9 months Sept 15 - Oct 15

Dear sweet happy going Harper,

Your ninth month has been my favorite month yet.  You are a crawler and are starting to walk!  You love to explore and let's face it, you have to start moving faster and faster just to keep up with your big sister.  She has all of a sudden realized that her little sister can get into her toys and that has started some little (okay big) struggles.  I keep telling her that you are just exploring and learning but she is just convinced that you are taking her toys and keeping them forever and ever!  She still likes to manhandle you on a daily basis.  She bosses you around, although you don't have a clue what she is saying, screams at you and there may be a few jabs given now and again.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are her school days and we are able to relax and you can explore more of her toys (even her beloved wee-wee's) while she is away for the day.  You and I get one on one time and I so enjoy that.  You do, too!

Here are your updates this month!

Teeth:   You have eight teeth.  Four on top and four on bottom.

Sleep: You have been getting up in the middle of the night for bottles again.  Now that you are older and the nipples of your bottles have bigger openings it only takes ten minutes from the time my feet hit the floor in the middle of the night 'til I am back in bed.  Aside from those bottles, you still go to bed easily with a little cry and wake up with the brightest sunshine smile.  It's such a better way to start the day than coffee.   Very seldom will you fall asleep in the car because we take short trips everywhere.  But when you do I can't resist but to take pictures.

Night time Routine:  So easy.  You require so little and give so much in terms of personality and love.  There really is no routine.  I started trying to read books to you and put a big basked of them next to your rocking chair but you twisted and turned only wanting your bottle.  So, we only give a bottle before bed and read books during the day.  I sit with you in your room and give you a 6 ounce bottle.  you drink it.  No burps or anything. I take you immediately, put you on your belly and give you your "stinky hippo lovey" and cover you with your afghan.  You may cry a little but you usually fall right to sleep.  If you cry more that a few minutes I know something is wrong, like maybe you decided you want more formula.  That's only been a few occasions.  You still love it when I sing "you are my sunshine" to you.  You have never liked to be held or rocked so this is the only way I can soothe or connect with you and it makes me so happy I can.

Food: You eat large quantities of finger foods on a lot of days and then you won't eat much for a meal or two.  I can't quite figure out your likes and dislikes.  It seems to me you may not like banana?  I'm looking into this!  It's hard to tell when you swipe your arm from side to side and wipe half of your food to the floor for Wilson!  You absolutely love veggie sticks which are basically potato/veggie straws that taste like potato chips more than any other vegetable.  You whine for them!  You are still the messiest spoon eater I have ever witnessed!

Crawling:  You are the loudest, fastest crawler!  You move so fast and you just started really going places outside of your little living room play area.  I can hear you coming or going and when I start to follow you, you laugh and go faster!  The knees of your sleepers are always dirty with wood floors.  

Talking: Just a lot of cooing and babbling.  No words yet although you wave hello and clap your hands. I love that you wave to me while I change your diaper.  It's one of my favorite parts of the day.

Shoes:  You wear your soft souled lamb shoes and your bunny boots.  It's cold outside so you have to wear more than socks.

General Temperament: Happy, happy, happy. The only thing you really don't like is being placed in your carseat or stroller at times but otherthan that you are so easy going and fun loving.  You don't like to be held at bedtime but you love to be held and paid attention to on the sofa or floor, etc.  

Health:  You are healthy as a horse.  You have had a runny nose recently but you smile right through all of the snot!
  
Playtime:  You love toys over books.  You love to dump out the box of toys and drag everything off the toy shelf.  You like to shake things and explore while sitting amongst your stuff!  You like dragging the books out and when I can get you to sit still long enough and when I make time I read to you but you aren't always in the mood.

Weight:  

No doctor visit yet.  See ten months

Length:
Not sure

Diaper Size:  Size 3/4 .

Clothes Size:

12 month outfits!  

Hair Color:

Ash blonde with some curls at the neck line.  So beautiful, Harper!

Eye color:

Dark blue with a darker blue ring around the outside

Firsts-
Crawling
Clapping
Walking from furniture to furniture
Waving
Walking in your walker.  You don't love your walker.  You always walk backwards in it and haven't figured out that you can really go places in it if you would just walk forwards!

Favorite books:
Anything with a mirror
Anything that squeaks

Favorite toys:
building towers and knocking them down
dinosaur toy where you insert balls.  You like to push them after I place them.  You LOVE Maddie's doll house and kitchen.

I love you so much, Harper.  You are my sunshine.  Your Daddy and I love you so very much.  We would do anything for you.  Your sister may handle you like a large piece of furniture at times but never underestimate how much she adores you.  She asks to see you first thing in the morning.  She asks me every morning if she can be with me when I open the door to get you out of your crib.  She immediately wants me to crouch down with you so she can hug you and squeeze your cheeks and kiss you and head butt you (her odd way of telling all of us she loves us) and make her little bull dog face and grind her teeth because she just loves you so much she will explode!  You are loved greatly and we are grateful for you.

Always remember one thing.  I love you.

Mama