9 Month Millie!

Here is the minky at 9 months! Please note, this is after her Grandma had to cut us a "decoy heart" so Millie would stop grabbing the one from the chair, but before Millie started to eat said decoy heart.

She has really changed lately and seems much more grown up. We are super excited to see what she'll be up to in this last quarter of her first year. She is an absolute joy, as always, and has been able to assert herself more now that she can move where she wants to go (by bum scooting), and communicate with different sounds and gestures.  She has been using the "potty" for a month now and loves it. Some new foods include oranges, strawberries, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, star pasta, biscuits (made by Grandma), barley, blueberries... I'm sure I'm forgetting some. She loves to eat and makes a sweet "mmmm" sound when she is enjoying her food. She says "mama" and "dada", as well as "bah" which is in reference to the dog and/or cats. Below are two pictures from the end of our photo shoot, when Millie leaned over to see what Sneaky Pete was doing, and then tried to climb out of the chair to get to him. (Shortly after, the Mama realized that the baby was in fact capable of this action now, and quickly put the camera down to intervene).

Millie has also been enjoying her new chairs from Nana and Gaga that she received at Christmas! She is learning how to sit in the chair for a snack (banana happy puffs pictured here). This offers her some new independence and skills. She will also be using this space for art projects and other activities. Grandma graciously painted our "classroom" (formerly known as the dining room) while we were at our last Dr.'s appointment, and we are excitedly setting up the space for our little in-home school in the near future.

We have been searching Craigslist for a Radio Flyer Walker Wagon for Millie, and this past weekend we found one for $15! She isn't quite ready to attempt steps with it yet, but she sure loves riding in it around the house!

Millie is napping on the sofa, arms stretched out above her head. Every time the cats jump on the radiator or the dog shakes his collar, she pops her eyes open then sighs and goes back to sleep. It is wet and snowy here, a good day for a solid nap.