Let me sleep on it.

So.

This one:

is nine months old.

I won't even try to explain how this makes me feel. Because, well...

WAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Let's just say I'm not ready for any permanent forms of birth control and I'm not sure whether that's because I actually want more babies or I just really can't stand the thought of losing the ones I already have.

Probably a little of both, but we're going to sleep on that for a couple of years.

Here are Audie Lou's official nine month stats:

Weight: 19lbs (50th)
Height: 28.75 inches (86th)
Head: 17.75 inches (79th)

And her unofficial ones:

At nine months, Audra is opinionated. And active. And she has crazy hair. I keep trying to put little bows and barrettes and ponytail holders in it but she's super squirmy and her hair is super fine and it's just not working, so we're embracing the crazy.

She's crawling now, and she has four teeth with two more working their way out. I'm hoping the next one to arrive is the other top middle, because right now she has the two bottom middles and a top middle and a top side. Her smile is lopsided, adorable, and just a little redneck.

She loves to eat. She's still nursing, but no more baby food for this girl. She is an independent eater with a taste for carbs, cheese, and avocado (for she is her mother's daughter). Plus anything she finds on the floor. If you try to feed her with a spoon or give her something she doesn't like, she waves both of her arms in front of her face like a crazy person doing karate.

Her mamas and dadas are beginning to sound more purposeful, and she has begun to wave hello and goodbye. She loves playing peekaboo and is starting to take an interest in toys and books...Calvin's mostly. Every morning she wakes up and cries and fusses until we come get her, but it's all for show — the second she sees us she's grinning from ear to ear and reaching out her arms for us to pick her up.

At home, she spends most of her time trying to get to the dog's water bowl. As soon as she turns the corner into the kitchen, one of us will say "Audra..." in a gentle tone and wait. Without fail, she backs up, peeks around the corner at us, and grins. She never gets very far.

She often puts her head down on my shoulder in the sweetest little way, then immediately pops it up like "yeah, just kidding." Audra is not a cuddler. She loves being held and always wants to be near us, but she doesn't like to be snuggled and really prefers to do her own thing.

Luckily, her own thing is pretty darned cute.

Nine months is wonderful. Audra is wonderful. Truth be told, I don't really need to sleep on it. Nate does, but I don't. I would love a house full of Audras.

I'm probably good with just the one Calvin, though. (See next post.)