After all the initial questions people ask...fraternal vs. identical, boys vs. girls, age, etc. The next question is usually, "Are they alike?". My answer, honestly is I'm not sure I could have had babies 10 years apart and had them be any more different than Addy and Lilly are. In honor of that, this post is going to be all about Addy. I'll do another this week about her sister.
We call her Addy, Addy Grace, Addison Grace, Adders or my little energizer bunny. She's a ball of energy right now and into EVERYTHING. She's not exactly up on all fours yet, but she's inchworming her way across the floors. She can pull herself up on kitchen chairs, coffee tables, bookshelves, etc. We are going to have to step up our babyproofing game. Yesterday, she climbed into the first shelf of the tv stand, got her whole body crammed into it and then turned her head around as if to say, "Mom, get me the hell out of here."
She's makes the funniest facial expressions, from a big WOW look that I think she got from her dad because it's the same face he makes when he walks in from work. When she smiles, she scrunches her whole face and squints her eyes to show her toothy grin. Her cheeks are big and her eyes are the prettiest blue, I'm not even sure the camera catches how pretty she is. She's long and lean as you'll see from her stats below. I think she'll be a brunette, her hair is slowly coming in, one strand at a time. She's a messy eater, fighting for the spoon to do it herself, certainly a sign of an independent woman, she also prefers to feed herself her own bottle. No coddling for her. She's loud--making noises and grunts to anyone that listens. Jeremy thinks she grunts like Monica Seles as she fights her way across the room.
She's stubborn, she likes what she likes. Right now, she isn't interested in her toys, she wants whatever she shouldn't have--magazines, cameras, remotes, cell phones and everything goes into her mouth. When you take something away from her she'll scream at the top of her lungs until you cave and give it back or quickly distract her with something else. She doesn't like to be confined and shows her emotions through holding her breath (the doctor even warned us this could lead to her passing out, but not to be alarmed--what?). This only happens when she's confined and frustrated--car seat, high chair or stroller. I have to stop myself from laughing, because it really is funny, but I don't want to encourage this habit. She's a wonderful sleeper, putting herself to sleep as she burrows into the corner of the crib, snuggling with a blanket or soft toy. No pacifier either. I'll check on her at night and she's often asleep on her belly with her butt up in the air. I tell people she might be into yoga, she's already doing a fabulous Downward Facing Dog. Never a peep from about 7 p.m. to 6ish a.m. She is certainly a joy, the kind of baby that tempts you to have a couple more (but don't worry, I'm not falling for it).
9 Month Stats:
20 lbs, 12 ounces (80th percentile)
27 3/4 inches long (54th percentile)
47 cm Head circumfrance (99th percentile)--not sure why I find this so funny, but I do...
"By God, I'll hold my breath until someone pays attention to me around here."
"Look at me GO"
"CHEEEEEEEEEEEESE"
We visited the doctor last week for our 2 1/2 year visit (a month or so late, but who's counting, right?). They were hilarious, telling the doctor all about themselves, what they like, what boo-boos they've had recently, etc. Addy weighed in at 31 lbs, 8 oz (77th percentile) and 38 inches tall (90th percentile). Lilly was just a bit heavier at 32 lbs, 9 oz (84th percentile) and a bit shorter at 37 1/2 inches tall (83rd percentile). They both have all their baby teeth and apart from being obviously "strong-willed" as the doctor put it, they are perfect!
Lilly weighed in at 24 pounds, 6 ounces (89th percentile), 30 1/2 inches long (84th percentile) and a 47.7 head circumfrance (97th percentile). She was a rock star at the appointment, making friends with all the nurses and only crying for a minute after shots (I brought Cheese-its for comfort food, yes, we are a family of emotional eaters). 
Addy's new favorite and 3rd official word is turtle, yes, turtle. She says it clear as day when you show her the turtle toys that float with her during bathtime. She also spent the doctor's appointment pointing to the butterflies, ladybugs and fireflies on the wallpaper in the office and proudly announcing "turrrrttttle." It was a riot. Anyway, her stats...22 pounds, 8 ounces (69th percentile), 30 1/4 inches long (78th percentile) and 49 head circumfrance (98th percentile).
