Nine Months

At nine months, Charlotte:

- can crawl fast, pulls up on everything, prefers to walk if you will hold her hands, can climb upstairs to her toy room all by herself, stood without hands for the first time this week!
- loves to explore her environment - she touches all knobs, outlet covers, tags, ties, faucets, blinds, leaves, rocks, etc that cross her path
- still loves water and will play in her bath as long as you let her
- prefers to eat real food instead of baby food and likes to pick it up herself (she even ordered and ate her own chicken nuggets and fruit cup at Chick-fil-A on Thursday... wow, big girl).
- is doing better in her car seat and stroller
- still loves her bed and sleeps 11-12 hours every night. She usually likes to put herself to sleep but a few nights last week she cried and we rocked to sleep instead. It was like she was saying "Mama, you've been too busy and I miss you". I agreed 100% and we rocked long past her falling asleep. It was lovely.
- can say bye-bye and Pops.
- still loves all things Macy - her bed, toys, doggie door, bowls and of course her tail.
- loves to be outside. Martha says that her favorite time of day is when they sit outside in the afternoon to watch the kids get off the bus. She loves big kids.
- loves her daddy's football games (last night she made it until 10pm without a meltdown because she was having so much fun!) Keep in mind that is 3 hours past bedtime!!
- loves her books. She sits and flips through them herself which I think is so adorable and also will sit with me and listen to the whole basket of books.
- loves to go to the park and climbs up the stairs and slides down with Mama over and over again
- prefers to whisper when she talks
- has 5 teeth and 3 more coming in - poor baby!
- is also known as Peanut, P, Lotte Lou and Gracie Goose

My dear Charlotte, you are more and more fun every day that goes by. You are turning into a very active and happy little girl. You are still a spitting image of your daddy, thank goodness he is a pretty boy :) Your smile can light up any room. Your hugs can make even the saddest hearts a little bit happier. You bring so much joy to me and your daddy. I could not have dreamed of a sweeter, happier or more beautiful baby girl. I thank God everyday for you.

Love,
Mama

9 month stats:
Weight 19 lb 14 oz (70%) - the formula is treating her well!!
Length 27 in (25%) - still a short stack
Head Circumference 46.5cm (97%) - smart girl!


Recent favs:
What Mama?!? I was not going to eat this leaf!

Climbing to the top!

Showing off the new pearly whites :)

Daddy's idea of multi-tasking - doing the dishes and bath time all in one. She loved checking out a different type of faucet!

Playing outside with her new Thanksgiving Little People set that Nana sent - she loves it! Thank you Nana!

Playing dress up

Lots of drool with all these teeth

Pretty baby

More park fun

Just a swingin'

Helping daddy dig a hole

My favorite face in the whole wide world

Somebody get me out of here!

Thank goodness for the doggie door when I am trying to make dinner or clean the kitchen - it provides hours of entertainment!

Happy Birthday Aunt Lauren!

Happy 31st birthday Lauren!! I know that your two little miracles from heaven are the best gift that you could ever ask for this year. 31 should prove to be a year of excitement, change, joy, love, fatigue, gratitude, hellos, goodbyes, blessings, fears, surprises and adventures. You will become an even stronger person, an even more supportive wife and somehow you will find even more love deep down in your heart to share with two more sweet babies. You will have to let go of some perfection, let go of some control and accept help from many to make it through. You will have to remember whats important - swinging with Owen, rocking a sleeping baby, date nights with your hubby, escaping every now and then with girlfriends.... and what's not important - laundry, homemade dinners, schedules, losing your baby weight, a clean car and stressing over bank accounts. The time will go all too fast and you will be left with a whirlwind of memories from "when the kids were little"... I hope that those memories are lovely. That is my birthday wish for you this year and I am looking forward to doing anything I can to make it come true!




This picture is from our early birthday celebration last weekend when the Black's came to visit! We had so much fun as usual! I miss them already!

Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch

Fall is here!!!!! This is by far my favorite season and I get so excited every year about all things fall and especially holidays! We started a tradition this year... driving out to Sweet Berry Farms in Marble Falls to their awesome pumpkin patch! It was a beautiful drive and a beautiful day. Charlotte was flapping her hands with excitement when we got her out of the car like she knew she was in for something really fun! Unfortunately they only took cash and checks, neither of which we had. So we just walked around and enjoyed the afternoon. We decided that this would for sure be the last time we would be able to get away with that (no goat food, no pumpkins, no maze, no painting pumpkins, etc, etc). Next year we will be prepared!!