17 Months

I've been trying to compose some thoughts that would best describe Clare's 17th month. In a lot of ways it seems like she's a whole new girl, that one morning we just woke up and before us was some other child who was kind of like Clare but not exactly. She has left baby-hood behind and is a full fledged toddler now, nay young girl. It's like another miracle has happened right before our eyes and we're just left standing there in amazement.

From 16 months to 17 months there's been a lot of physical changes - growing taller, slimming down, changes in her face. She's definitely more adept at navigating the world. And words - so many words now! Clare is on the cusp of a language breakthrough. She's able to mimic and imitate sounds pretty well now. The remarkable thing is just how fast it's improving. New words tumble from her every day.

There's definitely a new confidence in Clare that I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe, to be more fair, it's a more defined confidence. Again, it seems that she's right on the very edge of making huge social strides. Less intimidated by new people and new situations.

We also found last month that Clare has becoming somewhat of a connoisseur: binkies and shoes. No longer would any Binky do - but now she'll request a particular binky. The same goes with shoes. She has her favorites and she's not shy about letting you know which ones those are. If you'd like to win over Clare's heart, just ask her about her shoes.

This first week with my 17 month old girl has been such a fantastic and magical one already - I can't wait to see what the rest of the month holds for her.

Talk to you soon,

B.
P.S. - Love you Clare!