Someday I'll be caught up on Rae's life. This chunky little munchkin is the center of our world. Paul often says that she probably is the most loved and receives the most attention of all the babies in the world. I think she prefers it that way. Audrey won't let me miss a first, if I'm away for any amount of time she yells out....YOU'RE MISSING IT!!!
The new things....She spurs me like a cowboy when she wants something, wants to go somewhere, or is excited about something. If she's excited about something it's usually accompanied by a little bit of a bounce. She claps when we say yay. She's especially proud of herself when she can make noise with her hands when she claps. She's start to wave hi which is the cutest and is accompanied by her desperate attempts to say hi which comes out: "aye". She say Mama and Da da but doesn't really know what they mean.
She's really scooching now. At first she would face plant it into the rug as she moved. It was almost like she thought it was helpful but it was doing the opposite. By the end of her 9th month she wasn't using her head anymore and started moving much faster. Thankfully she hasn't realized the cupboard doors open and things can be scattered. However, her favorite thing to do while I'm walking around with her is to swipe things off the counters onto the floor. It's not so bad unless it's baby food or water and then we end up with a mess. I don't even know how she does it....Miss Houdini. I've mostly learned my lesson to hold her up a little higher but every once and a while she still gets me.
She blows spit bubbles like it's her job which is fine except for when she's supposed to be quiet.
In her ninth month I finally put my foot down and now she is sleeping through the night...except for when she's teething which seems to be happening a lot lately. We're working on tooth number 3. Luckily, even with teething she usually only wakes up once. It's been a huge change and has given me the rest I needed moving back into the school year. On the other hand she still barely naps. I moved her down to two naps and she was still only sleeping 20 minutes at a time so I put her back on 3 naps and now she's getting anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes a nap and she's sleeps three times which makes her less cranky. I've come to the conclusion that this one is just not a napper, even though it pains me to say that.
She's started what my friend calls the tetradactyl scream. It would be horrible except for that she's cute so it's not that bad. I told Audrey that she was the one who taught her and instead of being ashamed I think she was proud that she'd taught her sister something.
Father's Day,
This is past due! Paul is a rock star Dad. He's the one that holds everything together over here. He sits and plays with Audrey every night after work, even if she wants to play Uno for the 19th time. He is always fixing random broken things for her. He happily humors her when she wants to say goodbye in the morning for the third time before he goes to work...even if her hugs are a little long winded. :) He's always writing her notes on the mirror of her bathroom to make her feel extra special. He reads books with her and rides bikes and scooters with her. He endures the teeny bopper movies on the weekends and helps her take care of our dog even though he hates the dog. He makes endless shakes for breakfast because she loves them. He gives her blessings for school and when she is sick and when she just wants one. He teaches her spiritual truths and hardly ever forgets a "Come Follow Me" lesson. That's not the half of it but your getting the idea.
He wakes up to take care of the baby when I sleep through her cries....it's happened. He's always happy to hold her and shower her with love and kisses. Raelyn always smiles biggest when she says good night to her Dad at the end of the day. She's a Mommy's girl right now but there is nothing her Daddy won't do for her and she knows it.
I tell Audrey often...especially when she's spouting off that life isn't fair that she should think of her Dad. He goes to work each and everyday and works so hard. I know he's always mentally and physically exhausted when he gets home because he not only works his tail off but he also has chronic pain from the what we now know to be Lyme Disease. I tell Audrey that he could use that as an excuse to do nothing and I wouldn't blame him, but he doesn't. He literally is giving to our family in his every waking moment. Paul, I just want to say...if I don't say it enough that I see you! I see all you do for me and our girls and I'm so so grateful for you. I love you tons! I'm kind of obsessed with you! Thanks for being you and for picking me!
