Lots of catching up to do

So… yeah.  I haven't blogged since Raleigh Kate was 11 months old!

Life happened.

Here goes a lot of catching up over the next few days!  I hope I haven't forgotten too much...

11 Month Photos

10 Month Photos

9 Month Photos & Update

Well, this is the first time I haven't taken her monthly photos on the actual day.  We headed to Raleigh early Thursday morning, so I waited until April 24 to snap a few pictures.  I tried to wait until she was feeling better, but she is still not 100%. Feel better, baby girl!

9-Month Check-up:  She was healthy at her 9-month well visit.  50th percentile for both height and weight (18 lbs).  She was caught up on all her shots, so we started the Hep B vaccination.  She didn't even cry.  Mama and Daddy were happy.  

Tooth Count: Still just the two on the bottom.  No other signs of teething since those came in, except for excessive drooling! 

Diet: In order to keep constipation at bay, I've started giving her more solids than bottles.  (The formula has so much iron, which can be constipating.)  She has an 8 oz. bottle in the morning; about 3 hours later, she'll have about 6 ounces of baby food - she likes just about anything as long as it's mixed with something sweet (usually applesauce) - and then 3 hours after that she eats another 6 ounces of food.  She eats quickly and is so easy to feed. The only problem is that when it's all gone, she gets very upset!  So, we put some puffs or Mum Mums on her high chair tray for her to eat until she decides she's finished.  She has another 8 oz. bottle before bed.  

Going out to eat is a lot harder than it used to be.  If she sees us eating, she has to have something as well!  Most of the time this ends up being Mum Mums or Puffs, but occasionally I'll give her some of my food if it's something she won't choke on.  Straws are great entertainment for her, too.  

Oh, and she absolutely loves yogurt and Fro Yo! (Who doesn't?)

Sleep: On a typical night, she's in her crib asleep by 8:00.  She wakes up between 7:30-8 am.  Many mornings she will wake up at 6:00, babble and play with her pacifier for about 30 minutes and then fall back to sleep.

Her naps are still pretty routine.  She gets tired about 2 to 3 hours after she wakes up in the morning.  She will take a nap for as short as 30 minutes and as long as 3 hours.  Two to three hours after she wakes up, she's tired again and again will take a 30 minute-3 hour nap.  If other people are visiting or even if Ray is home, her naps aren't quite as long.  She doesn't want to miss out on anything fun!

Mobility:  She's not crawling or pulling up yet!  I know she will one day, so I'm enjoying being able to put her in one place and know that she will pretty much stay there.  She sits well and can move from sitting to being on her stomach, but not vice versa.  If she's sitting and there's a toy out of her reach that she wants, she'll reach, get on her stomach and rock from side to side.  Sometimes, she'll push herself backwards on the hardwood floor.  She loves to play her in jump-a-roo and jumps like crazy!

Sounds:  She says da da da da a lot, but also throws in ba's, na's, ya's, and even some la's. She will imitate a lot of sounds...especially Daddy's strawberries.  Thanks for teaching her how to spit all over me, Ray!  When Fancy comes around her, she'll look at her and says "Da" one time and it really sounds like she's saying dog! 

She loves her baths and she's now in the big girl tub!  I have to keep a hand on her almost the whole time, but if I get a mat or something, she'd be good to go.  She is going to love the pool this summer!  Oh, summer, we are SO READY for you to get here.  

Hmmm what else do I want to remember? Too many things to blog about.  Ray and I love everything about this little girl!  She is so silly and makes us laugh all the time.  

Raleigh's First Easter

Our church is ginormous, so they had 5 Easter services.  We attended the first one, which was on Saturday night.  Raleigh Kate sat with us for about 30 minutes before she started being silly and making noises.  Then, I took her to the nursery, where she continued to be silly and make everyone laugh. :) 

Adorable outfit #1 (MudPie) from her Grandma Daphne.  

The bloomers were a gift from my cousin, Kristin,
which she gave us before RK was born. :)

On Sunday, we headed to Greenville to see some of my family at my Aunt and Uncle's (Jane and David's) house.

My contribution to the delicious Easter lunch.

Raleigh with Daddy

Easter dress (MudPie) from her Grandma Daphne.  Beautiful.  

With her great grandfather, Ray Ray.

With my cousin Alan 

With my cousin Luke

With my cousin Jennifer

With her great aunt Lynn

With her great aunt Jane

With Alan's wife, Ashley