The Chicago Livingstons: 9 and 24

A 9 month old and a 24 month old... the sweetest little lady and the most charming little guy around! They're ours and they're getting bigger.

Together, they are quite the pair. Ellie is content if she's within 5 feet of Robbie, regardless of where we are! And Robbie is always mindful of Ellie, handing her one of his toys if he sits down to play near her. I love watching their sibling relationship develop, and there are very few things that bring us more joy than to see them love and care for one another.

Of course they have their moments together too, like last night in the bath tub when Robbie experimented with Ellie's balance by lifting her foot up out of the water, toppling her over and causing a head bonk before mommy could intervene. And as you can see, Ellie is a cup thief.

Robbie continues to be a good head taller than most kids his age. His stats at the pediatrician were:

Height: 37.75 inches - 99th percentile

Weight: 32 pounds - 89th percentile

Head: 20 inches - 94th percentile

He's in 2T clothes, size 6 diapers, and size 7 or 8 shoes (no longer double wide!).

The poor guy slimmed down a little more this past weekend, thanks to the flu. He looks so skinny to me!

He is really enjoying all this talking business, and chatters on and on all day long. He enjoys memorizing songs and books, and will randomly burst into song or recite a favorite new book. (The best is when he spots a Bible and picks it up, clutching it to his chest, and sings "The B.I.B.L.E... yes that's the book for me!...")

The nights he sleeps in his crib are numbered, whether he realizes it or not (we've tried to explain). His big boy furniture has been ordered and will be delivered any day now. My mom and sister helped me paint his room on Monday and I am doing my best to enjoy the fact that he is becoming a little boy and is really no longer our baby. Helps to have Ellie around in my weak moments!

I love that Robbie is gentle even though he tends to be bigger than the other kids his age. He is enjoying playing WITH his friends now (as opposed to parallel play), and ends up being chased by his friends that are girls (mainly Charlotte and Riley!). My favorite things about this stage are how obedient he is most of the time, his love for daddy and desire to be right by his side anytime he's home, and how much he wants to snuggle with me all of the sudden. It's very sweet and I'm happy to enter the 'terrible two's' with him, even if these things change. He is so precious to us.

Ellie is in a great phase right now too. At 9 months, she is so observant of the world around her, and although she is less fearful of strangers, she strongly prefers those of us who are a part of her daily / weekly life. My mom dubbed her the 'cling-on monkey' when she was an infant, and that trait continues to be true as she always grabs on tightly to Rob and I when we hold her. She loves to grab me by the hair with both of her hands and pull my face toward hers, mouth slobbery and wide open, to give me kisses. So gross, yet so cute... so I let her. :)

At the pediatrician, her 9 month stats were:

Height: 29.5 inches - 97th percentile

Weight: 20 pounds 2 oz - 74th percentile

Head: 18.25 inches - 97th percentile

(*Funny story, her head measurement concerned the doctor for the second well-visit in a row, but when I reminded her that Robbie's head always trended this large, AND I think I have a big head, too, the Dr. wrapped her tape measure around my head and announced that I did, indeed, have a larger head for an adult! Motherhood strips you of unnecessary vanity - thankfully - and I was just relieved that Ellie's head measurement wasn't cause for concern but instead most likely an inherited trait from me. Ha!)

This little lady loves to cross her ankles!

She has begun to show signs of having strong preferences in several ways: she gags anytime I try to feed her pureed meat, dislikes things being taken from her grasp, and relishes in her bedtime routine. All I have to do is place her on her back in her crib and hand her her little bunny blanket, and she grabs it with her left hand, snuggles it to her cheek, and places her right thumb in her mouth and snuggles down to sleep.

I noticed yesterday that she is cutting MORE teeth! Her upper tooth has been coming in for a little while, but the next tooth over (away from the center) is starting to bud as well. She is following in her brother's footsteps - once he started to cut teeth, he never stopped until his molars came in. Sadly, Ellie's sleep is often disrupted by teething, and I can expect to go back to one 4am bottle feeding until these teeth are well through the gums.

(*To be honest, I don't mind it - who wouldn't want to snuggle this sweet girl, even at 4am?! And we don't get a lot of time just the 2 of us, so I'm thankful for it even in the middle of the night.)

Ellie is more interested in getting mobile, and this morning she made an attempt to crawl over to a toy from a sitting position. She still rotates 360 degrees like a pro, and inches backwards... but the forward crawl is elusive. I'm not worried nor am I pushing it. The minute she crawls, my life gets harder! I know she will do it soon, because sometimes when I stalk her through the video baby monitor I see her inching forward in her crib in an effort to get comfortable. No, I'm not counting these little movements as first crawl!

Overall Ellie is laid back, happy to be with Mommy and Robbie during the day and thrilled to see Daddy when he comes home from work. She eats up her dad's attention, even at this young of an age. Ellie is lucky to have a dad who loves her and is so taken with her!