Lillian Grace-9 months

The Christmas post is in the works...I took almost 800 pictures and I still need to go through them and delete and edit some that were good but just aren't perfect.  Since I have off this week we have been doing a winter cleaning and organizing of the house before the New Year donating/storing the old to make room for the new so I haven't had too much time to get on the computer.  Plus I am spending all the time I can with little Lilly!  She's napping peacefully right now, snuggled up with her new blanket and lamb pillow she got from her Auntie Em which I swear has magical sleep powers and I cannot help but look at her in disbelief that she is now been with us for the same amount of time I carried her.  It seems like forever when you are pregnant that you wait for this little one, and when they arrive, EVERYONE always says that you need to cherish every second because it goes by fast.  You smile and nod knowing that may be true but just like everyone tells you that this moment will be the best one of your lives, you really don't know that to be true until you live it.  BOY was everyone right!  9 months of her little life has FLOWN by it makes me sad and excited all at once.  She has gone from this little peanut...

To this bigger peanut...

I won't find out her official stats until her 9 month check up which, because of the holidays, is not until the second week of January but Lilly is officially in 12 month clothing and wearing size 4 diapers.  Some of the 9 month stuff she could still pull off but since we got a lot of nice new clothes for Christmas we decided to retire the 9 month sizes.  They were getting skimpy!

Lilly still has just two bottom teeth but we're thinking that there is more coming soon!

Lilly is doing so much now I don't know where to start.  She is in to everything.  She loves pulling up on our window sills, she is pulling up on everything, crawling all around-she's hard to keep up with!

We have phased out purees and Lilly is now pretty much eating everything we are (that is reasonable of course) she loves applesauce, noodles with Parmesan, carrots, and pretty much everything else!   While she is getting better at feeding herself, we will still feed her some so we make sure it's going in her mouth.  She's still getting 4 bottles a day and at our 9 month appointment we are going to ask about starting to cut back on formula and start introducing cows milk.  She's still not that great with a sippy cup or a cup with a straw but honestly we haven't been trying to hard in that department.  Mostly she just dumps it out (yes even some how those leak proof ones) and plays in it.  Not fun. 

Lilly is such a dynamic baby.  She's always happy (unless hungry or tired) and she just seems to light up.  She has a lot going on in that little brain of hers.  You can tell by looking in her eyes and her expressions.  She's actually expressing herself more and more and when she doesn't like something she will let you know (see pouty face below)  She got a lot of nice new toys from Santa and her grandparents and has been really enjoying playing with them.  She can now clap, she says more in sign language (I really need to learn other signed to teach her next) and she babbles up a storm saying dadada, babababa, she says something that sounds like "hi".  We say hi to her all of the time and she uses it correctly so I will say that she says: "hi".  She waves by holding up her hand.  She has just started moving her fingers up and down when she says hi.  We have been working on high fives which she does pretty well now and so big.  She also has been barking like a dog when we ask her what a dog says.  She does this cute quiet breathy woof sound.

We have done so much in her 9th month.  After Thanksgiving we really got into the holiday spirit.  We went to pick out a Christmas Tree, saw Santa twice, Celebrated Saint Nicholas Day, did lots of shopping, went to a Towson football game, celebrated Pa and cousin Kelly's birthdays, Lilly attended her friend Amie's first birthday, we went out and saw the holiday lights and decorations, and of course celebrated Christmas!!

 

 December was also full of photo shoots.  Gotta get those Christmas cards perfect!

My little baby is 9 months already.  We are already starting to talk about her 1st birthday that is only 3 short months away.  WOW.  I cannot believe it.  Slow down little one-don't grow up too fast!  With out further a do...here are Lilly's 9 month shots.  I busted out my old rocker which needs to be repaired and refinished but it still does the trick and Lilly loves sitting it.  As long as she's in it she will sit still (sort of) and actually look at the camera (for the most part).  I can see that we will be using the chair for our photo shoots.

Happy 9 months Lillian Grace!