9 Months!!

I can't believe we are 3/4 of the way to the girls turning 1 year old! Time is really flying and they are getting so big and doing so much more. Just the other day I was nursing Clara and suddenly she no longer felt like my little baby anymore. She fills my entire lap with appendages hanging out on all sides.

The sitting up is consistent and great. The no longer need pillows behind them in case they fall because they can sit for so long. Life is so much easier when you can put your baby down sitting rather than having to lay them on the floor all the time. It makes the little things that much easier. The girls love taking a bath together and they sit and splash and have such a great time. Occasionally Clara thinks it's funny to throw herself back without any regard to safety, but we are getting better about predicting when that will happen.

Lucy- You are getting so much more social with others and are really recognizing family members. You are starting to expand and include more people who consistently get smiles from you. You are so perceptive and are always finding new things in your environment either by looking or grabbing. You go down so easy for naps and bedtime, but you are a light sleeper. You wake easily and don't typically sleep very long stretches at night. You average hour long naps but are generally much happier when you wake up and you will chatter or babble to yourself for a bit. You're getting better at being more patient but there are still times when you need something to happen soon or else you start to lose it. You are giggling more and starting to produce more consonant sounds and we are hearing more repetitive babbling. You still love your pacifier and I'm already stressing about getting rid of it at some point soon. I struggle with the idea of taking something away from you that you love so much. You still love shopping and I think you get stir crazy when you're home for too long. You are rarely fussy when we are out running around because I think you like the change of scenery. You also love chewing on the straps of our new stroller. You enjoy your bath and the pool. You didn't love being dunked under water but you also didn't cry. You really lean forward when you sit up and it makes you look so small. You are getting longer and outgrowing lots of the 3 month clothes finally, but you are still very petite. When I saw your aunt Charlotte for your christening I remembered how petite she is. She can't weigh much more than 105 pounds. I think it's just the way you're built and that you're always going to be a petite little thing. It makes holding you so nice though because you hold yourself up so well and are so strong but also are so light. You feel like a tiny baby but look and act like a big girl. You learned how to drink from my water bottle. You enjoy experimenting with spitting your food and we try so hard not to react at all. Even though we had a few rough weeks this month I'm still so lucky to be able to watch you grow and change every day.

Swingin' and droolin'

Out for a walk in the stroller with the delicious straps

Big girl sitting up

Mama, you done peeing yet?

She loves standing 

Petting her doggie

Stylin with mama in shades

Which wubbanub does she have in her mouth?

Clara- You are such a big girl! You haven't been weighed in a while, but boy are you a load to carry. You've started to stretch your arms out, anticipating being picked up, and it's so sweet. You love the pool and even tolerated being dunked under water a few times. I shouldn't say you tolerated it because you absolutely loved it!  You have the biggest eyes that are constantly taking in the world. You smile and giggle all the time and are such a happy girl. You love eating and readily open your mouth for the spoon. You've tried a few things you didn't love (green beans and peas) but have only ever refused one meal. You are getting better about self feeding, but still miss your mouth more times than you hit it. You rake food up with your hands so this causes a lot to get stuck on your little fingers and palms. You love the pets and giggle if the dogs come close or give you kisses. You are a bit rough with the cat but he puts up with it and comes back for more every time, so I guess you guys have some unspoken deal. You are such a great sleeper and will go about 11 hours in your crib every night. You also go down easily for your naps and occasionally have to be woken up to not get too far off from your sister's schedule. Speaking of your sister, you love Lucy so much and light up when you see her or giggle if she plays with you. You tend to steal a lot of her toys as everything seems to look better in her hands. You are starting to imitate each other blowing raspberries and get so much more face to face time now that you are both sitting. This month we had to go to the pediatrician for some strange bumps on your scalp. They weren't going away so I decided to bring you in. He said it was baby acne and it was probably from my hormones since I'm still breastfeeding. We switched you from Prevacid to Lansoprazole. You love taking it and suck the entire syringe down in no time. You are doing well on this medication but continue to spit up some. I always try to pass you off to daddy as quickly as possible after feedings so you can get him instead of me. Overall, you are just such a happy and easy going baby. You are already patient and I love watching you learn and grow every month.

Just doing a little composing

Windy day

Trouble!

Getting baptized 

Such big eyes

blueberry face

Standing up

So cool

So proud of herself for figuring it out

This month the girls were baptized and we celebrated with friends and family. Both girls gained confidence and strength with their sitting up, and expanded their speech sound repertoires to include more sounds and variations. I love being their mommy and am so lucky to be able to be home with them every day. Life is good!

pile of girls

W and the girls

Out for a walk on a beautiful day

First tubby together sitting up

You're crushing me sis!

So excited about having 2 jumperoos

A play date with some friends

4 babies and 2 swings

Wearing both babies

Playing with some friends after their baptism

Memorial day at the lake

So much crinkly paper everywhere!