Teach Me Some Melodious Sonnet...: 9 Months!!! :)

Well guys I'm officially nine months old. Three more months and I'll be a whole year. Can you believe that? Mom and Dad can't believe that I'll be a whole year in just a few months. I've had such a great month; I've done so much too! Let me tell you that the sunshine is the best thing ever, it can cure what ails you. Speaking of the sun, I have played and strolled and crawled in the warm sunshine so many times. Digging my feet in the dirt is the best feeling ever, especially rubbing my heels in the cool, brown earth. And you want to know something - you can plant little, tiny seeds in that same dirt and food will grow! I helped Daddy plant some seeds and he says soon we will have yummy veggies to eat. I have already started eating some veggies and fruits that grow from the ground - peas, green beans, melons, oranges, and bananas. I love oranges - I suck all the juice out and then Mom breaks it into pieces and lets me eat them. So yummy!

I am still cruising the furniture and pushing my walker across the living room. Mom thought I'd be walking by now but I can't do everything early - I'm still a baby! But I think I'll start this month. I'm already practicing standing on my own. I'm pretty good at it - I can stand for a whole 3 seconds before I quit and start crawling to my destination. I have expanded my vocal vocabulary too. I call everything da-da-da-da or wa-wo-wa-wow or ba or ha or ga or nee-nee-nee out loud - I, of course, can speak very well and have an extensive vocabulary but I can't just let Mom and Dad hear me so I've got to use "baby language" around them. I've also started this whining thing that gets Daddy every tine. I'm just playing around but he thinks I'm serious and comes running to me, ha! I've got him wrapped around my teeny-tiny finger. And I heard him tell Mom that he wouldn't have it any other way. I'll try not to abuse my super power too much! ;)

See!!! We both looked and smiled! :)

Mom reads to me everyday and I have started reading back to her on a daily basis too. She thinks it is funny when I read, but I'm still doing the "baby talk" so I don't make her wig out. I have a favorite book - it has the cutest kittens and puppies in it. When Mom and Dad let me down to play in my room I go straight to it, pull it off the shelf, and read it aloud. I love my books so much and am very much excited to have them. I am learning to wave "hi" and "bye" as well. Although, I'll admit it's a little tricky because they sound the same and the motion is the same. Who thought that those words should rhyme and the motion should be the same? Crazy... Oh well, I wave when I want to... Mom and Dad try to get me to wave to people but I'm not a trained monkey that performs on command. I do what I want.

I got to be in my first beauty pageant earlier this month! I had the prettiest dress ever, fancy-shmancy shoes, and sweetest headband. I didn't win anything but had lots of fun. My buddy, Parker, was in it too. She looked fancy and so pretty in her dress. Mom says we may do another one in the future if I want to do another one. I've gotten to go to a couple of parks this past month too. Dad, Mom, and I went to the Botanical Gardens and had a picnic with Adam and Sybil one Sunday afternoon! I loved crawling around on the blanket trying to get tidbits of their food. I got tired though and decided to take a nap. Best nap ever because it was in that beautiful, warm sunshine. On another day, we went to Aldridge Gardens and played with Parker and her mommy and daddy. I crawled and laughed and played with Parker. We took a few pictures too and guess what - we decided to both smile and look at the camera at the same time. Both our moms had a fit. It was awesome. Speaking of that Parker - she is ONE YEAR OLD!! I got to go to her birthday party and it was blast. She had so many people there that love her. We got to play together and crawl around before everybody got there. Mommy was busy taking pictures that day so I hung out with Daddy, MiTessa, Morgan, Megan, Sybil, Amber, Caleb, and Courtlyn. Those silly twins, C&C, kept me entertained by dancing, singing, talking, and just plain being goofy! And speaking of twins and birthdays - my aunts Morgan and Megan turned 22! We went to celebrate with them in Tuscaloosa! Everybody was there and I was the star - everybody wanted to play with me. :)

Mommy and Daddy took my 9 month pictures this month and I performed for them so well. I know how to perform when I want... Mom will post those pictures in a later blog post. Oh and speaking of Mom - you know what she did to me??? She popped my leg on the changing table! Can you believe that???? I'll admit she did warn me several times to stop rolling like a crocodile in a death roll but I didn't stop. I wanted to turn over and play, not get my diaper changed. It didn't hurt me, not one bit, but she got me. I wanted to cross my arms and poke my lips out but I just stared at her with my eyebrows furrowed. I've decided that instead of the death roll that I'll just stay still from now on.

I went to the dr for my 9 month check up and Dr. Irons was incredibly impressed with my development - still ahead of the game. I'm also catching up in weight and height. I'm at a whopping 16lbs 8oz and 27in tall. That's around the 25th percentile over all. Dr. Irons says even though I'm small that I'm growing at a steady pace and am perfect. I had to get a shot and finger prick that day and you know what - I didn't cry when the nurse stuck my finger and nearly bled me to death :) The nurse was impressed with me! I did cry, though, when she gave me that shot. But only for a minute, and then I was just fine.

Well guys, I've had a great month and can't wait for my 10th month. It's getting warmer outside and that sunshine is sticking around so I know I'll be getting to play outside more. Oh and guess what - Easter in coming up! I'm excited for that - Mom is reading me the Bible stories leading up to Easter and it is getting a little intense but Mom says I need to know about Jesus and what He did for me so we will read the stories and see what happens! Can't wait! See you next month!