9 Months

Now that Pepper is 9 months old, she seems to be hitting a new wave of development. First she grew another tooth. Not the upper middle one but the one next to that. It is going to look pretty cool, like a jack-o-lantern,  when it grows in all the way! She is becoming much more sure of herself when she pulls up to a stand and cruises around the furniture. She has started to mimic sounds, like "rah" for "RARRR" and "vrah" for "vroom vroom". She says these words with some coaxing and then is quick to clap for herself. Sometimes she will say it in a whisper and then look up shyly at us...and then clap, of course. Pepper has started to understand the words, "I'm going to get you!" and immediately crawls as fast as she can away from us, giggling like crazy. She has become even more attached to any pictures of family and friends on our fridge or in picture frames around the house. Multiple times every day we have to go around to each one and she points while we say each name. Jo has been able to read 7 books in a row to her in one sitting, and a couple of those she wanted to look at twice. She is starting to initiate "peek-a-boo" by placing a washcloth on her head. Her kisses are becoming much more frequent and given without discretion. She even kisses herself in the mirror. Lots of slobber all over! For a few weeks now she has refused to be fed, she has to feed herself. We have been introducing lots of new foods and now she eats everything we do. So far she has liked everything we have given her, even my mom's curry! She has some Wyman blood in her for sure! Some of her favorite foods are blueberries, bread, grapes, beans, broccoli, carrots, avocado, bananas, cheese, and saltines. I am hoping that this love of food variety will continue.

Sometimes in the evenings after we get Pepper to bed, Jo and I muse about this amazing adventure we get to be a part of. It is not always sunshine and giggles, we are often exhausted and Pepper can be stinky and cranky. It is also incredibly sobering to think that we are influencing this new, spotless mind. In the end, though, it is so much fun getting to know her as her personality unfolds. She really does give us energy that we did not know we had. Our hope is that despite our own bias' and shortcomings we can instill an open, accepting, and adventurous spirit in her. Besides, one big, open mouthed, slobbery kiss from Pepper makes us forget all else!