9 Month Stats

I fell off the wagon.  Blogging wagon that is.  A friend of mine came over Sunday night and we got to talking and I completely forgot to post.  I really want to keep up with this blogging gig I got going here if for nothing else, to have a diary of sorts for me and V to look at one day. 

So, on to the stats.  We went to the doctor for her 9 month appointment last week.   All is well!  I was relieved to find out that there are NO SHOTS at the 9 month appointment.  I had no idea (b/c I've been slacking on reading the baby books as all they really do is overwhelm me) so it was a very pleasant and welcome surprise.  I found out about this development a day before her appointment through a weekly e-mail I get from Welcome Baby Home (a mommy website).  I was even prepared to keep her home that day as shot day sucks, but instead, she went to school before AND after her appointment.  Yippee!

Here are her stats:

Height - 27' - 49%

Weight - 16 lbs, 14.5 oz - 25%

Head Circumference - 44.8' - 52%

She looks so small to me still and now that she's crusing and pulling up all the time, I look at her and sometimes have to do a double take b/c she doesn't look like a baby that's old enough to be doing that, but she sho is (old enought that is)!

Over the weekend, she started to attempt to stand unassisted and the daycare teachers today told me she was standing by herself there as well.  So it's only a matter of time before she walks.  And still without any teeth.  She's our toothless wonder.

No pics of V to post this week.  I'm still trying to figure out photoshop for the edited 9 month photo shoot pics - it ain't easy folks, it ain't easy.  That being said - I will post a picture of our 80 pound lap dog.  She's thrilled about this.

Oh the humanity!

Sitting still - an exercise in futility

This week V ventured back to school.  I, however, didn't fair as well, and was sick most of the week.  I can't remember the last time I was this sick.  I thought I was on the mend from the previous week, but then on Sunday night, I got the chills so bad, I thought we had teleported to the North Pole.  And then two hours later, my body produced so much water sweat, E had to evacuate the bed.  He had to migrate to V's room to sleep on the daybed so that I could sleep on the dry patch that was left on his side.

For a while there, I thought I caught some wild jungle monkey disease that was passed on to me from my child which she in turn caught from school, but in retrospect, I think it was a combination of 9 months of being completely run down, still nursing, and the worst allergy season in years.  My sinuses are less than thrilled. Another post about snot and being sick - so riveting.  Sadly however, that seems to be a recurring theme around here. 

We tried to take some 9 month pictures of V with her bear, but she's a woman on the move and will not stay still for anything.  So, the below is our attempt to take her growth progress pics.  Hard to tell as her sole purpose during this shoot was to climb off the chair.  We did sneak a couple of semi good shots in, but the girl's running circles around us already. 

Hi Mommy!  Try and take my picture!

I think I want to go to the edge here.

Um.. okay - now I'll hide behind Mr. Bear.

Fine - thumb in the mouth.

Um - I think I want to go to the edge again.

You want me to do what???  Don't worry Mr. Bear. I won't leave you.

No!  I want off this chair!

Maybe if I try it this way..  Sorry Mr. B.  It's every man for himself around these here parts.

Kamikaze!

Okay okay Mommy!  Get your shot. But I'm not sitting up straight.

And enough of that.

Oh Mommy.. You'll never learn.. 

A year and 9 months

Today is our 1 year wedding anniversary (no need to do the math...).  I'm not a woman without a past or skeletons in my closet, but I will say this.  This has been one of the most trying years of my life - bar none.  However, through it all, I've truly never been more at peace in my heart and happier in my relationship.  I love you honey!  More than I ever could say!  Thank you for giving me you!  You make me the happiest I've ever been even through everything we're going through and you've given me the best little girl I could have ever asked for.  You are my everything.  XOXOXO

This week was hard.  V got sick on Sunday and was sick all week long.  She went to school for a total of 4 hours and in the process, got me sick, so towards the end of the week, we were both pretty miserable.  Thank God for my mom who came and helped me 4 times out of the week, including Saturday during the day and night.  Now, V seems to be getting much better and me, although I still am pretty congested, am getting better right behind her.  This too shall pass.

So, on to more exciting things.  Today, we went to Uncle N's and Aunt E's for V's 9 month photo shoot!  The pics turned out so good!  I'm going to try to edit some of my faves this week and post, but here are a handful from the raw footage. 

Sugars for Daddy!

A true Russian face!  Can't escape your genes!

The necklace V's wearing is an amber teething necklace.  She's 9 months old and still no teeth, but MONTHS and MONTHS of teething.  So, a friend of mine had one of these for her daughter and she swears by it, and I figured that it's worth a try.  If nothing else, it looks pretty. 

Again?!?!?!

Um... ok... (The)Croup..  I know it's been hard on you since we broke up.  I know you've spent many restless nights tossing and turning, thinking up ways to get back into my life, but this? This is not good.  This is borderline psychotic, crazy stalker ex-boyfriend, and we both know you're better than that.  So, let's part ways peacefully and I won't ruin your rep with the other ladies. 

Miss V is sick.. again.  This is the third time she's been croupy and it's heart-wrenching. She was a total trooper though this weekend through Easter and my mom's and grandpa's birthday party at our house.  She was a little cranky, but did well overall. 

Friday during lunch, V and I went to go visit my good friend T and her family.  Her daugher A is 4 and loved playing with V.  She was so curious about her and wanted to show her all her toys and was asking all sorts of questions about her.   Here are some pics of the girls together.

Friday night, E, his dad and his dad's fiance grilled stakes and painted Easter eggs.  We tried the fancy shmancy paints that you put in a bag and roll the eggs around in, and the finished product wasn't as good as the old-fashioned dipping in water way.  Here's the result.  Note the bruised egg repaired with duct tape.  It suffered a broken shell in the beautifying process and needed a little something extra to make it feel special. 

Mine are the pretty sparkly ones....

Then Saturday we went to V's friend D's 1st birthday party and then later in the evening had my family over for a double birthday celebration.  Both birthday parties were tons o' fun.  The girls (D & V) were so stinkin' cute playing with each other.  They've known each other since they were 3 1/2 months and 6 weeks old, respectively and are the best of buddies.

What's that??

Then Sunday, V got dolled up in her Sunday best and we went to Church for and then to Aunt E's and Uncle N's for Easter.  This is where things started to go down hill for V and (the)croup, but she hung in there until after we got home, at which time she puked all over herself and the changing table.  She was so so tired and wanted to sleep so bad, but just kept coughing and choking and finally just threw up.  (On a serious note, it's so hard to watch your child choking to throw up the phlegm that (the)croup has so graciously left inside her throat.  It scares her and it scares mommy even more.  We're not fans!)

Miss sick eyes.

Happy Easter everybody!

I have more pics from Easter, but they're in Mimi's camera, so I must patiently wait until she sends them to me.

So now, V's asleep, but if I was a bettin' woman, I would say the odds are against her sleeping through the night in her room.  We shall see. 

Here are some pics of V from Saturday night.  We're going to have another professional photo shoot with Uncle N next weekend and V and I both can't wait!