Little R Is Nine Months Old

Little R has turned nine months old,  and has now officially been outside the womb longer than in! Nine months seems like such a milestone: she's three quarters of a year now. I am actually feeling very emotional  about it: she is growing up so quickly, and while it's wonderful to see this new little person, I simultaneously miss the tiny baby she used to be. It's strange to think that baby is gone forever, never to return. I really need to take more pictures!!

She didn't do anything startling this month, just built on her skills. So she is better at crawling, standing  unassisted, and moving around in general. She also loves "talking" and will hold long conversations of babble with herself or me, for minutes at a time. It almost sounds like speech, although the only real words she has are Dada and Mama (though she seems to understand no, come here, and her name/nicknames).

She is definitely more trouble now that she can move: she learned how to open drawers (and rifle through the contents), and loves nothing more than pulling everything off shelves/out of cabinets, and then leaving it all over the floor. She is more bold now, and will venture into other rooms unaccompanied (=on her own) to make a  mess there. Childproofing has assumed a new importance.

She still likes me to be around at all times, but isn't fussing so much anymore if I am not there: she seems more comfortable hanging out with her babysitters or father, and doesn't cry sadly when I leave her line of sight unless she's  feeling tired or vulnerable.

She had a lot of first experiences this month: her first trip to Malaysia and Indonesia, her first swim in the ocean, her first boat ride, first illness, first concert,  and many new foods. She is a champion eater now, up to three meals a day (usually), and actually eating significant quantities, not just throwing it on the floor. She likes almost everything except spicy food. She had a bad reaction to either curry or papaya, but other than that, there have been no problems.

Nicknames: Fur, ZiZi
Temperament: Happy, active, interested in everything
Things I Could Do Without: You have decided you hate your changing table and will not lie still while I change your diaper or clothes. Instead you try (and often succeed!) to roll over, sit up, pull  things out of the side baskets, and attempt to make a getaway. I hate constantly having to wrestle with you, especially when you are covered in poop. Giving you toys only helps slightly (you have things to do, no time to waste on changing diapers!).
Item/Toy We Love the Most: Your stackable rings toy, or your little plastic cars.
Item/Toy You Love the Most: Your elephant lovey, which you fall asleep clutching every night (I think it's a little gross and creepy because the elephant has a head but no body; but you love it). You also love our cell phones and the noodle pot, which you bang to make a tremendous noise.
Things I'm Loving Most Right Now: Seeing you crawl (it's adorable!), when you drop stuff and crane your neck to look for it, the way you smile with your whole face and wave your arms up and down when you're excited
Things You're Loving Most Right Now: Crawling everywhere, opening drawers and pulling stuff out, pulling things off the shelves, eating
Foods You Like: Tomatoes, noodles, rice, pork, chicken, carrots, tofu, Cheerios, bananas, cabbage...pretty much everything
Sounds/Words: Dada, Mama