NOLA FAQs

So, while I posted the "rice in the eye" pic from Nola's nine month bday - loved it! - I neglected to write about the cutesy things Nola is doing these days....so here goes:

• She continues to take a few steps on her own here and there, but mostly finds walking on her own a bother. Crawling is still the preferred method of autonomous mobility. However, she LOVES to walk and hold onto one of our fingers with one hand, or walk behind a push toy. In fact, sometimes she will not stand for anything BUT walking - no being held, no playing, she just wants to walk, and is inconsolable unless doing so. But, as I mentioned, she likes to only hold on to our hand with one of her hands - she likes to keep one hand free for waving!
• She is such a social butterfly. She will wave to anyone she sees, and especially loves people her own size.
  
• She still has just two teeth on the bottom, and doesn't really know how to use them very well yet - as I said in the previous post - she's a choker! I've had a few scary moments!
• She loves to babble, and is seeming to be associating certain sounds with specific people or things. The other day she seemed to say "ball" at the right moments, and she can say "mama" and "dada" and often seems to know when to do so. But mostly, she just talks and talk her gibberish and it is quite cute.
  
• She can sign "milk" and "more". The only problem is, sometimes "milk" can look like she's waving good-bye, and "more" still is mainly just clapping, so when she claps, we aren't really sure if she wants more food, if she's excited, or if she wants to do Patty Cake!
• Speaking of Patty Cake, she LOVES to do Patty Cake! She squeals with delight when we start to do it, and if we're only saying the words and not doing the motions, she pulls on our hands so we'll do it with her!
• She has a ticklish spot on either side of her chest, and when we tickle her there, I cannot contain my own laughter, on account of her so-adorable face and her scream laugh!
• She cracks herself up! She'll be sitting and playing, and just start giggling - it's so funny!
  
• She has begun flopping her head back, leaving her neck exposed, so we'll either tickle or zerbert that spot. When she started doing it, it reminded me that Emmerly used to do the exact same thing. I love it just as much now as I did then! Adorable!
  
• She LOVES her sister! If she hears Emmerly, but does not see her, she will look in every direction, searching her out. And she still responds every time Emmerly starts to sing to her, either quieting down from crying, or just smiling her big smile. I love it!
  
• She's a snuggler. We absolutely adore this. Few things are better than that little head snuggling into the crook of my neck when she's not even sleeping - just to give a little love!
• She likes to move it move it! Any time she hears music, she either starts bopping her head or her whole body - she definitely got the rhythm gene!
  

PS - Just now when I was nursing her, she looked up at me, signed "milk" and then clapped her hands with a huge smile - I think her message was clear - Woo hoo! Dinner!