Nine Month Check-Up

Last Friday was AB's nine month well visit. She's such a good little patient and she loves the doctor's office. She just sits next to me and waits patiently for her name to be called.

Cousin Chana was there! We love it when Cousin Chana is there because I know she's getting her vaccines with love, because it's heart-wrenching enough to watch it happen!

She loves looking at herself in the big 'ol mirror they have in the rooms.

This part is always so fascinating to her. She never understands why they have to put this cold, round thing on her chest.

She got her first toe prick. She didn't even wimper.

At this visit, she weighed 18 lbs and 3 oz. and was 26 and a half inches long. Dr. Straughn said she looked great and encouraged me to feed her as much table food as I can. I confessed my obsessive fear of her choking on whatever it is I give her. He calmed my fears quite a bit, so I'm going to try and be diligent about giving her more "grown up" food. All in all, it was a great visit and AB did great. We just love Dr. Straughn.

A Fun Surprise!

It's really hard having your best friend live four and a half hours away from you. She's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, and she lives so far. I'm not only that far from her, but from her sweet baby girl (soon to be, sweet baby girls!!). So, you can imagine my excitement when she called me on Friday evening, and asked if I could watch Audrey for an hour or so, while her and Evan hit the town! I can't think of a couple who are more deserving of a night or nights out on the town. They came into Dallas for Nicole's mom to watch Audrey for a couple of nights while they had a weekend get-a-way. Seeing that baby #2, Harper Marie Gooch, is on the way, weekend get-a-ways will be non-existent for a short period of time. She dropped Audrey off to me until her mom got home from work. I was SO excited! I love that girl! I'm pretty sure AB was even more excited than me. What do you think?

The girls played and played in AB's room for a while. AB hasn't ever had a friend over to play, I don't think. She hasn't been in the "playing" stage of life for too long, now. They had a lot of fun going through AB's toys and books!

I didn't tell Austin that Audrey was over! I wanted it to be a surprise to him, too. He's just as crazy about Audrey as I am. Here, he's trying to talk her into give him a smooch. I don't think she's buying it...

I got to see AB interact with Audrey and how she did with sharing. Eh...not too great. All these toys that AB has hardly ever had an interest in, she all of a sudden LOVED because Audrey had her hands on them. She wasn't too big on sharing - although, the girl hadn't napped. So this didn't help her case, any. I gave Audrey my phone because Nicole was telling me that she'll hold things up to her ear now and say, "Hello!". It was hard getting it away from AB to do this.

LOVE this one - she's saying, "Hello", here.

Shortly after these pictures was taken, AB had a melt down because I wouldn't give her the phone back. Is it too early for the terrible two's?

Audrey is going through the "bringing you everything she sees" stage. It was hilarious, she would bring Austin everything that she could get her hands on. He had a pile of stuff in his lap.

Love this sweet girl! I had such a fun time with her. She's going through a really cuddly time and wanted to be in my lap, and she'd let me just love on her! So sweet!

Me and my favorite girls (minus one more - Nicole.)

Yes, AB had reached her limit right about here. Very shortly after this, we put her down for a nap.

It was also WAY past Audrey's bedtime. After AB went down, I gave her, her paci and blanket. She immediately went to Austin with her hands up so that she could lay down. It was very sweet.

It was so much fun to get to spend sometime with this sweet girl. I love her so much! Can't wait for the summer to spend more time with them, both.

Carlos the Caterpillar: The Larva Stage - Part 1

That Carlos. He's doubling in size everyday. We always "observe" him right before we go to bed every night. I almost feel like I'm being "unfaithful" to my class by raising another caterpillar without them. They LOVE the Monarchs and enjoy watching them grow from a teeny tiny larva, to a really big larva. Annabelle, still doesn't know what she's looking at because Carlos is still so small. Right after this picture was taken, we almost lost Carlos. She grabbed that milkweed plant with such a grip. Luckily, she missed the little guy.


AB wasn't cooperating on this night to have her finger still enough to compare the size of Carlos to her little finger. So mine will have to do.

If you look carefully, you can see him in the second leaf from the bottom.

Even though she doesn't know what she's supposed to be looking at, yet, she's into the plant!

Nine Months Old

My Precious Annabelle,

You are nine months old today! In three short months, you will be one year old! I'm in constant awe of how you are growing into such a happy, sweet and funny baby girl. You're definitely getting the hang of this picture-taking thing and every month, your smiles are bigger and bigger.

Although, this month was a little more difficult, because all you wanted to do was MOVE! You are constantly on the move, now. You've only been crawling, successfully, a short 20 days, but you are already pulling up and wanting to be on your feet. You are getting so big and Mommy is loving those wonderfully chunky cheeks and thighs. I'm constantly squeezing your little thighs and rolls. Oh, how I love them.

One of your things is clapping. You've been doing it a couple of months now, but every month it gets cuter and cuter. You do it as a sign of being happy, your Daddy and I have agreed. We've also noticed, you do it when you like something or hear a song that is catchy. We think that is very smart.

It's becoming quite obvious that I always have the camera in your face. You've started covering your eyes sometimes before I take the picture. It is an awfully bright flash. I can't say that I blame you.

Trying to get you to sit still is almost near to impossible. I love it, though. You have a mind of your own and you are ready to get out there and explore this world. You're fearless, too. This scares the fool out of Mommy. Daddy and I have to watch you very carefully, as does any parent of an active, crawling baby. You're more than willing to go right over the edge of the bed or couch with no problem. Haha, that is why Mommy or Daddy hardly put you up on the furniture with us anymore. You'd rather be down and crawling, but we had to make an exception for your monthly shoot, and we were just very careful.

Your newest thing you started this month is pointing. You point at almost everything, but mainly everything you like. You point at Mommy when you wake up and when I pick you up from Ms. Andrea. You point at Ms. Andrea when we leave her house. You point with both hands when Daddy gets home (this is your most excited). You point at Grammy, Grandpa, Nana and Papi. You point at everything you like! You even point at Mommy when I'm taking your picture!

Now that you are so very active, you wear yourself out a lot more than you used to. If you miss your afternoon nap, you are out for the count, Miss AB. It happens mostly when you are taking your bottle in the evening. It's very, very sweet to see you fall asleep in Daddy's arms while you are taking your bottle.

You're not big on attempting to walk quite yet. Daddy practices with you all the time, but you're content with crawling and pulling up on things, but when it comes to moving those feet...you'd rather wait, I think. It's cute to watch you and Daddy try, though.

This last month I celebrated my first Mother's Day. What a day it was to celebrate, too. You've brought me more joy in the last nine months of my life than I've had in the last 27 years! It's such an honor to be your Mommy.

I've only shed just a few tears this month over the major things you've done. You started crawling this month, and with crawling comes pulling up, and with pulling up comes lowering your crib. That made me very sad. I don't know, I guess I associate lowering your crib to not being a newborn anymore. You almost seemed like more of a "big girl" the night that it was lowered, and it was probably my imagination, but it was almost like you knew it and you were proud of yourself.

You are constantly providing some sort of comic relief almost all the time, AB. A lot of your most fun and funniest times come when you are in your high chair, eating. Eating is something you've become very good at. It was hard starting out the baby food. You LOVE your bottle, so the baby food you weren't too sure about. Now, you eat like a champ. However, we are still having diaper rash issues and it is baby food related, but we're just experimenting until we get it resolved. Some of your favorite foods are your snacks. You love the yogurt melts and the puffs. You could probably eat a whole container at one sitting if I would let you. Yes, you are a very happy girl when it comes to food (just like your Mom!).

Everyday I love you more than the day before. I don't know how that's possible, but it is. I always dread each month, in a way. I dread you getting older and not being my sweet little baby, anymore. Of course, what I hear from almost all mom's is, you'll always be my sweet little baby. Even though I think the next month won't be as fun or as joyous, I'm always proven wrong. You always get more and more fun and I'm just in awe of you. I love everything about the "growing" you. I love the way your beautiful, light brown hair swoops across your forehead and then it girls above your ears. I love the way your little mouth forms and "o" shape whenever you talk to yourself. I love the huge gummy smiles I get whenever you are really happy. I love your little pointing finger. I love the sweet words that come out of your mouth. I don't know what you're saying exactly, but you do. I love your clapping hands when you get excited about something. I love the way you love to hang upside down while Mommy and Daddy is holding you, and the way it makes you laugh. I love how you love being on Daddy's shoulders and pat his head and smile so big. I even love the little "fits" you throw when something doesn't go your way. I love every little thing about you.

This last month has been so much fun! Thank you, AB, for making Mommy and Daddy so very, very happy! We love you!

Love,

Mommy