The Time Your Turned 9 Months Old

I can't believe another month has flown by and how far you have come. It's crazy how such a little person can accomplish so much. I've been a bit remiss in documenting it all to the date like I have before so I'll have to play a little catch up this month.

You hit quite a few milestones this month. Early in your ninth month, you surprised us all with you hands and knees crawling. Mommy had read that some babies just rock the army crawl until they walk and seeing as how you were owning that travel style, I assumed you were going to keep it rolling. Of course, any time I get adjusted to something you are doing or not doing, you change it up to keep me on my toes. We were visiting home for the Rockets/Clippers game on March 30th and you out of no where started rocking on your hands and knees. You weren't crawling just yet but we figured it was definitely coming. Within a week you were busting out a few strides here and there and before we knew it, you were a speedster. You have never gotten to the dog food faster! Here's a few shots of you getting around and of course playing with your favorite toy - the iPad - made even more fun to play with when mommy or daddy are trying to do work on it. Good thing we have the protector case because you ravage that thing. You also love pretty much all technology including our phones and remotes. We gave you my old phone and you have a fake remote, but the real deals are far more entertaining than the fake stuff... and you know - too smart for your own good!

Another new fun toy this month - rubber duckies! GiGi got you a few rubber duckies in your Easter basket and you were such a fun that I thought you needed more. I thought you needed A LOT more, but daddy made me cancel some of my order. I guess 26 ducks are plenty for now. I got you an alphabet set from Oriental Trading Company - your daddy's uncle is the CEO - so we are fans! You love them so much. Unfortunately, your brothers like them too so we are constantly telling them to: "DROP THE DUCK!"

You were also very helpful in the yard. Texas weather is taking it's sweet time to heat up so we haven't had many days out in nature yet, but it is getting there. During one of the warm days, we went out to water the rose garden and you helped. Such a good little helper. You love water almost more than rubber duckies and princesses and until you got tired, you were adorable. 

I started feeding you puffs right at 8 months and everyone gave me a hard time because you may have choked a little bit on the first one, but they are soft and you swallowed it just fine. Now you can't separate yourself from the puffs. We started you on sweet potato puffs because of your passion for veggies, but you have upped your game to banana puffs and apple cinnamon puffs. We try our best to get you enough solid food and milk before you start to demand your puffs. You put them away too. You like to get one in each hand and down them. Girl loves her puffs!

One day this month, mommy was at work and got this picture emailed to me from daddy. Apparently, daddy was only on the computer for a moment before he realized you were inside the puppy's kennel. I guess you just love your big brothers so much you wanted to be like them. You went right on in there and played for a little while. I almost had to make a CPS report, but it was pretty cute - like everything you do - so I let it slide as long as daddy didn't lock you in with Dexter and go run errands. We'll do that when you are older. ;)

Another warm day this month. GiGi thought you were the perfect size for one of the pool's she had in the backyard last time we visited. You loved it so much that GiGi let you take this one back to our house. It was a beautiful day so we took it in the front yard and had a pool day with your princesses. You were so stinking adorable and you loved it. You are such a fish. I can't wait until it's warm enough to take you in the big pool.

One day this month, we decided to take your brothers to the dog park. Daddy and I used to take them all the time before you and I think they have felt a little jealous lately of you because they haven't gotten as much attention or special trips to the park. You enjoyed watching all the puppies playing in the park and in the water. You loved the beautiful greenery and the blowing wind. You really wished that you didn't have to be carried and would have preferred to jump off of the bench, but you overall had a great time.

We got to visit Tyler, Camille, Millie, and Kevin while we were in town toward the beginning of the month. It was nice to see everyone and we are so very blessed to still be such good friends with these great people. We got to hear more about Kevin's engagement and see new tricks Millie has mastered. You are very intrigued by other babies and children right now so you definitely could not be bothered by looking forward for the picture when you could be inspecting your neighbor. You are always such a curious little one.

You are so close to being able to walk little lady. We decided that if you were of average height and weight for your age, you'd be running by now but since you are so long and lean, you have to get a little more balance to keep you steady before hitting the road. You love pulling up on everything and everyone and you are cruising at full speed sometimes with two hands, sometimes with one hand, and sometimes you let go all together just to keep things interesting. We didn't think you would be using the walker from Grannie Jannie quite so soon but when don't you surprise us! You are so advanced!

You are also becoming little miss independent this month. You show us who is boss all the time. Daddy doesn't take as much from you as I do - I guess we can see who will be good cop and who will be bad cop already! You also don't act up as much for daddy because you know I'll bend to your will much easier than he will. You particularly take joy in resisting any time that I change your diaper (insta-rollover), any time that I try to put you in your carseat (back bend central/stiff as a board), and any time that it's time to go in the high chair (I know you want to eat, but you won't go willingly!) If you were only stable enough already to eat on the go then we would have no problems. Well, I'm sure I say that now and then when we get there - just like before - I'll be wondering where the times went when you weren't as mobile! Grass is always greener!

 Is it too early to start encouraging you to embrace the joys of education and choose a great school to obtain said education from? If there was any question on the best school in Texas than I suppose this can help clear that up. Daddy and I both went to undergrad and graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin and as you can tell we are grooming you to make the right decision too! Unless of course, you settle for one of the Ivy League Schools on full scholarship because of your brilliance before attending medical school. No pressure of course, we'd love you if you were the check-out clerk at a local retail store or the CEO of a booming company taking care of your old parents on the side!

Well, that one was a very long and thorough post. I guess that's what I get for not updating as I go. A lot went down this month and I can't begin to think of all the million moments that I didn't capture with this blog. I just know that there will come a time that I don't remember all of this magical moments with you. I will forget the stress and difficulty of the time (that I'll be happy to forgo) but I'll also forget the sweet moments I caught your smile looking up at me when you knew you accomplished something good or the hand on my chest as you nursed or the (very infrequent) episodes when you just laid back on me and sat quietly watching a movie or listening to my heartbeat. I hope that I keep them all tucked away in my memory, but I'm glad that I am taking the time even if it's every once in a while to put them down here for you - but really for me to reminisce how amazing and special your life has made mine. Love you to pieces! Happy 9 months!

The Time You Started Trying to Wave & Frolic in the Bluebonnets

You are constantly proving to us that if we look away for too long we are going to miss something. Now you have started waving. Every once and a while, you will do a little graceful, I'm the princess, hello my peasants wave. You are so dainty and cute. Now we just have to get you to wave on command and we are set. At this point it's at your whim.

Today we traveled to Georgetown, Texas just north of Austin to see Aunt Sabita play tennis in a tournament. Because I was at work all hours of the night Friday night, we did not go on Saturday to see her win three games, but we did get to see one, long game on Sunday morning. Aunt Sabita did not win but she put up a valiant fight and gave her opponent a run for her money. We got to visit with them longer when we went to Chili's for lunch and the outlet mall. We also stopped along the highway - yes, we just pulled on over and hopped out and into the field of bluebonnets. We had been talking about finding a good patch of bluebonnets for your first bluebonnet pictures. In Texas, our state flowers are bluebonnets and each year there is a short window of time when they grow. They are wildflowers so they grow in the masses along highways and in fields. We did not get a chance over Easter weekend to find any good patches in Houston, but we happened to see millions of them on the ride to the tennis tournament and we decided to stop on the way home. You were so cute - of course. You also happened to have your super cute bright yellow top on which daddy says "just popped!" Aunt Sabita also happened to have a great shade of yellow as well and she took some pictures with you. You two looked so pretty. It was a wonderful day. We topped it off with a bath sitting up in your bathtub with your new princess bath toys that Grannie Jannie bought you.

The Time You Started Sleeping on Your Own... Kindda

This week, we hit a breaking point. I hate hearing you cry and I often bend over backwards to make sure you are not crying EVER. Your daddy can roll with it much better but I see him pick you up too - because he loves his little princess and you've got him wrapped around your little finger. Long story longer, I also haven't been getting much sleep. I twist around to make space for you in bed and I am constantly terrified that our co-sleeping will take a turn to dangerously wrong - just like all the teaching I've given to other mothers at work. You are getting bigger and you move a lot more in your sleep. You are also waking up and crawling so on the off chance that you wake up and crawl right over us and off the bed, we opted to start getting you used to this nice big room you have here with all of your things. The crib has been your nemesis. Now that you stand up, you hate it and you immediately cling to the bars and scream when left alone. My heart breaks every time because I would hate to be scared and lonely and left alone all night too, but everyone swears you will be fine. Read this and know that I hated every minute you weren't with me. I hated every second you were screaming and crying - and by the way - I was crying most nights too. I hated not snuggling with you all night long, but everyone says you need a little independence and the ability to soothe yourself. Even your pediatrician swears by it. Apparently, daddy and I are waking you up just by being next to you. I've been reading a no-cry sleep solution book but ironically I'm reading too slow and while I'm in my room reading the no-cry sleep solution, you are in the other room crying it out. It's Team McKinney against Team Taylor with the crying it out solution. I broke though, I gave in and let you cry. I'm telling you it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. You look so terrified and sad in your room and you literally look like you are melting as you slowly release your grip from the crib bar or pack-n-play side and fall asleep, BUT you do fall asleep. We've had to let you cry a few times throughout the night as you wake in the evening. The second you REALLY cry in the morning, I'm right there and we get our snuggle in and you sleep with me and daddy a little bit longer after drinking your breakfast. I get that little bit of loving still and I relish those sweet morning moments. You are only going to be this little for a minute and it already feels so fast. We shall see how the crying it out goes. So far, the crying has gone from 45 minutes/never stopping to about five minutes or less.

The Time You Turned Eight Months Old

Another month, another month cute, and another month mischievous. You can do so many amazing things already. I am constantly amazed by you. I can't believe how quickly you change and how quickly you are developing and doing things literally from day to day. I swear you struggle with something new in the morning and by night you are a pro. Another photo shoot down - although now, you are a wiggle worm and getting the shots I want versus the ones you want is an epic battle!

Highlights from this month:
5) You are sitting up stronger and more stable
4) You are downing solid foods and upping your game to 2nd Stage foods and sort of the finger biscuits
3) You are pulling up on EVERYTHING - and getting a few bumps and bruises along the way - SORRY!
2) You flip any time I need to change your diaper - I'm actually getting quite proficient at upside-down diaper changing (a little loose and haphazard but they will do the job!)
1) You backboard every time we try to put you in your carseat which makes going anywhere super fun and at least a ten to fifteen minute adventure/battle royale

The Time You Went to Your First Concert

Your daddy's side of the family is HUGE! They also frequently get together for family reunions so they stay very close. Unlike some families, daddy's family is not only the immediate family members - brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents - but also the cousins of dad and their parents and children. The list of family members goes on and on. Specifically, your grandfather's side of the family keep in pretty close touch and we often see and vacation with them. These family members include the Lee, Aiono, Rabe, and Jones families. Today we got to see Great Aunt Barbara Lee and Great Uncle Jerry Lee and the Aiono family. Alex Aiono is a very talented singer/songwriter/performer and he is currently touring with a Disney band group called R5. The concert was already sold out at Stubb's where he was performing in Austin, but fortunately his family was able to reserve us two and a half spaces for our family to attend. It was pretty exciting and he did an excellent job. As a true fan of partying, you were there with your new "Me gusta el Rock" onesie and your bright orange ear plugs. You loved the music so much you drifted off to sleep. We stayed for the other performers too, but Alex was of course the best. Mommy went a little celebrity crazy and got a picture with some kid from Disney that I didn't even know, but I'm sure someone looked at the picture and was jealous. Who knows one day you might think he's a cute, older actor and I can say remember that time when... Although more than likely he, his band, and his Disney show will be long forgotten and kids will be on to the next favorite Disney act. It was great to see family members and we even got to take them to Kerbey Lane the next day before they flew out. We were very excited to share in that special day and have you experience your first concert and get your first picture with a blooming rockstar.

In the same vein of seeing a rockstar, you also were rockstarring reading. You have always enjoyed a good, tasty book, but lately you have been starting to really look at the books and turn pages. You even start to mumble as if you are reading them to us. It's super cute. You are truly my daughter with this early eagerness to learn and read. We can read Shakespeare when you hit kindergarten ... it's a little earlier than I started in the third grade but I'll help you with the tricky words and phrases. I knew you would be such a smart girl!