On Her Feet.

As if it isn't enough that Freya has been crawling since she was 7 months old, she has the sheer audacity to start pulling up at nine months, and if THAT wasn't enough, a few days later she's cruising along the furniture. It's wonderful and heart-stopping at the same time.  You would think having Clara would have prepared me for this but nooooooo. Clara waited until she was a sensible 10 and a half months to start crawling, pulling up, and cruising.  Just who does little miss Freya think she is?  

Oh right...she's a little sister.  And her mission in life is to get over to Clara and see what she's doing. This is all Clara's fault for being so interesting,and funny. Clara's main goal in life seems to be making Freya cackle with laughter...and trying to teach her things with varying degrees of success. Though a few days ago Clara actually did teach Freya to clap while I was in the kitchen putting away dishes.  From the living room I hear Clara telling Freya how to clap and then shortly after Clara's excited yells of: "She's doing it! She's clapping!"  I rushed in, and indeed - Freya was clapping, eyes glued to Clara looking for her approval.

Freya, just standing around.

The two girls share a room now and maneuvering through the minefield called "bedtime" with an almost 4 year old and a 9 month old can be perilous.  But it can also be wonderful.  A few nights ago after an attempt to get Freya to sleep first went pear-shaped, I asked Clara if we could read books in her bed with Freya, and Clara happily agreed.  The two girls lay down side by side next to each other on the pillows.  I started to read a book to them and one silly look from Clara and Freya dissolved into laughter - which made Clara laugh - which made Freya laugh, and so on and so on.  It was a laugh riot at bedtime and I got a flash of what great friends these two are going to be. 

Sisters.

I guess Gerald and I have to accept the fact that Freya is in a big hurry to grow up...or at least in a big hurry to chase her sister all over the place.  We're looking forward to the next milestone, the first word, which at this rate might happen sometime next week.  Clara is insistent that Freya's first word will be: "Clara." I wouldn't be at all surprised.