Almost 9 months

Dalia had her 8 month check up last week. She is actually almost 9 months old (ALREADY!). We are so pleased to say that her new found mobility has made her about the happiest baby you ever met. She almost never fusses anymore, except when tired. She can wave (and loves to do so), is starting to identify objects and animals in books by pointing, LOVES dogs and cats, is in the very early stages of saying things Mom and Dad can understand : meow-meow (meh meh) kitty cat (keeeka), daddy (de de), ball (ba - could mean anything I guess), button (te te), elephant (len) - she does all of this while looking at the object, which is how we know all of this. I'm sure many of you think we're nutso parents who are projecting, but she really does say these things daily. She can also give mom rasberries on her chin. She is in the beginning stages of cruising now (god help us) and can cross-crawl like the cutest bear in the forest. When she crawls, she makes the most hilarious sounds.

This week marked the turning point for sleep, it seems, though I'm probably jinxing it by sending this out in cyberspace. Last night she only woke up twice, which for those of you who know that she's been waking 4-8 times a night for the past three months, know it was an amazing gift for mom and dad to sleep for five hours straight!

She now eats like the rest of us only messier (though still enjoys mommy's num nums throughout the day and night). We started giving her her own food on her high chair tray this week and had the most leisurely dinner of our new lives as parents. Photo included (menu was O's and avocado).

Dalia weighs 18 pounds, 12 ounces and is 27 inches long. With all her activity (she does not stop moving ever), she is beginning to thin out a bit, though we are happy to say she is still a chunky little monkey.