Nine Months

Today is Grace's 9 Month birthday. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful she is now. She has such a personality. She's changed so much this weekend. She's a determined crawler. She's getting some speed now too. If she sees something she wants, she'll head right for it. Sometimes she'll get frustrated and cry if she isn't getting there fast enough. For example, if I'm in the kitchen and she's in the living room and she wants me, she'll crawl right for me and cry the whole way there. She also will pull up and stand on anything. The coffee table was first, now toys, walls, chairs, even my legs are used to pull herself up. She has figured out how to sit down without falling and cruises around the furniture. She's attempted steps at day-care which have resulted in her falling and hitting her head on various objects, but she's doing it. I fianally did some babyproofing this month. I installed a gate at the top of the stairs, Grace has to stay in the pack-n-play while we're in the shower, and I did a couple of the cabinets in the kitchen. She has 2 teeth and I'm expecting more any day. She's been chewing on her hands, drooling, and sticking out her tounge a lot over the past couple of days. Our prediction is walking at right around 10 months. I love it.

Here's her progress according to "What to Expect the First Year," The Ninth Month:
By the end of this month, your baby
...should be able to:
- work to get a toy out of reach
- look for dropped object

...will probably be able to:
- pull up to a standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- object if you try to take a toy away
- stand holding onto someone or something
- pick up tiny object with any part of thump and finger
- say mama or dada indiscriminately (I still don't know if she means me)
- play peekaboo

...may possibly be able to:
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- walk holding onto furniture (cruise)
- understand word "no" (but not always obey it)

...may even be able to:
- "play ball" (roll ball back to you)
- drink from a cup independently (thank you new sippy cup)
- pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefringer
- stand alone momentarily (almost!)
- stand alone well
- say dada or mama discriminately
- say one word other than mama or dada
- respond to one-step command with gestures (give that to me - with hand out)