Fun Fifteen

So Martha Claire is fifteen months! It seems only yesterday I was updating you on her 14 month milestones - probably because I was behind on blogging...
She is ever growing and ever learning. We go back to the doctor tomorrow to learn how much she has gained and grown, but I feel confident the doctor will be pleased. She is up in clothing, shoe, and diaper sizes, so I know there has been some good growth in the last three months.
Claire has six teeth - 4 top and 2 bottom. She appears to be working on her two canines on top, but the way this girl cuts teeth, it could be another month or two before we see them. I'm not complaining, and luckily, neither is she.
We are working on consolidating her two naps into one. Some days this works great, and some days we go ahead and take two naps. This change has been harder on me (mommy) than on her, as in this 8th month of pregnancy, I need all the rest I can get! However, I have already found that having a big block of morning time without the need for a nap increases my productivity. We can run errands, do some cleaning, play a little and have lunch - our day is much less broken up than before.
She continues to love books more than possibly anything else in the world. We are patiently trying to teach her to put them back on the shelf as she finishes. Most evenings I end up with a pile of books beside me on the floor as we wait for Daddy to get home from swimming. Her other loves of the moment include her baby doll, walks in her stroller (much to mommy's chagrin as she struggles with sciatic nerve pain), and a new one - bubble baths!
Claire talks all the time and recognizes more words than she can say. She loves to point to things when you ask where they are in a book or around her environment. She also loves to make animal noises. Her favorite is the elephant (somewhat like blowing a raspberry), but she can also do a dog, chicken, horse, monkey and one or two others that I'm drawing a blank on at the moment. One of her favorite games is pointing to various parts of her body (or mine or Daddy's). She knows head, hair, eyes, mouth, tongue, teeth, ears, shoulders, knees, toes, and belly button. She also loves to blow whistles and to give kisses - so sweet.
Claire has recently begun working simple wooden puzzles on her own - a real treat to watch! She is also doing well with a fork and spoon much of the time. I am definitely encouraging all sorts of independent activities knowing that Evelynn's arrival is only weeks away. (For an Evie update, scroll past the pictures)...

Of course our cat, Irving, has to see what all the splashing and camera flashing is about.

Bubble Beard aka her best Poppa Peel impression so far

Little ladybug on Halloween - she wanted to don this costume over and over for about a week before and after Halloween, several times wearing it over her pajamas

Big girl helping mommy rake the leaves around her playhouse

Reading "Goodnight Gorilla" (a big time favorite) with her Daddy. This book afforded me one of my favorite moments with her vocabulary so far. She showed me the book and pointed to the elephant and said, "Elephant!" I was in the midst of praising her for saying that word for the first time when she quickly switched over to the armadillo and said, "Chicken!"

Evelynn Update:

Yes, in case you have noticed and wondered, we have decided to spell Evelynn's name with two "n's" at the end. Besides being a name Geoff and I liked and being popular during the same time period as "Martha," Evelynn is a nice way to combine my grandfather's name "Everett" with my middle name "Lynn." Geoff therefore thought it would be nice to make this connection more evident with the double "n."

In regard to her arrival, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I have started the weekly non-stress tests to evaluate the condition of the placenta. On top of good results from these, we also have ultrasounds and measurements showing that Evie is growing well and flourishing in the womb. Additionally, my blood pressure remains low and my weight gain is much better than with Claire. The doctor is beginning to feel Evie is going to thrive all the way to the end and in a few more weeks, we will schedule a c-section, quite likely for 12/31 - my Nene's birthday!