we're walking around here!

Macee has been taking a few "falling" steps for a couple weeks. By falling I mean that she had minimal balance, but was instinctively taking the necessary steps to catch herself. Just yesterday she decided to do the real thing and took off walking. Not long distances, but with some serious balance with places to go. It is the cutest thing to watch the joy that she gets when she realized she just walked. She is sure loving it and continues to push her limits!  

http://youtu.be/CzZfuS6AotA

http://youtu.be/dVADc6tfwQ8

nine months

Don't mind the "D". The picture was taken for a father's day present.

Macee turned nine months old yesterday. I can't believe how fast the time flies! A cousin brought to light that she has officially been out of me as long as she was in me. Wow, that's weird. I couldn't love my baby girl more. I am so grateful that I have had her for nine months, and I can't wait to have her for many, many more! She is growing and developing so quick, but I will try to recap everything she is doing right now. Macee is a strong girl with a strong will. She has become a champ at standing on her own, holding on to nothing at all. She is able to squat down to her toy then stand to play with it, then squat back down again. Yesterday, she took two independent steps chasing a ball. She was so excited to get the ball that I don't think she realized she was walking. She is clapping and giggling a lot. Macee is extremely expressive with her eyes. She uses those eyebrows to their full potential! She loves to be thrown and teased. She has turned into a music girl. When the music is playing she stops what she is doing and bounces and shakes her head. It seems like she is doing it to the beat, but I can't tell because I myself can't recognize the beat. Eating is a frequent challenge. She is a picky little girl and will only eat on her terms. She has tried basically everything and prefers fruits...and chocolate. Macee is a mamma's girl all the way around. She requires a lot of attention from me and does not like when I leave. That could possibly be the redheaded temper showing through. We are quickly finding out what needs more baby proofing in the house and I feel like I am continually running around in circles trying to keep the house clean. Macee is still a really good sleeper. She consistently takes 2 hour and half naps a day, sometimes longer. She also sleeps 11-12 hours at night. Morning does come really early, but she hits the sack at 7:00, giving her mommy and daddy some time to catch up! This girl continues to get more and more beautiful everyday.

Here are her nine month stats:

weight: 18 lbs 8 oz; 50th percentile

height: 27 3/4 inches; 75th percentile

head: 46 cm; 95th percentile

Happy nine months, Macee girl! We love you with all our hearts and are so grateful for the joy you bring us everyday.

swimming

By far, my favorite past time activity to do with Macee is swimming. I love getting this girl in the water and watching her splash around. She does not mind the water in her face one bit, which is completely different than her mamma. She has already started practicing her kicking. Before you know it, we will have an Olympic swimmer on our hands! Once Macee gets tired of the pool, she likes to get out and crab walk around, checking out the pool furniture and dirt. It's darling. We can spend hours at the pool, loving up the sun. Yes, sunscreen is used like it's going out of style around our home. But what do you expect with a family full of fair skin living in Arizona?