Getting mobile

She's getting more mobile now - I can no longer set her down in the floor & expect her to be in the same spot when I get back! Instead of sitting up to play, she keeps tumbling to her belly, where she will roll, scoot & play. She will poise like she intends to crawl, but the most she will do is go backwards! But she is acting like she wants to, now. And she loves to stand, but hasn't taken any steps yet.

She's sleeping better at home. Bedtime isn't a challenge, omce again(*knocks on wood*). I've been meaning to get a baby sign language book so we can start that now. She's really growing & seems to be getting smarter each day. :)

I can't think of much more. We both donated blood this morning & my mind seems slow! Plus we got new phones last night & I've been trying to catch up with the world on these new cell phones that have so many more buttons - with cameras, video, internet, etc!

Enjoy the photos. I'll try to upload new videos, too.

Russ did this quick sketch of a previous photo (the one of her watching the Wiggles her in snowman PJ's April 1). April 17 - Sleeping with her feet sticking through the crib bars. April 20 - Playing on her quilt pallet April 20 - Reaching for a "donut" stacker piece - she was rolling back & forth, trying to wiggle over to it April 20 - Looking out the window from her playpen - you can see her reflection April 23 - Standing & playing on the foot stool, early in the morning. (Kept pushing the toys off of it.) April 23 - Standing & playing on the couch April 23 - "I like big butts, I cannot lie..." Too cute! That's actually her double-stuffed toddler-sized diaper making the extra room, but it provides plenty of padding when she decides to suddenly sit! (AKA: Falls.) April 23 - Trying on dresses to see what will fit - pretty yellow one from Grandma. April 23 - We had to take a photo on the deck while the dogwoods were still in bloom. April 23 - Another dress from Grandma, but this one wouldn't button! Boo! Had to take a photo of her in it, anyway. Would love to find it in a 18-24Mo size! April 23 - Drinking from her sippy. She's now good enough to get every drop out of those sippies on her own, without getting soaked in the process! This photo makes me laugh every time I look at it! April 23 - What a beautiful smile. The kid loves juice. April 26 - In the playpen at the "future house."

"Mama;s" girl!

Yes, she's finally calling me "mama!" It began April 8, just 2 months & 2 days after starting to call Russ "Dada!" She doesn't just say these things now, she calls us that - when she wants us to pick her up, when we're already picking her up, or she cries it when I leave the room! She also says "baba" reaching for her bottle. This morning, when feeding her pancakes, she took my hand with both of her hands and said "mohr mommy!" And I know this one is far-fetched, but when I took my cell phone away last week, she cried and it sounded like "I want it!" But I guess that's probably just accidental-speaking!

She turns over in her sleep pretty much every time now and sleeps a lot on her belly. One time I couldn't find her in the crib, but there was a ball of blanket at the end of it - underneath that with a little girl, on her belly, rolled into a ball! And one time, she turned completely upside down & backwards. She used to sleep so still!

Still no interest in actual crawling. When in her playpen, she pulls up & stands up on her knees & moves around holding onto the rails; and she still often forces you to let her stand instead of sitting her down. She'll definitely be walked before her birthday, I think. But crawling...that's for "babies", I guess!

She won't let me spoon-feed her much anymore. I can reload the spoon, but she has to be the one to get it to her mouth. This makes oatmeal messy! (photo below) I've been looking for more (nutritious) foods she can feed herself. She loves muffins and rice krispies. And she learned a week ago the coordination in picking up tiny cereal pieces between two fingers - instead of grabbing a fist-full & cramming them into her mouth with her palm!

We got the big highchair out today - it has a bigger tray & Mommy is hoping it will mean less mess! On the floor, anyway. Of course, it doesn't elminate all messes - cheerios can be thrown long-distance.

Here are a few of this past week's photos. I lost a couple formatting the memory card just now, but they were just more of here eating cereal & sleeping on her belly. :)

Two people have looked a the house in the past 2 days & we have an Open House Sunday. Wish us luck!

April 10 -Standing on the Clifford with no help! She tried to take a couple steps, too! (Don't you just love that belly!) April 12 - Happy Easter! The Easter Bunny came! She picked out the popsicle-makers herself : pushing her in the grocery cart, she reached over & grabbed them off a rack. It's the first thing she's grabbed at the grocery, so naturally I bought them for her. Can't wait to make some popsicles! She also got a bunch of "big girl spoons" which she just loves to feed herself with! And some toys, of course. April 12 - Easter piano lesson April 13 - What a cute face! April 14 - fast asleep April 15 - Feeding herself some oatmeal. April 17 - Feeding herself a banana! I watch her closely, but as you can see in photo #3, if she gets too big of a bite she will spit it out! Mmmmm...a tray full of pre-chewed banana!

9 Months & Growing...

Nine months old!

I was finally able to finish adding photos today. There are plenty!!

Also added a couple videos to youtube.

According to my calculations (hasn't had her checkup at the doctor yet), she is about 30" tall and 24 pounds! That puts her still in the 95% or so. She's so tall that pants are more like capris. And she's so strong! When on the changing table, she can push me away with her legs (NOT a good thing...).

She has recently "graduated" to all the bigger items: "Toddler" size cloth diapers, foods she can feed herself, a walker, lowering the crib/playpen soon, etc. And bigger size clothes (those diapers ... they're so big! I can't even get a size 2T pants over them! I'm looking for other people who also use All-In-One cloth diapers on their big babies to see what they do about pants! In the mean time, she'll be spending days in dresses & short-alls! And she'll have to wear disposable diapers just to wear some clothes we already bought!)

March 28 - at Grandma & Pawpaw's house, the Easter Bunny arrived early! March 24 - Peek-a-boo!! Playing in the bottom of the playpen... March 26 - photo of her room while she plays in her crib March 30 - Eating pancakes in my duckie PJ's...life couldn't get any better! March 30 - Now rolls to her side when she sleeps & she is SO CUTE! April 1 - We let her watch the Wiggles & she likes it better than the camera (which is why I managed to get a photo of the SIDE of her face...)! It entrances her somehow (that, and Fantasia). She wouldn't look at me no matter what... What is it with those Wiggles guys? April 2 - just got the new walker & loving it! April 3 - Nine Months Old!! Wearing the "Easter" dress Russ bought her before she was born. ... This child loves having her photo taken... anyone know any baby modeling agencies?? What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? Yay! I got two shoes... "I have the most beautiful eyes, don't I?" Mom, no more photos. I want to play now...this block here is waiting to be chewed on... April 3- eating bananas! (There's also a video.) She picked up once piece in her hands, and decided she didn't like the funny feeling enough to feed herself the pieces. She became more interested in her sticky hands than eating! Beautiful eyes!! ... and a little drool ... April 4 - "Swing higher, Daddy! My new sunhat might help me take flight!" April 5 - Oh yeah, she has an ORIGINAL 1982 Smurf outfit! Bought it still new with the JC Penney tags! It's a size 2T, but fits nicely! April 6 - BUBBLE BATH! Playing in the water... Santa? April 7 - Eating a biscuit - cramming the pieces into her mouth. There's also a video on youtube - she would "munch" a bite off the whole piece of biscuit, instead of eating the torn pieces. April 7 - playing with her mirror again. She will lay her face on it & "kiss" the mirror! HA! April 8 - Gets up on her knees in order to reach toys in the far pocket of the playpen - where she takes out items & stashes toys. The bins now hold only toys, socks and slippers, instead of diaper-changing items! Now I have to lower the playpen, too, since she is able enough to climb out of it.