10 months.

So Lylah's 10 months. She got her first teeth -- the two on bottom -- this month, and we paid dearly for them. In hours of sleep, in case you're wondering. They were expensive teeth. Also, this girl is feisty. She is the only child of mine who has pitched all out temper tantrums this early (ever?). She arches her back, stiffens her body, screams her head off, is inconsolable. The whole nine yards. My mom assures me that her stubbornness will pay off later in life. She says "dadadadada" when she's happy. She says "mamamamama" when she's sad or upset. Hmm. She eats a lot of Cherrios and anything else we'll give her. If you're eating, you better plan to share. She wants to nurse all the time. We've had to move her to the pack-and-play in the playroom because she doesn't sleep well with anyone else in the room, and waking 4-5 times a night was not good for my mental health. She's down to waking twice a night now. We bought a house in her 10th month, and each child will have their own room. We're going to work on learning to sleep all the way through the night once we move in sometime in June. I'm already planning her birthday party while simultaneously denying that it's coming. Mostly, she squeezes my heart so hard it aches. Mercy, I love her.

Lylah :: 9 months.

Quite a bit has happened the last month. We have crawling. We have pulling up. We have clapping. Head shaking, lots of talking, and LOTS of eating. No, teeth. Yes, allergies. Mostly, we have the sweetest little girl. She is happy and feisty. She is way too close to a year old for Mama's taste. Happy 9 months, Lylah. We love you on and on and on.

We have crawling.

Two days before turning 8 months old, Lylah crawls for real.

She's been on the verge for quite awhile, finding other ways to get around. I was yapping at the big kids about something this afternoon when I noticed out of the corner of my eye she was crawling all around the living room. Mid-sentence, I stopped. "Lylah's crawling!" The above video footage ensued. Notice Ellie and Gray yelling at each other in the background. Lylah's milestones all come with a cacophony of big siblings on the soundtrack. She's saying her first syllables now, too, and trying to pull up. The Flip camera is at the ready.

Seven months today.

Somebody got a new iPhone.

Lylah loves leaves.

And somebody really loves Instagram.

Floating.

I've started thinking about how much longer it will be before Lylah's too big for her cradle in her nursery nook. I comfort myself by repeating, "Not yet. Not yet. Not...yet."

six months.

half a year? already?

how can it be?

edited to add: 18 lbs., 27.5 inches, and, obviously, perfect.

million dollar smile.

she quite literally has the world wrapped around her finger right now with this smile. we all go willingly.

five months on thanksgiving.

• still dark-haired, dark-eyed
• likes to suck her fingers
• has tried rice cereal, but only eaten it twice
• was dedicated & prayed for by her sister
• wears 9 month or 6-12 month clothes
• still wakes once (or twice...) in the night to nurse
• adores her siblings
• had her first thanksgiving
  
• decorated her first christmas tree
  

solid.

a video account of lylah eating her first solid food during which i exhibit the world's worst videoing skills. in my defense, it's difficult to video while feeding the baby with my finger. and i'm using a flip camera. can you imagine how hard it would have been if i'd had one of those contraptions our parents took home movies with? nevertheless, she appears to be a fan. also featured, grayson saying, "smoovie."

four months.

• definitely brown eyes
• hair is still dark
• i'm still obsessed with her ears
• she rolled front-to-back for the first time on saturday, oct. 22
• she giggles at people
• great quantities of drool are flowing
• she likes to be at home the best
• she's highly entertained by ellie and grayson
• she smiles with her whole face
  

playing with toys.

chillin.

lylah has discovered she loves the bumbo.

she likes to sit and watch her siblings play.

she still can't do a thing with her hair.
nothing will make it lay down. nothing.

she's also starting laughing.
there is no sweeter sound.

three months (aka oh-my-stars-this-child-is-beautiful).

lylah is 3 months old today.

getting ready for a bath.

her ears. oh, her ears.

my hearts explodes. really, it explodes.

(because it's fun...ellie at 3 months & grayson at 3 months.)