ten months

So glad to have gotten some smiles!

Aaaannnd, she's over it! Does not like laying on her back very long for pictures.

Size: Holding strong on size 4 diapers. And more and more 9 month clothes are getting too small for her. Several 18 month pants fit, just need to roll them up once.

Eating: Nursing 4 times a day still. A couple of those are shorter than they have been, but I don't think I'll be dropping down to 3 yet, or start weaning her until she's 1. She's eating solids 3 times a day and she's been taking the fruit stage 3 foods great. However, she does not like the Gerber stage 3 dinner-type foods. We found another brand she likes better and little by little we're trying finger foods. All she really wants to do is play with them, even though she wants to put every other thing in her mouth. There are too many new foods in her diet to list anymore, and that's great. So far she's not too picky!

Sleep: Morning wake up is still 6:15am on average. Goes down for her first nap around 8:10, which lasts an 1-1.5 hours. Then her second nap is 1pm, lasting 1.5-2 hours. Bedtime is 7pm and she hasn't needed a 4 or 5am diaper change in quite awhile.

Milestones/Accomplishments:
- Has 3 teeth! Two on the bottom and one on the top!
- Free stands all. the. time for a good amount of time
- Walks along furniture little bits more often
- Dances sometimes when there's music playing she likes, or sometimes when you say "dance"
- Balances on one knee a lot

Likes:
- Making elephant noises
- When someone plays the xylophone. She'll smile and giggle sometimes
- When we wear hats and glasses. She thinks they're quite intriguing and sometimes funny
- Steven tossing her in the air, or pretend dropping her

Dislikes:
- When you take away something she wants to play with. She will make the saddest face with the best pouty lip
- Doesn't like playing peek-a-boo with daddy. She'll slowing start to cry

Additional things I want to remember:
Loves pulling up to standing, using you as a support and gets all close/leans on you - which seems like she's hugging (she may be!). For a couple days was air kissing, copying what we do when we're pretending a toy is kissing her. Usually smiles when you look at her all serious and are saying and shaking head "no". How she'll cling on you, and start to whimper, if she doesn't want to be put down. Gets a little excited when you say "I'm going to get you".

March photo favorites

     

^ She's always making a bed for her toys, babies or herself. 

And that crown is still one of her favorite accessories.

^ This was her second time in a cart (I usually just wear her). She looks like such a big girl.

^ We've been shortening Ellie's nap, but also have her do quiet time in her room before. 

Sometimes however, she falls asleep on her own.

^ A little bed in her closet, made by her! And you see those clothes hanging above her? All but one is a dress (and there's more not shown), but she still LOVES that pink dress she's wearing. 

^ Another early nap 

^ Ellie was excited to be in one of these carts with Paige. Paige wasn't too sure, and Ellie wanted to help her look at the camera for a picture. 

Ellie had her first dance class and she LOVED it!

^ These were some statues outside her dance class and she asked me to take her picture with them.

^ Loved getting more books that talked about the real reason for Easter. 

Ellie enjoyed reading them over and over.

^ If Ellie is around when we check the mail she usually wants to go with us. It's been chilly and Ellie wants to be wrapped up in a blanket when she goes out. 

^ Ellie will stand behind this bench in her room and pretend to be a cashier. Her room is a store and she asks what I would like to buy. I get a toy and ask how much it is. (One time a bag was $105 haha). She'll make a beep beep sound as she "rings" it up and puts the pretend money I give her in her "register". I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I love seeing her imagination at work. 

^ March 25th...shortly after the official day of Spring. Silly Boise. 

^ Paige has the most impressive pouty lip/sad face I've ever seen. 

This was after I (nicely) took away something she shouldn't be playing with. 

Zoo fun with some friends from church. 

^ First time Ellie fed Paige food. 

^ First time Paige has been in a swing. She liked it, as you can tell!

^ Ellie was with some friends one morning/afternoon and this picture was snapped. 

Ellie had fun putting the chef hat on Paige and the bag as one for her. 

nine months

Happy 9 months...a couple days late!

(note that thigh roll!)

This girl and her monthly photos...

She does not like to smile for them, even when she is in a good mood! 

It's like she's thinking, 

"Why are you putting me on my back and stopping me from rolling over? 

I just want to move around and grab that sign Mom."

Therefore, I had to post some "outtakes"; because it's real life!

Size: Still wearing size 4 diaper - her thighs are impressive! Clothes are ranging in size from 9-18 month. Several 9 month onesies and dresses are getting too small; or are already. Her 9 month well check is the 15th and I'll update post with her stats after then.
UPDATE: 19.25 lbs and 28.1"

Eating: New foods we introduced this past month were rice cereal, multi grain cereal, chicken, turkey, corn, spinach, peas, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, yogurt melts and we brought back carrots, which seem to be sitting fine with her (they seemed to make her spit up more last time we gave them to her). She wasn't a huge fan of rice cereal for very long and she mostly just wants to look/play with the yogurt melts in her hand/fingers. Every other food she takes to great! I will start to do chunkier foods soon. She's had a cold and I can tell she wouldn't be too open to trying that yet. Her first (bottom) tooth came through however! I'm still nursing 4 times a day and she's getting 3 solid meals in a day. (I'm going to continue nursing till she's around age 1.)

Sleep: She wakes on average around 6:15am. First nap is around 8:15am, lasting about 1.5 hours on average. Second nap is at 1/1:15pm, lasting about a 1.5-2 hours. Bedtime is 6:45pm. It doesn't take her long at all to fall asleep most days. In the morning she'll sometimes wake in the 4 or 5am time frame - she really doesn't like a big wet diaper or a poopy diaper (don't blame her), but we'll give her a little to fall back asleep. If she doesn't, we'll do a quick diaper change, put her back down and won't officially get her up till 6am or thereafter.

Milestones/Accomplishments:
- First tooth came through February 15th. There's another one that hasn't come through gums just yet, but it's right under the surface. (Ellie didn't get her first teeth till she was 1, so it's been interesting dealing with it at an earlier age. It didn't even phase Ellie.)
- Pulling herself up to standing. Started February 20th
- Free standing for up to 5 seconds on own, after letting go of something. Started March 1st
- Reaching up for you when you go to pick her up

Likes:
- Ellie "wrestling"/tickling her
- "Playing" with Ellie and her toys
- Sticking her tongue out and rubbing her tooth/gums with it
- Clutching her gums together and blowing air out - new sounds are fun with her new tooth
- Chewing on everything, and drooling on it
- Babies - real and play babies

Dislikes:
- Dogs. She's only been around them a handful of times, but each time she kind of shakes and then fusses/cries
- Being dropped off at the church nursery. She has pouted/cried for a brief moment when we stand at the door and hand her off, then she's fine
- Teething. It has affected her sleep some and she has gotten a little fussy and clingy at times

Additional things I want to remember: I kept forgetting to make note (for the past 8 months) that she has a splotchy birth mark in her hairline, on her neck. Had her first little bang trim March 2nd, which actually made me a little sad (even though it wasn't a full hair cut, still got me for some reason!). Ellie gave her the nickname Paigey. I love it when she crawls to find us in the other room, if we left her for a moment. Her soft skin. Feisty personality.

February photo favorites

This last month we celebrated Ellie's 3rd birthday! My mom came into town for it and my in-laws came during the month as well! Paige had some new things arise - a tooth and the skill of pulling herself up to standing! February was a fun filled month!

My mom and her girls!

^ Ellie teaching my mom some warm up moves and dance moves

^ Pre bedtime smiles and giggles. 

Oh those toothless grins ; )

^ Loves dressing up in her ballerina attire and 

dancing along with her dance dvd that Grandma Norris got her 

^ First time in a highchair at a restaurant 

^ We've been wanting to get outside, and despite it being a little chilly we had fun; 

obviously Paige did. That smile gets me every time!

Valentines date! (above picture)

And while Ellie (Paige was asleep) was with the babysitter, they made valentines! (bottom picture)

^ First Valentines day! I tried to get Ellie in the picture as well, but she wasn't having it.

My in-laws loving on the girls!

Pulling herself up to standing! And she loves playing with her new tooth with that tongue!

^ I love seeing what Ellie comes up with when she is playing in her room on her own. This time it was making a place for herself, animals and baby to sit and a cup for all of them. 

(P.S. This pink dress is Ellie's favorite. When it's clean, it's on! ha)

^ Ellie has been "wrestling"/tickling Paige and they love it. 

And we love seeing their interactions develop more and more.