10 MONTHS

I CANNOT believe this little girl is already 10 months old! How? How does time fly by SO quickly?! 

Emma has a hilarious personality, and never ceases to crack me up. How did I not know that babies this small could be so funny? I've always known they were cute, but seriously--she makes me LAUGH. My favorite is when she knows she's being funny, or when she knows we're being funny, and her laugh is deliberate. Oh my. So much cuteness.

Things That Make Emma Mimma Super Duper Awesome:

• Her cheeks. You can't get the full effect without touching them with your fingers. Sure, they look fluffy, but they're also soft and deep. Like bread dough. In other words, exceptionally kissable, and I do that A LOT.
• Her laugh. It is giggly and loud, and she tends to be super choosy about when she laughs, and who she laughs for. And when the "funny" is over, she lets you know by ceasing all giggles. She has a way of making me feel ridiculous when I continue my goofy sounds and tickly motions, and she's already moved on to trying to get away from me without an ounce of joy in her expression. Her laugh is such a gift, and I try to maximize each instance. If she even hints a laugh, the rest of the world stops so that I can try to hear more. I think she's on to me ;)
• Her sad face. It makes me laugh. Except when its caused by something traumatic, like falling off the couch or being trampled by the dog. Those things do not make either of us happy. (Well, maybe a tiny part of me enjoys comforting her. I love possessing that super power.)
• She is adorably shy. She demands attention, but when it is given, she hides her face. She likes to come in and out of hiding, which puts my face in great danger any time I am holding her close since she likes to rear her head back before plunging it into my collar bone--over and over again. My jaw has taken more than its fair share of her jolly method of hide and seek. When it starts I just throw my face up like the ceiling is really interesting until it's over haha
• She loves to practice new skills, but she knows when we are making a big deal about it, which makes her stop. We've been working with her on waving lately. Until a couple days ago, all she had given me was a couple of lackluster flicks of her wrist. She was sitting in her high chair the other day near the back door, watching the dog in the back yard. I turned around at one point and she was smiling and just waving and waving to him. I let out and involuntary squeal of excitement, and she squealed happily, and stuffed her hand into her lap, as though she hadn't been doing anything. She kept up a great big toothy smile while I moved in to smother her face with kisses. Her waving has improved since then. It takes a lot of coaxing, but she'll do it. She waved "bye" to Darren the other day as he drove off for work. She never waves without smiling.
• She has a determination in her that is more than admirable. It will probably drive me crazy for a good while as she grows up, but my word, that is not a bad attribute to have. I hope I can help guide her into channeling it in proper directions :) ...redirection is not the most effective parenting tool on her. She KNOWS when she's being shafted. I have to be sneaky with her, but she is no fool. For instance, there is a corner of the room from which she is prohibited (and she knows this...), and any time I take her from it, I try to distract her with other activities, but even if I plant her clear on the other side of the room, where the appealing aspects of that corner aren't even visible, she will immediately turn around and make a beeline back to it. Sigh. If I take the discipline approach and try to tell her "no", or gently slap her hand, or put her in her time out chair (lots of laughs watching her in that little chair!--p.s. it doesn't work), she gets ANGRY. Sometimes she'll stop in her tracks and look at me out of the corner of her eyes and slowly start to crawl again. I'll say "no", and put my hands in her way. She'll stop, slap my hands away, do this funny growl and squawk sound, and then glare at me out of the corner of her eyes as she slowly starts to crawl again. And repeat. 
• She is either very expressive or completely expressionless (which is often a clear expression of what she's feeling haha)
• She's becoming more social around other babies, and interacts with them beyond just stabbing their eyes. She and a little friend at church were crawling around at a baby shower yesterday, and it looked like they were really communicating as they destroyed gift bags together.  Adorbs. 
• Music has a calming effect on her. Reverence during the hymns can usually be achieved by holding her hand and conducting along with the music. That is something she and her Daddy do very well together. 
• She is so forgiving. She had RSV recently, and for all the times she fought me on the breathing treatment or on cleaning out her nose, screaming and crying the whole time, she would always cuddle in to me afterwards like I was saving the day and not the one who was inflicting torture. 
• Her little naked hiney when she rolls over and away before I can even blink during her diaper changes. It makes for a difficult diaper change, and sometimes a little swat on her cute behind, but gosh, it is SO cute! Especially when accompanied by the excited squeals of an escaped nudist. 
• Her singing voice. I often hear her in the car just singing and cooing. Occasionally she even grunts passionately (music really moves her ;) ). I really like when I am jamming along to the radio and happen to hear her. It's like she's singing with me :)

I think I say this every time I do a monthly update, but I say it again: I COULD GO ON FOREVER. There are countless things about that beautiful baby that make me weak with happiness and pride. Being a mother is AWESOME. I am so grateful that we were blessed with such a funny little personality, and I am so excited to be HER mom.