28 February 2011

Nine Months With Nadezhda

Nadezhda, I thought you were fun at 8 months, but it just keeps getting better!

First, dear girl, your statistics:
Head circumference 43 cm (25th percentile)
Height 26.5 inches (20th percentile)
Weight 16.02 pounds (10th percentile)

And then the fun things that you are up to these days with some of my favorite photos thrown in for good measure (in no particular order):

One of these days you'll be doing "funny face" like you brother!

You are able to keep yourself content much more easily, especially if Mama is in sight. I love to watch you play with your toys, which usually end up in your mouth at some point. You also clap them together with such gusto and excitement that I smile every time.



And speaking of your toys, you will purposefully move around to get the one that you want.  You usually will turn circles on your belly to get a toy that you previously slung somewhere behind you.  You are also perfecting your backwards jump, which is lots of fun and has put you under several pieces of furniture.  You don't usually like being under the furniture, but thankfully you calm down pretty quickly when I come rescue you.



You are getting closer to real crawling though.  I've caught you several times rocking back and forth on all fours, never with the camera, however.

I love to watch your relationship with your brother.  The two of you can really start to play together now.  Isaiah loves to get toys out for you, though he doesn't always understand that you might not be finished with them when he is.  He enjoys entertaining you in the truck on our multiple drives to therapy or church or the store.  He finally has an audience!

If I have you with me when I get brother up from his "nap", he always insists that you lay in bed with him.  I love watching you love on each other, though I usually have to protect brother from your loving, but he doesn't seem to mind you pulling his hair and ears and trying to eat his face.

And you provide him with great motivation for doing his walking when we're home.  I can't wait for the two of you to play hide and seek together!

While your brother is your favorite little person, you love to make friends with everyone we meet.  You do a great "bashful" smile as you capture hearts.  And as long as you can go back to Mama whenever you want, you're usually ok with being held by someone else.

You started clapping my hands together, and in that process you have begun to learn and appreciate praise.  You get so excited when I tell you that you've done a good job for something.  It's really quite amazing how your face lights up with joy.



You're expanding your menu.  Actually I haven't found anything that you don't like.  You want to try everything.  I have to hold you back sometimes from stealing my food!  You have added pears and carrots the last couple of weeks.  And you have started to figure out a cup.  I was concerned about that since you previously liked the bottle and then rejected it when brother had his surgery.  You are quite the opinionated little girl!

You tried to feed yourself some baby crackers, but your cute little hands weren't quite coordinated enough yet.  Almost there!

You still nurse really well, but with one noticeable difference.  At first your legs used to be like an indicator light, but now they are like a weapon!  I think you are already starting to practice for the Rockettes!  Once I really thought you were going to kick me in the head.

And speaking of eating, you always entertain me when you eat.  I don't think people will truly understand your range of motion while eating, so I just have to include a video. (Sorry for the length.  I tried to edit it, but for some reason the edited version wouldn't load properly.)




Did you notice those sweet baby toes?

I love you, Nadezhda, more and more every day.

3 comments:

Grandma said...

She's captured my heart, that's for sure !

Rieshy said...

She's really precious. Siblings rock!

Kelly said...

She is so cute! Her smile can melt your heart. :o)