Elizabeth at 9.5 months

Elizabeth really is the best. She's as easy as Abigail was, but about fifty times happier. Abigail was really content. Elizabeth is just giddy about life. She smiles and laughs and just flails her arms with excitement.  She is a delight through and through. 

I didn't put her down for her second nap today until after four because we were at the library. So Elizabeth woke up while I was putting the kids to bed. It was just as I'd hoped. So I got her out of her crib and she sat and hung out with us while we read and just took some time to unwind. We are all just sweeter to each other when she is present. Also, she's so adorable to look at. Especially when she is so patiently accepting all of Brady's hugs and kisses. The kids love her so much. We all do. It's impossible not to. 

So after we said goodnight to the kids, I took Elizabeth to the kitchen to give her solids. I still suck at doing this but today was better. Tonight I fed her Brady's leftover avocado from dinner, Abigail's leftover tomato, and a little bit of mango, leftover on the cutting board. ; ) She loved it. Who would have known she would love tomato so much! She really is a little Abigail. Abigail's very favorite food at 12 months was tomato and it seems to be one of Elizabeth's favorites too judging how she took to it tonight. She also seemed to really like the avocado. She started out as a pretty finicky eater but she's really seeming to be branching out these days. She also had some puffs and cherrios. I don't think she was hungry still after all the avocado and half a tomato, but I was enjoying her company while I finished dishes and tidied up the kitchen. 

Seriously, her presence is just a gift. I kept thinking about that tonight. Everyone else was asleep. I'd put the kids to bed and honey was already asleep because he'd had a headache and put himself to bed. So it was just the two of us hanging out in the kitchen. I fed her, I had some oatmeal, and I just talked to her while I did a ton of dishes. If that had been me and baby Brady, I would have felt butter and resentful of Christopher that he was passed out in bed while I was up til 10pm caring for our child (who would have been fine if I'd just nursed her and put her back to bed instead of getting her up to read books with the kids and me) and cleaning up dishes and dinner and the kitchen. But I wasn't. I was happy and cooing (along with Elizabeth) and just completely happy with that special alone time with her. Because that's how it is with her.  Better. Everything is better with Elizabeth. 

And because I suck at writing monthly posts, here's the random specifics...  Elizabeth is wearing size two diapers, 6-12 month clothing, taking two naps (roughly 10-12 and 2-4:30... Give or take), waking up once a night, mostly nursing and eating baby food once or twice a day if I remember, great at feeding herself a bottle, sitting up and rolling over still, but not at all mobile and not even showing signs of rocking on all fours, army crawling, or pulling up on anything. HALLELUJAH! 

She is my perfect little pet rock. That happens to smile and laugh all the time. I couldn't love her more. My mouth literally hurts from smiling when I'm around her and my heart is bursting. I feel so privledged to be able to experience her. 

Elizabeth, you are perfection.