Our 9 month update

Karis Joy- 8 1/2 months old. She loves those little giggling olives. They make her laugh!

I have done a terrible job keeping this blog updated! Life has been moving very quickly around here. Since my last post, I have started working, part time from home. I am very blessed to be working for Home School Legal Defense Association. I am one of their Special Needs Consultants. It has been a blessing to work from home, albeit a little crazy at times!! Picture me sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing Karis, talking to my co-worker on the phone with Gracie hanging on my back begging for a snack!!! One day a week, a dear friend who is home from doing mission work in China, watches the girls for me while I work downstairs. Gracie loves those days. She and Miss Rachel go on all sorts of adventures, all directed by Gracie Beth Winn.

Karis is doing very well. We don't have her 9 month appointment until later in March, but I can tell you this much...She weighs around 16 pounds. She's wearing 9 month clothes. Size 3 diapers. People comment on how petite she is.

She is our "Curious Karis". She is always staring and taking in everything her big sister is doing. She loves to be held, although she's not much of a cuddler. I think she just likes to have a bird's eye view. She's usually very happy, but when she's mad- She's Mad! With Gracie, you could console her with a song, a kiss, or a cuddle. Not so with Karis. If she wants to get out of the car seat, eat, or be held, she's not going to quit telling you about it until she gets what she wants! I am praying that God will use this determination and strength for His glory some day!!

She is quite the mover. She started army crawling back in December, and really began crawling on all fours in late January. Two weeks ago, she started pulling herself up to a standing position. She often sits up on her knees. You'll have to forgive me for being amazed at this, but Gracie didn't do any of those things until much later. Everybody is different!

Karis has this sweet wave that she does to say, "Hi" to everyone. She has started saying, "Uh, Eh" (Her version of "Uh- oh") when she drops things. She does something else, that I think is hilarious! When she wants out of her crib in the mornings, she doesn't just cry. She moves to the corner of the crib, closest to the door of her room and cries. It's like she has figured out that that is her best position to be heard. She does this in the play pen too. She moves to part that's closest to where we are, and cries out to us. I think she may be brilliant! :)

She has become mommy's girl during these past four months. Although, she absolutely lights up when her daddy comes home! She gives people the 'once over' when they visit, because she wants to make sure they're not here to babysit!

She isn't the best sleeper in the world. She typically sleeps for 5 hours max. Up until recently, she was staying up until 10:00 at night. That was about to wipe me out! However, we're starting to get into a much more reasonable groove. She's taking 2-2 1/2 hour naps mid-day, and going down around 8:30-9. Still too late, I think, but better. Two nights ago, she slept from 8:30- 5:30!!!! That was the first time in almost 9 months that I've gotten that much uninterupted sleep! Then, last night she was up at 1:30 and 4! I have no idea what made the difference! Last night was one of those nights where she didn't want to go back to sleep. I can always tell when that is going to happen because she starts hitting her head while she's nursing, as if to wake herself up!!!
I am tired, and I think it's starting to show. The other day, I was fixing my hair. Gracie looked at me and said, "Mommy, you look like an other mother." (In other words, she's not accustomed to seeing me with my hair fixed and with full make up applied.) Oh well!

I leave you with a few more pictures and the promise to update before Karis' first birthday!