Mireya is 10 Months Old!

I can't believe it! Mireya is getting closer and closer to being a year old. I really don't know where the time went. She turned 10 months old yesterday. She is really healthy and she's learning everything really quickly. She can clap, wave, give you a high five, show you where her hair is, her nose, and her ears, she can also do the sign language sign for a bottle (It's actually the sign for milk, but it means that she wants a bottle.) If you ask her where the cat is, she will look around and point at one of our kitties. She is learning to brush her hair too. I'm waiting for the day when she starts to walk. She has been trying all the time lately, but she isn't quite there yet.

Mireya wants to know what everything is. She stretches out her hand to everything and waits for you to tell her what it is. It's going to be so exciting when she starts to say the names of things with me. I know that she knows the word for many different things around the house, but she can't say them yet.

Mookie, when you read this when you're older, I just want you to know how amazing you are and how much I love you. You have given me more joy than I ever though possible. Every day you make me smile and laugh so hard that my cheeks hurt. You are growing and changing so quickly and lately it takes me by surprise every time I look at you and see how independent you're becoming. You are such a cute baby and I hope you have those sweet, little, chubby cheeks for a long time. I love you Baby Girl. Mommy

9 Month Wellness Visit

Mireya is 9 months old. She had her wellness visit with her pediatrician and he said she is doing very well. Her weight was on the low end, but he said that was normal for a baby her age, because she is so mobile. These are her statistics:

Weight: 16 lbs 9 oz, 12 percentile
Height: 27.5 in, 47 percentile
Head Circumference: 17 in, 26 percentile

Mireya is doing so many new things these days. As mentioned in a previous post, she has started to scream - loudly. It's not because she's upset. She's usually happy when she does it. Well, we were at Joann's Fabric Store the other day, and she decided to start screaming, and wouldn't stop. We ran into a woman with a preteen son who said "They never stop. It's cute at that age, but not so much at this age."

She also mimics other kids, like when we're at the grocery store. She'll hear a kid cough, so she'll start coughing. Or, one will babble, so she'll start babbling.

Mireya can clap! She loves it. She claps all the time now.

[mobileme url="http://gallery.me.com/mireya.ruesch#100283/Mireya%20Clapping&bgcolor=black"]

She is waiving hello and goodbye. She first started by just putting her arm out, sort of reaching with her hand. Then she started waving her whole arm up and down. Now she waves with her wrist.

Let's see...what else...Oh, she has almost walked. She has been pulling herself up to standing in her playpen for weeks now. Lately, she has been walking around the perimeter, holding on to the side, sometimes with one hand. Well, she now will let go and just stand there, with no hands. She'll then plop down on her behind. She's tried to take some steps while not holding on, but hasn't really done so yet.

[mobileme url="http://gallery.me.com/mireya.ruesch#100287/Mireya%20Almost%20Walking&bgcolor=black"]

9 Months Today

Mireya is 9 months old today. She has her 9 month wellness visit with her pediatrician this week. This visit should go better than previous ones because she doesn't have to get her immunizations this time!

Mireya is getting her top teeth in. She already has her 2 bottom front teeth, and now her top front teeth are starting to show through her gums. I hope they come soon, because she's teething again - chewing on everything!

I love my baby girl so much. I'd do anything for her. I am so thankful for her. I am also thankful for her mother. She takes great care of Mireya and I love her dearly.

What is Mireya up to lately?

Well, Mireya has been doing some new things lately. First, she has been blowing raspberries with her tongue sticking out. She is so cute, unless she does it while eating pumpkin and sprays daddy with it.

She has also been singing (screaming) at high pitches. It's not loud, so it's very cute.

8 Months Old

Mireya will be 8 months old tomorrow. She is changing and growing faster than I ever imagined she would. She crawls really well now. We bought her a playard that takes up almost the entire living room and she loves it. She pulls herself up and walks around the whole thing holding onto the sides. She can't figure out how to get down yet. She fusses until one of us helps her. I have been trying to teach her to sit down, but I think it still scares her. She thinks it's great that she can crawl over to the cats. Poor Spartacus is going to have little bald spots all over if he doesn't learn to get out of the way.

Both of Mireya's bottom teeth are all the way in now. She started to scrape paint off of the crib, so we had to get crib protectors. I managed to find some soft fleece ones that tie on. They're fantastic. Now I won't have to worry about her eating wood like a beaver. I think she is working on some other teeth now too. Man, I was hoping to get a little bit of a break between sets of teeth, but I guess not.

Mireya has entered a delightful new sleeping phase. She has figured out how to throw a tantrum if she doesn't want to go to sleep. Ugh. I think we have outsmarted her finally, but it has been a rough couple of weeks. It seems like every time we get a great routine going, something changes. I'm crossing my fingers that we will always be able to stay one step ahead or at least adapt quickly. I guess that's what you have to do when you have a bright child.

Speaking of Mireya being bright, she continues to amaze me. She can point out everything in her little soft book. She will point to each of the little creatures and look up at me and grin. She mimics you if you clear your throat or cough. She can stand up with very little support. All you have to do is hold one little hand. She runs around in her walker like she owns the place. She follows you into different rooms and even runs on the carpet. She knows just how to hold her mouth when you put chapstick on her (I don't take the cap off.) She recognizes her toothbrush and opens her mouth. She can use a sippy cup fairly well. She knows who her Mama and Dada are and can call me. She can almost say Dada. The list goes on and on.

I'm so proud of you Mireya! You are so smart and you learn so quickly. I know that you are going to continue to surprise me. Don't tell your Daddy, but I love that you're a Mama's girl. You make me feel so special and I am so lucky to be your Mama. I love you Baby Girl!!!

Happy Halloween!

It's Mireya's first Halloween! She looked absolutely precious dressed up as a fairy. She didn't even mind wearing the costume. She was very tired, but the pictures still came out adorable.







Jason and I didn't get all decked out, but we tried to do something at least for pictures. We tried to talk the cats into dressing up, but they're party poopers.



We decorated the house with window stickies, pumpkins, and a giant spider in a web over our front door. We attempted a cauldron with dry ice, but that didn't work out too well... Our jack-o-lanterns were pretty sweet though.

I know you won't remember your first Halloween Mireya, but I'll never forget it! You are such a doll and I love you so much!!!

7 Months Old and Learning Fast

Mireya turned 7 months on October 5th. I can't believe how time seems to be flying! Mireya has changed so much and she is learning new things every day. In the last couple of weeks, she has started to say, "Mama." I love it! I don't think she completely connects the name to me yet, but I'm just thrilled she's saying it. She is also babbling all kinds of other things too. Also, she has been trying to crawl. At first she would plant her forehead on the ground, pull her knees up and then she would lift her head and move her arms forward. As of today, she is actually crawling. I can't believe how fast she can move. Our kitties better watch out!

I noticed on Saturday, the 9th, her first tooth broke through the gums! It is the bottom left, front tooth. I can't wait to see what she looks like with two little teeth! It has taken months just to see the start of these two teeth. I can only imagine what the next year is going to be like. Mireya has even learned to share. She sucks on her binky for a minute and then tries to stick it in my mouth. She gets so excited if I pretend to take it.

Mireya is pretty healthy these days. She just got over her latest ear infection. It took two antibiotics and nearly a month. It's a matter of time before she gets ear tubes according to her pediatrician, so we're just trying to delay them as long as possible. She is growing like crazy. She now weighs 15 pounds 11 ounces. She still eats really well and she just started on finger food. I have been giving her these little melt in your mouth treats that taste like yams, her favorite. She sits in her high chair looking very serious when she's eating them. She is getting better and better at using a pincer grasp to pick them up.

New videos coming soon!