STEP TO IT

You can walk! YOU CAN REALLY WALK! Although I can't decide who you look like more when  walking...Frankenstein, or me on my 21st birthday.

BURGLAR

There's an old wives' tale that a pregnant woman is going to have a girl if the baby steals it's mom's beauty.  You've done an efficient job of stealing your mom's beauty.  I still have a few pounds of pregnancy weight left to lose.  I'm now dealing with crazy whisps of hair sticking straight out of my head, thanks to all the hair that fell out after you were born. Yet that "permanent" laser hair removal in other areas is not so permanent if you factor a pregnancy into the mix.  Oh, and my dermatologist guaranteed me that the key to a clear complexion was to have a baby.  I had a baby and my complexion is worse than when I was a teenager.  I no longer believe a word Dr. Roberts says. 

I would have to say that it looks as though this old wives' tale is correct.  With all that I have gone through, it would certainly seem as though you've stolen more than your fair share of beauty because you are cuter than cute.  You are beyond cute!  And if this old wives' tale is true, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that if there's ever a baby #2, it's a boy.

GROSSER THAN GROSS

What's gross?  Dead bugs in the bedroom window sill.  What's grosser than gross?  Turning around to find you eating a dead mosquito eater from that window sill.  What's grosser than that?  Attempting to pull it out of your mouth, but only getting half of it. 

BATH

Bath time's much more fun when bubbles and toys are involved...

CLEAN UP CREW

If it was socially acceptable, I would let the dogs lick you clean after every meal.  With the amount of paper towels we go through, it would certainly save a tree or two.

BATHING BEAUTY

You finally made an appearance at the pool. From the looks of it, it was a great success.

A great success that is, until you fell face first into that bubbling fountain.  Bad Mommy.

DR. MOM

We're up to 2 ER visits and counting.  This time it was a staph infection that had to be incised and drained. 

Your dad sat this one out on the sidelines, but I got to help out.  The nurse and doctor asked if I was doing OK as I held you down because I must have been giving them a funny look.  That funny look?  The realization that the entire procedure they performed  was exactly what I do to my own patients, but on a smaller scale and on the other end of the body.  But I didn't tell them that. 

LAUGH FACTORY

The pop of a champagne cork, the ping of a golf ball being hit, and the deep belly laughs of a baby. These are a few of my favorite sounds.

I absolutely LOVE your belly laughs.  And I love that the most random things elicit them...the dogs playing with their toys, Daddy making funny faces, me having a one-man dance party, or you figuring out how to walk.  How to WALK?!?

Did I not mention that at 9.5 months you're walking? YOU'RE WALKING!  With the help of a pushcart walker, you can now mow through the halls on the heels of the dogs.  Lucy and Quincy love it.  Actually they don't, but that's life with a baby for them these days. 

Without the pushcart you've managed to take 3 steps on your own.  You can walk!  YOU CAN REALLY WALK!  What does this mean?  No more dirty worn out knees on all your pants! I couldn't be happier!