EmmaLee at 9 months

Sweet EmmaLee,

Time has certainly flown by these last few months! I can hardly keep up with you and all your fun new tricks! Your curiosity has bloomed and cannot be contained any longer. You are constantly exploring new things and quickly hone in on the unmentionables, like night lights, cords and phones. Everything that can make it into your chubby little cheeks will quickly find residence there. In many ways, you are still my chill and happy baby. But you also make your frustrations known when you don't want to be dragged around or are in need of some attention.

Your physical developments and capabilities have taken strides these last few months! You went from rolling around the floor at 6 months to sitting up at 7 months to crawling at 8 months. Now, at 9 months, you are cruising all around the place and have finally started developing the art of pulling up onto furniture. It took you almost 8 months to figure out how to get all those fun little treats and toys out of your hand and into your mouth. Now that you have, nothing is safe from your sticky little fingers! I love that I can finally put cheerios and other little food bits on your highchair for you to self-feed. However, your sisters are not so pleased that all of their Barbie shoes and other little items have been removed from the play area until safer times commence.

Your measurements at 6 months were:
27 inches tall (90th percentile)
18 lbs 11 oz (87th percentile)
41.5 cm head circumference (25th percentile)

Your measurements at 9 months are:
28 1/2 inches tall (83rd percentile)
21 1/2 lbs (89th percentile)
42.8 cm head circumference (21st percentile)

I am constantly amazed at how chill and happy you are most the time. You don't usually cry when you wake up from naps. You quietly play and babble until somebody comes to see you. You are my first child to be perfectly content in a stroller and shopping cart. You let me run errands and take your sisters on playdates during naptime. However, you have a very difficult time falling asleep in the stroller or carseat. If you do, it will only last for about 10 minutes. And if I push it too much all day then you will let me know eventually. You also will voice your frustrations when your sisters (particularly Hannah) want to drag you around like their little baby doll. This breaks your poor sister's heart. She loves you so much and wants you to stay little for forever.

Your favorite person in the world right now is Lydia. You get to face Lydia whenever we ride in the car and you LOVE talking, squawking, and laughing at her. She will be busy with her friends and you will work so hard to get her attention. I love listening to how much you adore your big sister! You don't laugh like that for anyone else. With your chill attitude also comes your mellow personality. You readily smile for us, but it takes just the right touch to make you laugh. And even then, your laugh will only last a few seconds before you are done. But you will let loose for Lydia!

Some of your other favorites right now are:
*most any type of food that you can eat, minus pickles and limes (but the faces are amazing!)
*You are happy with most of your toys. But you really love your sisters' barbies!
*You love your little pink mouse snuggly that your sisters picked out for you. For the last 4-5 months you reach out your left hand hunting for your snuggly the second you are laid down in your crib. Your right hand is reserved for sucking those ever favorite first 2 fingers.
*You still loved having your bottom half swaddled while you sleep.

Realistically speaking, you love life so much that it's impossible to list it all!

You have gotten to explore some fun new things these last few months, as well! On our family vacation to Galveston you got to experience the beach for the first time. You LOVED the sand. And I don't mean playing in it really. You loved to eat it! You took one taste and couldn't get enough of it! I guess it built your immune system?

At the beginning of September you got to go with Daddy and I to New York to see Niagara Falls and some of the church history sites, including the sacred grove. You weren't a huge fan of the Falls. They were very wet and you were tired and hungry. But you sure looked cute in your baby size poncho! You were very patient with us throughout the trip as we dragged you from one place to the next. And you constantly had at least one adoring fan to snuggle with.

You also went on an interview trip to San Angelo with us where Daddy fell in love with Shannon Clinic. You enjoyed your trip out there and slept very well in the hotel :).

The last noteworthy thing from the last few months is how cute you were in your mermaid costume for your first Halloween! You matched your 2 older sisters and were enthralled at seeing everybody all dressed up. You weren't scared of anyone. You just stared at them all in disbelief and amazement.

Sweet EmmaLee, I love you more than words. I love to kiss your sweet cheeks and all your sweet little rolls. I love watching your scooch around the house. I love hearing you babble in the baby monitor. I am so grateful that you are my daughter.

Love,
Momma