Madeline is 9 months old!

CAKERS!

You are 9 months old. I took you to the pediatrician this week and your stats are:

Weight: 17.5 pounds - 34th percentile

Height: 28 1/2 inches - 80th percentile

Head circumference: 17 5/8 inches - 75th percentile

You are the happiest little girl in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. You were all smiles and giggles and even pulled out a few new tricks for the doctor at your well visit - saying "Ma Ma" and "Ba Ba" when I asked you to.

Your sweet little personality keeps unfolding and we are anxious to know: will you stay mellow and sweet or will your spunky side win out!?

(*I'm putting my money on SWEET AS PIE. But you never know...)

You turned 9 months old on the 29th of December, and that's when you started to cut your third tooth - the upper left middle tooth. The right one is hot on it's heels.

You became a crawler this month, and have no trouble getting to what you want now. Sadly, you were the first child in our family to choke on something other than food. (Rob reminds me that you didn't actually 'choke', but it was not good.) You found a large piece of sequins on the floor in the upstairs hall one night as I was bathing the older kids, and I looked over at you as you hacked and coughed and couldn't clear your throat. I picked you up as you continued to struggle and gasp and yelled for your dad. (I tend to be dramatic in these awful moments, it's a flaw.) I grabbed the bulb syringe, at a complete loss as to how to help you, and your dad calmly watched as you vomited all over me. A few of those and I decided to do the finger sweep and caught the sequins with my index finger, and all was well from that point on.

You know, after my heart resumed beating at its regular rhythm.

You are absolutely in love with your big brother and sister, and they are really starting to love entertaining you. If you're sad or fussy they'll come up to you and laugh at you or start talking with you and playing with your hands and you immediately crack up. Tonight Robbie laid next to you as I changed your diaper and said "Maddie, say ba-ba-ba!" and when you obeyed and said exactly what he asked of you, he looked up at me and beamed! I think it surprised him that you are now able to interact and respond, and I share his wonder and excitement over you.

We are going to have a lot of fun teaching you all sorts of new things. ;)

You are still in size 3 diapers, and have moved to size 9 month pjs and size 6-12 month clothing.

You eat baby food for 3 meals a day but still love your precious bottles. We're starting slowly with finger table foods as well. You're having a hard time adjusting to the new challenges, digestively. It's only a matter of time (probably this week) until you get your first miralax juice bottle. Thankfully it's nothing new to me, as Ellie traveled down this road before you and you are like a carbon copy of her with these issues. No biggie. We know how to deal with it.

Your hair is still a beautiful shade of strawberry. Your eyes, pretty and blue. Your cheeks are full and your torso is narrow and there isn't an inch of you that I'm not head over heels in love with.

You still love a good round of Peek-A-Boo.

Your teeth are still a novelty and that little tongue is constantly poking around to feel them, even behind pacifiers.

You sleep from about 6:30pm at night until 7 or 8 in the morning without waking at all through the night. You have been a great night sleeper for as long as I can remember, from the beginning of sleep training. BLESS YOU! You take 3 naps each day, usually an hour around 9 or 10am, an hour or two midday when we're home, and another one around 3 or 4pm. If we are out all morning and you miss that first nap, you take one epic nap from 12 or 1pm to 3 or 4pm. You're flexible and easily distracted for a little while if I need to keep you out at nap time.

You are filling our home with more laughter and joy, but also more noise. And we do love it. The sweet sounds of siblings getting to know each other, forming relationships and playing together... and of course, of Ellie stealing her toys back from your swiping little hands.

I can't believe that we are dedicating you at the end of the month, and that soon I'll be planning your first birthday.

It's going so fast.

We love you Maddie, Maddie-cakes, cakes, cakers!