{ Dear Blair :: 9 Months Old }

Happy 9 months my sweet little love!  You are practically perfect in every day.  My own little mini Mary Poppins.  I love everything you do.  I love every funny face you make.  Every smile absolutely melts me and I wonder "How could I possibly love someone I've only known 9 months THIS much!"  But it's the truth.

You are my light and my life and I live to make you happy.  I can't believe how fast you're growing and love watching each and every new trick and talent you learn.  It amazes me each month as I sit down to recall all the incredible things I love about you...

• You haven't been to the doctors yet for your 9 month check up so I don't actually know how much you weigh, but I do know you are HEAVY!  In a totally cute, adorable, cuddly kind of way.  Of course!  If I had to put a number on it, I'd probably guess you're somewhere in the 90th percentile and weigh about 20 pounds.
• Your hair is definitely blonde!  Finally we have a verdict.  Everyone who meets you says "OH!  She's a blonde!"  It isn't super light toe-head blonde like your cousin Russell, but it's blonde nonetheless.  Maybe when you get older it'll get darker and you'll be a "blonde" like your Aunt Jacki.  Wink. Wink.
• You are the HAPPIEST baby.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother.  Everywhere we go people comment "She is the happiest baby!" It's all I hear!
• Your nicknames as of late are still Blairski, pumpkin, pumpkin head, bug, and gopher.
• You have SOOO many teeth! I was quite surprised when one day I looked in there and found SIX teeth!  You have 2 little "gopher teeth" on the bottom and 4 up top. The top ones are still making their way down, but I bet those 2 front teeth will be in before Christmas.  No need to ask for those.
• When are you ever gonna learn to crawl?  It seems like it's all I'm hearing about from my friends and family.  Every one's baby is crawling but you!  Haha.  That's ok though because I like that you can just sit on the floor and play with your toys for hours on end.  I can take a shower without worrying you're gonna go get into the toiletries under the sink, or even worse, the toilet!  I'm sure the day will come soon enough and I'll think to myself "Why was I so anxious for this kid to crawl?"
• My favorite new trick of yours is watching you turn the pages on your books.  I'll never forget the first time it happened.  It was early morning, your dad had just left for work and we were sitting on the bed reading your favorite book "Bath Time."  It's one of those tabbed books and you just reached down for that tab and turned the page!  At first I thought it was a fluke, but then you turned the next tab and the next and the next.  Now every time we sit down to read a book you HAVE to be the one to turn the page.  So stinking cute!
• You LOVE to bounce.  No, LOOOOOVE!  It's without a doubt your favorite physical activity of the day.  The minute someone picks you up you proceed to jump up and down in their arms.  You jump on laps, on the bed, on the couch, on the floor.  Wherever you can jump, you JUMP!
• Recently you've started SPITTING!  It's a nasty habit, but makes me laugh.  You spit while you read your books.  You spit while you're playing with your toys.  You're just a little spitter.
• You are still saying just a couple words.  Mostly mama, dada, and baba.  We're not sure if you know what they mean, but whenever you're sad or tired you just call out "ma ma ma ma" over and over again.  It's the sweetest thing.
• When I asked Daddy what he thought you'd learned in the last month he said "I feel like she's getting smarter and smarter and her motor skills are improving."  I couldn't agree more.  You are such a smart little baby.  And I would probably use the word calculated to describe it.  You always think about people and things before making any rash decision.  You're very careful and somewhat reserved, but we know it's only because you've really thought about it and studied it out.  We can see it in your eyes.
• I love watching you learn through cause and effect.  Your latest discovery is dripping water.  In the bathtub you'll take your wash cloth and dunk it in the tub, then hold it up high to watch the water drain out of the towel.  You really love when it's almost gone and there's just a slow drip...drip...drip. 
• The only complaint I can come up with about this glorious age is the night time wake-ups!  I don't know if it's teething, bad dreams, you get cold?  I just don't know.  But you'll usually wake up 1-4 times during the night crying.  Usually I can just give you a binky and you'll nod back off but on occasion you need a little snuggle from mom.  
• You have a pretty good schedule.  Something that mother's of multiples make fun of.  But hey, it works for us so we're sticking with it.  You usually wake up around 6:30am, have a quick snooze at 8:30 on our run, another nap around 11 and one more around 2.  It's a beautiful thing!  And bedtime is about 8:00.  Although we just got home from a vacation where you weren't in bed til 10.  (So worth it!)  Hope it doesn't take long to get you back on schedule.  Mommy loves your schedule!