The Whites: April 2012

9 Month Stats:

Weight: 19 lbs 9 oz (56th percentile)

Lenght: 28. 5 in (75th percentile)

Head: 75th percentile

Miss Emily, you are getting to be such a BIG girl! Crawling, pulling, up, jabbering away (not that we understand much of what you are saying). You are such a happy baby these days too. Easy going, but always wanting to be a part of the action. You love exploring, chasing after your brother and going for his toys. Oh, and eating. You love, love, love to eat! Especially now that you've gotten the hang of feeding yourself. Puffs are your favorite. I joke that they are like baby crack because you just can't ever seem to get enough of them. You did say your first word this month too--"bye bye" while waving bye on Easter. You also say something that sounds sort of like "puff" in order to get us to give you more puffs (seriously, what do they put in those things??).

You've made huge leaps in development this month and I think you know it too. You get so proud of yourself as you pull up and move about with ease--and then my favorite--that huge smile of accomplishment on your face once you've mastered whatever you've been working at. Banging toys together, placing balls in holes, hammering away on your baby piano all just makes you so happy.

At the beginning of this month you were still trying to do the army crawl--mostly just scooting and pulling with your arms. And you couldn't yet really get from sitting to your belly or belly back to sitting without help. Well now, you crawl well on all 4's, you've mastered the transition from sitting to your belly and then getting back up to sitting again AND learned to pull up. And now you do it all with such ease! Like I said, you are getting to be such a big girl! The first time you pulled up on your own was about a week ago--you were "helping" me with the laundry--I put you in the laundry basket and it was just the right size/height and before I knew it, up you went. You were SO proud of yourself. You've been loving standing with our help for a while but now that you can do it yourself you just want to do it all the time.

Of course this is a bit of a challenge with one of your other new favorite things--bath time with your big brother. Now that you have great body control and balance with sitting I decided it was time to get you in the big bath and for efficiency purposes I thought we should try out bathing you both together. You both LOVE it. I think it's seriously one of the highlights of the day for both of you!

Other highlights this month:

Fri 3/23-Our friends the Stephensons came down from Milwaukee to visit and meet you.

Sat 3/24-Mon 3/26-Grandma and Granddad came in town to watch you and Noah while we were busy with a wedding and church stuff all weekend. You were fussy with a fever that lasted Saturday/Sunday/Monday. We went to the doctor finally on Monday and after all checked out well (ears, lungs, urine clear) it was determined to be a random virus. You got to spend Tue home "sick" with Daddy and have him all to yourself all day. I think you both liked this.

Sun 4/1-Annual Easter festival at church. You nabbed a few eggs and played with you boyfriend Caleb. It was also my birthday. You had your first "real" babysitter that night--Haley. You slept the whole time!

Sat 4/7-Sun 4/8-Your first Easter! We went Saturday to Brian and Dayna's in Kyle. Grandpa was there too. You were fussy and started to feel warm while we were there. By the time we got home that night you had a low grade temp but I could feel a tooth coming in. Sure enough--Sunday morning you had your FIRST TOOTH (right front bottom) on Easter! We've also recorded your first word on Easter--"Bye Bye" as you waved and said bye bye to the family as they left our house after Easter lunch.

Week of 4/9--You continued with a low grade temp the first part of the week. You seemed better on Wed. Thursday Ruth called from daycare to say you now had a rash. We went back to our favorite pediatrician (we'd already been once this week with brother who was diagnosed Monday with Asthma after wheezing/coughing on Easter) to get the official diagnosis of Roseola. You were back to your normal happy self the next day!

It's been a busy month for a busy baby! Can't wait to see what you're getting in to next month!

Crawling in the tunnel

On Palm Sunday Point of Grace hosted our annual Easter Festival. Fun times. We were happy to have Team Smith join us again this year. It was fun to think back to last year when Bea and I were still pregnant and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our babies...and now to have Caleb and Emily here with us this year--fun! We are so blessed!

Getting ready for egg hunting fun

Team Smith ready to hunt too

And they're off!

Em got to find some eggs too. She was quite intrigued by the grass--I realized after I put her down that this was her first time to feel it hence her "what the heck is this?" reaction