And Then There Were 3...: 9 Months

It is so bizzare that she is already 9 months (well, 9 and a half if you're really paying attention)! She is getting so independent now and into EVERYTHING! Most of our day is her crawling to the dog and pulling his tail or crawling to his food bowls and attempting to eat his food. Mom gets the pleasure of running interference all day in her quest to be a puppy! :)She currently weighs 20 pounds and is crazy long (not sure how long, but all of her 9 month pants are capris). She is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything, so she often has baby bruises and scratches due to her clumsiness. It is like watching a baby deer learning how to use her legs...so sweet and pretty funny to watch. She is super curious about her world, so once you pick her up, she leans back for the floor to play. She is caring less about baby food and more about table food, so we have tried many options. Dislikes: noodles, avocado and green beans. Likes: steamed apples and carrots, blueberries, peas and strawberries. Ultimate favorites: bread and grapes. She is my child!! As a kid, my family always made fun of how I could store food in my cheeks and talk just fine. Well, I fed Hensley apples with her dinner and then played for about an hour and a half and when we were about to get in the bath, she opens her mouth to chew on a bath toy, and out comes a chunk of apple. She was saving it for later! She does it all the time, so we have to do a mouth sweep to make sure that little rascal is clean.
Funny story of month 9: After a yummy lunch of assorted foods, which Hensley was wearing most on her face, I put her on the floor first before I got a wipe (I have no idea why I did it backwards that day). By the time I turned around, Bruce is licking her entire face clean and she has her mouth open and loving every bit of the kisses. Yuck. They truly made out and I deserve some mom award for letting that happen! She loves to kiss everyone, but I need to sit her down and have a discussion about being a lady.
Sweet story: I have been going to a bible class on Tuesday mornings, so Hensley is going to the nursery with many of her friends from our playgroup. Side story- Hensley has a boyfriend. His name is Max and he is adorable and she likes to kiss his little bald head. :) Anyways, one Tuesday she had the hardest time (which later that day we went to the doctor and found out she was sick), but it was a very rewarding feeling that when I went in to pick her up, she would smile and raise her arms for me. I love the fact that we are super bonded, and that when there are many hands willing to hold her, she wants her mom. Now... let me go ahead and kick myself, because her sweet story also corresponds with her multiple wakings in the night to "just chill" with mom. We are sleep training again tonight, but she is always worth sleepless nights!!