Words

Just a quick post to list all the words Paige knows so far: mama, dada, Hannah, up, hot, help, night-night, bye-bye, ba ba (bottle), all done, dat (that), dis (this), ahpen (open), boom. She often signs "more" especially for cheese, cheerios, and blueberry muffins. She's learning all the time-- amazing what a sponge her little mind is!

Nine Month Check Up

So we were only 3 weeks late for the 9-month check up. We found out the reason our doctor was so busy was all the kids going back to school in Aug & early Sep who needed check-ups. Paige weighed in at 20 lbs 9 oz and 30 3/4 in long! She ranked 75th percentile for weight and off the chart for height. In fact, she is the average height of a 16-month old baby! She passed all her developmental & motor skills with flying colors. She got 2 more vaccinations today, but they didn't seem to slow her down at all. She was cruising around our living room all afternoon & still had a healthy appetite for oatmeal and mixed fruit for dinner.

Here's a photo of Paige last week, modeling the new onesie with moose & bears from Grandma Karen & Grandpa Joe's recent visit to Grand Teton National Park.

New Moves

Paige has been busy this past week. She went to a party on Sunday to cheer on the Chicago Bears in their first regular-season game. She held her own against 4 men, 4 boys, 2 dogs, and a rabbit!

In other news, Paige has learned how to go up the stairs. Today she climbed the entire staircase from bottom to top! Soon she will have to learn how to get down, but one skill at a time...

And possibly the most endearing move: when I hold Paige on my lap, she will often take my hands & bring them together to make them clap. Lately, she grabs my hands & places them on either side of her face, so I am holding her little head. It's very sweet and of course warms mom's heart.

Walking!

Paige took her first official steps yesterday, and we caught them on camera today! We're very excited and SO proud of her! She seems to walk best when she's carrying a favorite toy and not thinking too much about putting one foot in front of the other.

Crawling Hazards

Well, now that Paige is mobile, she is experiencing some of the hazards associated with this new talent. Namely, getting into places that she can't figure out how to get out of. Yesterday, she crawled under one of our bar stools. She thought it was funny when I took her picture, but as soon as I put down the camera, she wanted my help to get out!


Also of note, Paige got tooth #3 on Monday July 16. It's on top, to the right of the middle pair (or the space where the middle pair would be, if she had them). I've been sure that she was teething for about 2 weeks, and finally something to show for it! The new tooth is not yet camera-ready (not poking out far enough), but you can bet we'll be watching for that photo op.

Houston, we have a crawler!

Paige can officially crawl! She's been working up to it for a couple of weeks, and now we have the evidence on film. Video length: 1 min. (with sound)

Six Month Check-up

Paige got a clean bill of health at her 6-month check-up today. Since her last check up 2 months ago, she has gained about 2 pounds (currently 17 lbs 6 oz), grown 2 1/2 inches taller (currently 28 1/2 in), and her head has grown about 1 1/4 inches bigger around (currently 17 1/2 in)! She is hitting all her developmental milestones of grasping, sitting up, rolling over, etc. The pediatrician said "She's doing great! Just keep doing whatever you're doing." which of course is about the best confirmation a mom can get! We thank God every day for our happy, healthy, GROWING girl!

Teeth! On Camera!

We finally got a photo of Paige's new teeth! Check out these pearly whites! Last weekend, we had a fun visit with Auntie Jen. She brought Paige a singing bowl (AKA meditation bowl) from Vietnam. Paige seems to like the pure tones. We were hoping to use the bowl as a "call to napping" instead of the traditional "call to prayer." So far, this strategy is not working. She prefers a CD of lullabies that we often play for her. And when that doesn't work, a walk in the stroller is a pretty sure bet for lulling a tired baby girl to sleep.

Paige's baptism

On April 22, we celebrated Paige's baptism at Holy Trinity. We were thrilled to have the grandparents & other family & friends join us for the service and a celebratory lunch. Here's a photo from the big day.