Chloë do

Chloë spent this morning while I was prepping for work running up and down the upstairs hallway, shirtless, saying "dah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah," as her pounding footsteps jolted her. Every once in a while she'd stop and say brightly, "Koë hak [walk]," or "Koë coming," or "Koë go!" and take off again.

The letting her help bake thing was a mistake. Now she wants to help cook and bake everything. This would be awesome if she could hold a measuring cup steady or were allowed to get near the hot stove or could be told there's nothing more to do without getting upset. Actually, it's still kind of awesome, just also a bother. I made bread the other day and had her dump in flour and yeast and then push the buttons on the scale. She liked the buttons. She told Eric and me proudly later, "Koë make beh [bread]." She was most unhappy last night when she couldn't help with the mac and cheese, but consoled herself by eating the leftover chopped onion out of the measuring cup.

Yesterday she decided she wanted to drink from a real (Dixie) cup, and spent about ten minutes at the table taking drinks of water with a look of fierce concentration and then setting it down to grin delightedly when she didn't spill any. Eventually she started trying to stick her fork and her fingers in the cup, which meant it was time for dinner to be over.

Now that I'm near the end of my pregnancy (one week! Or so), picking her up has become rare (and uncomfortable...I wonder if lifting weights would be any use during labor; it feels like it). But I've been asking her to sit down with me, and now she'll ask me to sit down so we can snuggle. It's very sweet, and makes me feel better about the upcoming postpartum stage where I'm not supposed to lift anything over ten pounds or so. We still read a lot, she picking out books (usually it's Tickle Me, My Name is Elmo, which I am so sorry I picked up at the bookstore) and then willing to put them back but generally unable to unless I help her make space in the bookcase. I think she'll be willing to help fetch diapers and things for her little sister. I'm looking forward to seeing how big a helper she can be.