Where There's a Willard There's a Way!: N I N E Months Old...

You are changing every day, Miss Millie.

*What's new:
-you weigh 18.12 lbs
-28 inches long :)
-all on your own, you decided you wanted to start walking with your walker... and the day you started it, you didn't stop! You were all over the place! And SO proud of yourself!
-you like to make sure everyone notices when you do something (again, always so proud of yourself)
-AMAZED at Christmas stuff (because every single store, every single tv channel (we only get like 3 ha), everything is Christmas)> I took you to Hobby Lobby and you kept saying "wooooo woooo". So many people stopped to talk to you because they thought the sounds you were making were so precious. Many commented how "fun" Christmas would be for us this year. I'll admit I'm having a bit of anxiety about the tree since you are so mobile and so "interested" in every little thing. ha!
-you pull your hair all the time. You pull mine, too (I got it chopped off and you still find a way)
-laugh at yourself constantly. you like to watch yourself on our phones when we flip the camera around. You also like to watch videos of yourself or other babies.
-it's time to child-proof the house a bit more thoroughly. You are starting to pull things off the tables and shelves. You love to pull the baskets (and dump them out) off of your bookshelf in your room, so I filled one with toys and you thought it was so funny the first time you saw what I had replaced it with!
-taking a bath in the big bath tub (this made me sad at first but it is SOOOO much fun for us all). YOU LOVE IT!
-you love to have your mickey and/or minnie that tone-tone got you at Disney World with you wherever you go. seriously the cutest thing
-your first stomach bug :(((( I may cry typing it just thinking about how sad it was! You were in our bed (still putting you in bed with us when you wake up between 2-3:30) {thankful, actually, that you were sleeping with us because it would've made me even more sad if you'd been alone in your bed} and started moaning/crying and got up on all fours and threw up all over your daddy's back (bahh) around 5:45. It was quite a bit (mainly milk) and then you threw up a few minutes later. I changed you and we went to reside on the couch for the next hour. You threw up five more times throughout the morning. It was awful because you would whine and throw up/gag then your head would just fall on me. Then, you'd get a burst of energy and want down to crawl around and giggle. The cycle seemed never-ending. The last time you threw up was around 11.. then I gave you some pedialite and you kept it down. What was so pitiful was that you kept trying to nurse the whole morning and whining for it. SO SAD!!!! Since you had kept the pedialite down and hadn't thrown up in almost two hours I let you nurse, and you didn't throw up the rest of the day. Broke our hearts to see you so sad and sick. Thankful that it was just a few hours.
-pick things up and inspect them.. move it from hand to hand and stare intently
-YOU HAVE NO FEAR--AHHH!!!
-LOVE mum-mums :)
-you sleep with your booty in the air most of the time-- hands and feet tucked under you ;)
-YOU SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!... yeah... I know.. I can't believe it either!!!! Of course, this is just as of last Thursday night, but oh my goodness gracious this feels like we are living a completely different life. I was seriously almost in a mild state of depression because I thought I had messed up your sleeping for life. I just randomly started reading different "methods" last Wednesday... I haven't been all about going by the book with most things baby, but I didn't know what else to do! Nothing anyone had been recommending had worked, and I wasn't the biggest fan of letting you cry (I had tried that for two weeks and you would cry for HOURS and it just was not working). I started reading about the "ferber method" of "progressive waiting"... so I prepped your dad and got him on board and we tried it! Thursday (nov. 20) I put you down (awake) after rocking for a little while. Of course, you popped right up... you "whined" for five minutes- i went in to pat you/soothe you (did not pick you up)... then set my timer for seven minutes-went in pat/soothe... set my timer for ten minutes.. you whined for about 3 minutes... i looked at the monitor and you were spread eagle and had fallen asleep sitting up..then plop! your head between your legs ASLEEP.. ON. YOUR. OWN. what whaaaaaaaat.... then you woke up at 5:30.. I fed you and you were back asleep until 7:30!!!! so every nap since then you have gotten yourself to sleep (after I rock you for a few minutes)... it didn't go quite as smoothly over the weekend because we were at Tone-tone's in jonesboro, but you slept until 5:40 this morning, I fed you, back to sleep until 7:15! I FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMAN WITH ALL THIS SLEEP, SISTER! Thank you so so much, Millie!!!! Now, please keep it up! ;)
-You say "mommmmmmyyyy" all. the. time.
-you clap for Mickey Mouse at the beginning of every episode (and usually wail your feet all through the air, too)
-when I rock you now, you like to sit up and lay your head against my chest with your giraffe snuggled to your face

*What else is going on:
-you put EVERYTHING in your mouth.. when I say everything I mean like you will find the smallest little speck of fuzz or grass and it is in your mouth. I should probably learn the heimlich maneuver ASAP..
-still {just} 8 teeth ha.. and nursing is getting VERY difficult
-crawling all over the place.. there's nowhere Millie won't go. ha.
-still SO nosy--you notice EVERYTHING!!!
-pull up on everything
-your main interests are shoes (that are sitting on the floor) and cords
-remotes and cell phones always seem to find your hands!!! :)
-still pretty baby blue eyes!!
-your hair is curling even more!
-wearing 9-12 m clothes... 12m pants fit in length.... sizing is getting super frustrating to this momma of yours!
-make the sweetest like "ahhh" "woo" sound
-we are working on saying "more", "please" in sign language while you eat, working on blowing kisses, saying/nodding "yes", and you have mastered the hand clap and saying "yay".

We have a busy next few months coming up!! Thanksgiving, Daddy's birthday (and gammie, gampie, and aunt brooke), Christmas, New Years....Pete's birthday, and then your FIRST birthday (wahhh wahhh wahhh)

*This month:
-we can finally see starting on the new house coming together.. ha what a long process it has been!!!!
-it has been a super cold month... you aren't really a fan of the cold-- the wind confuses you- you look around to try to figure out where it is coming from :)
-it snowed last weekend! We got some super cute pictures and you kept trying to catch the snow in your mouth as it was falling. So cute.
-we are doing your dedication at church Nov. 30! So excited!!!!
-we are putting up the Christmas tree this week! Can't wait to start all these fun traditions with you and to watch your little eyes in amazement!
-mommy started subbing (just one day a week)
-we had an early Thanksgiving at jonesboro with mommy's side of the family. It was so fun--papaw got to come, aunts and uncles, and you got to spend some QT with your cousins and tone-tone

This morning you popped up in our bed at 7:30, took out your pacifier, said "ahhhhhh", and KISSED me right on the lips! It was the sweetest thing you have ever done.

I am making bets that you might just walk by Christmas... buttttt I've been known to be wrong ;) ha! I would be completely fine if not, though! :)