Happy Nine Months!

Gracie turned 9 months this week. She also had her 9 month checkup in which she weighed in at 20.3 pounds!!!! She's moved to the 75th percentile in weight and the 50th percentile in height. The growth chart usually looks like a curve shape, but Gracie's is a straight slightly diagonal line up! She amazed her doctor with her growth. God is so good!

Gracie is so close to crawling. She is getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. She's starting to wave at people. She LOVES to eat! She is occasionally signing "more" - but usually she just screams for me to give her another spoon full. Gracie gets around by either rolling or doing a backwards slide/crawl. When she wants to move forward to grab a toy she gets up on all fours and then pushes back. When she realizes that she is getting further away from the toy she starts crying. She just can't figure out how to move forward.

This month we are going to be working on Gracie getting into the sitting position from the tummy position and we will continue to work on her crawling and pulling up. But, really, she is relatively caught up and will not need physical therapy for much longer.

Libby is so wonderful with her. When we greet Gracie in the morning Libby asks to give her "boogerbears" which is Libby's word for a nose rub - or what we used to call Eskimo kiss. She holds Gracie's hand in the car. She watches Gracie for me if I need to step out of the room for a minute. She tries to fix her hair - with a bristle brush - NOT the best choice for Gracie's hair, but Libby loves to make it big and frizzy.

Gracie is sleeping through the night with no bottle and virtually no crying out either. She knows how to put herself back to sleep. Every now and then she will wake up and sing to herself. She continues to match our pitch or repeat a sound she hears. Billy is sure she will grow up to be a singer. Gracie also cut her bottom, front two teeth this week. I can tell its been painful, but still she is sweet and content as ever.

Gracie also continues to make her shy smile which continues to make everyone else melt with love for her.

So - here's what you want to see... Pictures!

Billy takes care of bottle time!

At Libby's soccer game the weather was cooler than expected. I didn't have a hat for Gracie so I took a burp cloth and a headband and made a turban for her - a very sassy turban!

Play time is hard work, mom.

Completely kissable!

Papa Graham and Gigi came to visit us for a week! The girls LOVED having time with them. When we travel to Charleston there is always so much going on between cousins, aunts, uncles, great grandparents, grandparents, friends that the girls rarely get to be alone with Papa and Gigi. Their visit was so wonderful as the girls really got to know and enjoy them on a whole new level. We are so happy Papa and Gigi came!

Gigi holds Gracie.

The heart-melting smile!

Head banging pumpkins.

Sniffing pumpkins!

Big sister holding pumpkin.

Chubby tummy next to chubby pumpkins.

The sweetest, easiest baby in the world.

Smiling Sisters