Happy 7, 8 & 9 Months little girl!

Oh summer. Feeling ridiculous guilty as I (force) myself to sit down and fill in the gaps of Emma's life these past few months. I have an estimated 30 minutes before Emma wakes up from her morning nap, and Grace is insisting I build a tower and dance with her to "Let it Go" as I type... so forgive me if this is short! I've been reading the book Hands Free Mama (and blog) lately and trying my darndest to be present for my kids and live "in the moment" this summer. E-mails, blogging and other adult home responsibilities have been sacrificed on occasion as a result, which obviously has its pros and cons. So forgive me Emma for cramming three crazy special and awesome months of your growth together into one post! I promise we've been having more fun this first year than accounted for on here, and there are pictures (on a camera not yet uploaded) to prove it!

At 7 months Emma was crawling (on all fours) up a storm, started pulling up to stand, and began clapping patty cake on occasion! "Dada" was her only word, and she made a point to rub it in my face every. stinking. day. On a side note: we're still waiting to hear "Mama" for the first time! 

At 8 months Emma began cruising along furniture, waved "bye bye" for the first time (at Beyond Juice downtown B-ham where Mom made a scene out of excitement!), and began walking forward while using her push toy. Our favorite accomplishment this month was most definitely Emma giving open mouth kisses on demand. Pure joy. 

We're currently in her 9th month, and loving every minute of it. Recent words and phrases include "uh oh", "duck", "baba", "ball" and we're pretty sure we've heard her say "hi" a few times! She is getting crazy strong and walks great while holding our hands. Puffs, teething biscuits, avocado, banana, hummus and shredded cheese are recent additions to her diet. This girl loves to eat! Emma has also stood alone for a few seconds at a time while cruising in between furniture. Walking seems right around the corner (tear). 

Sadly this poor babe has had some rough luck staying healthy since birth. This summer alone we've dealt with two ear infections, RSV and Hand, Foot, Mouth virus. UGH. Miraculously, however, Emma was the long survivor when the entire Livingston family (Grace included) caught quite possibly the worst stomach flu ever last week. Hoping her sickness span has seen the end of its days!  

Can hardly believe this kiddo's 1st birthday is only three short months away! Where has the year gone?! Going to do my best to play catch up from our busy, travel-filled, wonderful summer as a fam of four, and stay on top of memories to come for both girls before fall hits. Time please slow down....