9 months and counting!

Right at Midnight!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and a great time ringing in the new year! I am hoping that some of our blog visitors are people who received our Christmas cards, and you decided to check out our family blog. If that is you, could you please leave a comment? That would be great!

Well, December was a GREAT month! I had 2 weeks off, and I enjoyed every moment with my hubby and our beautiful baby girl! As I sit here tonight I am thinking about the alarm clock going off in the morning, and heading back to work. I didn't realize how hard heading back to work would be, but it has got to be easier than when I headed back to work after having 6 months off! Our break was pretty busy! We had 4 straight days of "Christmas". Laney did so well at all of our parties, and even slept 12-13 hour nights. I think she was just plain exhausted. On the days where we didn't have plans, we enjoyed lounging at home in our PJs. During Laney's naps I DEEP cleaned and reorganized my WHOLE house. Also, I spend some time doing some crafts. I have been making bows for babies hair and baby hats. It is something that I find relaxing and I enjoy being "crafty"! One thing that I am most excited about is Laney's new playroom. Our little munchkin is a VERY spoiled girl, and I didn't know what to do with all the toys that she got for Christmas. So, I made a playroom and she seems to be really enjoying it!

Christmas was so much fun. Laney opened the presents a little bit, but did best with gift bags and tissue paper. It was so much fun to hear her scream in excitement when she saw a new present. It was such a special Christmas spending time with our families, and remembering how blessed this little girl is! A few days after Christmas she did come down with a cold, and then she passed it to mommy! Then her cold turned into a fever & ear infection! Poor baby, this was her 2nd ear infection and she was not comfortable at all.

After we started feeling a little bit better, it was time to celebrate 2010! Laney went to bed pretty early, but she woke up at 11:40. So, we got her out of bed and brought her downstairs to come ring in the new year! It was great giving both my babies kisses at midnight!!

Things Laney has done this month:

• Laney got her "two front teeth" for Christmas (the two bottom ones)
• Every time we point the camera at her she crinkles her nose up and wrinkles her forehead and has a VERY cheesy smile.
• She is such a FLIRT, she has really begun watching everyone, everywhere we go! She just stares at them and waits for them to giver her attention and then she smiles or does something silly.
• She loves to clap, and when she hears the words "clap" or "yah" - she begins clapping. Even if the music playing in the background has these words.
• She gives butterfly kisses with her eyelashes. This is something my mom and her do - too cute!
• She loves tapping her hand on her mouth as she says ahhhhhh.
• She even plays peek a boo if she has a blanket. She will keep pulling it over her face, and then putting it back down.
• I know you think I am crazy, but Laney does do some talking!!! It is more the beginning sounds and then the rest has the same syllables and tone. She says: mama, dada, dog, daisy, baby, and Uh-Oh. The last 4 she has just begun saying this week! We know she is saying these words, because she points to the item or is playing with the item when she says these words. It isn't like she is just babbling.
• She is SO mobile. She prefers to stand, and will crawl over to anything just to pull herself up.
• She still thinks the simplest things are funny, and I can't get enough of her laugh that sounds SO FAKE!
• She has recently begun HATING getting her diaper changed! I feel like I have to wrestle a 9 month old every time she needs a diaper changing, ok not every time, but too much.
• She wants to eat ANYTHING that mommy and daddy have, and she isn't too interested in that baby mush anymore. She has tried a lot of new foods this month, and she enjoys pretty much everything as long as it has seasoning or is flavorful. If you give her a plain veggie she gags, and tries to pull it out of her mouth! It is actually quite funny watching her try and pull the food out. But really, how does a 9 month old know when something is bland?!?
• I whistled at her a few days ago, so now it seems like her lips are in a permanent O, because she is a copy cat! She loves to try and do whatever anyone else is doing.
• When she is standing and wants to sit down, she just lowers herself very careful and then just falls to the ground.

We are just having so much fun with our baby girl! It seems like we are constantly telling each other to "look" or "hurry up come here". She is just doing so much everyday, and is becoming quite the ham!

Laney's New Playroom!

YAH!

Clap, Clap, Clap!

Christmas Morning!

Right before Christmas Eve Church Service.

She just melts my heart!

I made Laney some finger foods!

Some of her silly faces!

More silly faces!

And another!

It was snowing! This was the first snow since we drove her home from the hospital. She really liked watching it fall from the sky and land on the ground.

Zoolights! It was FREEZING!!!

Zoolights

The Best Christmas Present

Well, this will be the best Christmas Jordan & I have ever had. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect baby girl. She is so much more than we ever imagined or dreamed. She is living up to the meaning of her name, "Bright Light"! Laney lights up ours lives everyday. I feel like I never have a bad day, all it takes is a smile from her to make me remember and be thankful for the littlest things in life.

We are so thankful for such a healthy & happy baby girl! Even during those LONG sleepless nights as she is teething, I am just so thankful and feel so very blessed. I can't tell you how many times I just hug & kiss her, and thank the Lord for blessing us with her. Being a parent is not what I imagined, it is SO much better! It has changed me as a person. It has shown me how selfish and boring I was before. I would do anything for my baby and I enjoy taking care of her. I forget what life was like before we had Laney, but boy oh boy does the time fly!

Today we went to Laney's 9 month check up. The doctor gives us a list of what the "average" baby can do at 9 months, and Laney meets all of the criteria. She weighed in at 16 pounds 6 ounces (10-20th percentile) and was 27 1/2 inches long (60th percentile). Laney is wearing 9 and 12 month outfits. She is so skinny, but has a long torso. So the 12 month clothes fit her length wise, but the sleeves always need to be rolled up a little. It also seems like everything is so loose in the belly, because she is so tiny. I talked to the doctor a lot about Laney's size, because she is so tiny. He said she is perfectly healthy, and she is the ideal baby. Just like he likes them! Yah :) Also, she got her 2nd H1N1 shot.. YES!

Since I had the morning off from work for her appointment, we headed to get pictures with Santa. I was sure we would have one of those photos with her screaming, because after all she is pretty much afraid of everyone. She even cried when I handed her to her daddy while we were waiting in line. Well, look at the pictures below. They turned out great, and we got a smile!!

Laney baby,

I fall more in love with you everyday! Daddy and I never knew we could love anything like we love you. You are such an amazing and beautiful little girl, and Daddy and I thank Jesus for you everyday. You sure are a "bright light", and we know God is going to use you for big things when your older. You always know what you want, and you aren't afraid to tell us. You love pulling yourself up these days, and you just LOVE our rotating Christmas tree. You could sit for hours under the tree trying to grab the lights and ornaments. You are getting your first tooth, and you don't like that very much. You have been enjoying snuggling with mommy in bed a lot lately when you wake up from your teeth hurting you. You love to giggle, and you have such a goofy fake laugh. It sounds like you are coughing or something silly. You love to watch your puppies, and you are starting to wave bye bye. Most recently, you sure have become quite the people watcher. Everywhere we go you just stare at everyone trying to get their attention, and once you get their attention you flash a big 'ol smile! Everyone always tells us how beautiful you are, and they always tell us what big bright blue eyes you have. Daddy & I agree, you are the most beautiful baby girl! We love you so much Laney!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Jordan had to work in the evening, but we sure kept busy all weekend long. We actually had 3 Thanksgivings! Jordan & I cooked our first Turkey together and a full Thanksgiving meal! It was DELICIOUS!

Laney tried mashed potatoes and whip cream on Thanksgiving. She wasn't into the mashed potatoes at all, but she LOVED the whip cream! She was shoving it in her face. I don't think she will have any problem destroying her birthday "cupcake".

On Sunday, November 29th Laney cut her first tooth. It was her bottom left tooth. She sure hasn't been sleeping good at night, and we realized why when we felt that tiny little tooth. We still can hardly see it, but we can feel it with our finger.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

Whip Cream!!

Mashed Potatoes

Bananas!

Laney & Mommy Baby Pictures

Can you tell which ones are baby and which ones are mommy???

Thanksgiving

She likes to pull herself up on everything, but she gets "stuck" lol

This picture would be perfect if that was coke, not pepsi. :)

YUMMY... I LOVE whip cream!

Oh my goodness, this is the best thing I have EVER tasted!

Mashed Potatoes... are not so good.

lol gag me!

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving could not have come at a better time this year. After having a few days off and getting spoiled, I was starting to have a hard time working again. I love my job, but of course I love my baby MUCH more! I am just overwhelmed and I wish I could spend every moment with Laney. So, this season I was able to reflect and think about all the things that I am thankful for. I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and my vision gets cloudy and I start having pity parties when I think about all the "STUFF" that needs to get done.

Well, Laney is one week away from being 9 months old and she is still toothless! I don't mind at all, because that little toothless grin gets me every time. Actually, Laney has been restless during the night and she is just chowing down on her hands - so she may just be getting her first tooth any day now! I do see one little slit on her gum, but who knows how long it will take for that tooth to pop through!

A few exciting things this month:

1. Laney got her swine flu shot. Thank you Lord! Jordan & I still do not have the vaccination, but we would both like to get it. I was SO worried about this, because being a teacher I am pretty much exposed on a daily basis. Actually, a few of my students have already had it and I have stayed swine flu free - again thank you Jesus! I had been calling around to get a shot for Laney, and I was having such a hard time, because of her age the only place she could get the shot was in a doctors office/hospital. Well, I finally found a clinic and I was very hopeful. I took half of a day off of work, and Jordan & I drove to Gig Harbor arriving there about 1.5 hours before the shots would begin. Well I walked in and there was no one in line. They told me that they did not have any more shots. I was baffled, because they weren't even suppose to be taking names for another 30 minutes. I went to the car... crying, and begged Jordan to go talk to the lady. Jordan was gone for about 15 minutes and I was praying steadfast the entire time, and then he returned to the car only to hand me a piece of paper with the number 56 on it. However, there was only 55 openings. What a wonderful husband!!!! As we waited we talked about how we would be telling Laney this story when she is older, and thinking that we should save some swine flu articles from the newspaper.

2. Christmas Decorations!! We decorated our tree on Veterans Day this year. We decided to copy a few friends, and make that our new tradition since I always have that day off. Then we can actually enjoy our tree for 6 weeks AND we had such a relaxing Thanksgiving Day weekend, because we could just sit back and relax without worrying about decorating and shopping. Laney LOVES the Christmas tree. This year we have a 7.5 ft tree that rotates! We turn it on and Laney just sits beneath it trying to grab each and every ornament and light. Speaking of ornament we went a little crazy this year. We bought Laney 2 ornaments, my mom bought her an ornament, and I made an ornament from her footprint, and one from her handprint. Also, Jordan and I each got our own ornaments!

3. Thanksgiving: Laney celebrated her first Thanksgiving, and even though Daddy had to work in the evening we had a wonderful day. We are actually having a Thanksgiving "weekend" this year. We let Laney try mashed potatoes, and lets just say she didn't like them too much. Then we gave her some whip cream... she couldn't shovel that stuff in fast enough!