Nine small steps for 9 months!

Paige turned 9 months on Sunday (9/19). It is unbelievable how quickly we check off each month and milestone. Paige perfected standing unsupported in the past few weeks and quickly thereafter started standing from the middle of the room and taking small steps. It's not long now until she figures it all out and we have to run to keep up with her.



As if I don't already have to run to keep up with Paige. She is quite the precocious child – into everything...all the time! She learned to climb our stairs almost overnight. One evening I was cooking dinner and Ben ran to the grocery store for some necessities. He called to ask me a few questions and I could hear P babbling in the playroom. I got off the phone and went to check on her, only she wasn't in the playroom...she was at the top of the stairs smiling down at me!




So we had to do this to keep her off of them!


We took Jack and Paige to the doctor on Monday. Two kids and five shots! Jack got one for each year (his kindergarten shots that they do at 4 years old and a flu shot). Paige got a flu shot, too, but won't need any other vaccines until she is a year old. Needless to say there were lots of tears and screaming – and the kids were pretty unhappy, too!

Paige got a full check up and looks great! She's still taller and heavier than 90% of girls her age and her head is still bigger than 75% of girls her age. The P in her initials certainly does not stand for petite. She takes four 6-ounce bottles a day and eats mostly finger foods and a few baby foods. She really prefers whatever is on your plate rather than whatever comes out of a baby food jar. And as long as it isn't from a jar, she pretty much likes anything you give her. Lately, I've been buying 18-24 month clothes for her to grow into (although she doesn't have to do too much growing to fit them). Between walking and her sheer size, I swear my baby is older than 9 months!

So, what is up with Jack?



Well, our little boy is turning into quite a big kid. He is officially in Pre-K-4. His teacher Miss Sharlee is so loving and great with the kids. She commands their respect with love and caring. Each day she tells Jack, "Goodbye...I love you!". It really warms my heart to know that he is so well loved and taken care of each day and saddens me that this is his last year at Little Lambs before big kid school. I just can't express how hard that graduation is going to be! For now, he is enjoying VPK (Voluntary Pre-K), which just means that the state pays for Pre-K for 4-year olds.

Lately, he talks endlessly about his Halloween costume and trick-or-treating. Ben and I will be really happy when Halloween comes and goes and we can move on to other topics...say Santa?

At this point, I can't think about any of that though...it's still too hot! Now that we've officially hit Fall, can someone please let Mother Nature know that it is time for cooler weather?