The Stingeries: Evelyn and Olivia: Nine Months

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Evelyn and Olivia: Nine Months

- When we returned from our site visit to Baku, just a few days after you turned 8 months, soooo much changed. Grandma is no longer allowed to watch you. ;-) In the span of just a couple days you both took off crawling and are super fast.
- In addition to crawling both of you are pulling yourselves to stand up. If I take away your toy that's made for standing up on you just crawl to the toy box and stand up on that or crawl to me and pull up or to the TV stand or to the shelves. You get the idea? It's exhausting. Apparently you are trying to also walk before one like your sister. (Insert wide-eyed emoji)

- You are both still great with strangers, but you are starting to not like being left alone. I like to abandon you regularly to do selfish things like go to the bathroom, make your bottles, grab a diaper, etc. Sometimes you are okay with it, but other times you whine and take off after me. And this is both of you. So I stay busy.
- Liv is starting to play me. You will whine and cry like you are upset and the instant, I mean literally the instant, I pick you up you smile and coo and snuggle into my chest like you've just won the lottery. It's adorable and I secretly love it.

- I would say this month has started to be harder on me with the fact that there are two of you. There have been multiple times where I have picked up one of you and the other sister has started whining and crying to be held. Or one of you is in my lap and the other climbs right over to join us. I struggle with having to split my time and staying conscious to not play favorites and hold you both.
- I also feel like I have turned into a referee. If I'm not correcting you from electrocuting yourselves or climbing on things that are dangerous for you, then I am separating you two when you try to climb over each other, steal each other's pacifiers, grab the other's toys, and just beat each other up in general. You two can be brutal.

- You finally have teeth!!! Liv popped her bottom to teeth first, the week after we returned from Baku. Evy was just a week or so later, but with just the bottom right tooth. No more have made an appearance, but I'm thinking they will soon.
- Both of you have been eating lunch and dinner with us and are starting to enjoy food more and more. Evy is a serious carnevoire and loves her some steak (and repeatedly tosses the veggies to the ground once she realizes what they are!). Liv loves pretty much any food you put in front of her, but especially bananas, chicken, and carrots.

- You both love to laugh. You smile and laugh for me and Daddy, but oh goodness - no one can make you laugh and smile like that big sister Madi. She will get you both going at dinner time with the most precious laughs. She's a great helper to us and an amazing big sister to both of you. :-)
- We had quite the scare with Olivia just a few days ago when she had an allergic reaction to egg in meatballs I'd made for dinner. Fortunately she's doing well and we had huge support from our friends and great medical care.
- I did your weights on Tuesday of this past week and think you went through a growth spurt right after because both of you were dannnggg hungry and wanting more milk after your usual amounts. Guess I should have weighed you on Friday, but I'm glad I didn't wait until then since it was busy getting discharged from the hospital with Olivia.