10 Months

Hello there time...mind slowing down, please?

(That's a 10 behind you, though not a very good one)

With our first daughter, I was always excited for what was coming next.
When will she crawl, stand, take her first steps?
When will she start feeding herself, holding her spoon, stop throwing food onto the floor?
When will she babble, say her first word and clap her hands?
What should she be doing now...according to the baby books, my friends,
babies in our baby classes, babies on other blogs?
With my second daughter, I have learned to live in the moment, to enjoy the here and now.
And so, I find myself wondering how on Earth our baby is 10 months old!

At 10 months, Ryleigh:
-LOVES to eat. And baby food just won't cut it.
Girlfriend loves chicken, sweet potatoes, peas and rice mum mums,
mac 'n cheese, and just about anything that's on her big sister's plate.
I'm much more laid back this time around. Not so worried about following the rules.
So she's also tried graham crackers and cheese, sherbet and pieces of a bagel, to name a few.
So far the only thing we can find that she doesn't shovel into those sweet cheeks is avocado.

-She also loves to dance. She smiles so big and starts bopping away
at the first hint of music. Girl's got rhythm!

-She is a super fast crawler these days.
Crawling on all fours has been perfected,
and she's like a little animal as she scurries from spot to spot.

When Vic gets home from work, she races over to greet him,
always with the biggest smile on her face.
-She's also busy cruising and pulling up any chance she can get.
Just this week she started walking behind a push toy.
-She is starting to wave
-She responds right away to her name
and also knows exactly who mom, dad and big sister are.

-She loves going on walks in the double stroller.
It's a sure-fire way to beat the witching hour and get some fresh air.
-She is getting her first tooth as I type.
That, combined with a cold, made last week pretty miserable as far as sleeping goes.
Hearing her whimper mamamama at 2 am certainly didn't help.
-She loves bath time and can't contain her excitement when she watches me turn the water on.
-She bops and bounces, taps her foot on the floor and attempts to crawl up and over the side.
Pretty darn cute.

-Like all babies, Ryleigh finds the remote, the phone, cords, wires, coffee tables, 

cabinets (and their contents) much more interesting than any toy

-She is also interested in everything Lexi does -
she tries to steal the iPad if Lexi is watching a show/movie on it,
she tries to steal her food, she bursts into giggles when Lexi tries to make her laugh,
and she is instantly comforted if Lexi walks over when she's crying.
She thinks her big sister is the coolest thing ever.
Watching this sister relationship develop gets sweeter each month.
-Though Ryleigh has learned to escape quickly
if she happens to mess up big sister's imaginary picnic
-She is busy, busy, busy
Changing her diaper and dressing her is nearly impossible without some type of distraction
(or slight use of force to hold her down)
-That said, she is still super cuddly at bedtime, and I live for those moments
At 10 months, Ryleigh is quite simply, the apple of our eye(s)

And, on this special day, I wish a Very Happy #8 to my handsome groom!