Gracie,
You are NINE months old. I know I say this every month, but I can't believe we're here already. I see more little girl and less baby every day. You have such personality. You are starting to look more like your momma and unfortunately, you're starting to act more like me too! You are so stubborn and have such a strong will. I pray every day that we can use that to your advantage when you're older. This is the look you have when you know you have been caught.
You have decided that you have way too much going on to sit still for a clothes change or diaper change. I literally wrestle an alligator and end up sweating by the time I am done changing you.
You are so beautiful and everyone always stops me at the store to comment on how cute you are. I call you my little show stopper! You have such a fun personality too, and I'm pretty sure you're personality is a lot bigger than your little body. You love to dance. If you're standing and you hear music, you will either start squatting or shaking your whole body, and if you're sitting and hear music, you wiggle your shoulders. It's so precious. You love "talking" although you're the only one who knows what you're saying. You can say a few things we understand including "mama", "dada", "no" and "bye bye" Although bye bye sounds more like ba-ba in your cute little country accent.
You have learned the "art" of manipulation. When you're mad at me for putting your clothes on, you scream for "dada", and when daddy gets boring you start saying "mama" over and over again until you find me. However, you're favorite word is "NO". You don't say it mean and it sounds more like "NA". I will give you a sippy and you will say "NA" and throw it on the floor. I take something away from you, and hear 'NA". I'm pretty sure you're trying to stay "stop" and "don't" as well because sometimes you will replace "NA" with "sto" and "don". Especially when you're tickled, it's always "STO...DON...NAAAAA" haha. Such a character you are.
You can wave bye, clap, give kisses, and dance on command. You also started loving to jump this month and have finally started enjoying your jumparoo. And girlfriend, you LOVE to have an audience when you jump. You will be jumping at a medium pace, but if you know someone is watching, you giggle and jump harder, and we all better watch out if we start clapping for you, because you just about try to go through the roof! You love an audience and you are such a little drama queen! Your current favorite activity is to ride on daddy's shoulders. When he stops moving you spur him like you would a horse!
We have a your 9 month check up this week, but I'm guessing you weigh about 17 pounds and you're only about 24 inches long. You're such a short little thing! We just switched you to a size 3 diaper although they're still a little big. You wear 6 months, and 6-9 month clothes, and barely fit a size 2 shoe.
You are VERY mobile and I am all over the place now that you're crawling, pulling up, and walking along everything. You even pull up on the wall and walk beside it! You are pretty quick too. Especially when you're standing up on something, and I pretend like I'm coming to tickle you, I have never seen you move so fast. You giggle uncontrollably and try to climb on whatever you're standing on.
You have what we like to call your "stink face" When we say or do something you don't like you narrow your little eyes at us and give a little mean look. You also love to pretend you're about to get in trouble. For example, you try to pretend you're about to stand up in the bathtub so when I tell you "no-no" you sit back down and clap for yourself. You make yourself, and momma, so proud!
You have had a bad spell of teething this month which resulted in your third tooth, which makes 3 on the bottom, and none on top. This has also caused some sleep problems. I just hold you and feed you when you wake up because I know it comforts you and I just want you to feel better. Then you go back to sleep right after a feeding. Your schedule looks like this:
You nurse at 6 in the morning (early riser), play until 7:30
eat 3 ounces of solids at 7:30 then go down for about a 2 hour nap
4oz bottle of BM around 10
play until about 11:30, 3oz solids, then about a 2 hour nap
4 or 5 oz bottle of BM around 2 or 3, then snacks
Dinner at 5:30 or 6 then play time, and bath time
nurse and down to bed sometime around 7 - 8
Lately you have been up for a feeding sometime between 2:30 and 4:30am but go right back to sleep. I have tried giving you more than 4OZ of milk at a feeding, but you're too busy and have things to do =)
You love to eat what we eat. Usually I'll just let you lick the spoon or fork with nothing on it and usually that pacifies you enough where I can still get you to eat your veggies.
You definitely let us know when you're not happy. Usually you'll arch your back and throw yourself backwards in a little temper tantrum. I usually just ignore it and it only lasts for about 5 or 10 seconds.
But for the most part, you are still such a Joy to be around! I know this is the longest post ever, but I want to remember every little thing about you! Your smile and laughter is good for my momma-heart. You bring me peace, hope, joy, and purpose every day of my life. I am constantly reminded of God's love and grace every time I look at you. My cup runneth over for you my dear.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11
that's all..
