9 months old

When did my little girl get big enough to be nine months old? And crawl up into cupboards? And pull chairs onto herself? And stand up on all the furniture? And leave bite marks in my piano bench (laugh or cry? laughed. +1 mom point)? A few days ago I just held her through her entire hour and a half nap. I haven't done that for a long time. Nap time usually = time to get stuff done that is difficult with a crawling child underfoot. I've missed it. I feel like she's so independent already. Sniff, sniff.

Today I took her to Lagoon, mostly because my older sister paid for me to get in because her daughters were performing there, and she needed someone to pick up her son from soccer and take him to meet up with rest of them at Lagoon. I was glad to help! I bought some tickets for Ruthie to ride the kids rides. The very first ride I put her in and buckled her tight and walked over to the side, and then looked at all of these BIG 2 yr olds to 4 yr olds, and realized SHE IS TOO LITTLE TO BE ON THAT BIG RIDE!!!! The worker might've noticed my shock, and told me he would stop it if she started to cry. Bless you, worker man. But no, she smiled, and chewed on the airplane she was riding in (builds a good immune system? yes?) and then laughed and laughed. The next ride, a boat ride, she sat right next to her cousin Devaney, and Devaney was big enough to reach up and pull a string to make a bell ring on their small boat. Ruth was CRACKING UP!!!! It was so much fun to watch! But then, I almost wanted to snatch her up, take her home, rock her to sleep, and hold her all afternoon instead of riding rides. Cause it just felt way too grown up. My baby should not be big enough to do things like this, I kept thinking. My baby is a BABY! She is mine. She shouldn't be independent. She shouldn't be happy without ME! She needs me, RIGHT!!?!? Sniff, sniff (again). I just love that girl to pieces. I think a little part of me will always and forever think of her as my little baby. Happy nine months Ruthie! You are the best, happiest, most beautiful little brown-eyed  redheaded little Ruthie there ever was!

P.S. At her nine month appointment she was solidly in the 35th percentile for everything, which has been her norm since birth. And she had an ear infection. I didn't even know it. If I had noticed anything in the last few days, I attributed it to her getting tooth number 8(finally!), poor little thing. But since being on an antibiotic she has only been getting up ONCE during the night, instead of twice. YAY! Makes getting up with her in the morning all the more enjoyable. (There is just something too perfect about a sleepy-eyed, big, toothy grin to wake up to in the morning!)