Clara the Toddler

About two weeks ago, Clara really started walking.  (Approx 13.5 months of age) She had been taking small amounts of steps toward me if I put her an arm's length away, but not much more than that.  Then two Sunday's ago when I took her into the training room at church, she walked away from me - out into "nowhere" - for the first time!  And she kept  doing it over and over, with crawling in between.  Now as of a few days ago, she pretty much walks every where.  She falls once in a while, but when she does, she stands herself up again and takes off walking again.  I still am a little surprised when I see her walk around the corner instead of crawl around it.  Even her brother's will still exclaim, "Clara's walking all by herself!  Clara's standing!" as it is still new to them too.

Recently, Clara also started putting things with straps over her arm and walking around with them.  It is so funny!  Is carrying a purse something that is inherently feminine???  I don't remember the boys ever doing something like that. (But I do remember them trying to pee into cups and turn anything with a right angle into a gun.)   And I don't even carry a purse regularly, so I don't think she learned it from me.  She is also very loving to her baby doll, which is very sweet to see.  One has been in her crib, and even as she is laying down to take a nap, she has reached for it, and put her arm around it.  

Another sweet Clara story:  Yesterday Michael was leaving with the boys to take them to Papa's house for a little visit.  When Clara saw them all going out the door, she stumbled over to the shoe pile, grabbed her own shoes and started carrying them to the door.  She really wanted to go too!  Michael's heart melted and he could not bear to leave her behind, so we put her shoes on her and she went off, for the first time without me!   She did great while she was there for a good three or more hours.