Dear McKenna,
Oh my sweet girl, you are 9 months old, and once again I just can't believe it.
I continue to be an awe of how special of a little girl you are becoming. You light up my every moment and bring such joy to my world. Oh how thankful I am for you and the process to have you... because if we didn't go through any of that then I wouldn't be so lucky as to have you as my daughter. My life would be so incomplete without you, my shining lucky star.
At 9 months old, we had your next well check doctor's appointment. This time we met with Dr. Scherer, it was our first time meeting with her. She was just as wonderful as your other doctors... super nice and super sweet! We were very excited to find out that you didn't have to get any shots at your 9 month checkup! You weigh 16 lbs. 1 oz., which is in the 10th percentile and you are 27 1/8 in. tall, which is between the 25th and 50th percentiles. Although you're a peanut, GP still calls you a box of rocks! Dr. Scherer told us that you can begin eating 'real' food. We can now begin to give you small pieces of what we're eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You, of course, are LOVING it! You have now tried pancakes, chicken, peas, noodles, diced apples, diced carrots, among many other things that I can't think of right now. Anything we are eating or drinking you make it well known that you want some. We even put water in a cup for you so that you can drink like we do!
9 months old, January 9, 2011

There is just so much to tell you about all of the new things you are doing!
You crawl all over the place, following Trippy, looking for Trippy, chasing Trippy ... anything to do with Trippy - oh how you love, love, love your puppy!
You pull up on everything and anything, but you haven't shown us that you're ready to walk yet. We try to hold your hand and help you take steps, but you just sit right down. You have just started to push your car around the house on your feet with GP, but otherwise you prefer to crawl. You are one fast crawler though, so it definitely gets you where you need to or want to go.
You can go up the stairs all by yourself - which is so scary for Mommy & Daddy. The gate at the bottom isn't just for Trippy anymore.
You laugh, giggle, imitate sounds, say bababa, mamama, nanana, papapa, ahhhh, and we're not really sure, but we think you're finally saying dadada too.
You crawl over to the bookcase in the kitchen where your books are and will keep pulling books off the shelf until you find the one your looking for. Your favorite book is an animal book, but you don't like looking at the whole book, you just turn to your favorite page...the one with the puppy on it! Once you find the puppy page you gasp and laugh and slap it. It is hilarioius. We try to look at the whole book with you, but you will keep turning to the puppy page, you really don't care about the other animals!

sucking your thumb like Aunt Mackie!
You are one silly girl. We're working on the concept of "no" and right now your response to no! is to just laugh and laugh. You'll actually head towards the lit fireplace and when we tell you "NO! Kenna HOT!" you turn towards us smile and laugh....you will swerve and head another direction but you find it hilarious. You do this when we tell you not to go in Trippy's water dish too. Oh how you love Trippy's water dish. Splash, splash, splash, your little hand loves to splash in the water. Poor Trippy can never get a drink because we have to put it up on the counter!

You are one lucky girl. Your group of friends just continues to grow and grow and you are loving it. You are so mesmorized by kids. You'll just sit and watch them. After awhile you'll crawl and play with them, but first you just observe. Nothing excites you more than babies though! You love to try and touch their face and their hands. We definitely keep our eye on you when you are around babies though, you just want to love on them sooo much! Best Friend Brayden probably gets the most loving from you. Daddy is keeping his eye on the two of you!!!

the best of friends

You love to play with your toys and you have a ton of them, but there are two that are just so special and that are truly your favorites, you laugh, gasp, giggle, and seriously attack them when you see them. They are your dolly and your puppy. Oh you can't get enough of them...and they usually come with us wherever we go. They make you so happy. You always say "Ahhh!" when you tackle and hug them.

This month TWO bottom teeth finally popped through! Oh my goodness! You love to feel your new teeth with your tongue. You do it all day long!


check out those chompers
You sure are one amazing little girl...I just can't get enough
You make me so so happy.
Just know that you are the most perfect little girl in the whole world.
I love you sweet girl.
Love, Mommy