9 Months

AR had her big 9 month birthday yesterday!  It's so strange to think that this time last year I was starting to have baby showers and bringing all this new stuff into our house... stuff we can't ever remember not having and using!

When I took her 9 month pictures, she wasn't in the best of moods which is why there isn't one of her smiling and also the reason she's holding my phone.  :)

 Stats at 9 Months

Weight:  20lb 2oz (74%)

Height: 29.8 in (101%)

Head: 46.4cm (96%)

What she's up to these days:

-nurses 4 times and has 3 meals with each of those

-trying more and more table foods, loves crackers and bread (and maybe a Wendy's Frosty... just guessing that she would had she tasted one)

-has gone from pulling up onto knees, to crawling, to sitting up on her own, to pulling up onto her legs in a matter of about a week this month

-suffers from separation anxiety from her mother (we hope this ends soon)

-naps 2 to 3 times... we are in the process of dropping the evening nap but it depends on our day and how well the morning nap went or if she even got it

-vocab includes:  da, ma, na, ba (she typically picks one and repeats over and over), she also says "eh" and "duh" and will say it back and forth to you

-I do not believe that she quite has down "mama" and "dada" for us yet, but "mamama" is what she says when she is hungry or sleepy

-holds her hand straight out at others or herself, which I believe is her wave

-sleeps 11-12 hours at night

This is what the majority of her pictures looked like.

This past month has probably been the biggest developmental wise.  As you read above she's crawling and pulling up on everything that she can.  She especially loves our ottoman, I think the leather is easier for her to grasp.  She is also learning about the word "no" and it's consequences.  We have both made her cry already this week but we can tell that she's def. picking up on it.  Our biggest issue is that she wants to play with the gas logs.  Until she learns it's off limits, she can be upset every time we tell her no and move her.

We celebrated her birthday by getting her a new car seat!   Ours goes to 30 inches and we can see she's pretty much there!  We plan to install it this weekend and I really think that she'll like it so much more.  It's a bit bittersweet leaving the carrier car seat though!

"Daddy, you know I'm too big for this thing!"

Below are some pictures of our baby girl from the past couple weeks!!

Playing peek-a-boo!

Waking up from a nap.  I have to take a moment to tell you how much I LOVE this sleep sack that my friend Donna brought us all the way from France.  When we don't put her in it, it takes her a while to fall asleep and then she moves all night and wakes up early.  I think that she associates it with sleep and therefore just knows it's time to go to sleep and she does.  Donna, if we have a boy down the road, you will have to get us another one unless you really want him to sleep in this one!!

When she isn't in the sleep sack I find her like this in the morning!  (please note that she's in her pack'n'play b/c of my incisions and it makes it much easier for me to pick her up)

If there is something that she wants she can crawl and get it!

Happy girl!

She loves to flip through hard books and does so quite often.  This is also a good picture to let you see that we do have progress on the hair, slow but surely!

On her knees all the time!

 I'm sure I have forgotten something!  Her next update with weight and height will be her 1 year!  Can you believe it?!?! 

A Video Update (Crawling included!)

As usual, I have well over a month's worth of videos to share.  Those of you who have babies know that they can change so much in a month.  Watch as we go from wanting to crawl, to Christmas, to crawling!

1)  Wanting to crawl so bad!

2)  Santa came to see AR and Daddy did a great job narrating and filming!

3)  Playing with cousin Pearl.

4)  Getting the hang of opening those presents!

5)  I've mentioned this before, but this girl loves her some Buddy (my sister's dog).

6)  AR loves all her new toys and especially enjoys pulling up onto her knees at her musical table.

7)  She wants so badly to pull up all the way, which she's done maybe once.  She'll try just about anything to get to a phone, camera, or remote.  She might be the only person who still thinks my phone is cool!

8)  I was fortunate enough to get her first 2 "crawling steps" on camera.

9)  Pulling up and daddy tickling her.

10)  Now the moment you've all been waiting for (and the end of life as I know it)... crawling!!

Thrifty Christmas

I know Christmas seems ages ago now, though it was not even 3 weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to sharing about our "Thrifty Christmas".  On William's side, there are 3 siblings, eash with a spouse or soon to be spouse.  Each girls gets another girl's name and same for the boys.  Mollie came up with the idea to limit our budget of no more than $10 and that the gift had to be either handmade or bought at a thrift store or off craigslist.  I thought it was a great idea... William, not so much.  I will say it is easier for a girl to make something for another girl.

Anyways, I had my soon-to-be SIL, Sarah's name.  I made her this scarf out of a t-shirt which I wish I'd taken a picture of on.  I really liked how it turned out and may make one for myself soon.  I also made her this picture on a tile and a head pack with lentils in it.  All can be found on my pinterest boards.

The one on the right is for my sister and her husband.

I also made a heat pack for Grandmama and Daddy Mac as well as AR.  I like to put one her in car seat if I don't have time to start up the car or in the stroller if it's a little chilly out.

 

Since I was already in the crafty mode and didn't have much money to spend anyways, I decided to make some things for Katie and Clint.  I had her send me a couple of her favorite pics from their wedding and made one into another pic on a tile (as pictured above) and the other I mod podged onto a canvas and painted the edges black.  I had edited the pic on picnik.com and added their name and "est 2011".  I really like the canvas one and may need to do one of AR's baby pics like this.  Sorry for the poor quality in some pics!

 

Since mama was being all crafty, AR didn't want to miss out and wanted to make her grandparents, great grandparents, and Aunt Katie an ornament.  Who was I to stop her! 

Tell me that isn't the sweetest little hand you've ever seen... Seriously, I dare you to tell me that!

She even let me do the painting!  (She actually hated this whole process, but my sister was nice enough to help me make them and deal with AR's fussiness)

Every single project on here comes via pinterest.  If you aren't on it, you just might not be that cool! :)

Catching Up

Sorry it has taken me a while to get back to the blog... we've just been busy and I just haven't had the time/want to sit down and catch the blog up.

 Two Sundays ago we headed up to Charlotte for our last Christmas get together with some of my family.  I only got one picture which is of Grand Daddy and AR rocking.  It is rare for her to fall asleep while somebody is holding her!

 

We've been playing with all of our new toys and just about have all the new songs memorized!  AR loves to stand up, but can't quite get there on her own.  Below she had some help from me but then stands for a little bit on her own.

This past weekend, I helped to host a shower for my friends Meredith and Jack.  They are expecting their first child this Feb. and don't know what they are having.  I can't wait to find out!

I know that Kirkley is totally ready for this pic, hoping that it makes the blog I'm sure!

Hostesses (sp?) with Meredith

 We have also left the blue tub behind and entered the big girl tub!  She seemed to really like it and it was easier for me except that she slides everywhere.  Her excema is really showing itself right now, which is why her checks are so red.

I have some videos to post sometime soon... hopefully.  She took her first few "crawling steps" tonight and I got a few on camera.  She's also pulling up onto her knees all the time now.  Until next time, take care!