Watching Our Family Grow: Elise- 9 Months!

Dear Elise,

You are now 9 months old. Time is going by crazy fast. Personally, I think you are the world's most delightful baby. You are happy 24-7. You are so content to explore the house, crawling around everywhere. You are a lightning fast crawler! But you never crawl away from us. You like to be in the same room that we're in and you follow us when we leave. You love your toys and are very happy playing with them. You make the cutest sounds and expressions. Even your teachers at school comment on them. Some tidbits about you this month:

You weigh 17 lbs. and 8 oz and are 28 inches long. You are in the 50% for height and 25% for weight.
You sleep through the night on a very consistent basis!!!!! (Only took 9 months! :) You go to bed around 7:30 and sleep until 7:15-7:30 the next day.
You still take 2 naps totaling about 3 hours. You take your naps around 10:00 and 3:00. Your morning nap is usually your longer nap. I lay you down in your crib awake and you fall asleep without a peep.
You attend Mother's Day Out 2 days a week and are so good!! So far you have gotten nothing but great reports at the end of each day.
You have 5 teeth. 2 bottom and 3 top.
You love trying new foods! Applesauce does seem to be a favorite though. You haven't had anything with sugar but you have had goat cheese, frog legs, lamb, veal and most every fruit and veggie on the market. (No citrus or strawberry though.) Plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt is also a favorite. (For mommy too!) You are still a breast-fed baby, which is the best thing for you nutritionally.
You are such a healthy baby! You've made it 9 months and have never been sick or been to the pediatrician for anything other than a "well visit." However, you got your first runny nose, probably from school. I think it bothered me more than it bothered you! It only lasted about a week.
You love to give kisses and hugs! It's so sweet!
You fake cough and then smile. You love to try new sounds and like to make different noises with your throat.
You love your mommy and your daddy. However, we think you love Jaws most of all. He gets the biggest smiles from you. You squeal and laugh at him.
You look just like your daddy. Everyone agrees!
You are a pro at blowing raspberries. You do this quite often, especially at your Tompa.
You are cruising around and can even stand by yourself for a few seconds.

This month has been wonderful. This is such a fun age and though we're excited to see what next month brings, you're growing up so fast and we wouldn't mind if you slowed it down a bit. We love you so much and can't imagine what we did before you.

Daddy and his "mini-me"