3/4 Finished

I'm two days late in writing this post.  Could it be that I'm struggling to accept the fact that our beautiful baby has completed 3/4 of her first year? 

It seems impossible, and yet somehow it's true.  I know because of this:

It has gotten very difficult to take her teddy bear pictures!  Long gone are the days when I could snuggle her up with the teddy and the biggest challenge was getting her to smile.

Long gone are the days when I could put her down and expect to find her in the same position a few moments later.   

Long gone are the days when I could lay her down in her crib for a nap and expect it to happen. 

But, in their place, some new and extremely wonderful qualities have emerged:

Leah crawls everywhere.  You can't keep that girl down!  She is curious, determined and strong.

She also loves to knee-sit.  For whatever reason, she skipped the step where she pulls herself up from a laying to a sitting position.  I don't even know if she can do it... instead, she rolls herself to her side and pushes herself up to her knees, then sits on her hiney. 

I know I probably shouldn't, but I love this picture!

She loves to "walk" (using her walker for help, of course) across the basement.  That girl can really boogie! 

She has crawled a flight of stairs (with some assistance from mommy and daddy to prevent her from flailing back and falling down.  She hasn't quite grasped the concept of what happens if she crawls off edges or falls backward off the stairs...)

She is still a good eater.  Foods tried this month include:

*Mashed potatoes and gravy

*Cranberry sauce

*Stuffing

*Pumpkin pie

*Oatmeal

*Chicken
*Corn

*Scrambled eggs

*Brown Rice

*Cheese, which she can pick up in her tiny fingers and feed herself

The brief window of time in which she was a good napper - which began in August - has closed again.  It's now waaaaay too much fun to sit, stand, crawl and chuck things out of her crib.  All this prevents nap time from actually taking place.

We are so grateful that she is still such a snuggley baby.  I fear those days may be coming to an end, and I treasure every cuddle moment.

She eats three full meals a day, and still nurses 4 times a day.  I am actually starting to look forward to the days we leave nursing behind us, even though I know I'll miss them when they're gone.

Like a little alarm clock, she wakes up every morning at 4am.  I'd be annoyed, except that we bring her to bed with us where she cuddles up and falls asleep again.  I adore those stolen morning moments, especially before I go to work! 

She still isn't teething (to the best of my knowledge), but she is working on growing some hair!!  I call her my fuzzy old man head, because it's just a little whispy curl, but I LOVE it!



It looks here like she has teeth, but I promise it's just a spit bubble...



I have been reflecting a lot on what it means to be a parent.  It is such an amazing process, to think that we began this journey 18 months ago with little more than a wish and a prayer and a whole 'lotta love.  Here we are today, proud parents of a baby who is well on her way to being a little girl.  We couldn't be more proud or grateful.  

She has changed me in so many wonderful ways.  She has given me more love and joy in these short 9 months than I could have asked for in a lifetime.   She is my hope, my world, my heart.

Leah - Nine months old

Mommy and Daddy love you to infinity, sweet baby!  Happy 9 month birthday!