The Big Ten Months

She's ten months old and what a charmer! Claire is into everything these days which means it is the beginning of a whole lot of saying no-no! Her favorite thing lately is reading books. She mostly just likes pulling out all of her books and flipping the pages herself, but she likes being read to if you will read one of her favorites. We have started reading a bedtime story each night as part of our bedtime routine (in hopes of weaning soon).
She also really likes wooden puzzles. She pulls out all the pieces and for awhile didn't seem to understand why you would want to put them all back in the puzzles after she had so carefully taken them out. However, just in the past few days, she has started to try to put some of the pieces back in - a big skill for a little baby! She is also very interested in opening and trying to close easter eggs. They are very hard for her to close back, but when she does get it, she is so excited for herself.
Claire has four teeth, two on top and two on bottom. It appears she may be soon to cut four more (two uppers and two lowers), but her teeth have been fairly slow to cut, so who knows? She's a good teether - no fevers or major crankiness or anything.
She isn't walking yet, but she's definitely a cruiser, and she can stand without support for brief moments. She seems to be pretty focused on moving right now, though, and doesn't talk much anymore. Mostly, she whines, especially at the dinner table. This has actually been an ongoing problem that we are trying to work on with her. She doesn't seem interested in communicating what she wants, she just gets frustrated when you don't know what she wants.
She loves to be sung to and to swing in her toddler swing. Particular favorite songs of hers are "Bushel and a Peck" and "Old MacDonald." If you sing "Happy and You Know It" she will clap her hands. She also likes to go to the city pool or play in her tugboat pool in the backyard, which is good because it is very hot outside!
We've had a hard time this past month with separation anxiety at bedtime, but this seems to be mostly taken care of. Our house is fairly small, so even without a monitor on it's hard for Mom and Dad to sleep while she's hollering out. She isn't crying exactly, just standing in her crib and hollering to see if we will come hold her.
She's a sweet, lovey baby, but oh so active! Geoff sometimes laments that she doesn't much like the be held anymore because she just wants to squirm free and go. I imagine she will be walking in no time flat, but I'm not anxious for that milestone to get here.
We just continue to delight in her every day - and look at that picture, who wouldn't??