month eight recap

Dear Ellie-girl,

You turned nine months old on Sunday.  I cannot believe it.  You (finally) have two sharp little teeth, which came in just one day apart a couple weeks ago.  You are so so close to crawling, and you've mastered the sitting-to-hands and knees maneuver.  You pulled yourself up to standing next to the couch yesterday.  

And even while I wonder where my tiny baby girl has gone to, I love to watch you grow.  I love how you take deep, panting breaths as you hold a new object, turning it over, switching hands, twisting your wrist to see it from all different angles, and of course, always bringing the object to your mouth in the end.

You learned how to dance this month, one of my favorite baby tricks.   And sing.  Just yesterday I turned on a youtube clip of Mindy Gledhill's newest song, and the moment the music started you started bouncing, shaking your upper body up and down.  And when she started singing, you felt compelled to join along in your sweet little baby voice "aahhh."   You always sing along when Daddy sings to you, joining in as he croons "da da da."  

You turned eight months old while we were in California at Grammer and Papa's house.  Once again you showed us what an excellent traveler you are at this age.  You slept through the long car rides, you ate everything I put in front of you (except the oyster crackers--they were way too dry and you brushed them off your tongue with a look of disgust on your face), you smiled and charmed everyone the entire vacation.  

"Helping" Daddy set up your crib in the new house. And eating a crust of bread left over from your dinner.

When we got back from California we sleep trained.  And girl, you were a champ.  It only took me waiting it out for two sessions of five minutes each on the first night, and then you slept straight through to 5 am every night after that.  There's been a few little wakings here and there, but that's a given. For the most part, you are now sleeping from 8 pm to 5 am and then after a quick feed you are back asleep until around 7.

And you, unlike your brother, have set a schedule for yourself.  It had nothing to do with me.  You just knew that you would be happiest if you nap at 9, 12, and sometime around 2 or 3.  And as I think back to Nicholas and his nap schedules, I'm remembering that 3 naps a day is my favorite stage.  So Ellie, let's just keep it up, okay?

You continue to adore your brother.  The best sound I have ever heard started happening this month.  The sound of you two, in another room together, laughing.  When I hear that, I think, now this is why people have lots of kids.  And Nicholas always makes sure I watch whatever it is that he's doing to make you laugh.   On the flipside, this month is the first time that you've been mobile enough to start causing problems for Nicholas. I'm starting to hear the famous complaints of "Mom, she took my toy!" and "Mom, Ew-ie's legs are touching me!"  Thankfully, at least for now, these problems are one-sided, as you, Sweet Ellie, are oblivious to the ideas of "mine" and "yours."

Speaking of being mobile, Ellie, you are a mover!  So tantalizingly close to crawling.  You propel yourself forward from sitting to hands-and-knees, and you reach, turning and squirming and thrusting with those chubby legs, reaching for anything you might be able to pull yourself up to standing with.  Usually, that something is Mommy's leg, shirt, or hair.

At Church today we were sitting on the bench and Daddy leaned around me to talk to you.  You gave him that open-mouthed smile of yours and then turned your face and smushed it up against my arm, hiding from him with a grin on your face the whole time.  I love how you do that.  When I'm holding you and someone talks to you or smiles at you, you smile back and then press your head against my chest in this darling, bashful way.  It's so sweet and girly.

Your growl, however, is a bit less than girly.  Me and Daddy went with Grandpa, Josh, and Sarah to see Batman, and we've started calling your growl your "Batman voice" because it sounds just like the Dark Knight's raspy voice.  Sometimes, when you've been growling for a long time, you stop and cough a little, clear your throat with a sweet little girl sigh, and then go right back into growling.

Your growl startled your cousin Carlee

In three months you are going to be a one-year old.  Walking and toddlerhood are just around the corner.  For now, though, I'll cradle you close, let you chew on my shoulder, bury your bashful smile into my chest, try to tug out my earrings, and use me as leverage to pull yourself to standing.  And I'm just going to keep pretending that you will stay my sweet baby girl forever.

Love and growls,
Mommy.