AWESOME, NOT SO AWESOME.

Awesome:
When a Bean says "Momma", purposefully or otherwise.

Not so awesome:
When a Bean is: angry/sad/hurt/bored/hungry/jealous/hell bent on getting my attention and says (in her loudest and most desperate wail), "Mommamommamommamommamaaaaaaaaaaama!"

Actually, the latter is kind of better, as it seems I'm the only one who can fix IT, whatever IT may be. And that makes me feel swell.

She stood on her own today. Well. She was holding onto the ottoman with both hands, then just one hand, then gingerly she removed her right hand from the ottoman. For a brief ten seconds, I could see the realization in her eyes of what she had just accomplished. Freedom! I'm big now! I can do it! Immediately, she toppled to the floor into a fit of giggles.

At that moment, I was both overwhelmingly proud of her new feat and a little wistful for the helpless little bean that could only be held and cuddled for hours on end. She's nine days ahead of her ten-month marker, yet I sense a mix of both time rushing by way too fast and the moments of their newness fresh in my memory. I don't want them to leave baby-ness behind, but I'm so thrilled at the thought of them growing into little people and of being able to share with them all the wonderful little things that I love about being alive.

Nine Months*

• Maggie is 16 lbs. 4 oz. and 27 ½ inches; Audrey is 16 lbs. 3 oz. and 26 ¾ inches.
• Maggie can cruise along the furniture and do a mean somersault off her bouncies. I'm expecting walking at any time now.
• Audrey can scoot! This is a HUGE step for Miss A., as she was for the longest time content with just sitting. She's not fast and sometimes it's a struggle, but she CAN DO IT!
• Their favorite show is Pinky Dinky Doo and I can sing the song for you if you'd like...c'mon....please??
• A is allergic to eggs. :o(
• M cries, "Mama mama mama" when she's upset, angry or if I've dared to leave the room. And she still hates strangers.
• They LOVE water. I've promised to take them to swim class once I'm back to bikini form but I think they'll look a little funny amongst the infants when they're 10 years old!
• I got rid of their 0-6 month clothes and cried while packing them away.
• They had their first kiss with a boy. Gasp!
• A will eat ANYTHING.
• M loves to read.
• M can give you a high-five.
• Both can wave bye-bye, but only after the person they're waving to has left the building.
• Both give kisses, but M is a little more discriminating with her kisses. A's favorite people to smooch are her sister and Maximus.
• I'm grooming them for a lifetime addiction to carbohydrates.
• I took them to Michigan State for the first time and, no, there were no kegs involved and yes, they did fall in love! Sparty on!
• They say "mama", "dada", "papa" and "I'm hungry, feed me NOW!"
• They still steal each other's toys, but I can see that it's starting to get ugly.
• They're getting too big and, soon, they won't be babies anymore. Sigh.

*You try keeping a blog updated with two mobile 9 month olds, two undisciplined canines and a husband! I'm late, they're almost 10 months. Sue me. The worst is that I haven't kept up with their baby books or gotten their 9 month photos done yet. Bad Mama.

He will always be the girls' first love. Happy Father's Day J.

J is starting her off young.

I think I spotted some protein powder in her formula.

Splish splash. 

 

Daddy and A Squared in the polar bear exhibit 

At the Detroit Zoo 

"Hey everyone... come and see how good I look."  

A is starting to look like Gramma M. more and more every day. She loves to shop too...uh oh...I see where this is going! 

The girls had a grand old time at their first pool party with A&J. Here are more photos of the beans playing with their buddies.

 

Last weekend, the girls were playing in the yard while we worked on the garden and landscaping. We took a break for lunch and shortly after their lunch, the girls passed out in their highchairs. I couldn't stand to bother them, so I let them snooze in their chairs for a bit. Seems like we weren't the only ones exhausted from the day in the yard.