9 Months In, 9 Months Out

Eleanor turned 9 months old today, so she's officially been an outside baby as long as she was in inside baby. She was a lot easier to take care of when she was an inside baby, but I think it's better this way. I mean, she's pretty big, so if she was still inside, well, that would be bad. Very bad.

We just hung around the house today to celebrate the milestone:

She noticed her shadow and thought it was pretty funny.

She watched her puppies wrestle.

She practiced standing on her own and celebrating a touchdown
happening somewhere else in the world.

She tested the durability of my Droid.

She did some light reading.

And she watched her puppies wrestle, again.

Her 9-month check-up is on Monday, so I'll let you know how she's officially faring after the doctor weighs in. In my opinion, she's doing marvelously. She's sleeping well (usually from 6:45-6:30, and 3 hours worth of napping a day), she's eating well (still 4 bottles, 3 jars of baby food, and now, SNACKS!), her motor skills are quickly improving (she can stand on her own, climb the stairs, has taken up to 3 steps at a time, waves hello, and has a wicked pincer grasp), and she doesn't sound more adorable than when she's saying "mama" and "dada" (except when she "says hi" - that's pretty cute). When I look at how well she's doing, it makes me proud. It also makes me feel as if I'm not a miserable failure at this whole mom-thing.

Finger Foods

What? Do I have something on my face?

What do YOU call these things?

Ryan calls these hats "toboggans," and while you very might well wear one of these WHILE tobogganing on your toboggan, it's not the name of the hat. I remember calling them "skullies" in high school, though I think we may have grown up calling them "beanies"...? Either way, Eleanor looks adorable in her new knit hat.

Yikes! Stripes!

Polka Polka Polka Dots

Pigtails