The Baby-Sitters Club #97: Claudia and the World’s Cutest Baby

Peaches is about to have her baby and when the book opens, the Kishi family gets a sonogram photo of the new baby. Claudia is especially thrilled and keeps making tons of gifts for the baby and secretly hoping that they name her Mimi. She and the other girls even start calling the baby little Mimi. When Russ calls to tell them that she went into labor, Claudia freaks out.

She waits outside, jumps on her dad and makes everyone drive right to the hospital. Of course Peaches is nowhere close to giving birth. Jeanine asks if Russ asked them specifically to rush over and she admits that he didn’t. They end up sitting at the hospital for hours, until the doctors finally induce. Peaches and Russ have a little girl that same night.

The next day, they get the chance to see the baby for the first time and Claudia is over the moon. She’s even happier when they ask her to be the baby’s godmother. She’s a little worried that her sister will be upset, but Jeanine thinks they made the right choice.

From the moment baby Lynn comes home, Claudia goes overboard. She stays even after her family leaves, just to help out. She’s constantly cooking, cleaning and giving advice on child care. Peaches makes a few comments and even her own mom says she’s spending too much time over there. Peaches finally snaps one night and goes off on Claudia. Claudia runs home in tears, feeling like crap.

Her social studies class is planning a trip to Philadelphia with Stacey and Abby’s class. Melissa, a girl that sits near her, suddenly decides that she wants to be Claudia’s best friend. She’s hanging around all the time and expects them to share a hotel room, but she bunks with Stacey and Abby instead. Melissa keeps popping up and wanting to spend time with them, but they don’t seem to like her very much.

Claudia is hoping that they have time to see the Rodin museum, but settles for a different art museum. Melissa suggests that they sneak out and visit the other museum. She claims that they can spend 20 minutes at the Rodin museum and still make it back in time to catch the bus. Claudia agrees, but they spend too much time there, miss the bus and get lost.

Eventually they catch up with the others, but their teacher is pissed off. So are the other students because they had to sit on the bus for an hour, waiting for them. Claudia flips out on Melissa, blaming her for everything and calling her a pest. She realizes that what Melissa did was no different than what she did to Peaches. She calls her when she gets home, apologizes and promises to not overstay her welcome anymore.

*This book completely blew my mind! I can’t even begin to explain what a pain in the ass Claudia was! It’s one thing to love your new cousin, but it’s another thing to completely take things over, which is what she does. Claudia is literally telling her how to put the baby to sleep and rock her.

*The first time she visits, she takes the baby upstairs and changes her diaper. Are you kidding me? That is incredibly rude.

*Why doesn’t anyone say anything to her, especially her mom? She keeps saying that new parents need time with babies, but doesn’t come right out and tell her to stay home.

*Claudia almost breaks down in school because she’s missing the early first day bonding with the baby. Yeah, when my niece was born I saw her at the hospital and then didn’t see her for a few days. And I was the same age as Claudia.

*She comes across as really smug too, like making a black and white mobile because SHE KNOWS that it helps a baby focus. Really Claudia, did you learn that in remedial math class?