Kate is 9 Months Old!

Our sweet baby is getting incredibly big, smart and funny!

Behavior: (this pic taken by Chris she's wearing overalls that were his when he was a baby!) She is showing real personality from her silliness at playing peekaboo with her bib, clapping her hands when we say "Patty Cake" and her all out shriek when Chris and Daddy come through the front door. If she happens to be in her Excersaucer at the time, she will jump up and down and spin around so hard we wonder if she is going to tip the thing over! She is one energetic baby! She will also cry when we walk away from her and she loves to purposely toss her blocks so we can pick them up for her! Manipulation has begun!

On The Move: (this pic- Grandma using the TV remote to entice her to crawl!) She has mastered rolling over, crawling (finally forward too), and is starting to pull herself up on the sides of her crib and the play yard. She can easily get to her knees and then ends up on one knee "will you marry me style", then can't figure out how to do the rest! I have friends who tell me to 'knock her over' and my mother is doing everything she can to help her learn... I am in the middle. I want her to walk one day of course... but I want her to do it in her own time and hopefully not before she is a year old. I would like a few more months of not having to chase a running baby.

What She's Eating:(this pic - I stuck the rice on her face and Chris had to get the camera!) She is eating some new things. We have switched from baby oatmeal to Quaker Quick Oats mixed with some applesauce. Instead of Cheerios I decided to stick with what she has been eating already and found she loves to feed herself puffed rice cereal! Half of it ends up on her lap but it sure keeps her busy and she is so proud of herself!

I took Jim to his favorite Japanese restaurant for his birthday for some Sushi. Our waitress was unusually interested in Kate and must have been really bored, because she was very chatty and might as well have pulled up a chair! If it hadn't been a 'romantic' lunch we wouldn't have cared! She was from the Philippines and was the oldest of several brothers and sisters. She was trying to get us to feed Kate the Udon soup. When we tried to explained to her what American babies ate, she misunderstood about the rice cereal, and insisted on bringing her a bowl of rice. So we added a bit of the rice it to the jar of food we brought and she devoured it! Thank goodness! This woman was so interested in her and was trying to be nice! I didn't want her to bring over some eel and make us try that too!

I have had a little fun making some of my own "3rds" baby food. I cooked up big batches of peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and rice then froze them in easy to thaw portions. The peas she loves to pick up, put in her mouth, make a horrible face and then spit them out, over and over! The sweet potatoes are coarsely mashed and she devours them in seconds! The carrots are cooked really soft and I chop them up and add them to any of her green beans or carrots "2nds" food.

Sleep? (this pic - I know another Katie who has this sweater!) Well all my friends that are new moms are jealous of the fact that Kate started sleeping through the night when she was 2 months old. But at 4 months we stopped swaddling her and she has stirred in the night ever since. I usually have to get up once or twice to pop in her pacifier and snuggle her in. Last night... 2:00, 2:30, 3:00 and 5:30. Not a typical night but not unusual either! Occasionally she makes it all night long and scares the daylights out of me! So NO I am not getting a full 8 hours of sleep but... am not complaining! Most week-ends Jim will help me by getting up with her in the morning and lets me catch up on my sleep.

Growth: (this pic - ' The Dog Hair Free Zone' aka The Cage!) Still no sign of teeth, but her hair is starting to really come in! Chris loves to give her a "Baby Mohawk"! As far as her weight, I'll know more on Monday after her physical. I'm guessing around 22lbs. I'll update when I know.

Update: Kate had her 9 mos. appointment yesterday and was 21lbs 3 ozs., 28 inches long! She is healthy as can be!

Update: I found Kate standing in her crib today...