Baby Steps: 9 Months...Sheesh...

I know it's the most cliche thing in the world to say, but time flies...seriously. How do I have a 9-month old child? I tell ya. But regardless of the time flying like it's nobody's business, I'm holding on for dear life and trying to enjoy every step of it. Siena makes that so easy...
She is such a treat and a joy to have around. I know we are completely spoiled by her behavior, her personality, her habits, and her overall happiness. She just seems to get life. And she does it well.
One of my favorite things to do with Siena these days is take her to the grocery store (or even better, Target - the best store ever). It is a complete pick-me-up. Now that she can ride in the cart freely, you'd think I was taking her to Disney World. She gets so excited and happy. She bounces up and down, waves to everyone we pass, and smiles and looks around at everything. And people eat that up. They wave and smile back at her, which makes her more happy, and little squeals and claps follow. It's so great.
Siena is also into everything and crawling around everywhere! She pulls up on her toys, furniture, us...whatever is in her way! She loves to venture into different rooms and see what she can find (before I get to her). :) She loves to shake things that make noise (mac and cheese box, Crystal Light cans, a whisk...) She loves to crawl into my closet and play with my shoes (foreshadowing?). She loves her Leap Frog table that plays all kinds of music and sounds. Anything she can get her hands on, she's after! She keeps our floors clean too. She picks up (and tries to eat) any piece of fuzz or food that fell on the floor. Keeps us honest! :)
We taught her to give kisses too. Watch out though - she leads with her little tongue. It's really adorable and I'll take a wet, soggy kiss from her any day of the week.
She also claps when she does something good...or whenever really. A lot of times she'll clap when there's music on. And when there's music, Siena's dancing! She moves to any sound, beat, or song. The arms go up and the tummy wiggles. She gets her dancing "skills" from her dad, I'm just sure of it. :)
She also loves to chat. She has a high-pitched squeak she is making right now where she opens her mouth up completely and sucks in air - strange, yes, but she does it all the time! She also is starting to make gurgle noises and combining sounds. Oh! And I forgot to post this on the Mother's Day blog...SHE SAID "MAMA"! The week of Mother's Day, she said it, loud and clear. I was actually going out with some girls and was talking on the phone with Matt. In the background, she said it...we both stopped our conversation...yep, she said it alright! It was great. For the most part, she only says it when she's sad or whiney, but I'll take it. She much prefers "Dada", but I don't mind!
One thing that everyone notices about Siena is her little tongue. It is always out! She wiggles it here and there and everywhere! It really is quite funny.
Something else that gets a number of comments is her eyes. I think she got "stuck" with my eyes. Those almond-shaped, small eyes...no denying it - we belong to each other. Something else has inherited from me - a little crinkle in her nose. When I smile or get to laughing, I guess there's a part of my nose by my eye that crinkles up...Siena has the same thing. Matt and a couple family members noticed that. I guess that's kind of cute, huh?! :)
Siena is eating lots of foods, and doing well with it! She is not a fan of peas or beans, but we choke 'em down every once in a while. She really likes squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and any and all fruits. She eats the little puffs now too, which she inhales. I'm looking forward to the day when she can eat some of the things off my plate and I don't have to puree absolutely everything she eats. Soon enough...
For the most part, she is happy, content, and just loves life. We love life with her in it. In a nutshell, that's life for a 9-month old. We're always excited to see what the next thing is that she learns to do. And yet, we cherish every moment we do have, knowing it will quickly change. Love it.
Matt is going to take some "official" 9-month photos when he has a free minute (is there such a thing?), but for now, these will have to do...

Little Miss Muffet, sat on her quilt, eating her fingers and toys...