Happy 9 Months, Alexis!

Alexis, 

Another month older! You are becoming more independent right before our eyes. You are on the go more than ever - still military crawling though you seem to push up onto all fours more and more each day. If we leave the room, you usually come racing over to see where we are and what we're doing. And, you've also begun exploring on your own this month, sometimes we have to take a minute to "find Lexi." You love crawling over to the air conditioning vent and have it blow your hair. You have begun pulling up - on the fireplace, on your learn and grow table (a new favorite toy), mommy's knees, the ottoman, or any other piece of furniture. You love standing up and also like "dancing"- bopping in place once you're standing tall. 

You can be quite the chatterbox when the mood strikes you. Mama, dada, baba, goo goo, ga ga, etc. It seems that you have a lot to fill us in on, and we're all ears. You also have a happy scream. We're not sure where you picked that up, but you scream and squeal when you're very excited.  If there's a dog in the room, we know to hold our ears. We think you're actually allergic to them, but you certainly don't realize it yet as you delight in their kisses. And boy are you curious. You never miss a single detail. You know instantly when we're in a new setting, with new friends, when a new toy is in sight or you're trying something for the first time. We love to watch you observe the world around you and then decide to test the waters!

As outgoing as you can be, you also have a shy side. Lately you need a few minutes to warm up to new faces. You're very timid at first but often end up crawling right over to your new friend to pull their nose, steal their sunglasses or say hello. You're still getting your beauty sleep, snoozing for 11-12 hours. We're working on getting you down to two naps during the day and introducing more solids as there's little in the food department that you won't at least sample. You love tags, buttons, zippers and ribbons. And you'd much rather play with any sort of gadget than all of your toys. If there is a phone, remote control, computer wire or set of car keys in the room, you seem to know instantly. This month you got your very first tooth, took your first vacation, played in several pools, drank from a sippy cup, finished your yoga class, developed a love for dogs, and made us so very happy and proud. 

Happy 9 Months, Alexis Rose. 

Why sit when you can stand?