9 months old

Addison turned 9 months old on Wednesday, December 2nd. We are completely in love with this little 'pumpkin'! We recently got a card in the mail from Stephen's oldest sister about 'Things you'll soon discover with your new baby girl,' and we both loved the words because they were so true. Here is what the card said:

"That raising your own princess beats any fairy tale. That a lot of great big people can be wrapped around one tiny finger. That a toothless smile can light up the world like instant sunshine. That watching her sleep is (sometimes) more satisfying than finding sleep yourself. And most of all...that there's no greater joy than having a little girl to love."

We went to the doctor today for her 9 month checkup, and here are her stats: weight- 16 lb. 15oz. (25%), height - 26.8 inches (25-50%), and head - 18.3 inches (>97%). She had not gained much weight in the past 3 months, so I was a little concerned since from birth to 6 months she hasn't had any trouble packing on the pounds. My doctor was not at all concerned. He said that her height and weight were average to above average up until now, but now her genetics have kicked in....meaning that she comes from small parents, so she's not going to be a big girl. He said her weight is just right for her size, so that eased my worries! You just worry so much about them gaining weight in the first 6 months, so now you have to get in the mind set that if they are healthy and developing normal then it's okay that they're not gaining a ton of weight. anyways, here are somethings i want to remember that she's doing at 9 months:

• crawling
• getting into everything. she loves shoes and will crawl to wherever she can spot a pair!
• continues to love books and being read to
• waves alot and will sometimes approximate 'bye-bye' when we say it
• claps
• starting to really mimic mom and dad when we babble with her. the other day at a restaurant, there was a kid throwing a fit across the room. everytime she'd hear him squeal, she'd squeal back...it was cute!
• babbling various consonant-vowel combinations
• still loves to be sung to
• getting feisty when things don't go the way she would like (don't know where she gets this from). this is usually worse when she's tired
• just got her first tooth
• loves layla! will frequently crawl to wherever she is to get a grab of her tail, ears, foot, and/or fur, and layla let's her do it for a brief time before she scurries off.
• we're starting to introduce some more finger foods, so this should be interesting!
  

Rocking on a little rocking chair outside of Cracker Barrel.


Addison with her cousins Maddie (left) and Karlie (right) on our Thanksgiving trip in Gulf Shores, AL. These girls gave Addison a lot of lovin' during the trip. Maddie had just given Addison her Hannah Montana blanket to 'play with'....so cute!

Here is a video of Addison on her 9 month birthday doing some of her new tricks:


Happy 9 months, Addison! We love you more than words can express!