Stats

Brees Elizabeth is 9 months old!

I am so late with this post, late for Brees's 9 month wellness visit, late getting photos
printed and posted.  But honestly, this month has flown by.  And in all the activity, the
hustle and bustle and daily events, this little baby has become a talking moving girl before
our eyes!  Not only did I have a difficult time rolling this post out, but getting photos of
her sitting in one place was next to impossible.  We've got a curious little explorer
on our hands!

Here are her stats:

Feeding:  We are still nursing every 3-4 hours around the clock with 3 solid meals a
day.  We have been experimenting with different textures and introducing new foods
weekly but so far she has been uninterested in anything other than purees.  When it comes
to solid foods, Brees could really take them or leave them.  She is a boob girl, it's
her drink/food of choice.  And with my new job hours, I only have to miss one feeding a
day, making us both very happy as she gets to nurse more and I get to pump less!  
This month, she did take a liking to oatmeal, toast, and applesauce.  Cheese, yogurt,
and pasta, however, ended up on the floor.

Sleeping:  Brees is still napping 3 times a day with her afternoon nap lasting the
longest: usually about 2 1/2 hours.  She wakes up 1-2 times per night to nurse.  She
began waking up around 2 every night and refusing to go back to sleep, instead playing
and jumping and crawling all over her sleepy parents.  We decided, for all of our sake,
to break this habit before things got really out of control.  So, for the last week, when
she wakes for her middle of the night feeding, I nurse her, change her, and then put her in
her bed next to ours.  She was not very happy about it at first, but after a few nights and
a whiny adjustment period, is now falling right back to sleep in her crib.  We
will probably transition her to full-time sleeping in her crib next to our bed soon as she
grows and becomes more active.  

Health: With 8 teeth in her sweet little mouth, oral hygiene has become part of our
daily routine.  Brees now gets her teeth brushed twice a day using Gerber Grins and 
Giggles Infant Tooth and Gums Cleanser.  She had a mild cold right along with the rest
of the family but recovered quickly with no trip to the pediatrician needed.

Milestones:  Brees can now stand without holding onto anything for support.  She is
cruising along the furniture and letting go when transferring from one piece to the next.
She says a whole slew of sounds but "Dad" is her favorite.  She crawls into and
onto everything and is really, really fast.  She has just started to wave "Bye bye" and
will sometimes say "Baba" simultaneously.

Playing:  Brees does not waste much time on toys but instead prefers to climb inside
the laundry basket, pull books off the shelves, tear their pages out, and eat the paper,
hide the remote, eat our cellphones, pull everything out of the pantries, and knock
down trashcans.  She is very, very active and so quiet, you never know what she might
be up to.  And then, when you discover her destruction, she flashes her adorable smile
and crawls over and gives you a kiss.  They learn so young...

{And in honor of her 9 month birthday, here's a tribute to the most important
number 9 of all!  Ever wonder about her name?  Here's a not so subtle hint...}

This month Brees:

• Went on her first boat ride and swam in the Atchafalaya River
• Started crying when I left her with the babysitter in the mornings, crawling after me with the saddest pouty face
• Helped Mama celebrate her birthday
• Got more bumps and scrapes and bruises than ever thanks to some serious crawling and exploring
• Made diaper changing and getting dressed an athletic event, sometimes requiring TWO adults to hold her wiggly body down as she squirmed her way around the changing table

We love you, sweet angel, oh so much!  You have the 
most precious spirit and fill our days with so much love!!