One of a kind...

So often when I'm asked how old my baby is, I get the response, "Oh, that's the best age!" and I've been hearing this pretty much throughout the 9-10 month point. Each month has definitely had it's finer moments (and tougher ones...), but I can see what they mean. Little personalities are just so rapidly forming at this stage and just like always, when we think we couldn't love this child any more, each day our hearts seem to grow even bigger toward her...

A lot has changed since the last "update" post, as the most recent one was mainly focused on the happenings of the holidays, and our sweet Maelee girl is just ever the little lady! For instance, she happily sits, so prim and proper, playing with her toys and turning the pages of her books, and we joke that she just can't be bothered to dirty her little hands and knees to heaven-forbid crawl on the floor to get somewhere! She may surprise us yet with this feat, but for now, we have to laugh as we try to encourage her to reach, reach, reach (and as a consequence, crawl, crawl, crawl!) for that toy out of reach and she just reaches with that dainty outstretched hand and then decides she is quite content without that toy. She does love to stand and excitedly pulls herself up whenever she sees an easy enough location to do so, but she'll very cautiously "cruise" from one place to another, ever so delicately feeling out her bearings.

Despite her growing two bottom teeth, and the impending arrival of some upper ones, no bib is necessary with our Miss Maelee! Drool??? Ewwww. She certainly wouldn't have that. Only when entertaining herself with her buzzing razzberries, thank you very much! And while I was ripping out anything my mother tried to put into my hair at this age (using tape, no less!), Maelee patiently endures the barrettes and the bows as if she understands the degree of pretty-ness they can add. I thought we had passed this phase a week or so back when she yanked one out but she seemed to just want to admire it in her hands and now she still contentedly sports them. And her budding vocabulary seems to solidify her "all girl" personality as she is quite the chatterbox and now excitedly signs "more," thrilled at actually being able to really communicate.

She's now eating a variety of foods and mommy's the one that makes the biggest mess feeding her. While I'm sure I'll eventually be eating my words (no pun intended), she has yet to have one of the classic baby-throwing-food moments. Yes, I know, she's still young so that's sure to come, but her current ladylike-ness just cracks me up. Not one to be the life of the party or a clown, she just curiously takes everything in with those big, blue, inquisitive eyes. Oh, she can giggle. And they are the sweetest, belly giggles we've ever heard, but they are mainly reserved for mommy and daddy tickle fests or high intensity peek-a-boos. She's definitely not the silly baby in the nursery putting random items on her head or hamming it up to get all eyes on her (although we'd love her just the same if she was!).

Regardless, it'll be fun to see how this personality develops and if she continues on this "girly girl" path or does a complete 180 into a total rambunctious tom-boy. We'll adore her either way, and are just enjoying watching her develop.

Here's some backtracking from the fun had in her 9th month up until now.

Still loving the jump-up at Nana & Pop-Pop's

The amazing Boston Cream Pie Birthday Cake for Daniel
that Nana decorated with Japanese characters!

Uncle Daniel always knew how to get the smiles!

And some of her favorite things to do this month...

Pulling up on the bench ottoman to sort through her treasure chest of toys

Flipping through the pages of her favorite books

Giggly tickle fests with mama

More fun playdates with the gals!
Teegan, Blake, and Giavanna

With Teegan & Giavanna

Our Little Dolls

She's ok being on her tummy sometimes :)

Sitting pretty

More pictures from her 9th month (backtracking) in this slideshow:




And some more recent shots (with more pics from the 10th month coming up in next post!)

Steeler baby

On the train to NJ to see Aunt Kim & Karl for a belated Christmas celebration

Opening her presents from Aunt Kim and Karl

Our little Valentine

Enjoying a Valentine Musical "Playdate" with her sweetie, Wesley...

And Kate, Perri & Peyton!

Groovin' to the music


We're still lovin her CRAZY hair!!!

And here are some favorites back from her 9 Month "Photo Shoot"

And more in this slideshow:

Can't believe the official "10 Month" mark is almost here. And then 1 year is right around the corner!!! Time really does seem to fly faster now that she's here :(

A Very Merry Maelee

Though the holidays have come & gone and we're now well into January (and almost to Maelee's 9 month birthday!), it is finally time to get some pictures up of our first Christmas as a family of three. Sorry, Parker, you don't count...

Hopefully I'll have another post up soon with more on Maelee's nine month (including more pics from the holidays that weren't necessarily Christmas-related...) and the fun she's into now, but since there are about a gazillion pictures from this time of year, I'll keep this post less verbose. :)

We enjoyed this special season of firsts very, very much and we believe our little sweetie did, too. She tore into the presents (quickly transferring the paper to the mouth...) and loved all her gifts. Daddy and I made sure to read her the true Christmas story from her Hug-a-Bible and hope to impart that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and "It is better to give than recieve..." BUT, for now, we think that's a little over her head :) and we were ok with some spoiling this year! (But not every year, hint, hint!!!)

We spent the majority of the holidays in VA with a very special Christmas Eve in DE with the great Too-dad and Mary Catherine/Nana-Nart, as well as more special family, including Maelee's 2nd cousin, Caleb, who is only 4 1/2 months older! They were adorable together.

To start off the crazy slew of pictures, here's Maelee on Santa's lap at Bloomingdales in NYC just before we headed south...


And here's a sampling of our time in DE. We are so thankful God has blessed us with such incredible family!!!

Maelee with her Too-dad and the sweet ride he got both the great grandkids

Playtime with Caleb!

A giggle fest with mama

Diggin' in!

Maelee & Caleb's gift to Too-dad and Mary Catherine

A very sweet trio

Sitting on a lap that's even better than Santa's

Jolly family on Christmas morning

And, of course, here's a slideshow of more pictures from Christmas in DE:

This was also a particularly special Christmas as my brother, Daniel, came home from Japan! He was amazing with his little niece and she loves her uncle! She always got a kick out of his silly faces. The evening that Steve got in, Nana & Pop-Pop took us all to see the Christmas trees in DC.

Here we are in front of the tree that represents our home

And with the "National Tree" in the distance

And below begins the onslaught of pictures from Christmas Day in Alexandria...

Buried in presents from a Nana & Pop-Pop and Uncle Daniel
who apparently couldn't resist...

With one of her favorites, "Ba Ba" Bear

And some of her favorites from her "Uncle Dan..."

A cool pop-up book in Japanese!

(self-explanatory)

And her little Miss Bunny who "walks" down the ramp
and loves to greet Maelee when she wakes from her nap!

The aftermath

T'was a very merry Christmas Day!

With more from Christmas in VA in this slideshow:




And here are some shots of Maelee with some of her most favorite men...

Gazing up at her great Too-dad

Cozying up with a book read by her adoring Pop-Pop

Giggling in the arms of her Uncle Daniel

And being taught by her daddy about Jesus :)

Happy Girl :)

After Christmas, the six of us all packed into my parent's car (a day late thanks to the snow!) to head back up to NYC and see Wicked! It was awesome- thanks, Mom & Dad!!! It was a super short stay but we enjoyed our time with family, and on the morning of New Year's Eve, we had a great little after-Christmas-Christmas with the four of us (OK, Parker, I'll include you in that, since you did get a new toy) .

More fun with the unwrapping

Reading the inscription from her Mee-Maw & Grandpa Mason in her fun Ladybug book

Enjoying some musical instruments from mommy

And admiring a beautiful ladybug charm bracelet from her daddy!

And after thoughtfully pondering the donation gift made in her name from her mom & dad, Maelee decides to see how it tastes...

A very special first Christmas as a family of three!

And more from our Christmas in NY:




And finally, some super sweet pictures of Maelee in her Christmas best...
(also, conveniently, the "8 Month Photo Shoot)

Lastly, more shots in this sweet dress:

Our NYC Christmas ended with a trip to see the Rockafeller Christmas tree in all its glory.

It was an amazing holiday for all of us and we hope it was for you! We're excited for what God has in store for 2011 and are so thankful for His goodness in 2010.