9 Months Old!

It is amazing to me that Lauren is already 9 months old, and that we've known her the same amount of time outside the womb as inside the womb. :) Some days just seem to drag on, but the months are flying by.

Here is what Lauren is like as a 9-month-old:

*Her approximate weight and height is 20 pounds and 29.5 inches. (Her pediatrician is out of town, so we don't have her 9-month-appointment for another 2 weeks, when we'll get exact measurements.) That puts her in the 50-75th percentile range for weight and right at the 95th percentile for height on the girls' scale. Fortunately, she is at the 75th percentile for height on the boys' scale, so there are still 25% of boys out there that can be her date for the prom! ;)

*She is crawling very well now, and exploring almost everything. She is very curious and loves to really examine something new when she discovers it.

*She will occasionally pull herself up to standing, but mostly pulls up onto her knees. (Of course, she is so tall that Lauren kneeling is the same height as a lot of kids standing! :P) Yesterday, I discovered her standing in her crib for the first time!

*She loves rattles and anything she can use to make "music." We're hoping this means she takes after her dad's musical talent.

*She is VERY verbal. She can make several different sounds, including mama, dada, yaya, zaza, baba, gaga, etc., as well as different combinations of consonants and vowels. Quite often, she is the most talkative of the three of us.

*She loves to eat and is enjoying being able to feed herself finger foods. She often tries to grab the spoon when we are feeding her, but we're not quite ready for that mess yet.

*She is still sleeping well, although her recent teething episode has disrupted that a bit. Usually she goes to sleep about 7:30 or 8:00pm and gets up about 6:30 or 7:00am, but occasionally she will now wake up during the night and need help getting back to sleep. Still doesn't like to take naps, though...

*Speaking of teething, she now has 3 bottom teeth that have poked through, and one more that seems to be on the way. Still no top teeth, though.

*She likes being outside, looking at the trees, and pulling the grass. She also enjoys walks in her stroller.

*She enjoys being around other babies and likes to watch them or grab them.

*Lauren is definitely a girl: She already likes make-up, shoes, purses, and phones. :)

*Lauren is also definitely a daddy's girl: She gets very excited when Gary walks into the room, and cries if he leaves or doesn't pick her up.

She is such a joy and we love her so much!!