10 Months.

Can you believe she is already 10 months! I mean... in 2 more months, she will be 1!

This makes me sad.

She has developed quite the personality. Some days, I find myself saying that she is going to act just like Kate. Then, other days I find myself saying she acts just like Jocelyn. She's a mesh of both I guess. Definitely mischievous.

She is starting to be REALLY interested in standing. She pulls up to anything she can get a grip on.  This included ME as I was trying to take a picture of her. 

so... I thought I'd try to get a picture of her actually standing by herself.

She sits down very quickly. I think she still lacks confidence. Plus, I wouldn't want to fall on that hard floor either!

She hates naps/bedtime.

And yes, I need to lower her crib so that she doesn't go crashing out. So far she hasn't (knock on wood).

She has always slept through the night. She normally goes to bed between 8 and 9pm. She wakes up around 7:30am. Except lately she has started testing us. Last night around 11pm, she woke up. She could hear Jared and I talking and started to cry. Me, being the sappy mom that I am thought I'd go get her, and "top her off" and put her back in bed. She nursed, and then wanted to play. Jared and I wanted to go to bed! So, I laid her back in her bed. She screamed. And screamed. And screamed. And then stopped, and listened. And then screamed. And then listened. And then screamed. Jared and I thought it was funny, and tried not to chuckle too loudly.

Finally she decided that we weren't going to come get her, and went to sleep for the rest of the night.

She hates sleeping covered up. We have to make sure she has clothing that covers her arms and legs because she WILL NOT tolerate a blanket. She could be in deep sleep, and if I place a blanket on her she will kick her legs until the blanket is off.

She sucks her thumb.

... and although she hates blankets laying on top of her, she likes to rub them on her face.

She hasn't said her first word yet. Although Jocelyn claims she said "Ass," and last night Katelyn told me she said a full sentence (which I can't remember). She does babble, "hiss," and make lip smacking noises with her mouth.

This is one of her favorite toys:

 

Beka made it for her when she was brand new. It has always just sat in her bed. It has a scarf knitted to it, that isn't really a scarf anymore. It's just pieces of yarn, because Tess worked hard to unravel it.

I can't get her to STOP DIGGING IN THE DIRT. I've swept the living room floor 5 times already today, and it's noon. She knows when I'm sitting on the computer, and thus has maximum playing time before she is ratted out by Kate.

She sits in the cart at the store like a big girl.

She loves to wrestle with the dog when he's inside, and he's a good sport about it.

She loves to be outside. If a door opens, she is OUT. Yesterday it was fairly warm outside (50's), so I let her go outside and play with Katelyn and Calvin. I stayed inside and put away laundry, but made sure I could see her at all times from a window. I thought it was funny, because Kate and Calvin were taking rocks from the side of our driveway, and throwing them into the street. Tess would pick up a rock, taste it, and then try to throw it to the street too. (FYI...after awhile, I made them get the rocks from the street and put them back.)

She loves water. Baths are awesome. The sink is awesome. Pools are awesome. The dogs water bowl is awesome. Lately, our dog has been sleeping inside at night. Before bed, we fill up a bowl of water so that he can get a drink with his dinner. Tess usually beats us up in the morning, and Jocelyn usually gets Tess out of bed and plays with her. On several occasions, we awoke to Tess in the kitchen with the dogs water spread everywhere. We have since had a talk with Jocelyn about this.

She claps when she is up to something mischievous.

Above, I sat her on the kitchen table and she started clapping. My theory is because she knows she isn't supposed to be sitting on the kitchen table. If I catch her playing in the dog water, she looks at me and claps. If I catch her digging in the plant, she looks at me and claps. I think it is her way of saying, "Hey, look! I can clap! Isn't it cute? You can't be mad at me if I'm being cute!"

She chews the corners of books. This drives me CRAZY! Any book. If she sees a book, she will grab it, rotate it, and stick the corner in her mouth. Probably 1/2 of our children s books have chewed on corners.

She plays well alone.

Just yesterday, I found her underneath Jocelyn and Katelyn's bunk bed... chewing on a book.

She LOVES to eat "big people" food. She hates baby food, and will in no way eat baby crackers, jar food, formula, etc. I think her favorite thing to eat is bread sticks.

She went on a "date" to Olive Garden with Jocelyn and I on New Years Day and had a blast!

I'm pretty positive she ate an entire bread stick herself.

Comments

[Kristi]

Of course I love all of your pictures, but I LOVE the one of Tess crying in her crib. Priceless. I don't know if I really have any pics of my kids crying. I should so I could really remember how they were when they were little (ha ha!) I can't believe she is 10 months old - that flew by. She is so adorable.

[Alisa]

Ha ha its so funny to read this post because Nate is just like Tess in so many ways! Its so funny! You are so good about documenting a lot of details!

Nate loves to eat the dirt out of my mother in laws plant too! And everytime I come to get him or say, nate no, he gets the biggest smile and waves his arms really fast. Its so funny that they learn so quickly to act cute when they no they are in trouble!

[Beka]

Oh I'm so glad she loves her bear!! I'm glad you're loving your rad camera!

[jenney]

That picture of her sucking her thumb...wow!! I cannot believe how much further along she is in motor development than Jackson and they are only about 3 weeks apart. Just goes to show how different boys and girls are. =)