Baby of Mine

Clara is convinced she is a baby. She insists on being treated and coddled and carried like a baby. It is a huge goofy game for her. I count it a great blessing that she, in her "baby state" has continued to use the potty and not insisted that she needs a diaper. I imagine she knows that that would just SO NOT happen in our house. Still...I'm glad she conforms! She refers to herself in the third person these days. If she is upset, she does not just say "I'm upset". She says "Clara is upset." And she tells me that "The baby is thirsty", meaning herself of course. So I hear a lot of Clara this and Clara that from her. She tells me that "Mommy loves her baby SOOOO much" and that "Mommy's baby is SOOOO sweet". I don't remember the boys ever referring to themselves in the third person the way she does...but it's cute and a phase that I know will be gone just as fast as I blink...which is why I sitting here now trying to get it all written down for posterity's sake. My daughter is a breath of fresh air. I adore all of my children...for all different reasons. But I guess I notice Clara the most these days. It could be because she is 2 that I notice her more...she is simply more requiring of my attention at this young age...it could be that she is a girl...but I don't think so. I think it is because Clara is a totally "in your face" little kid. She is not content to talk to you across the room. She wants to be on your lap, with your face held tight between her little warm hands, looking right into your eyes as she tells you something. She loves to be up in your arms and the complete center of your world. And in so many ways she is. I remember that Ben used to do something somewhat similar. He used to climb up on my lap and take my face in his fat little hands and put his nose up to mine and look right into my eyes and say "Hi Mommy". That would be it. Then he would get down and be off into his kid world again. It was sweet and I hope I remember it forever. How sweet he sounded and looked and felt there on my lap. Now he is huge and much too big for too much lap holding. A little here and there. Of my three children, sometimes I am sure that it is Ben who will have the sweetest and most tender heart. Although Clara is very sweet (usually) and very concerned with people's feelings...Ben has such a gentleness to him. Max is more of a black and white, right and wrong kind of kid. He looks out for his number one self and others may or may not receive any of his consideration. Thoughtfulness does not usually come naturally for him. He is a great kid...just wired completely different than the others. I guess that's God's plan...keep us always entertained with something new always going on with them. We are blessed to have them all and see them grow day by day. Challenging as they are at times...it has been an adventure that I would not trade for anything.