Nine Months.

"Clifton! I've missed you, man!"

Dear Buggy,

You are nine months old today!  Seriously.  Where has the time gone?  It's like, all of a sudden, you are such a big girl with so much personality!  Those baby days are already starting to fade into the distance as you quickly approach toddler-hood.  Slow down!  We aren't ready for you to become so independent just yet.

It's a good thing you had your 9-month check up yesterday because we now know how big and strong you've grown over the last month!  You weigh just over 21 pounds and are 30.2 inches long.  That puts you in the 88th percentile for weight and the 99.7th percentile for height!  It's no wonder none of your 9-12 month clothes fit anymore!  You also sprouted two new top teeth and there are two more already poking through giving you a total of six pearly whites.  Your auburn hair is still fine and thin.  That's okay, though, as it requires no styling and makes getting you ready all that much easier!

You seem to have found an independent streak this past month when it comes to eating.  Oh boy!  Are you particular.  You now only want to eat if you pick it up yourself and put it in your own mouth... you DO NOT want Mommy to help you.  And some days, you like banana and gobble it up.  Other days, you turn your nose up at banana and chow down on the thing you refused to eat before.  Mommy has named mealtimes with you baby-led food wasting or baby-led guessing game as so much of what she makes for you either goes back into the fridge to be tried at another meal or down the drain.

You love to walk around our apartment with your hands held, looking for the cats or heading to the window to find a passing bus.  You can stand at the couch and can scoot on your tummy but you seem to have no interest in crawling and we think you may just bypass that skill and go straight to walking on your own.  This past month you became an awesome sleeper going to bed just after 6PM and sleeping till between 6:30 and 7AM.  And you now take two naps both just over an hour which allows Mommy to get some things done while you sleep!

And just a few more things... You love to clap!  You are starting to wave bye-bye.  You can play peek-a-boo and so big! with arms stretched over your head.  You love to be read to with your favorite books being Mr. Brown can Moo! Can you? and The Berenstains' A Book.  You like to cross your little legs when having a bottle or when sitting up to play.  You love to be tickled on your tummy or the palms of your hands or bottoms of your feet.  In the mornings you love to sit by the window in Mommy's lap and watch for big trucks! or yellow buses!  You love to grab Daddy's glasses when he gets his face anywhere near yours.  So many cute little things, we could go on...

Alice Glen, we love you so much.

Love,
Mom & Dad.   

   "Being your muse is exhausting, Mom."