Leah 9 Months

Time is just flying by with this little kid!  She is already 9 months old!

Leah is is doing everything she can to keep up with her big sister.  She seems so much more aware of Brie now and what Brie is doing.  This often times causes a lot of "She is getting my stuff!!!!!" or "No, Leah, that isn't for babies!!".  Brie will often say things like "I want Leah to go in her exersaucer" (Leah is contained in this and can't get out on her own) or "Is Leah going to take a nap soon?" Leah loves to get into anything Brie is playing with, crawl over and find where Brie is, and try to grab anything she has.  Leah certainly is a little destroyer!  I don't remember chasing Brie around near this much.  I am constantly taking things away from Leah she can't have, fishing something out of her mouth, or putting yet another thing on the top shelf.  She is very mischievous!!  If it is quiet and you can't see Leah, be concerned.....be very concerned.  Leah is a busy body.  She doesn't care about watching TV; every once in a while she will sit and watch Praise Baby, but usually is done with it long before it is over (FAR different than her TV loving big sis).  

Mobility is her specialty.  She is a very fast crawler, and pulls her self up on everything.  I am constantly amazed by how far her reach is, it is way way further than you would expect.  For a while she was walking along furniture and standing alone; that really has seemed to slow down though now that she is a more efficient crawler.  Alec caught her going up the steps the other day....oye.  She has climbed on top of a box to be able to reach something she wanted, there is no stopping this kid!

She is currently in the midst of cutting her second tooth.  The first came through the gums just a couple days ago and the second is right behind it.  It is her two bottom teeth.  I am sure hoping that is what has been contributing to her sleeplessness.  Her naps have been short, nights have been sporadic, and she is just being extra needy.  I've been medicating her here and there, it seems to help a little bit to make her sleep a little better.  If you try and feel her little fangs she locks her mouth up tight, they are private to her!  Haha, so I really haven't gotten a good look at what is going on in there.  

Leah's sleeping is still not great.  She is really bad at putting herself to sleep; if she isn't totally passing out tired she immediately just stands right up in her bed and then if you don't come soon she starts throwing everything in her bed out!  Stinker!  Plug, lovey, blanket.....chucked out on the floor.  I came in once during one of her fits to find her pulling on the sheet over the mattress after she had thrown everything else out.  So we play the long game of lay her back down, rock her for a little bit, lay her back down.....and pray pray pray she falls asleep before she gets to the "I'm so tired I am inside out and will never fall asleep" stage.  It can be very frustrating.  She is still mostly in the pack n play in our room; but I have been doing the crib more and more.  Leah definitely seems to prefer the pack n play as that is what she is more familiar with; she falls asleep easier in that than the crib downstairs.  The girls have slept together though in their room a few times for both naps and bedtime; I just have to be on total red alert if Leah wakes up so I can go grab her before she wakes up Briana.  

She is napping 2-3 times a day; no consistent time though.  Her bed time and wake up time are very inconsistent too.  I do aim for around 8pm though, but depending on our afternoon she sometimes naps late, which means late bedtime.  

This girl loves to eat.....everything!  There are very few things she has refused; actually I can't think of anything she wouldn't eat.  She is eating 3 meals a day.  Some of Leah's favorites include: toasted blueberry waffles (also Brie's favorite), bananas, blueberries, spaghetti, and sloppy joe.  But really.....she eats anything.  She is very good at picking up food and putting it in her mouth.  When she is done eating, or doesn't love what she is eating she will start just throwing it over the side of the highchair.  Leah gets very disgruntled if you are eating something and not offering it to her!  She still nurses (or has a bottle if I'm working) 5 times a day, with one of those times usually during the night.  

It has been an absolute joy to watch her develop her own little personality.  I love her more and more each day!  Alec and I still call her dino because she makes all sorts of grunting and dinosaur sounding noises!  Leah does other little chatting baby sounds here and there too; but I think she just lets Brie do all the talking for the most part.  Brie narrates for Leah all the time; "She wants to eat I think" or "I think she wants a baby toy"  And Brie's other speciality with Leah is stating the obvious "Mom, Leah is sad she needs you"  or she will say "She is laughing!"  Leah is never going to need to talk....


Doing pictures this time was a challenge.  She wasn't in a smiling mood.  She just kept chewing on her hands and playing with the grass.