It’s a new year and while things feel mostly the same, I look back at my last post in September and can’t help but realize that children are the starkest reminder of the passage of time. Clare was 6 months old then and still just rolling around on the floor, a toothless wonder! Now, she has 3 teeth (working on her 4th), is crawling all over the place, and attempting to pull herself up on anything she can get her hands on.

She is also a little hoover, eating anything we will give her. Her appetite is insatiable and we get such a kick out of watching her gobble up whatever is on her tray! I remember when we first started her out with food and she seemed disinterested and was having a hard time with the spoon. As a parent, you get stuck on those little bumps in the road sometimes – especially when you’re playing the comparison game to #1. Now, it’s laughable as we watch her scoop up berries, broccoli, chicken, and all manner of things and shove it into her perfect little mouth.

And Chloe continues to be her favorite person. We will just be walking up the stairs and Clare will giggle as she watches Chloe walk up ahead of us. Anything Chloe does makes her laugh and it’s just about the greatest thing in the world. It’s also been incredibly sweet to see Chloe care for Clare as she’s started to explore the world more and, inevitably, take some tumbles. Chloe will always rush over to give her a kiss on the head and make sure she is OK. My sweet Chlo has the biggest heart and I feel so proud of her when I see that kindness shine through.

Chloe is also becoming quite the little star. She got a microphone for Christmas and she relishes any opportunity to do a performance. She is totally fearless and will get up in front of anyone and sing a song. She has also started to “run lines” with me. She will just come up to me and say a line from a movie and then ask me to say the next one. It’s so funny and I’m honestly amazed at her recall. This last weekend, Alice and I took her and Bryn to a Frozen sing-a-long and not only did Chlo perform all the songs, but she knew most of the words to the movie as well. It was the most adorable thing and she was truly in her element!

I just love her so much and Rob and I both encourage her to be bold and be herself all the time, to sing and dance and perform to her heart’s content. I hope that all of that encouragement blossoms in her a confidence that carries her into something great. Maybe it will be the stage or maybe not. But if she stays this confident for the rest of her life, then I can’t imagine there’s a thing she won’t be capable of.