Rebecca,

You are 9 Months old today.  It is amazing how you continue to grow.  I think you've put on a bit of a growth spurt.  Two weeks ago we used the last of the size two diapers, opened up the size three, and packed up all the remaining 3-6 month clothes and pulled out the 6-9 month clothes.  And now this week, some of the 6-9 month sleepers are almost too small?!?  You made it back on the weight chart at 5% and the growth chart at 10% for height.

You are still a busy bee.  In the last week and a half you have managed to stand up unassisted in the middle of the room almost daily.  Once or twice you have even managed it without using something to get to a standing position.  You aren't able to make more than 5 or 10 seconds but it's a start.  You have really mastered climbing stairs now, and I have to try to keep the baby gate up, which is harder than it sounds since the other two are completely potty trained and the only bathroom is upstairs.

Your eating has improved by leaps and bounds.  It doesn't take 45 minutes to feed you a like before.  You continue to take four or five 8oz bottles a day.  Plus we have a thing of baby food with oatmeal each morning about 10:30 or 11.  You have another meal at 5.  In the last week and a half we have also started giving you food from the table.  In keeping with what you did and didn't like with baby food.  You have really liked small green beans, carrots, and things like pancakes.  You really can't stand corn or potatoes in any form - regular or sweet.  You have had a little bit of chicken from soup, but I plan to start you on a little more meat this coming month.  I'm hoping to start phasing out the baby food too, since there are only a few things that you haven't tried.  Instead I'm eager to get you on table food so that you can eat what the rest of us are eating.

Your favorite toys continue to be your vibrating cow, to chew on a pacifier, the toy dog, and owl lovey.  But you are developing a keen interest in baby dolls.  Ruth doesn't like to share though.  Ahna found a second little doll so that you could play with one too, but Ruth insists that she is "pretending it is my doll too."  You two have spent alot of time this month playing together with the little kitchen, and I enjoy watching you together.

Kita and you are also fun to watch.  She completely ignored you, until you started pulling up about two months ago.  She got overly interested, and you suddenly got afraid.  Over the last few weeks, as she has calmed down more in the house, you have gotten to be more curious and not afraid unless you feel like she is moving too fast.

You seem to have moved past the worst of your separation anxiety.  It is still obvious that you prefer me, but aren't quite so fussy for me as you were.  You have upped your fussing, partly due to the rediculous amount of teeth you decided to cut all at the same time.  The day after my last post, you started three.  One came in quickly (the one on bottom) the other two started coming in about two weeks later, one is still only barely through.  Three more teeth started very quickly about a week and a half ago, all of which are mostly in.  They have caused you alot of fussing.  You have also gotten to be more of a handful in Church over the last three Sundays.  After about the first 40 minutes of preaching, you start insisting on getting up.  The second I stand up with you the fussing stops.  Daddy has started having me pop you and bring you back in.  I know we always start around this time with your "training" but as small as you are, it's so hard to do.  You just look so much younger than you are.

You are finally started to talk a little.  You say ma-ma and da-da pretty well.  You still use Momma meaning "pick me up," but you also will pat me and smile and say it.  Melts my heart.  You sometimes open and close your hand down by your side when we tell you bye-bye and you have started saying "ba-ba" just this week.  Britt is also convinced that you say "Bee" for him.  I'm not so sure about that one though.

You continue to entertain and amaze, and we often stop to think about just how blessed we are.  We love you!

Momma