Nine Months

I'm pretty awesome.  And I know it.

Look at how cool my hair is!!  Jealous???

Today, Juliet is nine months old.  She is out of control in the most amazing ways.  She is really becoming more and more of her own person every day.  Highlights from this month:

• Juliet weighs 19 pounds and is 27.5 inches tall.
• She is really beginning to make consistent sounds - no words yet, but there's definite progress in that department.
• She pulls up and lets go of things all the time now, trying so hard to stand on her own.
• Juliet loves Filch and shrieks high-pitched sounds of delight when he is in her sight.
• She is even faster crawling now than she was last month, and when she hears the front door open when Ray or I are coming home, she crawls as fast as she can to get to us.
• She is more and more curious every day, which is awesome and terrible at the same time (I promise I'll write about that soon).
• She has three and a half teeth (that "half" is almost in but not quite).
• She is eating a TON - a whole banana plus 4 ounces of milk at one meal is not unusual.

She grins huge a huge grin these days and makes what we call "squinch face."  It's so cute and so strange because we're not sure where she learned it.  Aunt Betsy posted a picture on Facebook yesterday of Rachel as a toddler, though, and Rachel was making the same face.

Everyone is saying Juliet looks like Ray.  I really don't see it except for her eyes.  She just looks like her own self to me. But she definitely has her daddy's eyes.  Her hair is wilder than ever and won't be tamed, but I love it.  Everywhere we go, people compliment her mohawk.  I've got to say... if there was ever a baby girl who could rock a mohawk, it's Juliet.

In addition to all of that, Juliet is also learned to express her frustration.  When she doesn't get her way (like when we won't allow her to chew on our phones) or when she can't reach something she wants, she will start to cry her loud I'M ANGRY cry.  It's so loud that there are days I have to make a conscious effort not to give in just to protect my eardrums.

She has also hit a phase where she wants me a lot.  We're all trying not to take it personally, but it's hard.  It's hard on Ray to be unable to soothe her, and it's hard on me to be the only thing that will calm her at times.  I try really hard not to reward her screaming for me because I want her to be just as happy with her dad.  But sometimes, you just have to hold your baby girl.  Luckily, Juliet settles down quickly and will go right back to Ray.  Oh!  This past week, she's started to do this hilarious thing where she needs/wants both of us at the same time.  If we're sitting next to each other on the couch, she will literally crawl back and forth between us, never resting.  Or, she will sit on one of our laps put have a hand/foot on the other.

The last little tidbit I can think of for this month is her teething.  I would just like everyone to know... Teething is really terrible.  It can make the happiest of babies just downright demonic.  Thankfully, one of her top teeth finally broke through, and that has given her (and therefore the rest of us) some relief.  I cannot say enough good things about Hyland Teething Tablets.  They've made all the difference in the world, and I don't think any of us would have survived the teething without them.

Juliet is still our snuggly baby when she's just waking up.  But once she's awake, look out.  She is wide open all the time.  I sometimes suspect that the makers of RedBull have simply harnessed whatever is coursing through Juliet's veins.  I'm so glad she is so alert and active, but I really do love our snuggle time for the three minutes a day I might get it.