Nine Months

Nine months. 
Nine months of my itty-bitty baby. 
Nine months of loving you, and I can't get enough.

It's been such a fabulous month, Cora Kaye!  You have turned on the charm more and more each day - laughing and reacting to everything.  You've become a little silly, I would say.  It's as if someone turned on a humor switch inside you, and now you know when things are jokes or meant to be funny.  You'll look at us for a reaction, asking "Isn't what I just did, funny?"  You love for the wind to pick up your hair, or for us to blow on it.  You suck in your breath and open your eyes wide, giving the sweetest exclamation of joy.  You scoot with pleasure at games, your swing, and songs. You ball up your fists and pump them up and down in pure excitement. 

I was able to spend two weeks with you this month, when I was off of work for the break.  I loved being with you all day, every day.  It brought back memories of your first few months, where you were my little buddy throughout the day.  Oh, during our time together, you were cuddly with me - hugging, patting, laying your head on me.   I just soaked it all up.  I did not want to have to go back to work.  You're just that fun to be around! On the other hand, you've gone back to day care and your grandmothers' homes with the aforementioned excitement and smiles - sharing your preciousness with all the people you know and love.

You've also started to really want to hang out with other kids.  You watched Ava and Lucy's every move, when we visited them in Houston for Lucy's second birthday.  They were free entertainment!  Campbell and you have been enjoying staring at and reaching for one another.  You also think it's wonderful to take one another's toys (oh no, it's starting!).  You think other children are the best.  I think you're already a people person. 

Obviously, you had your first holiday season this past month.  You got to celebrate your first Hanukkah and Christmas with so much family and love.  You made it the most special holiday season your daddy and I've ever experienced. 

In fact, these have been the most special nine months of our lives. 
We think everything about you is special.

This Month's Stats
Weight: *doctor's appointment on Monday, so will update at that time
Height:  *doctor's appointment on Monday, so will update at that time
Diapers:  size 3
Clothes:  9 months & 12 months

All About You:

Hair: more and more every day - blond? :)
Eyes: Blue

-Your sleeping pattern has not changed from last month's.  You go to sleep by 7:30pm most nights, and you will sleep until 7:30am, when allowed.  Most days I have to get you up to eat and get dressed before work.  I love the mornings that you wake up early on a Saturday, but you'll go right back to sleep in bed with us.  Those are the best cuddle sessions ever.  You still take great naps, an hour in the morning and an hour or two in the afternoon.  There is one new thing, that I'm hoping is not really a thing.  For the past few nights, you have had to have a crying it out session to go to sleep.  No matter if we pick you up and rock you, pat you and shoosh you, pop binky back in and book it - you will not actually go to sleep until you've cried for a short time.  I think you're possibly just that much more aware that you're being left alone, but it kills me.  Daddy definitely has to deal with bedtime at that point each night, as it tugs a bit too hard on my heart strings.   

-You eat 6-7 ounces four or five times a day (depending on wake up time).  You eat three meals a day.  Your solids list goes on and on.  But, this month you did start eating some "real" food!  I know I won't keep up with this list, but for posterity's sake I'd like to record a few of your first foods: Mexican rice, blueberries, bananas, black eyed peas, cheese, and chicken. 

-Oh, you still wish you could crawl forward.  I say forward, because you have got crawling backwards down!  You are so cute, when you get mad that you're getting further away from what you want.  Jackson is usually our most effective tool to get you to give it your all (more on that in the "likes" section).  You are scooting around in excitement, almost like a little dance.  You pinch and pat me all of the time -  I think it's out of love, although the pinching leaves me questioning that sometimes.  All in all, you've just become a wiggle worm.  You want to move, you want me to hold you, you want to stand, sit, lean - one right after the other.  You want to do it all!

In the vocal department, there are no words, just lots of noises.  You are much more likely to mimic your dad than me.  You are babbling, screaming, and laughing a lot.  You have a new laugh this month that I call your fake laugh.  You laugh/cough - just a one syllable giggle - at something we do.  We appreciate your fake laughs at our attempts to be funny. 

-The dislikes you have are similar to last month's.  You don't like to be sat down, when you're tired or hungry.  You don't like to have your nose wiped, and you especially don't like to have something you want taken away from you. 

Some new joys in your life are that you started swinging in your outdoor swing (and loving it).  You didn't want to be sat down the other day (tired), so you lost it, as I sat you in the swing.  Once I gave it a gentle push, voila, smiles all the way!  You enjoy commercial jingles, as Cappy discovered.  But, Jackson is probably your ultimate delight.  He loves you, too.  You laugh and squirm every time he walks by, comes into the room, lays by you, anything.  We just have to work on that hair pulling...

-Toys are your pleasure, your discovery, your life outside of cuddles and observations.  You are into anything within your reach.  Some days you want the musical, light up, sensory-overload toys, and some days you just want a tupperware bowl.  Most days you want both.  You love books, songs, and stories.  You have a passion for things your can chew on.  You got a ball for Christmas, and went from not knowing what to do with it to being able to roll it back and forth with me.  You're so smart and inquisitive! 

I've been learning, these nine months, what it means when people use the phrase, "your heart walking around outside of you."  Even though you don't walk, you are my heart, and it aches with love for you all of the time.  We love everything about you, Cora Kaye!