It is so hard to believe that sweet baby girl turned 10 months old this past week. I think all the time about 'this time last year' and what I was doing. I especially think how I must have a huge tolerance for heat since it was averaging about 10-15 degrees warmer and I was several pounds heavier. Yowzers.
We can sum up this last month in one word – BUSY! Baby girl is one busy baby. (New nickname alert – 'busy baby!') Clearly I have been living in the dark because I had no idea babies were this busy. She is into everything and I love watching her little mind explore and learn. We now have several dedicated kitchen drawers and cabinets for her because she loves to open and close drawers and doors. LOVES it. (You would think she didn't have toys!)
She is also very proficient at walking behind anything – her walker, a laundry basket, her little doll house, the ball popper, a little truck – if it moves, she is moving with it. She also discovered stairs this month. Loves those too. Luckily, our stairs are sort of hidden in our house and already gated, so we just get to 'play' at our cousins' house. On the upside, lots of stair climbing equals an awesome night of sleep for little girl!
Emmy had lots and lots of cousin time this month. My sister watched her and her two girls while I worked one day. Emmy loves being around other kids and I am especially thankful my sister could watch her, but poor girl had her hands full! Luckily, Emmy still takes two long naps a day and slept for about 4 hours of the time my sister watched her, and when she woke up Allison's youngest went down for a nap, so she only had to watch two at any one time. However, I am pretty sure it was one exhausting day! Thank you, sister!
My mother-in-law also got to watch my nephews and Emmy for about 4 days this past month and Emmy just loves being with them as well. No one can make her laugh like her cousin Drew can. Emmy has started belly laughing and it is just absolutely my favorite sound in the whole world. She thinks it is so, so funny if Drew throws anything in the air. Mom and dad aren't nearly as funny.
Emmy has also started saying mama! Finally! One day I was pretty certain she said it and then she kept repeating it over and over. Ha! Take that, dadadadad J. She is doing a lot more babbling and I am pretty sure she repeated the word 'cat' and 'Bop' (what Tommy's dad goes by), but those words haven't had any repeat performances.
On the tooth front, Emmy has her four top teeth and two bottoms. I am pretty sure she is working on some more because the past few days baby girl has been a little fussy and grabbing at her mouth.
We have also established about an 8:30 bedtime and Emmy will sleep until about 7. One day she slept all the way until 7:45 – had to send Tommy in to check on her! She is pretty consistent with napping around 10 a.m., napping for around 2 hours and then waking up and having lunch and going down for another nap between 2-4 and napping another 2 hours. We got an epically long nap the other day of three hours. Again, had to go check on her. (Can you say helicopter parents???)
I am seriously afraid of our toddler years already. If Emmy doesn't get her way – full on tantrum – with tears, crying, back arch….the works. I keep telling her life is full of things not going exactly her way, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in yet :). She is pretty good to listen when she is told 'no.' She just hates being taken away from an activity that she may be interested in, but either isn't safe or we need to go somewhere.
Car seats and diaper changes are still on her 'hate' list.
Emmy has developed an interest in music! Every time any music comes on – from me singing to her, to her music on her walker, to a song on the radio – she is dancing. (Unfortunately this doesn't always translate to a happy, bouncing baby in her car seat. Le sigh.) She loves for me to sing to her. Her favorites are I've Been Working on the Railroad, Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Old McDonald and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. New to our repertoire are The Wheels on the Bus and singing her name to the sound of B-I-N-G-O. We started a music class this month and she was decently interested in it for a 10-month old. She was also into putting all the instruments in her mouth and exploring the room.
Going to church has gotten more interesting. We have been getting up to go to 8:00 mass on Sunday mornings and we can usually work it to where she has her 'second breakfast' during that time, but busy baby wants to get down and crawl and about halfway through church have to move to the cry room. Sometimes this is actually more entertaining for Emmy since there are other kids and she will just sit and watch.
Her favorite toys are her little house, ball popper, tiny Elmo doll and any bucket, basket, drawer or cabinet she can get into.
Emmy has also gotten to where you can say 'give love' and she will hug or kiss you. It is seriously absolutely adorable. She is so sweet to hug other kids without being asked! At music class she even hugged a random little girl. Ha! I love that she is so friendly and wants to show her affection.
We love our sweet little girl so much and I especially love to hold her at night after she has fallen asleep and just cuddle her. Occasionally she will cuddle me right after she gets up in the morning, and those are the sweetest, but I will take any sweet love I can get! We just love our sweet girl so much!!
