9 months.

well, as might be expected based on all the aforementioned mayhem, i am almost two and a half weeks late on posting this.  to compensate, i will post a zillion pics of this little monkey from her 9-month birthday on.  unfortunately, the bunny was sick on the actual day of her 9 month, but we did manage to snap a couple of (kind of pitiful) pics anyway.  

so what can i say about you at 9 months, ek?  this is, as ever, the most fun age yet.  i have never seen a busier little bee – i feel like you are soaking up information and experience faster than a sponge.  you are happy the vast majority of the time and you are a pure delight to hang out with.  you are much more apt to giggle than you used to be and will laugh when someone makes a funny face or tries to munch on your hands or feet.  you also love to be tickled and will usually squeal when someone gets your belly.  you’re jabbering up a storm and have a lot to say about the world.  you say mama, dada, and dog (dah) pretty regularly, and kk also got you to say etta a few times (only in a whisper) while she was taking care of you last week.  you are obsessed with ceiling fans and lights and will not fail to point them out on any and every occasion.  i had you at the grocery store the other day and you would point directly at anyone who looked at you and give a big grin.  you have your four front teeth (the top two were not much fun coming in, but are now helping you bite puffs in half which you love to do).  you crawl everywhere and are really fast.  i like to get on the floor and crawl around with you – that usually results in you crawling towards me at high speeds laughing and doing this excited squeaky inhale thing that is awesome.  you love music and play on your dad’s bongos and get super happy whenever he pulls out his ukele to play for you.  you also dance now.  it involves you pushing a button on something that plays music and then bouncing and looking at us expectantly (who likes to dance alone, right?).  you get really into it, especially when we flap around like the silly parents we are.  probably my favorite thing you’re doing these days is turning the pages of your books.  you grunt and point excitedly at your bookshelf any time we’re near your room, and you can spot one of your books in any room and make your way over to it.  you’ll usually pick it up and look at me expectantly, and occasionally you’ll even carry it over to me as if to say “read this to me now, please”.  when i read to you, you turn each page and it is just too cute.  sometimes you get a little over-zealous with the turning, but most of the time you will wait until i’m done reading each page.  you’re also so much more aware of what’s being read to you; for example, every time we read the very hungry caterpillar, when he turns into a beautiful butterfly on the last page, you make this coo/squeak/sigh sound that expresses your amazement at his transformation (or at the very least it expresses your pleasure at the pretty colors on the page). 

what else?  you recognize people – you crawl towards a picture of me on a low shelf and point at it and say mama, and you point at jb when i ask you where daddy is.  you love your pets even more every day and have gotten much more gentle with petting them.  you’re obsessed with pippa and like to talk to her a LOT, especially while eating breakfast and dinner (although pippa is not yet super keen on you).  you recognize kk’s voice on speaker phone and know who both kk and jj are when we skype.  you are impossible to change and it’s endlessly amusing.  sometimes the boudreaux’s butt paste or sunscreen will occupy you long enough to get a diaper strapped on, but mostly you just grab it and flip over anyway.  you are more entertained by a whisk or a clothespin than by most of your toys.  you love being in the pool and splashing your own face and kicking your legs.  you give hugs and kisses now and are extremely affectionate.  i can’t get enough of that, let me tell you.  you are, mostly, a good napper and a great sleeper (with notable exceptions while you were sick, etc), and for that i thank you in my heart every day.  you’re still an awesome eater and have recently started loving sautéed spinach, greek yogurt, black olives, and watermelon.  everyone that sees you eat is astounded by the amount you can consume. 

your 9 month stats:

weight: 18lbs 4oz (50%)

height: 27inches (25%)

head: 75%

i can honestly say that i was unprepared for how awesome being a parent would be.  you remind me to take a little step back every day and just slow down to enjoy the zeal with which you experience everything.  i love you little pooter.