9 months

Happy 9 Months sweet baby girl!

You are just so much fun! sooo sweet! and so busy!! you are all over the house exploring everywhere. I keep loosing you actually! :) You have started to cruise! and you are pretty adventurous. you also have a little dainty dance - just ever so slightly bounce or if sitting you will rock your body. it is just too cute!

(this got long so just cut it off, sorry!)


You have gotten much better about your attachment to me (obviously) but you still have a hard time when I leave you in childcare (MOPS and church). You do okay for a while but loose it when you start to get tired. And you wont sleep for them.
You had your first sickness this month and that included your first ear infection. That was NOT fun. You are a spitter when it comes to medicine, making it near impossible to administer it (even shoving it down your throat). But we made it through and you cleared up.

This month we found out that you are allergic to milk. I took you in to get tested because they told me that you were at high risk for food allergies like brother. And they were right. We only tested soy and milk this time, and will test the other allergens later when you are a bit bigger. So sadly, you are on the same diet as Alex. I am handling it a little better this time because I know how it goes this time around. And at least it will be fair in the house. I am still sad and still shed tears. I just was so hopeful that you wouldn't have the same battle. That you would be able to go to school worry free, enjoy birthday parties, and even share food with me. Maybe someday...we will pray that you grow out of it. I feel like your allergy is different from Alex's because you don't seem to have similar reactions, skin issues, or reflux so that all keeps me hopeful still.


On the topic of food, you really don't like baby food. I felt like the medicine turned you off from putting things in your mouth. You stopped trusting me. But we gave you refried beans and you went to town.
Ever since, you are much more willing to try food. You were very jealous of Alex's snacks and so we let you try some. Probably not a good idea but we just don't care :) It makes you happy. So you looooove to suck on a pretzel here and there. You cry if you see them and we don't let you have one. Not kidding. You can suck on a cracker and you have been getting better at eating puffs and MumMums (but you will only eat the strawberry ones now).

this was your first time eating puffs, gotta love the puff face- remember this one!

I found that you will eat Happy Baby baby food

so we have been trying that. 10 bites are better than 1. I have never been one to go organic and healthy but I understand that this stuff probably is better all the way around (compared to Gerber). And you really just want to move to solids- avacado, beans, carrots, bananas. We might just pass baby food altogether.
You hate getting in the car seat and fuss when I put you in but are fine 2 seconds later. And you are a great passenger still, rarely crying. Well, you do not like to ride at night. But like 100 times better than Alex ever was!
Alex is your best friend and you really love him, I know. He can make you smile and laugh like no other. Really, all he has to do is look at you.
I get on to him about bothering you or being to rough and you surprise me by laughing at him- and he responds "Ellie likes it! See! Ellie likes it!" My favorite is to watch in the rear view mirror at yall holding hands in the car seats. He will swing your hand to the beat of the music and you just light up. You just want to be right next to him all the time. You want to play with his toys and be big. He has actually gotten better about sharing with you because he enjoys the company. He really wants you to play with him now. You are so kind and sweet when he does rip things out of your hands to see.

I realized today that seeing him pester you or be rough with you or take things from you brings back all kinds of feelings in me, being the little sister myself. I think I react from my past emotions a lot of times and I hear myself as a little girl when I react. (But that is for another couch)
We were doing so well with sleep training and then you got sick. Story of my life. So we have had our ups and downs. You still get up at least once in the middle of the night to nurse. But you sleep in and take 2 good naps (on a schedule so that you sleep during Alex's naptime) so I try not to complain.
Still NO teeth!! Shocking! Alex had 6 by this time!
Hair is growing! promise! I have had to brush the back down a few days! :)
I love her sweet closed lip smile and bubbly giggles! She is quite ticklish!


I love you lil Ellie girl. You brighten our days and fill our hearts with joy!