sitting through three solid food sessions a day, Clara makes best use of her eating chair time by delivering some ovation-worthy performances. This evening she shows off her infamous "first-bite-scowl", delivered with that initial taste no matter what the food might be. (She recovers quickly for peaches and yogurt, but she lapses into teary-eyed gags for broccoli or carrots. The child is particular about her vegetables.)

And "Sooo Big" is quickly surpassing Peek-a-Boo as her preferred entertainment shtick.

Clara Practices Important Life Skills

Clara works on her close-range zerbers and shows a new found skill for crinkling her nose.

Clara as Vampire

Clara's canines broke through last weekend, exposing two fangs on an otherwise naked gum. Some might call it coincidence, but I see a cause and effect. Prior to the fangs, Clara slept through the night. Post-fang, she wakes up each hour and howls at her parents. Pre-fang, she would lay in the crib and make gentle requests when uncomfortable. Post-fang, she bounces around the crib each night like a pinball, practicing her crawling and standing up skills...oftentimes while she still sleeps.

There's something spooky to it. Perhaps she knows Halloween is approaching. Perhaps it was the full moon last night. No matter the real cause, our little vampire has kept us severely sleep deprived for a full week now. She is sucking life energy out of her parents.

She's a natural fit for baby vampire at Halloween. But if we don't have respite soon, Paul and Kate will be bona fide zombies well before it's time to trick-or-treat.

Notice above the blood dripping from her fangs. Be afraid. Be very afraid!