9 Months Old: Taking Steps, Growing Teeth, and Traveling

November was a big month for baby E. She got her first tooth a few weeks ago, took her first steps the day after Thanksgiving, and then cut her second tooth the day after that.

She is becoming increasingly difficult to photograph lying down. Why on earth would she lie flat on her back when she can crawl away, pull up on the sofa, or try and catch the cat? I finally had to bribe her with Patience the Pink Pony.

Here are some outtakes

I will smile, but I'm not gonna unbend my knees

You get the butt.

We spent Thanksgiving with some of my extended family in Colorado. E got to meet a lot of cousins and a Great Uncle. She'd already met her Great Aunt Lori, but she was just a wee lassie (because she's old now?).

Kinda pixelated, but I love her little expression!

Here she is with her cousin James :) She liked to stare at his beard.

I FaceTimed with the rest of my extended family and immediate family throughout the day. Each phone call provided more and more entertainment as the drinks flowed more freely.

After Thanksgiving, we went out to lunch with my cousin Julie. Julie has known me my whole life, but I've never made it out to Colorado until now. She bought E a super cute coat for the winter.

Here is the coat!

Who needs knuckles when you can just have indents instead?

E also got to meet another baby her age. She gave him kisses and then stole his toys. How nice of her. She loves other babies, but I guess she loves their toys more.

She had her nine-month well baby visit, and everything was good there. We are getting her a stinky helmet tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it at all. Apparently, the babies don't mind them after the first couple of days, but I mind it because she isn't going to be snuggly anymore. Oh well, it will help fix her funny shaped head.

We're also going to PT for her torticollis. It's gotten a lot better, but it's still present. Hopefully with some more work at home we can get rid of it entirely.

I've also happened upon my new favorite second-day hair style. Ever since giving birth, I've had significantly less time to play with my hair (imagine that). My hair is curlt and ridiculous, so I can't just wash-and-go. I can slp it up into a messy bun, but that gets old fast.

Bobby pin the top section of your hair up into a poof, then grab two large sections from either side of your head and bind them with a hair elastic. Split it in two above the elastic and flip the ponytail up and over through the middle. Repeat once more.

Grab the remaining hair and flip it through the last section you tied off and pin it in place. I had to flip mine through twice since I have longer hair.

I pulled out some tendrils to hang around my face because, in the immortal words of my Aunt Wennie, "I'm classy as shit."

The next time I do this, I'm going to be more cognizant of my bobby pins holding my poof so they aren't so sloppy. I also need to get some clear elastics. Regardless, easy and quick second day hair that doesn't look like a blob on top of my head.