Nine and a Half

9 Months is what it took to get Elise here and now we are nine months into her life, it's startling how fast it goes by.  The pictures are a sampling of her multiple personalities.

Calm, observant Elise

Crazy, boss of the world Elise (ye, she already has a wicked cackle)

Eating, don't mess with me Elise

This month her latest and greatest include...

• An obsession with the teddy bear flash card.  Let me explain, when Jara was born we received baby flashcards with pictures you could feel.  They have survived down to Elise, barely, all the kids have loved them.  Each child has had their favorite card.  Jara liked the ball and cat.  Jack liked the tractor.  Elise luuuuvs the teddy bear.  It never fails to emit a loving smile from her.  She will hold it and marvel at it oh so tenderly.   
• She has started crawling.  It surprises me how different she is from her siblings in this area.  Each have had their own style and started at a different time.  Jara crawled the earliest, Elise has been the latest. Jack army crawled classic style forever, Jara was up on all fours in days and Elise uses her long monkey toes to crawl.  She army crawls flat on her belly but instead of using her arms to pull, she uses her toes to scratch and a little booty waggling to fully propel herself.  Half the time she goes backwards.  Which is very frustrating when you are trying to get a piece of food in front of you.  
• She now has two sharp little chompers and she knows how to use them.
• Her favorite toy is a 3/4 empty water bottle.  
• She lovingly pets/pulls my "werewolf" (tiny hairs along my neck) hair when she's cuddling right before bed time.  
• Her favorite snacks now include contraband items such as barbie shoes, rocks, and various paraphernalia visible only to a crawling baby.  Commence sweeping twice a day.  ugh
• She simply does not understand why everyone does not absolutely adore her and if she is not receiving a sufficient amount of attention won't you know it.  She also chews out Jack for getting in her face, whoever is holding her in church and won't give her the hymn book in proper, good time, and whoever is unlucky enough to change her diaper.  Elise no likee diaper changes.  Diaper changing induces violent, mule kicking which will harm you.  

Here's to another month...