Nine Months

Autumn,

Every month I sit down to write this thinking I don't have much to write about and this time is no exception. Of course, every month I end up writing pages and pages!

Now, for the last time...WHERE ARE THOSE TEETH? You've turned me into the Momma who cries teeth!

Crawling is so much fun these days. It has added tremendously to our peekaboo games, as we can now incorporate hide and seek into them. If you wander away from us all we have to do is ask, "Where's Autumn?!?" and you come crawling back around the corner to find us. Of course, once you make eye contact, a lot of the time you'll go back to where you were originally headed, but sometimes we can distract you. The other day you were standing on the other side of the love seat and you started making all this racket. I looked over at you and after making eye contact you lowered your head, laughed and then popped back up! You are now initiating peekaboo games! Also, after a few rounds of "Where's Autumn" if you are lying on the ground hiding behind something, you will prolong the time between when you actually pop your head up. A lot of times I can see your reflection in the media center and you have the biggest grin on your face. It is so awesome to see the knowledge that anticipation and the unexpected makes it more funny written all over your face.

Driving is still improving. A few weeks ago you were talking up a storm all day and when we got you in the car you just back there having the best time talking to your toys. Daddy commented again how nice it will be to have you face forward. But we've still got 3 more months to go!

Daddy still sings you the "Lather Song" every night in your bath. We went through a really annoying patch where all you wanted to do was stand in the tub. The whole bath was spent keeping you on your heiney. Lately it has been much better, though I am sure we are not out of the woods yet.

Eating. Ugh, eating. You are supposed to be eating table foods by now, or at least well on your way. But we have hit a roadblock. And it is NOT FUN! We had been having such a blast with you eating baby food, but a lot of times you don't even want that anymore! If I try to feed you a piece of food you contort your body around so that your mouth is facing the back of the high chair. If you pick up a piece of food it is only to either squish it in your fingers or get our hopes up by touching it to your lips before you squish it in your fingers. C'mon Kiddo! Eat something! Other than Cheerios! You take your bib off all the time, that right there is a power struggle we don't enjoy. When you have had enough you squnch up your shoulders and grab a hold of your ears. Daddy then asks if your ears are on too tight and if they need adjusting. Your ears are your sign language for "STOP!" no matter the situation.

We went for your nine month check up on Tuesday and here are your statistics:

Weight: 19 lbs 13 oz 70%
Height: 28 1/2" 75%
Head: 18 1/4" 95%

So in other words, you've got a big head! Though looking at you, everything looks proportional.

Sleeping is still going well (thank goodness!). You go down around 8:30 and usually stay asleep until around 8 in the morning. We like that! Even being in your brace doesn't hamper you too much. We have a check up with the orthopedist on November 5th, but that is not a guarantee that you will be done with it.

You now stand for over 10 seconds at a time and a few times you've even clapped while standing! It's like a circus act! Come see the Amazing Autumn!

As for plain old fun, we took you to a pumpkin patch, which can be seen here. You and I also went to our first mom's club meeting. I also went out for an evening and left Daddy in charge! He fed you, bathed you and put you to bed, all by himself! What a great Daddy you have!

October 8, 2008

October 10, 2008

October 12, 2008

Wardrobe Malfunction!
October 16, 2008

October 18, 2008

October 20, 2008

Retrospective perspective:
October 17, 2007

October 22, 2006

This interactive little girl we've got in you is just awesome.

Love,

Momma and Daddy

Pictures

She crawled over, pulled herself up, slid open the doors and pulled the tissue paper out. Such fun!

Fun with Gram!

Her almost finished room...

Her response to "Where's Autumn?" when she is crawling somewhere she shouldn't is to turn around and look at us (to show us where she is!) and then continue on to wherever she was going. If she knows we have gotten up to come get her she starts double-timing her crawl and giggling to get away from us!

Eight Months

Autumn,

Eight months! I said that to you in the bath tonight. "Eight MONTHS!" You looked at me and then went back to sucking on your bathwater washcloth. Eh, just another day, Momma!

First off, where are those teeth?!?! You've been working on them for at least three months now. 3! I can see two little bumps there (when you accidentally let me look in your mouth), but the progress is going so slowly! The last time I thought, "This is it. This is teething." a few weeks ago, it ended up being a tummy ache. What?! Every time I'm sure it is teething, it isn't. I'm sure that those teeth are going to come in and I'm not going to even notice. You did all this grunt work leading up to the actual teeth popping through, and then they'll just POP! that easily. That is sort of how you started crawling, so we'll see if this follows suit.

Crawling. You did it! Yay! You did all your practicing and falling on your face before you actually started crawling. The first time you got up on all fours and actually went someplace, you were gone! Daddy and I really expected you to get your crawling legs slowly, but there has been no turning back since the moment you started. Now when I leave a room I can almost be sure you'll follow. But only to the edge of the family room where the carpet stops and the tile begins. You're not so sure about the tile. Even if you make it over the threshold and onto the tile, you still have to stop and inspect everything. You feel the carpet. Then you feel the tile. Then the carpet. And so on. If you decide to go on the tile, you stop in the first square and sit down and continue your inspection. There have only been a few times that you have crawled past that square. And once was to put your palm in Phoebe's wet food. What fun! Speaking of Phoebe... She is so curious about you that she forgets her "Cone of Safety" and you actually get a hold of her tail. Lucas on the other hand, never forgets his "Cone of Safety". He never lets his guard down around you.

Driving has improved a bit lately. We drove up to see Gram and Grandpa and you did really well. We left right before your first nap around 10:30. You stayed asleep until just past Navasota (not nearly long enough!). I was able to keep you entertained and fed until Hearne, but then you needed a diaper change and we needed lunch. Daddy rode in the back with you for the rest of the way while I drove (Momma gets carsick easily!). Coming back we stopped in Waco for lunch and Daddy rode in the back with you after that. We stopped in College Station to get some bread, milk and eggs because we were told our local stores were out of those due to Ike. In other driving situations I've figure out the one thing that keeps you VERY happy. You sit and babble and laugh and just have a merry old time. What is it? A spoon! I now carry about 5 in my purse at all times. It is the funniest thing. I can tell when you drop it out of reach because it gets quiet back there. And then the unhappiness arrives. I hand you back another spoon and the lovely babbling begins again!

We stopped using the boat in the bath. For the most part you sit there nicely and play. But sometimes there is a lot of struggling to get you to stay seated. And I think you figured out the squeeze toys a few nights ago. You take the whale and push down on it with both hands under water so it sucks water in. Then you bring it up to your mouth and squeeze so the water goes in. What is it with you and bath water?

Eating is so much fun these days. You eat 2-3 containers of 2nd foods a day. Usually a fruit in the morning and veggies or meat for lunch and dinner. Yesterday I fed you the last of a jar of ham and then started opening a package of veggies and you went crazy! Legs kicking, arms waiving, all because you knew you would be getting something that you really like from that shape container. Your mouth was open and I was shoveling it in, spoon after spoon. Oh, and Cheerios? We LOVE Cheerios. I love giving them to you and you love picking them up and completely missing your mouth 4 out of 5 times. When I pick you up after eating there is a handful of Cheerios in your high chair.

Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2030! (oh boy!)

She loves her Daddy!

A few days ago she knocked that flower picture off the wall!

Packing to go see Gram and Grandpa!

You still LOVE to stand. All the time. Your cruising (holding onto furniture and walking around) ability is just remarkable. You are so good at moving from the coffee table to the denim cushion to your activity center and back. And back and forth and back and forth.

If you don't open any other pictures, open the one above to make it bigger. Those eyes!

Hurricane Ike Aftermath

Baby proofing!

My Daddy is going WHERE?!?! Malaysia? We miss you, Daddy!

Retrospective perspective:

September 22, 2007

I couldn't pick a favorite for 2007, so here are three more!
It's a girl! September 20, 2007

September 22, 2007 - The final two kittens: #1 and #5

September 23, 3006

And, just for reference, here we are fleeing (at 2 mph) from Hurricane Rita!

September 22, 2005

Grandpa tried to calculate how many diapers you've gone through in 8 months. I didn't want to know the answer!

Love,

Momma and Daddy

The "Will She/Won't She" Season Cliffhanger

Still waiting on actual crawling.

Getting to a sitting position from her belly? Check
Getting to standing (pulling up on anything 4" off the ground) from sitting position? Check
Pulling Daddy's leg hairs out one by one in the process? Check

Crawling? Not so much.


Sidewinder from Deb on Vimeo.


Which Way Should I Go? from Deb on Vimeo.

Seven Months

July 23

July 26

Autumn,

We've come to month seven! I've noticed that there is a lot of hurry up and wait with you these days. A few weeks ago you were so close to crawling. All the time you were up on all fours, rocking back and forth. And if you weren't doing that, you were rolling everywhere. I haven't seen you try to crawl in over a week. Oh no, none of that crawling stuff, you'd rather STAND! ALL THE TIME! I'm beginning to wonder if you will skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. I was so sure you were going to crawl any minute, now it feels like you're going to walk at any moment. You haven't figure out how to get yourself in a sitting position yet, but once you are in one you can pull yourself up to your feet. We're on lookout for that moment so we can lower your crib. Here you are with Grandpa, up on all fours (no knees) doing your full body press!

Another hurry up and wait situation is that darn teething. I thought you were teething at 4 months. Turns out you were allergic to milk-based formula and we had to switch you to soy-based. I said that if you were this fussy and it wasn't teething, then I didn't want to experience teething! Well, true to form, you're proving me right. That was not teething, and if what we're going through right now isn't teething, then I don't want to experience teething! Wait... Oh well. This better be it, kiddo, because you and I are having some issues. Everyday, sometimes 5 times a day, I check for teeth. "Do you have any teeth?" "Show me those teeth!" The area isn't inflamed, but from the rare good glimpses you let me have, there are white things there that didn't used to be there. Any second I'm expecting them to pop out. Notice a theme?

You are growing so fast. Wednesday I put you in an outfit that when I received it as a gift I thought it was HUGE! I waited so long to put it on you and now it fits perfectly (6-9 month). I had such a hard time imagining it fitting my little baby that I almost waited too long! Of course, you're not a little baby anymore. But every time I have to move you up to the next size I am very surprised.

At the end of July we were thrown quite the curve ball. It seems that the harness you were in back in March and April didn't completely fix your right hip. We were told at the time that your hip looked "perfect" and "normal". But we were also given a follow up appointment for an x-ray around 6 months when your bones finally show up on film. The sonograms were accurate at the time, but the x-rays show much more clearly the fact that your right hip ball isn't the same size as your left. In fact, its a whole 2 mm smaller than your left. The doctor said that it was "very, very, very, very, can I add one more 'very' in there, slight", but very worth it to fix the problem now. You cannot begin to understand the frustration we feel having to put you in the new brace every night. And how Daddy says every night how much he hates having to put you to sleep in that terrible thing. It is hard plastic on the outside, with a layer of foam. The straps don't stay in place during the night, and its just an all around pain. You have managed to turn yourself over on your belly a few times, though! We don't go back for another x-ray for 4 months. That's a VERY long time. Here you are giving the brace what for.

The cats are still Not Amused by you. You, however, are quite enthralled with them. I'm pretty sure you know that when I say, "Hi Phoebe/Pheebers/StopThatPhoebe" or "Hi Luke/Lucas/Buddy" you know that a cat is nearby because you always turn to look for them. I think that's pretty amazing. The cats however, would rather you not look in their general direction, thankyouverymuch. Here are two very Not Amused looking cats.

Car rides are still fairly dicey. If it is a long ride, I try to time them during your nap so you are more likely to fall asleep. Falling asleep is not a guarantee. Whining, throwing your toys out of the car seat and general annoyances pretty much are. I can't tell you the amount of times lately I've regretted my decision to go the 10 min drive to Target/HEB/Hobby Lobby, all places you thoroughly enjoy once you're there, because of all the whining. "Don't make me turn this car around, young lady!" I don't really say that, because I actually NEED to get out of the house with you, but the drives are just not pleasant. Daddy and I are both looking forward to the day we can turn your car seat around.

You are much better at eating baby foods these days. Most times you actually sit there very nicely and eat every spoonful put in front of you. There are times when you sneeze into the spoon, or blow into the spoon, sending green beans/peas/banana orange medley straight at Momma and Daddy. You are in Stage 2 foods and once you get those teeth in we'll start giving you some actual SOLID foods mixed in there. I'm looking forward to that. You've figured out how to use a straw, but are still terribly shocked when something actually comes out of the straw. So much so that you open your mouth and let everything fall back out. It is quite messy, and very entertaining.

Bath time is getting to be a bit of a struggle because you want to stand up! Or at the very least, pitch yourself head first over the "boat" and into the rest of the water. You've gotten on your knees a bunch of times, only to have me pull you back down. I think the days of the "boat" are coming to an end. It was great while it lasted, though. Here is a picture of you "swimming" in our big tub (I put swim diapers on you, keep the water room temp and get in with you).

Naps are pretty much going well. The majority of the time it only takes you a few minutes to relax in my arms and when I put you down, your eyes fly open, but usually close again. There have been times when you just wouldn't relax, so I put you in the crib and leave. You babble and whine, but I wait until you get upset. When I come back in, you are usually ready to relax. There have been a handful of times that I haven't had to come back in, you've actually put yourself to sleep. We are slowly working on getting you to sleep on your own. Night time is still a problem though, because of the brace. It throws quite the wrench into everything. You had been sleeping through the night, but add the brace and (faux?) teething and you have a baby that wakes up WAY too many times. It has gotten MUCH better though the past two weeks. Here you are looking very much like Momma.

You still do your Sniff-Laugh face. It is your ace in the hole to make anyone smile for you.

Here you are at IKEA. Daddy thought it would be funny to set you on a pile of animal skins.

Here you are with your IKEA Barnslig Struts Ostrich. According to IKEA, he is good at hugging, comforting and listening and is fond of play and mischief. Daddy thought he was ugly at first, but now thinks he's pretty cool.

Retrospective perspective:

August 24, 2007

August 24, 2006

Yup, seven months. Seven whole months. In a flash.

Love,

Momma and Daddy