10 Months (+ a little)

10 Months rolled in last week, and we rolled out to my parents' house for the week, but here is a small update about the activities and growth busy little Ily.

Mobility... right at this very moment she's trying to pull the laptop off my lap. She still doesn't crawl, but she is very, very, very close to walking on her own. She gets around pretty adeptly if there is anything or anyone to hold on to. She can make it the entire way around our living room until she ends up stranded on the back side of the couch. She is now standing quite steadily on her own (don't get me wrong, she still topples a fair bit), and she has begun taking as many as five steps on her own usually ending in a dive toward the person she is trying to reach. She could accurately be described as "busy." She'll keep us on our toes when she starts walking without assistance.

Speech...we have got the word for "more" when she's eating. It's not super clear, but she's got the first sound and she definitely knows what she means. Otherwise, she spends a great deal of the time chatting away in sounds that we can't interpret. (She gets that from her dad's side of the family. :-))

Appearance...She finally has some hair to speak of, and we have been clipping it in a little barrette. (The barrette also helps with gender identification for well-meaning strangers.) Her hair is also beginning to curl around the back of her ears. We have even had some awesome "bedhead" mornings. She's wearing mostly 12 month clothes at this point. Some of her things are 6-12 months and some of them are 12-18 months. She is adorable in all the summery rompers, skirts, dresses and capris.

Sleep...is getting better. Last night she actually slept from 10-7:20 without waking, but I will wait for more of these nights to believe for an actual pattern. I have been disappointed before with premature celebration. In general, though, it has been getting better...with 4-5 hour stretches. She rolls all over the crib, and you never know where she'll be or what position you will find her.

What she likes...
...to play with one of those little calendar books that I use for scheduling. She has her own from 2006 that she will search for in the book basket and tote around the living room.
...to eat blueberries and bread.
...to sleep with her monkey.
...to be with or near mommy most of the time. (She is still in the separation anxiety phase, when someone tries to take her while I am holding her, she will turn and bury her face in my shoulder.)
...listening to this strange dog that sings when you touch it. (Sometimes it even sings if you aren't touching it.)
...being swung around or thrown up in the air (lots of giggles when Daddy gets going.)
...animals and other kids. (She can spot them from far away.)

What she doesn't like...
...pureed carrots.
...when other people are eating and she's not.

Ilyana, you continue to amaze us and fill us with joy. We love your little "person-ness."

We declare the glory of God...

Something unexpected has happened to me since Ilyana was born. I have fallen in love with little ones and babies. My heart is so soft toward them that I almost can't be around them or see them without crying. One of the churches that broadcasts their services online just had baby dedications and I became a weepy mess. Let alone if there is a preemie or something goes wrong. Watching the Duggars little preemie on TLC is "Cryfest 2010." The reality of the miracle of babies has hit me so intensely in these last (almost) 10 months.

Last week, Ilyana was sick one day with a fever. It wasn't even a big deal...just your run-of-the-mill fever, and it only lasted 12 hours or so (thank you, Jesus.) But it gave me a new appreciation for every day of health that we have enjoyed with Ily. Our bodies are a marvel. Creation truly does declare the glory of God, and it is even more pronounced when those bodies are 7 or 10 or 16 pounds.

How much more does our heavenly Father care for these little ones?

Tall, skinny, and no teeth on the horizon...

We hit the pediatrician's office for a nine month appointment on Friday. We haven't been there for a regular check-up since February at which point, Ily weighed 15 lbs. 6 oz. and was 28 inches tall. I was sure that she was up to 19 or 20 pounds and knew she had gotten taller because of needing to change to the 12 month size for pants and sleepers. I was greatly mistaken in the weight department...only 16 lbs. 6 oz. A one pound gain. (I can just see the biggest loser scale with the +1 on the screen.) Our little willow did however manage to grow 1 3/4 inches in the same period of time to a total of 29 3/4 inches. No doubt about her parentage (if you really had any)...she is definitely her father's child.

She continues to be the toothless wonder. After checking her gums, and finding out that I didn't lose my first tooth until the spring of 2nd grade, the pediatrician speculated that she might not get teeth until 12-15 months. It doesn't seem to hinder her in the food department. Those are some mighty fierce gums. She actually split an apple slice into two pieces the other day. Not to mention, that toothless smiles and laughs are beyond description. (Also, I can't say I really mind from the nursing end of things. The advent of teeth is actually a little frightening.)

I didn't imagine how much you could love a little person...everything she does fascinates me.

9 Months and Counting...

"The dart" (as my students called her last year) turned 9 months old on Sunday. It's difficult to believe that a year ago, we didn't even know her. We were a family of two (and a half). Now I can't imagine what I did to fill my time when I didn't have a baby.

At nine months, this little peanut is bursting with personality and opinions. (I am not sure where that came from. It must be a recessive gene.) She is very interested in everything. Everything, that is, except crawling. She wants to go, but she wants it to be on two legs. About two weeks ago, we started standing her beside the furniture. She loved it, but the first day, she was very teetery and unsteady. By the next day, she was starting to get the hang of it, and by the end of that week, she was moving herself around the furniture. ("cruising" is the official name for it.) It feels like we are watching her grow, learn and change before our eyes.

She is moving around the furniture a great deal these days, and really likes to walk holding onto our fingers. She is also beginning to stand in the middle of the room without falling for several seconds at a time. Since she doesn't crawl yet, she doesn't know what do when she starts to fall. So she will try to catch her balance for a little, but then once she loses it, she does the "trust fall" and makes her body stiff and just lets it go. Most of the time we catch her, and then she laughs. One of my favorite aspects of the standing and moving is how enormously pleased with herself she is when she does something new. She makes sounds and smiles and wants us to be looking at her.

Lots of chatter fills our house (and no, I am not talking about myself.) She makes lots of sounds and definitely is beginning to express herself, but none of the sounds seem to be intentional at this point, despite my best efforts. She does look for Chad if I ask, "Where's Daddy?" But she doesn't look for me when he says, "Where's Mommy?" Go figure.

Her "opinionatedness" is evident as she spews unwanted food from her mouth showering all nearby surfaces. She also can become somewhat impatient if food doesn't arrive in a timely fashion. I often pacify her with cheerios which she can devour in large amounts.

This girl loves to be outside and spend time at the park. At this point, she doesn't seem to have a lot of fear. Being thrown in the air or swinging high produce laughter. She likes to ride in the backpack while Chad and I take walks. Kids and animals are a huge fascination.

Despite false advertising in previous posts, sleep continues to be unpredictable. I look forward to the day that it is more consistent.

Still no teeth. But her huge open-mouth smile is irresistible.

A nine-month old blessing.

Slept through the night

8:00 p.m. -7:30 a.m.
No squeaks.
No feedings.
No soother or monkey replacements.
Uninterrupted sleep for Neufelds one and all.
Sheer bliss.

Ear infection or not???

We had our first somewhat needless doctor's appointment on Friday, and I got my first taste of what it's like to have a medical professional nullify your concerns in a two minute appointment that will cost someone approximately $100.

Ilyana was having a tough week...lots of drooling, fussing, ear-pulling, nose-running. She was just a little "off." So after talking to some friends who mentioned that it may be an ear infection, I started thinking that it probably was an ear infection, and then it most likely was an ear infection. So I made an appointment with the doctor, but since it was at the last minute, I had to see whoever was available. Ily fussed and cried for most of that morning and was nearly inconsolable when she woke up from her morning nap. I assumed my fears were being confirmed as the ear pulling continued.

Of course, as fate would have it, by the time we got to the doctor's office, there were no more tears. In fact, not only were there not tears, there were giggles and delighted squeals. This did nothing to support my cause that something was amiss. The pediatrician briefly looked in her ears and checked her gums. With a dismissive, "There is no fluid in her ears, and her teeth are no where near the surface." So after that short and mildly informative meeting, I believe our file at the doctor's office now reads, "pleasant child, paranoid mother." Excellent.

But no ear infection, so that was good.

Tentatively rejoicing.

I am hesitant to even say the words, but I think we are starting to get into a sleep pattern. The last few nights, I have fed Ily at around 10:30-11:00 and then around 4:00 a.m. She has basically slept the other hours with maybe a soother replacement or two.

I have actually been sleeping long enough to dream. In the intense sleep deprivation of the last seven months, I hadn't even realized that I wasn't remembering any dreams. Both of the last two mornings, I have woken up from vivid dreams (which I can't recall at this moment,) but I know I was dreaming. It's a strange sensation. I had forgotten what it was like to wake up from a dream.

Bring on the dreams. Maybe one day, I will miss every hour from 12-6. (A girl can dream, right?)