Emma: 9 Months!

Dear Monkey,

This is one of your new nicknames, as you have taken an extreme liking to being held.  As soon as I pick you up you wrap your arms and legs around me like a monkey, in hopes that I'll never put you down.  You bury your head into me and snuggle up close, which is the sweetest thing :)  But of course, that being said, you have been showing your displeasure when I decide to put you down.  Or if I happen to walk into the room and don't pick you up, you don't like that either.  As you are growing up and showing your personality, you are becoming a bit more high maintenance.

But all it takes is one smile from someone and you are happy as can be.  I guess all it really takes is for someone to be paying attention to you, and I can't really blame you for wanting that.

It's funny how you've come to know your sister and anticipate her roughness.  Whenever Addy comes near you, you sort of cringe, preparing yourself for her shenanigans.  But by the same token, you smile whenever you see her, and you love to watch her play.  I hope the two of you will be the best of friends for life!

Empty water bottles are one of your favorite toys.  Addy loved them at this age too.  All you have to do is give a baby an empty water bottle and it'll keep them occupied longer than most toys.

You enjoy watching the IPad with your sister, and now you are able to play the infant "games" by yourself!

You love, love, love the water!  Bathtubs, pools, you love it all!

You are so different than Addy when it comes to the pool.  Once you get in there, you immediately relax, whereas she would immediately tense up.  Look at you!  It's like you're sleeping!

Fascinated!

This float was actually given to Addy when she was your age, but she would NEVER have tolerated it.  You, on the other hand, are as happy as a clam!

At this point, you are still immobile, and you show absolutely no signs of trying to crawl.  You do, however have what daddy coined as "Go Go Gadget Arms".  I'm telling you, we are astonished at the things you can reach from wherever you are perched.  When we go out to eat, it seems that you can get anything that is on the table, no matter how far we push it away from you.

Speaking of eating, you are still nursing 4 times a day and you eat 2 containers of food three times a day.  You seem happy and content with this schedule, but we may drop one of the nursing sessions soon.  You love Cheerios, puffs, and Mum Mum's.  These quick and easy snack foods have become my saving grace to keep you content for a few moments while I'm preparing Addy's food or when you start getting fussy while we're out and about.  We have also started giving you bits of broken up soft table food, like bread.  And boy do you love it!  When we go to the farmers market for breakfast, you can scarf down those biscuits like a pro!  However, you still only have those two bottom teeth, so we can't offer you too much table food yet.

Notice Addy's background chatter and Mike and I arguing about the size of Emmy's bites ;)

As far as naps are concerned, you unfortunately seem to be consistently decreasing the length of your naps.  You used to give us a good 2-3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  Recently your naps have often been less than an hour each!  I am hoping that it's just a phase.  Plus, your naps have not been coinciding with your sister's, so there is often not a single minute during the day when you are both sleeping.  And let me tell you, that wears this mama out!

We have been going to the park a lot lately, and you love to swing!

Although you are still immobile, you like to stand up.  You can't do it on your own yet, but you can stand while holding onto furniture or onto our fingers.

Your legs are really strong, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you bypass crawling altogether and go straight to walking.  I remember saying the same thing about Addy, because she was immobile for a long time as well.  But I'm not complaining.  Once you are mobile, life will become all sorts of chaotic!


Here are your monthly pics:

That little smile with your two bottom teeth completely melts my heart!

Your laughter is contagious!

I love that teeny, tiny tongue!

Just like your sister, you love nothing more than the outdoors :)

Emmy Jane, you are really growing into your own little person, and we love you more and more every day. You are a happy little monkey, and on the days when your sister's terrible twos are trying my patience, your precious stage of life gives me a breath of fresh air.  We all adore you little lady, and you make our family complete!

Love, 

Mommy