Lilah 9 months

Lilah had her 9 month check up the other day and the stats are as follows:

Weight: 28 & 3/4" - 90%

Height: 18 lb 6 oz. - 50%

HC: 17 & 1/8" - 25-50%

Her biggest news is that she started getting on her hands and knees at 8.5 months. She soon moved by sliding backwards and today she started crawling! O.k.... so she moved about a foot forward, but I'm taking it!

Today is the day of firsts! She also started saying "mama" today, and being the biased person I am, I think she may even mean me :) We've been working a lot on nursery games in the last few days, prompted by some tests that our overseas organisation gives us. Today she started playing "peek-a-boo" by holding her hands together and covering her eyes. It's sweet to watch.

I love watching Eliana and Lilah interact. The other day I put Lilah in her crib to play and later discovered that Eliana had climbed in to play with her. I hope they grow to be best friends.

Other things about Lilah:

She just started finger foods. It's a slow process! She puts cheerios in her mouth but squishes beans and peas between her fingers :)

She is mostly on formula. I'm thankful I'm able to breastfeed her a little before each feed, but she needs more food, so her main nutrition is from solids and bottles.

She takes two 1-2 hour naps a day (9am & 1pm) and is really ready for bed by 7pm :)

She started showing stranger anxiety at 8 months. Arms of friends that she was once happy in now make her cry.

She babbles a lot! On Sundays I've started standing at the back of church rocking her until she falls asleep so she doesn't distract others!

She is still a little giggle pot.

What a joy she is. We are so thankful to God for her health, her giggly, yet feisty personality, her little squishy cheeks and her big brown eyes. May the Lord make her His own through the salvation that comes only through Christ!

Why we're considering the purchase of an iPad...

We had a wonderful time with some sweet ladies from our church last week. Eliana especially loved playing with them. I think Apple should employ Susan to go around and promote the iPad to parents of toddlers. We were almost sold on the spot!

Eliana 2 years and 5 months

When I watch Eliana it is amazing to think that she was once Lilah's age! I could best summarise Eliana's days with these words: dancing, singing, spinning, (pretend) reading, dress ups, socialising and playing jokes on Lilah. She can communicate fairly well these days, although I have to translate for others sometimes because she has a little Aussie accent.

Eliana's most favourite things to do are to go outside and to go and play with friends. We have been blessed with a 'mild' winter here in Louisville with it sometimes reaching the 50s F/10s so Eliana is always excited when I bring the pram out to get some fresh air.

I was able to get a short clip of Eliana "reading" one of her favourite books. It's a book from the 70s on the folk song "This Old Man". We love it. I had to sneak up from behind to record her because as soon as she sees the camera she usually stops what she's doing and wants to "see Ana". Technology is a blessing, but that screen on the back of the camera is a nemesis to the mother of a toddler :)

Here's a last little sneak peek of Eliana entertaining Lilah (and Daddy):