9 Month Update and Christmas

Age: 9 Months 

Weight: at your 9M well DR visit you still only weighed 16 LBS.  Your DR says that because you grew 2 in all of your calories must have gone to that.  He isn't worries and says that as long as you are happy then your healthy too. 

Height: 26 in

Diaper Size: Size 2

Clothes Size: 9M but can still fit into 6M too

Shoe Size: 2

Schedule:  Mommy is backtracking on this and doesn't quite remember...

Fun Facts and Milestones:

Well...we have decided to move to Athens, GA so that Daddy can begin a new job!  After our visit last month we knew that this fun SOUTHERN college town was going to be a great fit for our family.  I am going to get to stay at home with you and could not be more excited!  At the beginning of December we visited Athens to look for a house to rent.  The Templins were kind enough to let us stay with them again and we enjoyed doing a photo shoot with you and Bailey Bell.  I cannot wait to continue this tradition each year and to be able to compare the pictures as y'all grow and as our families grow!

You have so many Christmas outfits that we just have to document them all!  This one belonged to one of the Coffey girls.

The Valenta's hosted a tacky Christmas sweater party and Daddy scared you just a little :)

One day this month it reached nearly 50 degrees so we decided to take our last stroll through the Lincoln Park Zoo.  We will certainly miss this beautiful city!

We had a few playdates at Marianos Grocery too!  Susan and Eleanor are always up for meeting us there after school for an hour or two.  We meet in the lounge and enjoy a drink while the babies play on a blanket.  Everyone loves to come by the chat with y'all!

I had my last day of school/work and we celebrated the fact that Mommy gets to stay at home with you when we move.  (Daddy may have morned his dual income bank account, a little...JK)

On my last day of school we took the LATE flight in to Memphis and luckily you slept the WHOLE way.  You were snoozing in the airport and a lady walked by and said, "Her hand on your chest is the most precious thing.  You need to take a picture of that Mommy."  So I did.

We stayed at Uncle Timmy and Aunt MAs and left SUPER early so that we could make it to Baby Wilkes shower in Jackson.  You were thrilled to see both your JJ/BahBah AND SuSu as soon as we walked in.

 You and Elsie Lee helped Aunt Maggie open all of her gifts!

 Auntie J-Ellis was excited to see you!  She is going to be the BEST Ellis Aunt to Baby Wilkes!

 Aunt Angie cannot wait for the girls to add a boy cousin to the mix.

You love your best girlfriend, Aunt Maggie.  I have a feeling that she is going to help you get into some trouble as you grow up...

Y'all worked REALLY hard and needed a good nap while we ate lunch afterwards.

After the shower, Daddy and J-Pop met us at Aunt Angie's brewery, Lucky Town, and you got to take a tour.  Uncle Bryson says that you have been on more brewery tours than most adults which is probably true.

We started a tradition of going to Canton Lights with the Grandmothers, babies, and Momma's and we look forward to doing this every year.  BahBah figured out that next year we need a driver and a few bottles of wine. 

They had a parade that consisted of 3 floats pulled by tractors and every costume they could find.  There was a snowman, Santa, Superman, and Darth Vader, of course.

You enjoyed seeing all of the lights and the crowd!

Your first carousal ride was a success!   

When we got home, BahBah dressed you up like Little Cindy Lou-Who and let you eat supper with your feet on the table...I guess there are no rules when you are at your grandparents house.

Daddy B and Mr. Terry built all of the Ray grandbabies a swing set for SuSu's yard.  You and Elsie Lee LOVED swinging with Uncle Duff.  Thank goodness for hats with your names or else we might not know which is which. 

You helped SuSu swing EL.

You LOVED SuSu's "office" and y'all played for hours and hours.

Daddy B got down on the floor to play with his girl too.

Christmas was not complete without an illness and you were kind enough to share the tummy bug with me, Daddy, and the whole Moore family.  Luckily the two of us were okay by Christmas Eve but Daddy did not get to celebrate with us.  We held his picture in our First Christmas picture...here's to next year.

Aunt MA and I bought these matching nativity scene dressed for EL and you last year and they were perfect!  EL can sit up but for some reason she was enjoying just relaxing!

SuSu and Daddy B LOVE before Christmas Eve church at FBC Madison.

On Christmas morning we woke up to check out the Christmas tree and all of the gifts.  We said, "Thank you LORD for sending your SON.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!"

Lots of matching outfits for these cousins...and many more to come!  You loved ripping the paper off your gifts, looked cool in your new fur vest, and cruised around with your new walker.  You even roar like the lion!

  

SuSu says that this picture is one that she has prayed for and hopes that it gets even more crazy as the years go on.  You can tell that we had a GOOD time!

 

You and Uncle Duff waited for breakfast and you posed with Mommy for a picture.  We sure missed Daddy!

Aunt Angie ad Elsie Lee left later that morning so that they could visit Grandma Judy and the rest of the WI crew.      

    

While Daddy continued to get better, we played outside and enjoyed the nice warm weather!  It makes us even more excited to live in the south!

This was the first time in your life that you have been able to sit up on your own, in warm(ish) weather and explore the grass and fun things on the ground.  You picked up little blades of grass and dirt and showed the to SuSu.

Luckily Daddy was feeling better by that afternoon and was able to come over to celebrate with us.

That Friday, the rest of the Moore crew was feeling better so we had Christmas #2 with them!  You looked BEAUTIFUL in your vintage Christmas dress.  SuSu made this for me when I was a little girl.

Uncle Bryson and Uncle Ryan loved your grand entrance!

You enjoyed playing with Daddy's new Go-Pro camera.  He cannot wait to find a strap that's your size so that we can see your view!

Uncle Bryson liked your toys even more than you!  

JJ was so glad to see you playing with all of the cool toys and puzzles that Santa brought to her house for you.  

Y'all played and played all morning long!

Daddy installed your gift to JJ outside on her porch.  She and J-Pop LOVE to sit outside on their porch and we knew that this would be the perfect gift for y'all BOTH to enjoy.

You and JJ swang and swang outside.

After y'all played outside, you read a few books and played with an activity book that Sissy had made for Daddy when he was a little boy.

Later that day we traveled to Pontotoc for the Duff Christmas.  You liked scooting all over GanGan's house and finding her treasures.  When I was a little girl I loved exploring at GanGan's (old) house and finding all of the little nicknacks that used to belong to my mom and her siblings.  Her house is FULL of fun things to play with and she has a story to go along with most of her things too.  She is a great storyteller and I hope that you have lots of good memories about GanGan and trips to Pontotoc.   

I cannot get enough of your precious giggles.  You think that Maggie Agus is hilarious!

We pray that we are all as beautiful on the inside and out as our GanGan.

We traveled to Memphis to see Uncle Rob's restaurant OPENED.  You LOVED the cookies and cream milk shake and riding on the tractor that's INSIDE the restaurant.  We are so proud of that Uncle Rob (AND Aunt Angie).

When we returned home you got to open your final gift from Susana...a lion walker.  Daddy is excited to set up BOTH of these walkers so that you can have races with Bailey once we move to Athens.

Even though we were SICK for a few days during the holiday, it was a WONDERFUL time spent back in Madison.  Holidays have a whole new meaning now that you are here and I know that each year will bring even more fun.  Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!