Little Buddy

We have a little buddy who makes us smile all day.

She keeps us quite busy with all her house explorations, but it’s fun to see her learn and grow.

She and the cats have been getting along quite well. Jangles has become the big brother, always watching.

Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday I was holding her in just one arm.

Happy 9 Months!

This month brought on hands and knees crawling, climbing everything in sight, pulling up on furniture, and getting back down to seated. So many gains in such a small amount of time. It’s amazing to watch Jia Li grow.

We’re going to have to do something about the metal railings upstairs soon before they become a jungle gym.

Jia Li has been watching the cats and learning quite a bit. She sees them climb this little step stool to watch all the outdoor activities from the living room window, so she thought she should do the same. The only problem is that we have to be careful of her attempting this because the stool isn’t sturdy enough for her weight. She needs us nearby to spot her.

Jia Li has really been enjoying her new play room and has more than enough toys to keep her busy! The funny thing is that it’s the non-toys that seem to intrigue her the most.

Teeth!

Jia Li’s teeth cut through the gums on August 13th, but I wasn’t able to get a decent picture of them until yesterday. Teething hasn’t been bad, so far, which we’re all happy with.

Jia Li and I got in a hike on Skyline today. Fall is definitely in the air.

I haven’t been on that trail all summer. It’s a bit hot, plus I wanted to save it for Fall and Winter.

I’ve maxed out the memory on the iPhone, so I’ve been backing up photos and found a few cute ones that I didn’t have on the blog.

Labor Day

We had a nice, quiet Labor Day at home. Jia Li and I got in lots of hiking. On Sunday we met Tanya for a hike at Vallecito.

I’d never been on this trail before…it’s wilderness, so in the past I would have had no interest since I can’t ride my bike on it. It was a great trail! Definitely nice and challenging for running or hiking. Lots of rocks!

Jia Li has been teething so she chewed on my water mouthpiece most if the time.

Jia Li hit some new milestones this week. On Saturday she crawled on her hands and knees to me (rather than doing her commando crawl). She took about 4 strides and went back to the belly. It was cute.

On Saturday I also converted her exersaucer to a stand up toy. It’s at the lowest setting so Jia Li can pull herself up and practice sitting herself back down again.

Today Jia Li climbed the stairs by herself. We’ve helped her in the past but today she did it solo. Her incentive? She was chasing Merv.

Our little girl is growing up so fast!

Having Fun

Jia Li has been growing fast and is now up to 14.5 pounds! My back is starting to hurt when I carry her in the Bjorn too long. Luckily I have 2 backpack carriers.

For our weekend hike I used the Becco Butterfly pictured above. It’s nice because it has a piece of fabric that holds Jia Li’s head in place when she falls asleep. The other pack I have is the Deuter Kangakid. It is nice because Jia Li can see better and she doesn’t rest against my back (which gets hot), but as soon as she falls asleep her little head bobs at a painful looking angle. I need to figure out head support for that thing.

Jia Li has become very active. She doesn’t like being restrained in anything for very long. She used to love being IN the exersaucer but now she prefers to be UNDER it.

She’s looking forward to getting a little taller so she ride her zebra.

She’s got quite the play room now. She’s got her cloth books…

Tons of rolling toys (including ones intended for the cats)…

Plus she’s got her partner in crime to keep her occupied. Jangles will open up the cabinet and jump in, and then Jia Li will start pulling out everything in the cabinet. It’s too cute watching those two help each other out.

Happy 8 Months!

Happy birthday, sweet little girl. To celebrate your 8 month birthday, you are cutting in a bottom tooth!

We can also add that you have mastered the commando crawl and you are working on getting up on your hands and knees. You can now sit up on your own and pull yourself up to standing. You are feeding yourself little pieces of finger foods too! Best of all, you’ve discovered a new game – hide and seek with Jangles the cat. We love you!

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

We’ve been enjoying a visit from the grandparents (my folks) and Jia Li is really getting to know her Grandma and Grandpa well.

Today was a new milestone. Jia Li is now able to go from tummy to sitting up all on her own! She’s also getting up on her hands and knees, so I’m expecting a transition from the commando crawl to a normal crawl pretty soon!

Her latest feat is climbing up on her little booster chair and doing a little flying motion. She can get herself up here on her own but she can’t get down. Doh!

Jia Li has been playing chase with Jangles. The other day he hid under her exersaucer, so she followed.

Jia Li has gotten a lot of walks in the jogger with Grandma, which ensures a happy, well rested baby.

She’s going to really miss her Grandma and Grandpa when they go.