9 months

Dear Nora,

9 months have come and gone so fast that I am afraid to blink and miss anything. Serioulsy, fast.

You are still the BEST baby. You are so content, easygoing, and just tons of fun. I never ever get tired of watching you.

You weighed in at 18 lbs. 12 oz. and were 29 in. long at your 9 month checkup today. You were also diagnosed with yet another ear infection. This makes 4 in just 3 months. Yikes! You have been quite the little trooper.

The biggest news for this month is that you are FINALLY SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT...as in, at least 7-8 hours straight. I cannot tell you how much this pleases me and makes my life so much more enjoyable. You have started putting yourself to sleep more and have developed a love for flannel receiving blankets to snuggle with. You still sleep in your pack n' play every night, in the kitchen. :)

You now have 6 teeth. Yes, 6. They just popped through one after the other. And, you have quite the adorable toothy grin. Love it! With those teeth, you are eating more and more foods. I have now started giving you table food and you love trying new things. You had spaghetti, chicken and rice soup, and grilled chicken recently and you were all for it. You definitely love to eat and you will put up a fuss if someone is eating around you and not offering to share. You still are a breastfed only baby. That is, you will not take a bottle or sippy cup well and you don't really want anything other than mama's milk. You nurse about 5-6 times a day still so I am not sure if weaning is in the near future or not. I really have enjoyed nursing you though and am not in a hurry to stop except for the fact that I would be free to leave you for longer periods of time.

You are getting to be an expert crawler and pull up on everything. You are definitely cruising now and have started exploring more and more. You know the bathroom is off limits, so whenever someone forgets to close the door, you take off like a rocket and try to get inside. You also enjoy opening cupboards and playing under the table. I think you will be walking in a few months, but it is hard to tell because you seem pretty content to crawl everywhere.

You have the cutest personality. You are full of laughter and silly grins. You have the best scrunchy nose smile and you love to laugh at your brother the most. You are a cuddler and love to snuggle with Mommy or Daddy. You really love your Daddy and get excited when he comes home and cry when he leaves. You are happy in the church nursery and always full of smiles for strangers. You babble and play and enjoy life. Speaking of playing...you are great at playing and entertaining yourself. You just love toys and talking to baby dolls and such. It is so fun to watch you play.

You love the beach and the pool. You enjoy splashing in the water and playing in the sand. You are one of those go with the flow babies that enjoys doing all sorts of activities, which is great because we are always doing something to keep your brother busy.

Nora, your presence brings such joy to our whole family. Everyone loves you and you have been a great little sister. You continue to amaze us and bless us in so many ways. I can't imagine life without you in it!

Love,

Mama