9 Months Old

We're that much closer to one year! Yikes! Here are the highlights of having a 9-month-old baby boy around:

*Loves to walk (assisted), but if he can't get a helping hand, he's happy to crawl (hands and knees, now) and explore as he pleases. Often this involves chasing big sis around, but not always; sometimes the little man decides to venture off on his own (obviously not for long, but he does like to sneak off into the dining room/ living room as he makes his way to the office).

*Has five teeth. Teething is more like a lowlight (since who really enjoys the process), but at least the results are adorable (Hunter has a slight gap between his top two teeth. So cute... until we have to pay for braces!)

*Chatters quite a bit. Honestly, he seems to be more talkative than Leah ever was at this age. Then again, he does spend most of his time with two girls all day, every day. 

*Prefers feeding himself (to be fed by us) but we haven't introduced very many finger foods yet, so he still has to rely on us. Here's to trying some new foods this month: pasta, bread, very soft fruit, cheese, beans.

*Pulls himself up on everything and everyone. Nothing can stop him. Due to this newly mastered skill, I'm even busier than before. My goodness; the boy doesn't slow down! (I know, I know, all of you with boys are saying, "Told ya so!")

*One more highlight: So, the other morning, Scott was holding Hunter while I was getting our stuff ready to go. Hunter had tired of walking around/ playing with Scott, and wanted to see me for some cuddle time. "Hunter, Mommy has to put this away, and go to the bathroom, and then I can hold you," I told him. (Though I told him all of this, I didn't know exactly how much he processed/ understood. Still, that hasn't prevented me from speaking this way to him before.) Upon telling him this, he wiggled out of Scott's arms, presumably to walk around and explore while I finished what I was doing. 

    Well, wouldn't you know it, he proceeded to walk to the bathroom door, whereupon he turned and looked over his shoulder as if to say, "Okay, Mom. Here's the bathroom. Let's go." But wait, there's more. He then walked INTO the bathroom and SAT DOWN in front of the toilet to wait for me! Guess the little bugger didn't want to wait for me any longer than necessary!

 Wrestling with Daddy

 "Look what I can do!"

 It's not a purse; it's a man bag. (He loves carrying around Leah's purse like a trophy.)

Sneaking in a show with big sis.

Three?!!

How did this happen? Leah is now THREE YEARS OLD. THREE!! My baby girl is more like a pre-schooler than an infant, a difference that's only exaggerated by Hunter's presence. 

I can see why some parents get carried away with birthday parties/ celebrations; I didn't want to stop celebrating my baby girl's arrival. 

Day 1: A birthday playdate with friends, fruit dessert pizzas, and strawberry cupcakes. Top it all off with the arrival of Grandma and Papa from New York.

Day 2: A birthday lunch party consisting of homemade pizza courtesy of Chef Leah (her specialty? pepperoni, peppers, and olives-- Yum!) and strawberry cupcakes (of course!). Grandma and Papa, and Nama and Grandpa helped us sample Leah's creation before showering her with gifts.

Come Sunday, I felt like we were supposed to continue the festivities, and in a way, we did; when Leah had a cupcake for dessert, she requested the birthday song, too. Unbeknownst to us, she wanted the candle in her cupcake; when we placed it in front of her sans one, she burst into tears. (We quickly remedied that situation.)

In honor of my precious daughter's third year, here are some things I adore about her (warning: yes, this involves heaping lavish praise on my little girl): 

*Her heart: for others, and for God. Leah wants others to be happy and feel loved, even if she doesn't best express those sentiments all the time (like when she randomly antagonizes a friend or when she snags a toy from Hunter's hands). Most of the time, she's all hugs (or in the case of Hunter, kisses, too. Poor boy can't escape from his sister's hands... yet). And she loves the Lord, even if she doesn't always want to pray with us. What's funny, though, is that when she's resting, I can hear her praying, "Dear God, Thank you for...," and singing songs from Bible study. Plus, she loves sharing what she's learned from Bible study. Her favorite story recently is when Jesus calmed the storm (another favorite is Jesus and the children). 

*Her intelligence:  She knows her letter sounds, and is working on learning out to spell/ identify short words (cat, mat, fat, etc.). This is all Leah-driven; sometime during the past year, she expressed an interest in learning letter sounds, and just recently expressed an interest in spelling. We're just capitalizing on that.

*Her creativity: Give this girl some stickers and markers, and you have a friend for life. She could spend hours creating her "masterpieces", whether it's painting, using stickers, coloring pictures, or playing with play-doh. If it involves art, she's all over it. Her recent achievement: starting to color in the lines. I'm still floored by this one, probably because it happened almost overnight (or so it seems).

*Her silliness: Oh my, the things she says and does! I wish I could record or list them all. A recent one: "If you're happy and you know it pretend to sleep --snoring sounds." Or while lifting one leg in the air, "I'm Angelina Ballerina!" Or even when she takes great pride in giving me raspberries. How I love those silly, playful moments with her. They remind me of why staying home with her and Hunter is such a joy and a blessing.

So happy birthday, baby girl! You are a beautiful, kind, loving little lady, and my life is immeasurably better because of you.

 Apparently, cupcakes are for smushing, not eating. 

 Can you tell she's excited about Grandma and Papa's arrival?

 So serious when her friends sang Happy Birthday. Blowing out a candle is apparently pretty serious business.

 Leah's specialty!

 Spending as much time as possible with her grandparents.

Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Eight Months Old

At eight months old, Hunter is:

*mobile. VERY. He's mastered the army crawl, but the traditional crawl still eludes him, despite trying. Those pesky hardwood floors aren't exactly conducive to crawling on all fours. No matter. WALKING is his preferred method of transportation, so be forewarned. If you stop by for a visit, this handsome little baby boy might look at you, smile, and coax you into holding his hands so that he can roam the house.

*a star soccer player. Well, maybe not, but he enjoys kicking things (especially the big, blue bouncy ball). And yes, he actually KICKS them purposefully; this is not just a continuation of the walk. This is a deliberate motion. 

*teething. He now has three teeth (middle bottom two, one middle top), and is working on a fourth (I think another top one has cut through or is about to).

*17 lbs, 3.6 oz. So, he's not a giant baby, but he's growing and healthy. 

*happiest when he's playing with the family; most excited when Daddy gets home from work; most playful when interacting with Leah; and cuddliest when he's snuggled in my lap. 

*a blessing and a joy; how I love my baby boy!