9 Months Old

Dear Emily,

I am amazed at how much you have grown in the last few weeks. You are becoming more and more independent and adventurous with each passing day. You are so sweet and so patient, even with our constantly changing life. I am so grateful you are my buddy through it all.

With all of our travels and meeting new people and seeing new places, you have become rather attached to me. If I stay in one place you become more willing to wander, but if I leave the room you are very excited when I come back. Your whole body waves and you make excited noises. You are also quick to give hugs, kisses and cuddles, which is a welcome change. A few days ago you figured out the art of reaching from person to person to move your way across the room to get to me. It is very cute, but I like it when we stay places long enough so you can feel comfortable with your other relatives, which happens after a few days. You also get really excited when you see Dad on FaceTime, which is how it has been the last three weeks.

You are beginning to use your index finger a lot for detailed looks at small objects. Little buttons are a big win right now. Or any little hole you find. I love it when you sit and talk about the things you are discovering, off in your own world. Sometimes if I hold out my finger you’ll reach out with yours and we have a brief ET moment. Your little fingers have also become expert grabbers of everything tiny and it all ends up in your mouth. Thank you for being patient as I constantly have my fingers in your mouth. I am grateful you still have one tooth in the front.

You are eating solid foods really well. We do a combo of baby food from a jar and lots and lots of bite sized finger food for you. There is almost nothing you won’t eat, for which we are really grateful when it comes to edible ítems. I do find it quite humorous that you will be completely done eating a meal and want no more, but as soon as so set you down on the floor you start picking things up and putting them in your mouth. You do love sitting in a high chair at the table with other people. You watch closely what everyone is doing and then after awhile you join in the conversation.

The day you began crawling you also figured out climbing. That skill is continually being honed, especially these last few weeks when we had been living in homes with stairs. You also surprised me by trying to climb up onto a chair, which I’ve discouraged because I’m not quite ready for that yet. You are also beginning to let go and stand on your own for just a few seconds. If you have just one hand on something you could stand indefinitely. Going in between objects is something you are becoming really good at and it is fun to watch you think through all the steps of moving your hands and then walking.

A brand new activity of yours is balancing in a downwards dog pose and looking at the world upside down through your legs.

When we left our piano in Indiana I was worried that you would forget how much you loved it; turns out there was no need to be concerned. When we were at your Grandma and Grandpa Jacksons you crawled right over to the piano and stood up to play the keys, and then tried to pull yourself up by the arms. When I put you in my lap to play you pounded enthusiastically for a long time.

You have begun interacting with other kids and laughing at the silly things they do. You are quick to laugh. The toys they have are often more exciting than your own. You love when kids your size smile or laugh and then you laugh right along with them. I think your favorite children are three or four years old because they love to play with you and do silly things for you. You are also noticing babies and really like the idea of being able to touch their faces. You notice the similar features of dolls and people. Two current favorite toys are a medicine spoon and syringe given to you by our friends in Kansas. The whole walk home you held one in each hand. Then during your diaper change, putting on pajamas, and nursing you wouldn’t let go. I slid them out of your fists when you drifted off to sleep and then tucked them away for our travel days and fortunately they continue to be a huge success.

You love dogs, particularly when you can watch them from a distance. There have been a few small dogs that you really liked petting and you made your frustrated growl when they were out of your reach. You also think a sneezing dog is hilarious.

You continue to be an avid observer, but are becoming more quick to smile at people and make friends. Outside times are still serious business, especially now that crawling opens up a whole new world. You love feeling the leaves on trees and bushes or touching the apples of your great grandma Blomquist’s trees.

One of the most fun developments is that you have figured out how to clap your hands. A few weeks ago you were waving both hands excitedly like you have done for months and then they accidentally hit together. It was a lightbulb moment and you were sold on the joys of clapping. You clap when you see someone you know, when you are eating food by yourself, when you are playing, or when something exciting happens. You love it when people clap with you.

You like music and have begun dancing (bouncing up and down and waving your arms) when you hear it.

No words yet, but you babble, buzz your lips a lot, squeal, growl, and suck in air. You are very expressive. You also recognize the words milk and clap for sure.

Mirrors are still a favorite, and now ovens where you can see a reflection are too.

You love baths now. You went from stoically sitting to splashing up a storm literally overnight. May 31 was your first official bath in a tub, and now it is a favorite activity.

This month you sat on the skateboard and used your feet to slide yourself around.

We love you Emily!