Nine months and feeling nostalgic...

Since when did this little sweetie...

Grow up this big already?!

Nine months goes by so quickly, and I have loved every stage of her life so far (yes, even the early days when she ate every two hours and the nights were long and sleepless). I am fascinated at how much she learns, how much she changes, how much she captures my heart each and every day.  And I LOVE this nine month stage!!

Taylor, at nine months, here is what you are up to!!

You are...
** Wearing 9-18 month clothes, but mostly 12 month items, and size 3 diapers

** Rolling front to back, and back to front

**  CRAWLING!! This milestone came just one week ago, and it is so much fun to see you enjoy this independence (not to mention how much I love the moments when you will look up from playing, see daddy or myself, and crawl right over to our laps for some loving and hugs :-))

** Going to bed between 6:45 and 7:15pm without a peep (after some milk and a little rocking with mommy, one of my favorite parts of the evening), waking up sometimes between 4-6am for a feeding, then waking up for the morning around 7am

** Napping once in the morning (usually 45 minutes), and once in the afternoon (sometimes for 2 and 1/2 hrs!)

** Nursing/taking a bottle 4 times a day, with solid feedings at breakfast, lunch and dinner (you LOVE any fruit, and are a pretty big fan of veggies pureed with turkey or chicken)

** Getting better at eating puffs and other small finger foods (cheese, bread, crackers, small soft veggies, soft pieces of fruit)

** Loving your pacifier, especially at naptime and bedtime, and if you find a paci laying around, you don't hesitate to pick it up and put it in!

** Very excited at bath time - it is a great time of splashing, splashing, splashing! You don't seem to mind if water gets in your face or eyes, and just keep on splashing!

** Pulling up to your knees, and with a little assistance, can get to your feet

** No signs of any teeth yet!

** Can clap on command, she loves clapping!

** Talk and chatter like crazy when playing with your toys. We love to watch how focused you can be!

** Giggle and laugh when mommy and daddy give you crazy hugs and kisses, or play peek-a-boo :-)

Pictures!

Playing - so excited!! :-)

Look at those cheeks!

Finding your pacifier

(Doesn't even matter if you put it in upside down :-))

Playing on the bathroom floor while mommy gets ready for work (little tired eyes :-))

Eating - very focused on getting those little bits of food pinched between your fingers

Trying to get the nine month pictures

(Not so easy anymore!)

Such a big girl!

Playing with Brady's football (thanks for sharing your toys, Brady!)

Getting loved on by mommy and daddy

We have her 9 month appointment next week, and it will be exciting to see how much she has grown since her 6 month check up!

We love you SO MUCH baby girl!!

 

Video: Taylor crawling and clapping

This is a longer video, but we couldn't help but to show off her new mobility a little more. :-) This is what we do for fun now on Sunday afternoons - watching crawling and clapping - but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Sometimes the best toys are not toys at all :-)

One of my favorite things about watching Taylor play is witnessing the intensity she sometimes has when investigating an object. I love to see her take an object and carefully pass it back and forth between her two little hands, often putting it in her mouth, hitting it against the ground, throwing it - her own way of exploring and examining this new thing. She will often chatter a bit while exploring... "babababa, mamamama, dadadada, babababa........", and sometimes she will even stick her tongue out a little as she focuses intently on what is in her hands.

The object she was choosing to "explore" in these pictures was a tissue.

So serious... :-)

And then daddy decided to join Taylor on the floor...

So silly... :-)

And just because I have them, here is a picture on our way out to church last week...

And headed out for a run after church....

And getting ready to go to daycare in the morning....

It's official! :-D

She's crawling!

Two different clips I recorded this afternoon, and I couldn't decide which one to use - so here she is!!

A few random pictures...

Today was a good day. :-)

I got to hang out with this cutie...

We also picked up our order from "Captured in Clay", and I love the way it turned out! (I may be biased, but I think she has the cutest little chubby hands ever.)

Last weekend, I also got this card matted and framed at Michaels, and I can't wait to hang it in Taylor's room. It was a card that my Grandma Betty gave us when Taylor was born, and I just loved the picture.

And lastly, Taylor just went to bed, and was wearing her Christmas pajamas... 'tis the season!! :-)

Taylor and Speedo

Taylor was quite animated around my parent's cat, Speedo. (We are a family of swimmers, and Speedo is a very active, athletic cat, hence the reason for the name. :-)) Speedo was curious about this new little person, who made loud noises and was getting all the attention. He wasn't curious enough, however, to get close enough for Taylor to actually touch him more than once. One "pet" on the head, and Speedo knew better than to get too close again. :-)

Video: So close...

but not crawling quite yet!! :-D