9 Months.

  I love this age.  We see more of your personality every day.  It’s like every day you are on a mission to show me you are your own person with your own quirks and loves and needs.  I am loving getting to know you.

 

  I think I see, emerging out of you, a heart that is tender and so willing to make someone else’s day.  At just the right moments you look at me and smile your big, open mouth smile, as if to say – Mama, I know we drive you crazy sometimes, but I am so worth it!  You love to snuggle, and even though you are a very busy girl, you always have time to give me a little baby love.  You get so excited when your Daddy or I pick you up, and as soon as you get in our arms you squeeze us as tight as your little arms will let you.  The best kind of hug, I’m very sure.

 

 

  You are crawling all over the place, and very quickly.  Sometimes you try to chase your sisters around, and they play along.  It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.  Hands down.  You pull up on anything that seems even vaguely sturdy enough, and you’ve started cruising around a bit too.

  You’ve learned to climb the stairs.  Without my permission, I might add.  I didn’t know you had conquered this little trick, so I put you downstairs with some toys while I was helping your sisters brush their teeth upstairs.  I walked around the corner to come check on you, and there you were at the top of the stairs. 

It’s not nice to give your Mommy heart palpitations like that.

 

 

  You’re still sleeping with us.  Still.  I know for the last two months I’ve said we were going to transition you to your crib – but, well, maybe this month.  You don’t make it easy.  Last night we took you to bed with us, and for thirty minutes you laughed at absolutely anything we did.  It was absolutely the best part of my day.  So who wants to put you in a crib with fun like that??

  You’ve decided ‘to heck’ with that baby food stuff.  You’re slowly munching on more solid foods – but mostly your still nursing.  You got your first tooth this month, which turned into your first four teeth.  Two on top, and (barely) two on bottom.

 

 

  You’re still teeny tiny.  Like your mama through and through.  I love your itty   bitty-ness.  You’ve got drama down pat.  Essentially if Sylvia comes near you, and I’m not holding you, you start throwing a fit.  I have to say, that is some intelligent drama.  You’re only trying to survive, I know.

  You are very intensely focused on discovering every little thing you can, and you study things like you are going to be given a test on the inner workings of every toy we own.  You are soaking things up, learning, and exploring every moment.

 

 

  You are an absolute joy.  You have a huge grin on your face almost constantly.  We are so blessed by your presence.  I love you more and more and more.  I am so happy to call you my little baby (even though soon you won’t be so little.) – what a blessing you are.

 

  Love you, Love you, Love you,

                                   Mama

 

Sylvie here.

Sylvie here…

 

Just wanted to stop by…

and give a little shout out…

 

 

to the birthday girl today….

 

 

Happy Birthday Nana!

I love you!

Project 365 – Week 23

 

One of Brian’s projects for the week….

Before…

 

After.

 

I caught Sylvia sneaking in to the pantry – making a mess and getting herself a snack.  She learned from the best.

 

While visiting Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Richard we stopped by the state capital.

 

 

….and stopped for some ice cream.

 

 

Jae teaching Sylvie how to play the piano.

 

Sylvie has started standing on her own!  She thinks she’s big stuff.

Project 365 – Week 22

Who, me?  No, I didn’t steal any of my Mommy’s pudding.

 

Fun with friends at the Japanese Steakhouse.

 

Catching our food in mid-air.  (I spared all of my friends by not posting the pictures of them catching their food too.)

 

The old dresser that we picked up on large item trash pickup day.  After pics to follow.  My mom calls me a dumpster diver.

 

 

Sylvie and her beloved domino.

 

Honk, honk!

This kind police officer is how we ended our Saturday.

Story to follow.

Project 365 – Week 21

Jae was very proud of his domino people.

 

Sylvie and her bestie loungin’ at the pool.

 

Zee and his brother.  You can definitely see the resemblance.

 

Hangin’ at the park with all the kids.  Super fun memories.

 

This is currently my favorite Sylvia expression.  I can’t even capture it, because she doesn’t sit still long enough – but she makes this face, like she has just discovered the most exciting thing in the whole world.  (Like the santa weeble, for example.)  No sounds, just pure excitement on her sweet face.

 

Jae saw me sewing, and asked me to teach him.  I was so excited for the chance to do something together!  We decided to make a drawstring bag for his legos.

Of course he acted like it pained him to sit at the machine with me.  But I know that secretly he loved the one on one time.

 

While we were sewing the bag, Brian was making a rubber band gun with Zee.  He was very excited.  (Pending anyone from SRS reading this – it’s harmless.  It shoots rubber bands.  Just enough sting to make it fun.  Ha!)

9 Months.

 

Little lady,

  If there were ever a time for you to stop growing it would be now.  You are as cute as ever and you are so much fun.  There are so many updates, I’m not even sure where to start!  You’re changing so fast!

You are all over the place now.  Nothing is safe, you are into everything.  You’ve quickly figured out how to open cabinets and drawers, and your favorite things to eat are paper and the smallest little things you can possibly find on the floor.  You can crawl so quickly now and are developing your ornery grin – you’ll have it perfected before too long.  You cruise around furniture with ease, and you’ve even started pushing around your walking toy.  Sometimes you will let go with both hands for just a second and test out your balancing skills.  They still need some work.  Now if I do something you don’t like, you are very quick to let me know, but most of the time you are the happiest little girl I’ve ever met.

You’ve got five teeth now – two on top and three on bottom.  Teething seems to be no big deal for you (so sweet of you to do that for mommy).  You LOVE to eat.  Anything that is on my plate must be taste tested by you before it’s gone, or you get upset!  You’ll eat just about anything as long as it isn’t in baby food form.  You’re still a big fan of nursing, though – it’s the only thing that can fix any one of your ails.  We’re still working on the idea of a sippy cup, but you think it’s a great little toy to carry around with you.  Speaking of toys…

Most kids get attached to a stuffed animal, a blanket maybe.  But these days you are pretty attached to your domino.  That’s right.  Six dots on one side, eight on the other.  (How’s that for proving she’s a Popp!?)  You like to keep it halfway in your mouth while you crawl around and do your baby things.  Once in a while it will disappear for a couple days, and then you find it and there it is in your mouth again.

You love your brothers.  You think they are the funniest thing you’ve ever come across.  Any time they walk in the room you squeal and laugh.

Now when your daddy gets home from work you get very excited and crawl over as fast as you can to welcome him home.  This melts his heart.  He’s in love with you sweet girl.

You say mama when you want me now – and I think you’re starting to figure out dada too.  You make a ton of different sounds now – and you are quite the chatty kathy.  When you meet new people it’s usually one of the first things they comment on.  Apparently you’ve got a lot to say.  You also like to clap your hands now, and you give the sweetest kisses (albeit their slobbery).

I love you baby girl.  I love you more all the time.  You love me too.  I wish you were always going to be so happy to be with your mommy – but a time will come when I don’t know anything and you’d rather sneer at me than smile.  I will love you still.  You’re my sweet baby girl and there’s nothing I’d rather be than your mommy.

Love you, Love you, Love you,

                                       Mama