nine months old

little nuggie has become quite the mimic this month. she stares intently at our mouths as we slowly speak words and sounds and we can see the wheels turning as she tries to form the words herself. she has repeated sounds i've made with such accuracy and perfect pitch that our days of letting f-bombs fly are quickly drawing to a close. so far she's said "ball," "book" and "shoes." i am love love loving this stage and find the development of language fascinating.

this month brought about the big milestone of standing alone. it happened one day at the beginning of august when thea was holding onto her toy basket and let go to inspect a toy with both hands. it happens at least once a day now and the amount of time gets longer and longer before she falls on her behind. walking still seems a way off but i'm sure it'll come sooner than i think.

thea has become even more animated this month [if that's possible] playing patty cake, clapping, high-fiving and waving. we have spent countless hours dancing since she was born but this month, believe it or not, she acquired some rhythm. as soon as the music starts she moves her legs wildly, pats me on the back and wails loudly and completely out of tune [her version of singing]. she has also become more affectionate or perhaps it's just that there seems to be conscious thought behind her actions now. she snuggles a lot more and often buries her head in my neck which is just heaven on earth. she loves zack's head and will often hold it with both hands, pull him close and rest her head on his while making happy sounds. and i could be wrong about this but she does this thing where she closes her eyes halfway and brings her forehead to touch mine and i'm pretty sure that's her version of a kiss. i'll take what i can get :)

everything is 'no' right now, communicated via endless head shaking, delivered with a grin from ear to ear. just before we got on the plane to head back from charleston, zack's mom said that her smile could sell ice to eskimos and i totally agree. she has us eating out of the palm of her hand.







ps - this months' photos were taken nekkid [it's SO HOT here] and in thea's darth vader 'dark side' t-shirt which zack had made to match his decathlon team t-shirts. big dada won first place. way to bring it home baby!! and by "it" i mean the three foot trophy and by "home" i mean the garage. i love you.