Bayli 9 month update

the 9 month appointment with the doctors went great. she was super calm and didn't really cry for her shots. (i'm really hoping this trend continues, because when i hear other babies cry in the doctors office it breaks my heart, i can only imagine what it is going to be like when my own child rears her head back and lets out a yell directed directly at my heartstrings... terrible) Bayli has continued her trend of staying nice and little compared with everyone else's statistics but, she's healthy and happy and that's all that matters. she still doesn't have any teeth and the doctor said he can't see/feel any coming in anytime soon. we don't have any stairs in our house so, she hasn't gotten much practice with that, but her crawling besides the stairs is awesome. she's trying to walk and loves to stand. she pulls herself up anywhere and everywhere she can, i can already tell she is going to be a monkey climber. we just keep thinking her first steps will be any day now!!! excited. nervous. eeeek.

anyway, she is doing great. so far she hasn't been hit too hard by all the sicknesses that are traveling around this winter. she currently has a stuffy nose but, that immediately followed the flu shots that the doctor gave her, so we are hoping it will just be a little short lived flu from the shot. we are also starting to see some attitude from her, especially when we are in places that we want her to be quiet and sit still. (um... church) so far the only cure we have found are little colorful circles of yumminess the rest of us call fruit loops. we are still trying to figure out what we can do to help her with that.

if you didn't see her video of her first christmas, then first, i would reccommend watching it, it's super cute, and second, i would just like to say. she still is in love with her little doll. thank you disney for making that one. genius! she also loves her walkers and anything that lets her be mobile. 

she is still sleeping through the night and usually gets 11 hours every night. because we are going longer between feeds, for the past few months i have slowly been noticing my milk production decreasing and now we are down to just nursing for the first and last feed of the day, and bottles in between. in some areas this is very nice, and in others it is not, but, i knew i wanted to be done nursing by the time she turned 12 months old so, i guess we are just starting the weaning process a little early. i would rather have the 11 hours of sleep at night than a little more cash in my wallet so to me it is a good trade.

honestly, she is becoming more and more fun. she laughs easier, she plays with us, interacts, and loves us. it's really nice to see her have some receptive feelings and to see her personality develop even more. being a parent is the hardest and most rewarding thing, but seeing her grow and realizing how far she, and we, have come from those first few days is really remarkable. it's crazy to think of how much we have come to know and realize about raising a kid without "formally learning" it. learning which cries are for attention, or for her bottle, or because she's genuinely hurt. learning when to do the hard things, and learning what's best for her without her being able to tell us with her words. learning how she says "i love you" and learning if she wants mom, or dad. there are so many things that "they" don't teach you when you become a parent. and so many people wish that babies came with a users guide or manual, but, after looking back, even now, this early in her life, it's fun to realize that you know what, we can do it without help. all you need, is a mommy, a daddy, and a baby to learn from. they really are the best teachers.