10 Months

Dear Madison,

You are 10 months old! I think over the last month we've seen the greatest change in you yet. You are doing so many new things!

You have four teeth - your 2 bottom front teeth and your canines on the top. We call you our "vampire baby". You won't be our vampire baby much longer! You have 3 teeth coming in - your 2 top front teeth and another tooth on the bottom.

You are starting to actually "play" with your toys. You interact so well now. You also show preference to certain toys. Instead of just going after the toy that is the closest and easiest to get to, you now do whatever it takes to get to the toy you want. Your favorite toys this month are your "My Pretty Learning Purse" and your Bright Starts teething ring. You absolutely love that teething ring. I get so tickled because you just throw all the other toys to the side when you're going after it!

Your language skills seem to really be taking off. It actually sounds like you are trying to repeat a lot of the things we say. You also seem to understand words now, even if you aren't saying them. You are, however, trying so hard to say "kitty". It doesn't surprise us at all. We figured all along that "kitty" would be your first word. You love June and Adele (and Potter) so much. You get so excited when you see them and immediately we hear "kkkiii". Sometimes it even sounds like you're meowing. haha!

You are trying to pull up on things now, though you aren't quite strong enough. I can tell that you get frustrated because it's so hard for you. I want to just help you every single time - I hate to see you struggling...and it's much easier on my nerves (I'm so afraid you'll fall and hurt yourself). But I know that letting you try on your own is the only way you'll learn. So I just watch you, with my hands stretched out - just close enough to catch you if you fall. It's amazing to me how you are constantly teaching me what it means to be a mother. I realize that I'll always be doing this...nervously watching you with my hands stretched out, so that I can catch you when you fall.

One of your new favorite things to do is walking (running, jumping) while we hold on to your hands. You've enjoyed standing with our support for some time now, but you hadn't really made an effort to take steps. You've really taken off in the last week though! We're surprised by how quickly you're catching on!

Of all your new accomplishments, I have two favorites - you've starting playing pat-a-cake and participating when we sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider". It amazes me that you do this, and I think it's the cutest thing ever! You don't always do the motions in the right order and sometimes you're motions are a little delayed, but you do them! I love when you put your hands together up over your head when I sing "Up Came the Sun". Sometimes I catch you doing the motions on your own, and when I start singing them to you, you get the biggest grin on your face. I love that we are starting to communicate, and I think that you love it just as much!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to the husband who laughs with me, who comforts me, who finishes my sentences, who rubs lotion on my swollen pregnant feet. Happy Birthday to my love and my best friend!

Happy Birthday to the father who carries his daughter around on his shoulders, who sings silly songs, who has an abundant supply of hugs and kisses, who loves his daughter with an intensity rivaled only by that of her mother. Happy Birthday, Daddy!Happy 27th Birthday to a wonderful husband and father! We are two very lucky girls! We love you!

9 Month Checkup

Madison's 9 month checkup was Thursday (the 14th). She now weighs 18 pounds, 4 ounces. She's 28.5 inches long. Dr. Darnell says she's still around the 90th percentile for height and around the 25th for weight. Said she's doing really well and that everything looks great! She was so quiet during her exam - which is so unlike her. I was really shocked, especially since she had just been flirting with a 10 year old in the waiting room. haha!

Madi has been doing much better with her crawling the last few days. She's still army crawling, but she's pushing up a little more and is also gaining some speed. She's also starting kind of talking. She says mama, dada, baby, and bye-bye. We're actually pretty sure she knows what she's saying when she says mama, dada, and bye-bye. She is just so cute!

Nine Months

Madison,

You are nine months old. Each day, you are more and more our "big girl" and less and less our little baby. You are so full of personality and have stolen so many hearts. You are beautiful, funny, strong, sweet, persistent, and easygoing. You mean everything to your mommy and daddy. You make us so happy!

You are still trying to get the hang of crawling. You push yourself completely up on all fours sometimes, but you prefer to army crawl. And, sometimes, you still use rolling as your major mode of transportation. ;-)

You are into anything you can get your hands on now. And you want it all! We've been playing with little squirt toys during bath time, and you try so hard to hold all of them at one time. Sometimes you try scoop them all up into your arms and sometimes you hold one in your mouth while holding one in each hand.

You've been blowing raspberries lately. You think it's soooo funny! We can't help but to giggle at you. You've also been attempting to wave. You're stubborn though - you never do it when we try to get you to!

Your new favorite toys are your Elmo, your musical table, and your Violet puppy. You interact so well. You are always babbling, and screaming, and squealing. Your babbling has changed so much lately, though. Now, it sounds like you are really trying to talk. We keep joking that, once you start, you'll never stop. We keep wondering if you'll talk as much as you babble. If so, we're all in trouble!

Happy 9 months, lil' monkey! We love you!

Mommy and Daddy

Madison <3s Santa

Madison met Santa for the very first time today. First, he made a visit to daycare. He gave her her very first Christmas present - a steering wheel that makes lots of sounds and has lights on it. Then, when I got home from work, we took Madison to visit Santa at the mall.

Madison and Santa - 12/22/09
Madison at daycare before her Christmas Party (also the first time she's ever worn jeans - she looks like such a big girl!)

Madi is learning to crawl! Yikes!

Ducky

Monday, we let Madison sit up in the tub like a "big girl" for the very first time. For about a month now, bath time has been quite a task...trying to hold on to a slippery, crazy girl and keep her bath seat from flipping over in hopes of coming out of the whole experience with a fresh, clean baby. haha! We've ended each attempt the same way - Madison squealing and beaming while Mommy, Daddy, the floor, and the walls are covered in water! Fun for Madi, but not so fun for Mommy and Daddy. (I have to admit, though, that I do laugh at her while she is being a wild woman in the tub, which probably only encourages her. But you watch her and not laugh!) Well, last weekend, I remembered that I have another little bathtub that I received as a shower gift. I realized it was the perfect solution to our problem. Madison has been sitting up well for awhile now, but I don't trust her in the big tub. Introducing...the duck tub!