month nine!

Uh oh. I'm writing V's nine month post now, over two weeks late! The holidays have always been a busy season for us work-wise, and throw in an active baby (seriously, active! I couldn't get a good shot of her on the chair, because she kept wanting to launch herself off) on top of that and I don't have much down time these days.

Eight-to-nine was a fun month of discovering that V is actually much more aware of what is going on around her than I ever thought. I'm constantly amazed that she understands actual words (though, just a few of them - let's not get carried away, now). She can clap when requested, as well as hi-five, give a big slobbery kiss (gross AND yum!), and sign for milk. It's pretty exciting that we are starting to be able to communicate - bits and pieces here and there - and I can't wait to hear what's going on in her head.

People sometimes ask me what her personality is like. The question kind of throws me off, because I feel like I should have a definitive answer, and I don't. It's still slowly becoming apparent - kind of like a polaroid picture as it develops, or a painting that is slowly taking shape. I'm only seeing hints of who she is, but she definitely tends towards bubbly (she's almost always happy), super expressive, she loves to share (I am constantly having half eaten bananas and apples shoved in my face), energetic (always in motion, which makes for a very tired mama - our nanny calls her the energizer baby), and a little bananas (see second 40 of the video below where she's going nuts on the couch).






Boxes are always great entertainment. As are shoes (unworn, not to worry).





V loves playing hide and seek.




Another favorite activity - removing all of the books from the bookshelf. One at a time, thump, thump, thump. I need to get her a pair of steel-toed boots.