My Heart

Mariah is not a cuddler; she never has been. Even as a newborn she would strain to lift her head off of our shoulders. But every once and a while there are these moments where she will lay her head on my shoulder, usually for no more than a few seconds, but it just melts my heart. Tanner got this picture of her snuggling up to me last Sunday and I'm so happy he was able to capture it.

I love this baby girl so so much! 

10 Months!!

Mom: Here we are again with another interview!!

Mariah: Boy am I excited!

Mom: You are just growing and learning so much! What are some things that you have learned this month?

Mariah: Well I love to clap! I do it whenever I get the chance. When you start to sing, "If you're happy and you know it...", if you or daddy say "yay!", if anyone else claps, I start clapping my little heart out. We were watching AFV today and when the audience started clapping I knew just what to do! You thought it was pretty cute.

Mom: It sure was! What else have you learned?

Mariah: I've been practicing my wave. I especially like to work on it in my high chair. I haven't quite figured out what the purpose of this hand waving thing is, but if I do it when daddy comes home or leaves, you guys seem to get pretty excited. I know to throw my hands up in the air when you sing, "How big is Mariah?" I also like to "sing" when you sing.

Mom: It just melts my heart. You still get pretty excited when daddy comes home don't you?

Mariah: I sure do! The other night when he walked in I shrieked, "dadda!". It kind of shocked me to see how excited you guys got. I really don't know what the big deal is. If you're holding me when daddy arrives I immediately stretch my arms out to him and don't want to go back to you, I hope you don't mind. I just miss him so much during the day. If he leaves the room I usually cry, even if you're right there with me. He's my favorite.

Mom: He's my favorite too. What are some things that really fascinate you?

Mariah: I love teeth! Maybe because I don't have any of my own. I'm always trying to touch you and daddy's teeth. I also like to pull on your lips. I love my socks and pull them off any chance I can get. I also love chaos. If there are a bunch of little kids running around and screaming, I'm in heaven!

Mom: You were meant to be the youngest in a family, poor thing. What are some of your favorite things to do?

Mariah: I love bathtime. Grandma Young got me some rubber duckies for Christmas and they are so fun to play with. I've also learned how to "wash" my hair.

Mom: Here are some bath pictures, sorry Mariah, I just had to do a little bum shot. What else do you love to do?

Mariah: I still love holding on to people's hands and walking around. I'm not ashamed to wriggle off anyone's lap and demand to be walked around the room. I also love to talk! It almost sounds like I'm carrying on a conversation now.

Mom: It sure is fun to hear you babbling away. How are you sleeping now?

Mariah: Well after a couple weeks of lots of crying, I'm finally sleeping from 7pm to 4am. I'm a really good napper too and almost always wake up happy and excited to see you.

Mom: One of my most favorite times is getting you out of your crib. What are some of your favorite things to eat?

Mariah: I love all kinds of soups! I love vanilla yogurt, green beans, mac and cheese, PB&J sandwiches, I have all kinds of favorites. I also love to rub whatever I am eating through my hair. It just gives it such a nice texture and look to it. Plus it usually guarantees a bath!

Mom: You're a thinker. I just can't believe how big you are getting! I love you more and more each day!

Mariah: Love you too mom.

The Bandaid

When Mariah went for her 9 month check-up she had to have a finger pricked. Considering the way she has reacted to all of her shots I was prepared for the worst. So I was shocked when she didn't cry at all. Even when the technician had to squeeze her finger to collect a little vial of blood. She just seemed fascinated by it all. Maybe she will be following in her daddy's footsteps.

Her favorite part of the whole appointment was the bandaid. I know older kids tend to get excited about them but I didn't expect much from Mariah. Right after it was put on, that finger went straight to her mouth and stayed there for the rest of the day.

Here she is, showing off her prize

Needless to say I was disgusted. But the tech said it could start bleeding again even hours after and I wasn't too keen on getting blood everywhere. I finally couldn't take it anymore at bath-time so while she was distracted with something else I took it off. It was great to see her look at her finger and then do a double take when she realized something was missing. Luckily she got over the loss pretty quickly. Thank goodness babies are easily distracted or I would be in serious trouble.