Sunday, September 28, 2008

Liliana 9 months (and a day . . . or so!)




So Liliana says forget walking, I just want to dance! And, yes, this girl dances. And dances. And dances some more. She dances to any music. A little ditty from Lightning McQueen makes Liliana shake her little tooshie. The 123 Song and we get a one handed raise the roof. Liliana will clap and clap while watching her song DVD (okay so most of the time she sits and stares like a zombie. TV = SCARY.) Hanging with her monkey and dancing to the rainforest music. Climbing up onto the 1st step to hold onto the safety gate means that Liliana is on stage for the entertainment of all in the room. She doesn't need an audience. Sometimes she doesn't even need music. She just needs the opportunity to let her body wiggle.


Liliana also says forget walking, I just want to climb the stairs. Don't leave the gate open or I'm gone! Catch me if you can!

Oh, goodness Liliana is a happy child whose smile is pure sweetness. Her grin has changed from an open mouth awestruck smile to a wide silly grin showing off her two growing teeth. You can't help smiling with her. It is so funny to think I once thought she wasn't a laugher. The sound of her giggle is just too much. Liliana is not just happy she is a total love-bug. She loves to greet people with a little wave hello and goodbye, but all she wants to do is hug and kiss other babies. We admit that she may be considered a little forward for some kids who aren't used to so much aggressive lovin'. Today she was attacking Logan with kisses while he was getting a diaper change. Logan kept laughing because he had her drool dripping down his face. The more he laughed the more she kissed and giggled. Do you remember how much these kids love each other? It is still so true. The kids have been having so much fun on the morning trip to the park. Liliana loves the swings, but can so easily be convinced that the sandbox with all the trucks is the real place to be. She has gone beyond watching Logan and now loves to dig in the dirt, too. We are all learning not to eat the sand. But, a little dirt doesn't hurt anyone, right? We can't even imagine what kind of relationship Logan and Lily will develop over the years. They will be so much like siblings, hopefully minus the competition since they each have a set of spoiling parents.

We know you see a lot of pictures of Liliana eating, but she does spend a lot of her time, well, eating. She loves to eat. Seriously. A few weeks ago we were in awe of how she could finish her plate and then eat Logan's left overs. Seriously she was eating as much as twice as much as Logan. Logan is at that more picky stage and has been teething. The funniest conclusion to all of the daily eating contests has to be that each child had a check-up with the pediatrician, Dr. Danielson and received stunning results concerning weight. Liliana is below the 25th percentile for weight coming in between 16 and 17 pounds. Logan, on the other hand, was in the 90th percentile. Truth be told Liliana is a little shrimpster shorty and Logan is a giant off the charts for his age. At any rate, Liliana seems to be getting over eating in grand quantities. I guess the "people" food has just begun to lose the magic it once had when she switched from baby food. Now, no surprise, Liliana seems obsessed with drinking water from a sippy cup straw--just like her cousin Logan!

Liliana has been blessed with visitors this month, too. You'll notice pictures of a proud Great-Grandma Nana, Gram Alice, Grandpa Tom, Great-Aunt Janet, (Real) Uncle Dan, Canuncle Aaron (Ian's Canadian cousin), as well as many friends in the slide-show album this month.

The final update is probably more exciting for mom and dad. Liliana now sleeps in her own room. Yes, this big girl is sleeping through the night like a champion and likes to take two long naps a day instead of 30 minute cat naps. It is amazing how much changes when you get sleep and begin each day well-rested. Liliana is happier and so are mom and dad! Wish us luck this month when we take Liliana on a camping road trip where she will meet her maternal great-grandparents, including her namesake Neva, as well as the whole Brimhall Clan and the infamous Tommy O! Who would be able to sleep with all this excitement ahead?!