Ten 10-month highlights

10 months we've known you, sweet Laney-bug. Longer outside my tummy than in! Each month goes progressively faster than the one before and I'm not sure I like that.

I love watching you grow and develop, funny girl. I love seeing who you are becoming. In honor of your 10 months, here are 10 highlights of the past several weeks:

1) You have mastered the art of booty-scooting. At this point, I'm not sure you are going to do the traditional crawl. You get so frustrated on all fours, going backwards instead of forwards, and since you've figured out the scoot, you are much happier toodlin' around on your bum. It doesn't seem like the most efficient way to travel, but it works and it sure is hilarious to watch!

2) The weather has been so terrible here in the Pacific Northwest, but I try and get you outside every day anyway. You adore being outside and heaven forbid I try and take you back in! You love to explore the rocks, the dirt, the leaves and on a rare sunny day this past weekend we introduced you to the water table.

3) Your independence is really developing. You know exactly what you want and you are not afraid to let us know if you don't like something. My content little babe is now voicing her opinions! My least favorite development this past month is the head throw-back. Girl, we need to talk about that.

4) For about a week, I was a little concerned you were going to have a huge gap between your front two teeth. Then my husband convinced me that wasn't your front tooth that popped in first. It was your second! Now you have two top teeth, but they're your first and second on your left side. I didn't even know that was possible. You still just have the two on the bottom.

5) For only four teeth, you make pretty good work of any food put in front of you. Meat, cheese, fruit, veggies, bread. You've got the five food groups down and you are not too picky. What you are picky about is how you eat. You want to do it yourself! You are so happy to have your whole meal on your high chair tray, or in little bowls in front of you. I'm so happy I discovered the pureed fruits in the pouch, since you don't really like pureed food from a spoon. You just suck down the fruit or veggies from the pouch. I just wish I loved hosing down your tray and the floor beneath you as much as you loved feeding yourself.

6) A week ago when I took you in to have your ears checked, you weighed 20.5 pounds. You are 28 1/2" tall. There is just so much of you to love! I know now that you are mobile you will probably start to lean out, but you don't have to, you know. I love the chub.

7) You are finally, finally sleeping consistently without any wake-ups from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am. You are still taking two naps a day, but they vary in length from 45 minutes to 2 hours. I'm so curious as to why they vary so much. Let me know when you can talk, ok?

8) You've got lots of new tricks up your sleeve and your babbling is amazing. I downloaded the new Jimmy Needham CD and I really think you try to sing along. Instead of your usual short syllable sounds, you make these long "aaaah" sounds.

You dance now which is pretty fantastic, but my favorite music story happened about a week ago. It was almost bedtime and you were nursing sleepily in your glider. Luke must have found my phone and started playing his favorite song from my playlist (Kung Fu Fighting of course). Now, you have heard this song a lot. A lot. So when you heard the first few notes, you sat upright so fast and let out a big "HA!... YAH!" It was almost perfectly to the beat of the song. You may have heard that song a few too many times. My prayer for you (and your brother) is that you continue to love music.

9) You and Luke continue to have a relationship that blows me away. I'm not sure why I didn't expect it, but I didn't. God has given you both such a love for each other. Now that you are getting into his stuff, there is definitely less patience all around, but your brother is still the first one in to get you after a nap, and the saddest when you cry. He can make you laugh more than anyone as well.

10) We moved you out of your infant car seat this week. The only reason I was holding on to it was for drop-offs and pick-ups at Luke's preschool, so I didn't have to unbuckle you every time. But it was time. Your little legs hung way over the end and it was ridiculously heavy to carry. You look like such a big girl in your big Britax.

We love you, Laney-bug. You are such a gift and light to our family. Happy 10 months, sweet girl!