Baby vs. Grinch - Nine Months

I think it is safe to say that Maggie is soundly dominating the Grinch these days.

Nine Months

What a month this has been!!

We are certainly on our way to the 10-month mark, but these pictures are were all taken around the 19th - closer to her 9-month mark.


This month her personality has absolutely exploded. Instead of greeting strangers with her usual stoic stare-down she bursts into a contagious wide-mouthed grin - even before they catch her eye. She laughs at everything, and is "talking" up a storm.

Sleep continued to be less than ideal this month, especially due to our trip to California for Auntie Kirstin's wedding, but that seems to be improving due to some strong encouragement from our doctor at her 9-month appointment and a couple of long nights of "crying it out." This week was the first time I've slept through the night in 5 months! Hoping that these good habits continue...



She loves to "bang" her arm - on a table, on a person, or even in the air. I'd like to think that she's waving "hi" and "bye," but it only happens about 50 percent of the time, so the jury's still out on that one. This past week she seemed to show understanding and demonstration of the sign for "more," but again, she doesn't do it every time, so we're still working on it...and have started adding more to our repertoire.

She is pulling up on EVERYTHING now. It's awesome and nerve-wracking all at once. She's not the only one on her toes these days!



Non-toys continue to be the toy of choice, with the exception of her dollhouse and my little sister's "Bathtime Ernie," which she never seems to tire of.

The park and the pool are definitely highlights of her day, although I'm not sure what she enjoys more - the swing, or watching the other kids play...



OH! And she is sporting SEVEN teeth these days!! No wonder her sleep has been horrendous! :)

Storytime

Maggie is finally starting to show an interest in books. This is a
picture of Maggie showing her Auntie Laura that the definition of
"reading" does not necessarily include words but how fast you can turn
the pages.

I would be remiss not to mention...

Gary's first First Place victory last weekend! According to him, it's the first thing he's ever won in his life, so it was a big day indeed.






Race photos courtesy of Tim Speciale.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far...

This is currently the only thing she can pull herself up on. I love that she's 8 months old and will sit and play with (er, in) her dollhouse by herself, totally amused for extended periods of time (a relative phrase). Definitely 100% girl. Definitely her mother's daughter.

Blueberry Afternoons

Recently I've had multiple people tell me to enjoy having only one kiddo. Even though I always know this, and try not to take this season for granted, it's always nice to be reminded to enjoy the little moments I have with her each day.


The other day I was in the middle of emptying the dishwasher when she woke up from her nap. I really wanted to finish cleaning the kitchen, so I put her in her seat and gave her a snack while I wrapped things up. As we both ate our blueberries and cheese while I worked around the kitchen with the sun streaming through the doorway and a breeze floating through the house and Maggie talking and humming to herself (as she usually does while she eats), it was one of those Moments that I wished I could bottle up to have forever.


I truly love my days with Maggie. Don't get me wrong, I know that our family will only continue to get more fun as it grows...but for now I enjoy only having to tote one person in and out of Target, only having to push a single-wide stroller, only worrying about one night time schedule (or lack thereof), still having one extra arm, and being able to sit down and have a conversation about "yayayayayayayayayayayayayaya" while eating blueberries and cheese.


Hey, if you can't put it in a bottle, a blog is the next-best thing, right?

Le Tour de Gary

Who says you can't throw a theme birthday for a 28-year old?? The cake left MUCH to be desired (it was supposed to be a yellow jersey...oops...), but the podium girl was pretty cute.