Nine Months

Every month as I type an update on Miss Sassy Pants, I say the same old thing...Wow...another month...I can't believe it's gone by so fast...yada, yada, yada...

But there is nothing else to say.  Nine months.  It seems like we have very quickly gotten to that stage where I'm running after her or redirecting her at every turn.  I remember it all too well with her older brother. At this point, she seems to be a shade less intense than her active older brother was, but we may just not be at that far along yet.

This little girlie still only has long strands of hair on the top of her head.  The rest looks like a buzz cut.  Very mod.

I still think hats are her best look.

She loves to play with her older brothers.  She wants so much to be involved and be front and center with her brothers.  Baby O is warming up to the idea, but becomes slightly irritated at her attraction to mouthing all paper products.  In the picture below, he was very careful to place all the Go Fish cards just out of her reach.  She didn't mind too much-she's pretty satisfied just to be close to him and make a big racket.

When giving/sharing his toys (she only wants what he has), he is sure to instruct her not to slobber on it.  As you can imagine, there is some frustration when she does not follow his wishes.  Everything gets goobered up in the end.

She is not afraid to get in the mix.  She may not look it, but she is rough and tough (she practically beat up a two year old last week at a play date-she's a pincher).  She fusses at her brothers when they take a toy away from her, she climbs all over them when they are watching television and has no qualms about plopping herself down right in the middle of whatever they are doing.  She loves it and her brothers don't mind (too much).

One of the major differences I have noticed between her and Baby O at this age, is that she knows the meaning of the word 'no'.  More often than not, she will stop, smile, and if you are serious about the 'no', she will cry.  Baby O on the other hand would just forge ahead.  His motto was that it was far easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.  And still is to this day as a matter of fact.

A before and after example in pictures:  Rocks are a big 'NO'.  This is before.

This is after.  But she took them out of her mouth and that's what counts.

AT A GLANCE
At her nine month check-up this morning, she weighed in at 17 pounds 10 ounces and is 27 inches long.  After being in the 3rd percentile at 6 months, she has climbed back up the charts to a very healthy 25th.  Her two bottom teeth have come in and she is completely mobile-standing up, cruising along the furniture and crawling at warp speed.  She waves good bye with proper zeal and loves to play peek-a-boo/hide-n-seek with the family.  Too cute for words sometimes.

A full night's sleep is something I still haven't experienced in a good long while.  My pediatrician told me that it will last as long as I want it to and to turn off the baby monitor.  I know she's right.  I know it.  I have an amazing amount of resolve until about two in the morning...I'm going to try harder...this time.  I'll let you know how I'm doing next month.  Anyone taking bets?

Different Scene, Same Old Fun

Our backyard isn't what I would call 'cookie cutter' anymore.  We do love it and it is certainly a work in progress (and most likely will be for years to come), but it isn't the nice family friendly, flat surface with soft grass that we had back in the Pacific Northwest.

Here are a few glances of the back of our property.  Lots of cactus, rock and some creepy crawlies.

Cactus was an interesting new plant for the kids to get used to.  You can tell them to be careful all you want....but it only takes once of falling into one of these prickly sensations to get the message across.  Boy O learned a painful lesson early on and subsequently spent an extended period indoors having the spines removed from his backside.  Like I said, it only happened once.

We have seen some pretty amazing wildlife from our dining nook and sitting on the back porch.  In addition to the regular herds of deer that infiltrate our garden, there are some things I hadn't expected, such as large walking sticks, tarantulas, a variety of snakes and my least favorite-the scorpions.  I never really thought much of them until I had my own experience of being stung by one in my bed.  Having never thought much of enlisting the help of a professional to come spray our house (not a big fan of chemicals), I informed Daddy O that I would be spending nights elsewhere until our house was scorpion free.  The very next morning, I joyfully answered the door and welcomed in our exterminator who proceeded to drench our house in scorpion napalm.  And I continue to be happy to see him every few months.

This is a picture taken just this evening-they are easy to find if you lift a rock up off the ground.  This little guy is pretty tiny...

...but as you can see, we have quite a few rocks they can find shelter under.  The critters have been removed from our household, but I think we will have to coexist outside.

Despite the terrain being so incredibly different, we have found ways to have some backyard fun.  We seem to be doing just fine without the flat, soft areas.  The kids enjoy having the sprinkler right on the playground.

It makes for some super fast sliding, wet swinging, and about the same amount of splashing.  The only difference is that we have learned to keep our shoes on!

Perfect Match

If you know me, you also know that I LOVE to play board games.  Long before children, when it was just the two of us, it used to take a lot of begging and pleading to get Daddy O to the table.  It was then that I wished for a child that would enjoy playing a good game now and then.

Boy did my wish ever come true.  Boy O and I play all sorts of fun games before bedtime-right now we are wholeheartedly enjoying UNO, but we also enjoy a good game of Sorry, Monopoly, Sequence, Memory (thank goodness we are past Candyland!).

The other night he got creative and spent at least a half hour making his own:

My favorite part was the cards....I like the one that says 8 or 9...I always choose 9.  The game pieces were M & M's.  Whoever wins gets to eat them.  Smart choice on his part-considering I don't care for them.  He's a winner every time.

His time spent making the game even got Daddy O to the table-and I consider that quite an accomplishment.

Loving his creativity, loving his humor, and loving my son.  I am so lucky to be his Mom.