#ohbabymolly turns NINE months!

(Is it weird that the title is a hashtag?! haha)

My lovely little lady Molly Fay is nine months old today. I'm a little emotional about it. Could be due to the fact that she slept approximately...ZERO hours last night. I went back to the 9 month posts on Ruth and Will and I noted that Will had been sleeping through the night for three weeks at this point. Oh Molly. Oh Molly, Molly, Molly. You are definitely not a good sleeper. You do not go to strangers. Actually, you rarely go to your own dad without a fight. You are a very picky eater (we make pancakes a LOT around these parts to make sure that little tummy is full). You want to be held always. You are absolutely exhausting, young one.

Then, why oh why am I so absolutely and completely in love with you? You are just the BEST baby there ever was. I love your snuggles and your baby smells and softness. I enjoy your clinginess way more than I'd like to admit. A baby who only wants me? Why, I will take that one and another one and another one! haha.  Tonight I was sweeping the floor from your crazy I-only-feed-myself messes and daddy was supposed to be watching you, but you had crawled over to the baby gate and were standing there whining to be held. I started to sweep and you watched me intently and then I walked over to you and the BRIGHTEST and BIGGEST smile lit up your whole face. You sure know how to make a person's day. :)

At nine months you have eight teeth, lots of bumps and bruises from pulling yourself up to a standing position and walking along furniture and anything else you can. You never sit still. You have stopped crawling normal and have developed this half bear-ish crawl. Sterling calls it the crab crawl. You swing one leg around and then step forward with the other foot, or slide it underneath of you. I think this is because there are so many hard surfaces everywhere in Miami (the pool, the splash pad, our tile) and you try to save your knees. Your brother and sister delight in making you laugh and smile, as well as a little bit of teasing and torture. You are fifteen pounds and incredibly lanky looking for a baby--so tall and skinny! You have quite a bit of hair that, in just the last couple of weeks, has lightened to a dark blonde instead of the dark brown locks you used to have. You have the greatest giggle, although you RARELY share it and only for brief moments. You smile all the time and your biggest tricks lately are clapping and waving. You think you are just the greatest when you do tricks! 

My favorite thing is the 'hum' you do when you are tired or snuggly. You lean right into me and 'hum' along until you fall asleep. It is the most precious of precious. I am also in love with the little rolls you have around your wrist and arms and knees--the creases are so white against your dark tan and I just love it!

As per the usual, she was not into smiling, or looking, at the camera. Still such a gorgeous babe.

We finally caught a smile, but she wouldn't look up! 

Clapping!

This hand clasp. Again, most precious of precious. Sweetest little baby!

Hey, mom! This outfit might have fit Ruthie's chub, but I'm saggin' over here!

I feel so blessed, and yet so sad! I've got to stop mourning my children growing up and just enjoy them, and I really do try, but oh goodness! Could you just help a sista' out and STOP growing already!!!!

PS, besides the fact that Will is triple the chunkiness of Molly, don't they look alike in these photos?! That is Will at nine months. I think their hair and nose and chin and lips all look a lot alike. Even face shape, if you can get over the chub.