Kelly's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 7/9/01 -------------------- 6/28/01 6/20/01 -------------------- Kelly's Introduction

June 20, 2001

Claire’s Babyhood

Claire was a wonderful baby. Really! I’m not just saying that through the rose-tinted glasses of remembrance. She was never colicky. She only cried for ‘legitimate’ reasons. She would go through spells of crying in the evening. Those were either because she was tired or because she had gas. Generally some cuddling and nursing solved the problem if it was the first and Mylicon drops solved the problem if it was the second.

She has always been very attentive. Claire had a lot of quiet alert time even when she was tiny. It was so charming to see her just taking everything in. We’ve been lucky in that she has been on the early side of most of the developmental milestones. She held her head up well on her own after only a few days. Even our doctor commented on how alert and aware she was at a few weeks old.

I had a generous maternity leave. I had three months of paid leave. I was very glad to have all of that time to recuperate and settle in to being someone’s mom. It also gave us the time we needed to get our nursing relationship off to a good start. That time at home with her was fleeting. I’m so glad I got to have it. At the same time, I was very glad to get back to work. I was glad to have a little more mental stimulation. I was also glad because Chad and I had arranged our schedules so that we worked opposite shifts. Daycare isn’t in our budget, or in my plan for raising my family. I really think that Chad and Claire wouldn’t have had the same close bond that they have now if I had the luxury of staying home. His being with her every day and taking care of her just as intimately as I do has given them a bond that I don’t see with lots of other dad/baby pairs. Even more than a year later, this arrangement is still working well. There are tough days, but overall it’s a good system.

I guess Claire’s official Toddlerdom began when she started walking. That would be at nine months old! She’s a quick little sucker! We were both pretty shocked to see her tripping out into the middle of the living room floor the day after Christmas. Now, at nearly 15 months old, Mommy and Daddy have to keep a close eye on her, or in a flash she’s gone!

Claire is a great eater, in addition to a quick walker. She still nurses several times a day. She also eats 4-5 meals a day of food. I made all of her baby food; we never bought any jarred stuff. I just never saw the need. Whatever we were having could be smushed and made baby appropriate. We also didn’t start her on solids until fairly late. It was when she was about 8 or nine months old. She didn’t really eat regular meals until the eleven-month mark. Now, she eats like crazy. I can’t believe how much she’ll eat sometimes. She neatly put away and entire can of green beans, along with other things, a few nights ago at dinner. I don’t give her juice or any other beverages for the most part. She drinks only water, mommy milk and occasionally cow’s milk. She also isn’t allowed any sweets. I only give her things that are as sweet as natural fruit. No candy, no cake, no ice cream. All my friends refer to me as the Food Nazi. Yep, sure am. I want Claire to develop a taste for natural foods. That way, maybe when she’s older it will be easier for her to make healthier food choices. With the history of obesity and diabetes in my family and Chad’s I think this is something that is really important.

So there you have it Claire’s babyhood in a nutshell. Stay tuned for the first ‘real’ installment of The Mommy Reports. Claire is bound to be up to something entertaining!

-Kelly and Claire