When she eats

Believe it or not, it is normal for this baby to look pretty clean after she's done eating.  (As long as she didn't decide it was time for a nap during whatever meal it was.  And especially now that we've stop feeding her so much pureed stuff and instead are feeding her small chunks of our food, but still sometimes the pureed stuff (since we were generously given so many bottles).)  However, sometimes she's just messy when she eats.  I'm not at all upset that this is not the norm and now, I give you four basically consecutive pictures of the same thing.  Pay close attention to the third picture, it makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Random things from September

Is it just me or does she seem not to be enjoying this?

Remember my quest to learn to make things delicious?  Well, if you like Indian food, this was delicious.




Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7lFSSrpGXc

Proof we visited Grand Island

So...I told you we visited Grand Island and in fact we did.  There is...well...not really much there, but we had a good time.

Vidalia and I started out by playing in the hotel room.

We went on a bus tour of Grand Island Recreation facilities with Ryan.

It's hard to tell, but this park looked amazing!  We were on a bus tour, so we didn't get to play, but I wish we had.

 At some point we went swimming and to end the one full day, we all went to this banquet.

Vidalia is ready to eat with her spoon in hand.

This baby got so sleepy during the banquet after all the fun things we did all day.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBVLOKbRCss

Ankles

I've noticed something as of recent...Vidalia almost always crosses her ankles.  I find it super cute.  She'll be cuddling in my arms and her ankles are crossed; sitting in her high chair, ankles crossed; sleeping, sitting, almost any position.  What I find especially amusing about this is when we found our 24 week ultrasound (equivalent to a 20 week ultrasound, I just was out of the country at 20 weeks), she was indeed crossing her ankles then too.  Now I just realized I'm currently crossing my ankles.  I can't really blame her.  It's a comfy position for the body to be in.  Happy thinking of ankles!

Accomplishments

Opening the fridge and climbing on this:

Both done with zero assistance (from me; notice the pillow she climbed on.  She put it there.) and perhaps some anti-assistance.

9 Months

That's right.  Vidalia has now been out of me longer than she was ever in me.  (Although the time she was in me seems longer.  I think this is because SO many different things happened in my life while she was in and not very many since she's been out.  Life has been consistent, which I think is a good thing.)

So, as a 9 month old, Vidalia:

• is a fast crawler/stair climber.
• cruises along furniture, walls, pretty much anything.
• can stand, but is completely unaware of it.
• loves to explore everything including destroying books, dumping salt, and eating any food thing she finds.
• is SO much fun to play with.
• hates sitting still for anything we deem necessary (diaper change, being in high chairs, etc.).
• is super strong.  She can really put up a fight when she's determined.
• throws tantrums.  (I'm sure they are going to get worse.)
• is stubborn.
• is still incredibly patient.  (Is it possible to be so patient and so stubborn?)
• lacks consistent sleeping schedules.
• rarely falls asleep before Ryan and I go to bed.
• bites, bites, bites, bites, bites (with her 6 teeth).
• is one of the most delightful people that ever existed.  She's hard not to love.

V Baby Stats

Height: 28.5 inches (76%)

Weight: 19 lbs. 5.5 oz. (54%)

Head: 17.75 inches (77%)

At the doctor today Vidalia had the first part of her flu shot and a hemoglobin check (you know, the annoying finger pricks).  The finger prick was no fun for anyone.  After the lab lady was done getting what she needed, she used a gotten ball (very similar to a cotton ball) and wrapped it in a band-aid around Vidalia's finger.  I took one look at it and tried to decide how long V was going to let it stay there.  Immediately after that, she stuck the band-aid finger in her mouth.  By the time we got to the car, I was trying to get it out of her mouth.  I pulled it out and then noticed all the blood getting everywhere (on her face, in her mouth, on her clothes, on my hand...not actually everywhere).  So, I ran back inside and asked for a band-aid (what was I thinking?).  I came back out and Ryan's and Vidalia's hands were covered in blood.  After some struggle I finally got a new band-aid on. We went back inside to try and clean up a little.  When we walked back inside, they sent us back to the lab.  By the time we got to the lab, I was getting the second band-aid out of her mouth.  The lab lady gave us yet another band-aid.  Luckily, by the time we had cleaned up all our hands and were ready to do something with the third band-aid, it had stopped bleeding.  You would think this happens all the time and that they'd figure out something better than sticking a huge band-aid on a 9 month old finger.  Seriously, do children choke on band-aids on the way home from the doctor?

Note from Vidalia about the experience:

mkkmikgkootg 

Interpretation:

Why did you do that to me?

Bowling with Co-workers

A while back, Ryan's department at work won some sort of award.  I don't remember what it was, but they were given some money.  They decided they would use the money to all go bowling, families invited.  So that is exactly what we did.  We had a pretty good time.  I'm awesome and took only these two pictures.

I know you always wanted to see the backside of people bowling, apparently me too.  I did take the picture afterall.

We left the bowling early so that I could make it to a Relief Society activity.  I was amused by the contrast between beer drinking co-workers and juice drinking sisters.  I suppose in the future this sort of thing will just give us a good opportunity as parents to explain to our children things like the word of wisdom and not being judgmental.  Overall, it was a good, but very short, opportunity for me to put faces to the names Ryan uses.  We quite enjoyed ourselves, but perhaps not so much our bowling scores.

This couch, this baby, this remote

I dare say that Vidalia loves this couch.  Her favorite thing to do is stand up on it.  

It must make her feel taller or something.  She also loves remotes.  

Personally, I get a kick out of her sitting on the couch playing with the remote.  

In appearance, it's just such an adult looking thing, but actually a very baby thing pushing those buttons.

 

Love that face!

Kid History

I'm mainly posting to tell you all that I think you should watch this tribute that my in-law family made.  They're awesome like that.

I meant to do it a long time ago, but I forgot.  So, here it is now!  :)  Enjoy.

Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAgkQhdS5Es

Things I love so far...

So, it's conference time, which we always look forward too, but also feel a little bummed about at the same time.  (Weird, I know, but this tends to happen when Saturday = Friday and Sunday begins the weekend and Monday = Saturday.)  The only thing we're bummed about is the lack of watching all of it together.  We really thought that once Ryan was out of the military that we'd say goodbye to the dumbness that is him missing conference.  At least now it is only the two Saturday sessions instead of usually all of it.

That aside, this is about things I love, not things I hate and I love General Conference.

So, I guess I'll start with something of a very not deep nature...I love that they have conference available via the internet.  It makes it easy when I can pause it when I need and watch it in my house.  When I watched the RS Broadcast at the church, I had Vidalia with me.  Much of my energy was focused on keeping her from disappearing and messing with others' belongings.  Not that everyone minds, but I do feel obligated to watch her especially carefully when there are so many people around (for some odd reason).  I know my own home much better and it is fairly easy to let her roam or sit with me or make any noise or need anything while still being able to pay mostly full attention to the speakers.  That is all.

Another favorite thing...Elder Uchtdorf's forget-me-not address at the RS broadcast.  Even with a wiggly V Baby, he speaks so simply that even a somewhat distracted person can hear what he's saying.  I like that.

Future favorite thing...The primary choir that is going to be singing at the Saturday Afternoon Session.  Trust me, I know this will be a favorite thing.

Other favorite thing...Any sort of news, especially temple announcements and especially especially the Provo Tabernacle Temple announcement.  I must admit I was not completely surprised because of several articles I've read speculating what they would do with the building, but thrilled none the less.

Last for now favorite things...Talks I just listened to and more talks I will listen too.  I tend to have a harder time remembering who says what at first in the 4 main sessions than, say, the RS Broadcast.  I can't say for sure why that is, but I think it may have to do with the number of continuously speaking speakers (some of which I am not familiar).  It's just harder for me.

Okay....done.  Happy Conference Weekend (and October, which is also a favorite thing)!