Clara - Almost 6 months

Clara is about a week shy of six months old.  She is on the verge of many important milestones. 

She just started being able to sit up unsupported for a minute at a time about three days ago.  She is still wobbly and eventually falls down, but I can also put her in a high chair now to see what is going on and keep her happy and I think she has officially outgrown the reclined bouncy chair since she is strong enough to pull her torso forward now (usually in order to grab her feet!)

She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth.  She's been practicing this move for a couple of weeks now.

She seems to be getting interested in food.  I don't think she is quite ready to really start eating solids yet, but she watches me eat with great interest and delight and if I am holding her she acts like she is trying to take something she doesn't know how to grasp.  She watches me put the food in my mouth, and if I turn to her she smiles and reaches for my mouth and then she will  bury her head into my shoulder as if she's trying to get that in her mouth too.  I did let her gum a piece of apple yesterday which she did with relish (the emotion, not the condiment, of course!).  She doesn't have any teeth yet, but I think I see a couple of pale spots on her lower gum indicating that they are coming very soon!

Clara smiles all the time!  She is so delightful in this way and I just can't NOT smile at her, no matter how bad I am feeling because she is always so cheerful!  I can't really remember if she smiles more than the boys or not.  I remember that my father-in-law has commented with every baby how happy and smiley they are, so I know they all did a lot, but at least now it feels like she is the smiley-est baby I ever met! 

The boys love her to pieces and are always vying for her attention and trying to dote on her and caress her.  Joseph loves to hold her hands and he is particularly good at making her laugh and smile since he is not inhibited to do all sorts of silly things that she enjoys watching.  Although Simon really had her busting a gut the other day as he read a book in front of her and just got sillier and sillier as he swatted the pages.

I can't really tell who she takes after, although there seems to be more votes for Simon/Hoffman.  I think she just looks like herself, but one thing is clear: She has the family eyebrows!