10 months old

Happy Birthday Sylvie! The little miss is adventurous and just like she was in utero, she is always on the move! She's an adorable crawler and is pretty fast too. I do love the sound (slap! slap! of her hands) and sight (happy smiling determined face with her eye on the finish line) of her crawling toward me. She has taken one or two steps, but I'm not sure she knows what she's doing...her walking is right around the corner though! She is able to stand up in the middle of the floor. I find this as remarkable as her standing on her own. When Brady learned to walk, he would first pull himself up on something, then take off. It was a while before he could actually stand up on his own and then walk from there. Sylvie Loves the stairs and climbs every chance she gets- either on the steps, or on me, or on Brady's mini rocking chair. Here's a picture from our monthly photo shoot this morning that serves as an example of her wanting to move as she's poised to dive off the rocking chair.

Sylvie's sampling just about all food (except peanuts of course, as to date, this is her only confirmed allergy). She likes finger foods (especially cheese, bread, and Cheerios), but also often takes a puree too. Her favorite foods rights now are squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas, and yogurt. She still only has her bottom two teeth...that we get to see all the time b/c she's always smiling!

She's still my little gal-pal. Daddy noted the other day that she appears to be "uber-attached" (his words) to me. I don't think she is. She just loves me and I love her. I think she realizes that I'm the one who "gets her" the most. When she's trying to communicate something, I usually know what it is, just from the routine of it all. So she looks to me to help her out. But we've been bonded like this from the moment she arrived. I can remember even in the hospital when she was a day old, Daddy saying, "She knows who you are and she's attached to you." I used to be the only one that could calm her when she was an infant. Now that she has more thoughts and opinions, but not the means to communicate them yet, she looks to me for assistance, for comfort, and b/c I just "get her." Love you little munchkin!

Speaking of her thoughts and opinions, little sister's preferences and knowledge of injustice are emerging. She no longer just sits there and silently accepts it when big bro takes something from her or "disciplines" her ("No ma'am Sewlvie! Not you bin-ness!"). She recognized the injustice...she stares at him almost in disbelief and then looks at Daddy or me with a sort of "Did you see that?!" look on her face. Sometimes that look is accompanied by a tattle-tailing wail, and it's most always accompanied by a pouty bottom lip. It's pretty cute.

As sweet as she is, Sylvie is also pretty vocal. She "squawks" to make her needs known (like when she's out of food on her high chair tray). She also does cry and fuss...but it's so darn cute and she can get out of it so easily, that most of the time, we don't mind. :) I'm glad she has a voice and uses it. Way to be heard, strong girl! Here's an example of her mad face from our picture-taking this morning. She's still pretty sensitive...doesn't like it all when she is yelled at or scolded, but responds very well (with a cutesy smile of acknowledgment) when she is gently reprimanded ("ah, ah, ah!" "No thank you Little Miss!" "No, ma'am."). Oh sweet Sylvie, my little baby girl, I adore you. You make my soul sing!