Brinley's 9 Months!

Boy is this girl growing fast. She's full of spunk, attitude, and adorableness. She drives me crazy with her unpredictable sleeping and eating times. She already loves her brothers like crazy. She knows how to crawl, clap, say Ma Ma and Da Da, and maybe Jo Jo, too. She smiles at Earl's picture on the wall like she remembers him, even though she was just 3 months old when he deployed. She has no teeth yet, but seems to be teething non-stop. She despises the car seat even more than her brothers did, if that's possible.

She's not crazy about being strapped in a high chair, either, for that matter. She eats a little of the solids I feed her, but not much.  Her eyes are still  that beautiful gray newborn color. Her hair seems to be Joey's dark shade of brown. She was in the 93rd percentile for weight a couple months ago, but since she's more mobile, she's dropped down to the 60-something percentile, which the doctor said is completely normal. Her massive cheeks are starting to thin out. She wears size 18 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

She wants to pull up so bad. We work on it a little, but not too much. I'm kinda hoping she waits for her Daddy to come home for that. She's definitely a Mama's girl right now, and doesn't appreciate anyone else trying to hold her or take her from me. She has slept through the night maybe 3 times since August, where as before that, she was an awesome all-night sleeper. She puts anything and everything in her mouth, but seems to prefer the strings that break off the shag rug from the living room. Oh, and chalk. And paper.

She definitely knows her name, and recognizes her brother's name. All I have to do is say that one of them is coming, and she looks to the door for them to walk in the room.

I've been off dairy for her sake, for many months now. So I'm starting to ease back into that and see if it gives her the horrible upset stomach issues it did when she was tinier. If that goes good, I'll even try to get a little caffeine in my body.

She gives kisses, blows raspberries (in the air and on skin), copies squeals and sounds you make to her, imitates you sticking out your tongue at her, and has her very own monster growl.

She's our precious, clever, amazing little girl. And her daddy can't wait to get home and hold all 20 lbs. of her chunkiness.

She had a very rough start, but she's healthy and full of life now. Happy 9 months, sweet Brinley.