Belated Nine Months

I am a couple of weeks late on the nine month post...oops!  Miss Ellis is doing great, along with Mommy and Daddy.  We have been busy with work and school (ok daycare, but I like to pretend that if I call it school it sounds cooler), and look forward to the weekends when we get to relax and soak in all of the baby giggles, snuggles, and slobbery kisses.  Sometimes I catch myself just staring at this sweet baby girl wondering what in the world I did to deserve such a precious gift.  I thank God every day for my Ellis.  It is funny how those little moments more than make up for the hours spent washing bottles, making baby food, doing laundry (and there is always a blowout at daycare the day after I catch up on laundry), cleaning cheerios off the floor, pumping at work, and pecking at the blackberry late at night catching up on emails that came through after I rushed out the door at 5:00 from work...whew.  I am exhausted just typing all of that.  Totally worth it though when I see this smile at the end of the day!

Elly Belly at nine months...
-  Is pulling herself up to standing
-  Giggles uncontrollably when Daddy chases her around the house in the evening
-  Is finally sleeping ALL night long...12 hours straight of glorious sleep
-  Eats smushy foods along with her favorite finger foods...Cheerios and Cheese (hmmm..sounds like a Daddy I know).  Here favorite food is crockpot chicken, potatoes, and carrots.
-  Dances to music, even the annoying jazzy ABC song from one of her toys
-  Refuses to wear socks
-  Pats her belly whenever you take her shirt off
-  Crawls all over the place
-  Is stubborn as can be.  If she gets an idea in her head (to touch the cable box and blueray, for example) there is no stopping her, even with your best distraction.
-  Has shaggy and wild hair, especially in the morning
-  Loves to read in the morning and before bed
-  Makes an adorable scrunchy smily face when she is excited

I didn't get the exact stats when we were at the doctor for her 9 month check up since the power went out mid-visit (yes, Dr. F. finished the exam via iPhone flashlight), but she weighted right at 16 pounds, which is about the 15th percentile or so.