All of a sudden, we have a 9 month old! Baby T. has officially been alive as long as I was pregnant with her. It seems like a milestone, doesn't it? More than anything, I can't believe how quickly she's growing.

Here are some recent observations:

• Baby T. can sit up unsupported. It seems like she wasn't motivated to sit up before but I think once she realized that sitting up means more solid foods, she was all in. Now it's no big deal.
• Also not a big deal is crawling. One day Baby T. was playing on the floor and decided to crawl to me. It was so exciting! And also terrifying. She's mobile!! No more helpless baby just sleeping all day. 
• So far Baby T. has eaten a variety of foods including: rice, oatmeal, poi, blueberries, tofu, broccoli, bananas, butternut squash, mixed veggies, and Okinawan sweet potatoes. She doesn't seem to have discerning taste, which is my dream. I'm a picky eater and a pain in the butt so I hoped that my child would eat whatevs like her father. 
• Baby T. got to meet her great-grandmother last month. We drove all the way out to Lanikai to visit Great-Grandma K. (GGK) Though Baby T. cried and cried most of the time, she seemed to get more comfortable with the whole situation as we were leaving.
• Then, a few weeks later, GGK came over to visit and Baby T. only cried for like 10 mins before she let GGK hold her. That's progress!
• In addition to clapping on command, Baby T. can also wave when we ask her to. It's so pure and sweet when she sees me or Dada, smiles, and waves or claps! That's love!
• Baby T. has been pulling out the bows we put in her hair to keep it out of her face. After she rips off her bow, she'll wave it at us then either try to eat it or throw it on the ground. Because of this, we've been putting her hair up in a palm tree using orthodontic rubber bands. She tries to rip those out but has a harder time.
• Whenever her toy plays music, she dances to it. And when she watches videos, she basically head bangs, jumping up and down with one arm in the air. 
• Baby T.'s teeth are starting to come in. You can see the two bottom front teeth emerging from her gums. And when she gnaws on my finger, I can feel just a hint of her sharp chompers.
• She obsessed with pulling herself up using anything she can get her hands on. Omg will she start walking soon??
• Baby T. weighs in at 16.7 lbs! That's actually small for her age but she feels so heavy to me. 

And that concludes month nine so far. It's so rewarding and fun to see Baby T. grow. 
 

Baby T. makes eight months today! I can't believe how quickly time has passed.  She makes motherhood so much fun. Of course she's a lot of work but isn't that what I signed up for?

Here are some recent observations:

• Instead of fake coughing to get attention, Baby T. is starting to hyperventilate. It's very disconcerting.
• EVERYTHING she get her little hands on goes into her mouth. Her favorites are cell phones, remotes, video game controllers, and my fingers. 
• She's getting the hang of clapping, which is just too adorable.
• Baby T. is also able to sort of high-five if you put your hand up. I think she's just touching your hand because she's curious, but it still counts!
• She hasn't been into nursing as much, which is a relief for me. She seems to be weaning from Mama instead of Mama weaning baby.
• Baby T.'s hair was so long Dada T. gave her a haircut when I wasn't looking. I had a fit when I realized what he was doing. He had recently cut his own hair and figured he was a master stylist, omg. Little T. still looks cute, just a little feral.
• Lately, she's been really obsessed with Mama (me). Every time I leave the room (Dada T. is still there) she screams her head off until I come back. This makes me so thankful I'm working from home. When I go to the store or out to do errands, Dada T. reports that the baby cries and cries until she passes out. Omg. 

Overall, Baby T. is a joy. She makes me laugh and warms my heart when she smiles her gummy little smile. I can't wait to see what happens next!

There are a lot of scumbags out there. One of my dream jobs is to be one of those people who catch online predators. I'm a good writer and convincingly pose as underage bait. I'm not sure how to get a job like this, but doing it part-time would be so rewarding. 

Until then, here's a post I wrote for Island Scene Online filled with tips about Digital Safety of our Keiki. Hopefully it can help both parents and kids understand how to keep safe online.