Bella Grace at Nine Months

Three-quarters of a year, you’ve been here with us.  Nine months, the same amount of time I carried you in my womb before you made your super-speedway-like entrance into the world.  I know I say it every month, but time is just flying by.  I learned with Bryson how quickly it passes, so I’ve made sure to soak up every moment with you.

Over the past month, you’ve become very vocal.  You squeal and chatter and make all kinds of noises.  You love to sit and mimic other people.  You’ll sit in my lap, facing me, and we’ll make faces and giggle and make noises with our mouths for an hour.  You love to play with toys and you try to keep up with your big brother.  Sometimes he closes the door in your face and tells you no and that doesn’t make you happy.. at all.  Bath time is a favorite and I love watching you and Bry interact.

You pull up and will walk holding onto the furniture or even behind toys.  Daddy let go of you one night and you stood on your own for a few seconds.  We were so proud!  You no longer like your walker.  Bryson loved the walker and played with it even after he could walk.  You would much rather be out of it, so you can crawl around and get into everything.  The only time you’ll even sit in it is if I give you little snacks.  You open all of the cabinet doors and are reminding me of what it means to baby-proof a home.  I have our ABC Animal chart hanging in your reach and you pull it off the wall daily.  You take each animal out and I find them all over the house.

The fair was fascinating to you.  The lights and the rides had your eye the entire time.  I love that we can take you out and about now without worry about you crying the entire time.  You rode the train with your daddy and brother and clapped and waved your arms around the entire time.  I think brother may have given you your first taste of cotton candy too.

We were amazed at how well you did on the ride to the beach.  You barely made a noise until we were about 20 minutes away from our destination and then you let us have it, girl.  You screamed you little head off and then we went got back in the car to go to dinner that night, you screamed some more.  I think you were afraid we were going to go on another long trip, haha.  Speaking of which, you loved the beach.  As long as you were on the beach, you were content.  The weather was nothing short of perfect- the sun was beaming down but there was a slight breeze.  The beach is definitely my favorite place we’ve nursed.Nine months and still nursing with no end in sight- just how I wanted it.  The bond I have with you is so strong that I can hardly stand to be away from you for more than an hour.  I can count the times I’ve been away from you on one hand.  Your daddy and I were in a wedding this month, so I had to leave you for 8 hours and I almost cried.  You were happy with your brother and your Gangan, but oh how I missed you, my nursling.  I love that if you bump your head or if you are fussy, I can put you to my breast and everything is okay in your little world.  I love that I still supply the majority of your nutrition and that you prefer me over anyone else.

We go to the doctor next week for your 9 month check-up and we’ll find out your length and weight.  You wear 6-12 or 9 month clothing and a size 3 diaper.  You nurse about ever 4 to 5 hours and eat homemade baby food for lunch and dinner.  Feeding you is messy because you think that you have to put your hands in your mouth after every. single. bite.  You also snack on yogurt bites, crackers, and puffs during the day.

Keep growing, baby girl.  Mama loves you to the moon and back!