Riley {Nine Month Update}

It's that time again!  Is it flying by for you like it is for me??  Our sweet Riley ma'am is nine months old!  She's officially been out longer than she was in!

Key words to describe this stinker this month:

• Toothy.  Riley cut her top left tooth finally!  It was a bit of a bumpy few days, but we could see it in her gum and it finally popped out!  It looks just like her sister's, and the one right next to it is on the way any day now (please).
• Expressive.  Riley's aware of how to make people laugh, whether it's a cute, shy smile or shaking her head back and forth.  She isn't afraid to let you know how she feels, and we started something new this month - throwing herself backwards when she doesn't like something.  So that's fun.
• Musical.  We play Riley's Pandora station all the time while she's playing on the floor, and she loves the music.  It plays a mix of reggae, Disney songs, and acoustic.  She bounces up and down and sways to the beat.  Don't tell Ryan, but she already has more rhythm than he does.

Riley is chowing down on solid foods - she's added blueberries, yogurt, and chicken this month.  She likes everything but the chicken.  I'm sure being a Lowe, she'll learn to love it.  We haven't tried anything more than purees yet, so if anyone has any tips on getting a fickle 0.75 year old to try something other than creamy blends, please let me know.

 Riley's been to riding lessons, soccer games, a Razorback gymnastics meet, and a Razorback basketball game this month.  She's a pretty good traveler and she can be flexible (most of the time).  We went bowling last Tuesday to get out of the house after three snow days, and she thoroughly enjoyed observing.

This kid is character!  You never have to wonder what's on her mind, because she lets you know.  She works hard to get our attention, and she even imitates us by nodding or shaking her head back and forth.  Sometimes you can even get her to mimic sounds.  Riley has also been known to give the occasional headbutt  to get kisses on her forehead.  She's not afraid to let you know if she's unhappy by screaming, arching her back, and even diving backwards out of your arms.  At least she's a woman who knows what she wants.

Riley has a move we like to call "the roll-crawl."  She's not crawling yet, but she is pushing with her feet quite a bit.  So when she sees something she wants across the room, she uses a combination of rolling and crawling to get to it.  Very resourceful and creative.  She's also starting to pull herself up onto our laps.  It's not cruising yet, but it's the beginning of it.

Happy nine months, Riley!  You're a challenging, independent, strong-willed little lady with a mind of your own.  I love how you know what you want, and you're not afraid to let the world know.  I'm proud to be your mama.