Happy 9 months

Hey Jenna Benna, you're 9 months old today. It's after midnight, so it's official. I don't know what it is about 9 months that makes it seem so old. I have heard people say this is their favorite age for babies, and I'm starting to see why. You have gotten to be so much fun! You crack us up sometimes with your laughs and your expressions and the things you do with your mouth. And you're so cute the way you wave to people. You like to hold your hand up and just open & close your fist. We get you to laugh whenever we can--such a happy and beautiful sound.

You are still spitting up like crazy--we have to take several burp cloths with us wherever we go and you usually go through 2 or 3 outfits a day. Sometimes we get lucky and it's just one. And you're still a really bad napper, but you're doing better. You make the craziest sounds when you eat. I tried to get it on video a few times, but for some reason, the video camera makes you quit what you're doing. You sound like Billy Bob Thorton in Sling Blade--that's what people say. When you do that, somebody usually quotes that movie. You just grunt & groan every time you eat a bite of something. We laugh, but we probably shouldn't encourage that--we're hoping you outgrow it soon, or else you could be in for some embarrassment when you get older. :) You are still a great eater, but we're afraid to give you big things because we don't want you to choke! You tried macaroni & cheese baby food today for the first time and you didn't like it. We fed it to you at Chipotle while we were eating too, but you just wanted to spit it out. It was really funny, but only because you don't often do that.

You want to walk so bad, you can probably taste it. You cruise all over the house--it's your favorite thing to do. Toys? Forget about em. All you want to do is stand and cruise around. You only crawl to get somewhere you can pull up, and you'll do what you can to get from one piece of furniture to another--even if you have to take steps on your own. I know you'll be walking this month. Your gramma says you'll probably be climbing out of your crib by the time you're a year old, but please don't! We have a lot more babyproofing to do before you can have free reign of the house.

You have gotten to be our little pal--we love taking you places because you love to go. We'll take you to Home Depot or Target or grocery shopping because you love looking at people, things on shelves, even the lights on the ceilings. People are always saying how cute you are with your pretty hair, but don't let that go to your head!

You'll be a year old in 3 months--hard to believe. In some ways time is flying by, and in some ways it seems you were born years ago. You're growing too fast, but you're getting more fun. We love you, precious girl!