9 months!

I think I've done a pretty good job enjoying each phase of Lauren's babyhood. There are definitely benefits and downfalls to each age and it's easy to hope to get to the next one quickly - "I can't wait til she can sit up", "I can't wait til she can feed herself", "I can't wait til she can sleep in her crib", "I can't wait til she can talk". But for every one of those I've said I've thought of something that I love about the phase she's in - "I love snuggling next to her at night", "I love when she reaches for me to hold her", "I love her sweet little baby babbles". So for the most part I don't feel like time is going too fast or too slow, I love watching her grow and learn and look forward to what she's going to learn next month. But it is pretty amazing that her first year is 2/3 of the way over! So much happens in the first year, they learn so much, and it's almost over. It's crazy! I'm happy that I've remembered to do all the "first" things and take all the "first" pictures that I've been dreaming about for years, even when it annoys Chris!
This month she:
- weighs 15lbs 8oz, which I thought was low, but I guess she's just a busy girl, burning a lot of calories!
- is 26.5 inches long
- FINALLY sleeps in her crib at night and for all of her naps
- still isn't sleeping through the night, but there are some nights she goes for longer stretches
- is pretty much out of all of her 6 month clothes and wearing mostly 9 month and some 6/9 month, which is amazing to me that she caught up in size with her age! I didn't think that would happen for years!
- wears 12 month size socks, she's going to be a tall girl!
- eats chicken with vegetables or apples or rice, although she's still not crazy about it
- crawls like crazy everywhere
- can pulls herself up on just about anything and sometimes tries to stand without holding on
- can crawl up the stairs
- went on her first road trip to upperstate New York and did great
- impressed the doctor at her 9 month checkup with all of her skills, she's right on track developmentally! Amazing for a girl who was born early and small and the OB's were so worried about!
We love her more and more every day, even the days she drives us crazy!

The downside to her being so mobile is it's almost impossible to get her to sit still for pictures! This is the only one where she's not screaming because I won't let her get up.