Dear Lexi,
I can’t even come close to remembering how many times I’ve heard people use the cliche statement, ‘It goes by so fast.’ Which it does, but at the moment I’m feeling the opposite. How is it possible you have only been with us for nine months? For me, I don’t know if it is hard to remember what life was like before you, or if I just don’t want to? And life was good. But today and and every other day for the previous nine months have been so much MORE wonderful that I never want to go back, and I pray everyday that I never well. Onto your monthly updates:
Favorite moments:
You’ve always liked music. You would become really active in my belly when music was playing, it would calm and relax you in your first months of life and recently you start smiling, bouncing, kicking your legs and waving your arms when you like a tune–especially Irish music. Scalliwag, a song by Gaelic Storm is one of your current favorites. It is our ‘go-to’ song to play whenever you are upset because you stop crying, listen and occasionally dance to it. So when Gaelic Storm was playing at Irish Fest this year and we didn’t have any plans we decided to take you to your first concert. It was SO fun to watch you react to all of the people and especially the music. As soon as they started playing you were entranced. You were singing and waving your arms and too excited to be constrained in your stroller. As we held you, I don’t think your arms or legs stopped moving for the entire hour and half they played. You had a huge smile on your face and were having so much fun. People around us kept saying, ‘Look at that baby, she’s having so much fun. She really likes the music!’ It was so fun to watch your little body express your joy and excitement.
This month you learned how to point and you do so at everything and everyone. Usually, we’ll be just going about our business in the house and all of the sudden, you will see something and react as if it was the first time you have seen it. You will stop, point, enlarge your eyes and raise your eyebrows to the sky. Sometimes you even point to a person out the window, other times it will be a toy, or even a new shadow that appears when the sun comes out from behind the clouds. It is so sweet and WISH we could capture the look on your face with your eyebrows popping out of your head, but the true expression only lasts for half a second and appears so randomly it is pretty much impossible to get it on camera, and trust me sweet little girl, we have tried and tried. We’ve even attempted to create situations that would get you to react and point, and it just isn’t the same. Here are a few pics of some of our attempts.
I think I’ve briefly written about giraffee before, but I just melt over your affection and little relationship with your stuffed Giraffee. Whenever we play in your room or read books, you probably crawl and pull yourself up to your crib at least five times. You’re always looking for him in there and if he is near the edge you work very hard to get him through the slats of the crib. When we take him out of the crib (which doesn’t happen very often) your eyes get big and you gasp and open your arms and mouth and give him a big hug and kiss. You just love him so much and he provides so much comfort to you. When I lay you down in your crib to sleep for the night or a nap, you roll onto your side and open your arms, just waiting for him to be placed there, your grasp him tight and roll onto your tummy and keep him tucked under your arm. It truly is one of the sweetest moments to watch. However, one thing that is kind of strange to Daddy and I is how you will throw Giraffee out of your crib. After you’ve woken up and had a little conversation with Giraffee, you usually stand up and throw him out of the crib. It just seems so strange to us that you would do this, especially because you get very upset afterwards when he isn’t in there. Daddy and I love watching this little scene unfold on the video monitor.
Your self-awareness has eliminated the my ability to put headbands on you. You just take them off and suck on the bows. However, your hair is just long enough to get into this tiny bean sprout ponytail. You don’t like it when I put it in, but do a great job of keeping it in and it is the cutest thing. I have yet to go to a store with you and your pony and not have three people comment on how adorable you and your ponytail are.
You feel asleep while jumping. Daddy was busy working and put you in the johnny jumper to keep you contained and occupied while he was working. You were jumping away for almost 20 minutes straight. And it became very quiet, so Daddy peeked around the corner, and you had completely passed out face down while jumping.
You are a mama’s girl, and to say that I love it would be a huge understatement. You follow me around the house like a little puppy dog and get sad when I leave the room or hand you to someone. This behavior is intensified on weekdays. I like to think you miss me while I am at work and you need some good solid Mommy-Lexi time when I come home. You are particularly clinging after 8 o’clock when your bed time is approaching, or really anytime you are close to nursing or need a bottle. You usually throw a little tantrum when you give daddy a good-night kiss and hug. You just don’t want to be with anyone besides mom. Deep down, I know this is a behavior we’re going to need to work on in the future, but for now, I love that you have such a strong affection to me. It makes me feel a little better about working knowing that we can still have a strong bond every though I’m not their all of the time.
New Foods: Popsicle, toast, avocado, hot dog, pizza, ice cream and cheese
Stats: 28 1/2 inches long (75-90%); weight 21 lbs and 8 oz. (90%, which is a jump from 6 months when you were in the 75%)
Other Firsts or Noteworthies:
- You’ve learned how to drink from a sippy cup. Previously, you would just chew on the spout, but you’ve learned that if you suck, you will get something. You’re still working on tipping it up so you actually get water and don’t just suck air.
- More noises with your mouth: clicking noises with your tongue, motorboat sounds
- Waving, clapping and ‘So Big’.
- You’ll initiate looking at books. You will crawl over to them, pull them out, look at pages and point to the pictures.
- You love peek-a-boo
- You’re much less patient when getting your diaper changed and are always wanting to roll over and scoot away
- Words: you say and use Dada appropriately
- When we pull out the camera, you know to smile, but usually give us a ‘pretend smile’ with a super big grin and squinting eyes
- You pull yourself up on EVERYTHING and will often free-stand, but sit down as soon as you realize you’re standing by yourself. You’re also scooting around on all of our furniture, along our cabinets and have even figured out how to open them up.
- Climbing. You are a little monkey. You love to climb up everything you can, the couches, the back of the rocking chair, daddy’s work chair, his desk, the speakers. everything. not surprising, but you do a great job of climbing up the stairs and are SO proud of yourself for doing so. We’re still working on the down the stairs element.
- Playing and sucking on our keys is one of your favorite things to do.
- You do a great job with other people and have shown very little signs of separation anxiety. You are definitely a mama’s girl and want to constantly be around me and are upset when I leave a room, BUT you do great with others when I am around and will ‘go-to’ anyone that wants to hold you.
- You had a yeast infection near the beginning of the month and spent a lot of time crawling around naked and taking baking soda baths.
Love,
Mama
Peanut Smiles 