Happy 9 months!

Charlotte turned 9 months old yesterday!  It's hard to believe that she has now been out of my tummy as long as she was growing in my tummy.

From this...

to this!

In celebration of these past 9 months, here are 9 things to know about Charlotte these days:

1. She weighs 18 pounds, 5 ounces and is 27.5 inches long.  We just went for a checkup today and she is doing amazing!

This was my favorite picture from the day.  Rob and Charlotte were looking out the window while we were waiting for the doctor, and I caught this sweet moment.

2. She loves music of any kind.  One of the best ways to cheer her up is with singing, even if it's off-key.

3. Her favorite toy is her stackable rings (followed closely by anything with a tag or a strap).  Car keys and cell phones don't count as toys, right?  If they did, those would definitely be her two favorites :)

4. Her favorite foods are squash, pears, and rice puffs.

5. Her favorite activity is swinging on the front porch.  She gets so excited that she wiggles and squeals like crazy once she sees that's what we are doing next.  Then, she gets so relaxed and is usually ready for a nap afterward.

Before...

and after.

6. She is not interested in crawling at all, but she rolls all over the room to get where she wants to go.

7. She has been a champion at sitting up for almost 4 months now, so her hand and finger dexterity is incredible.  I am constantly amazed at how coordinated she is and all the different things she can pick up and manipulate.

We call this the "concentration face."

8. She is fascinated by lights and shadows.  My favorite is when she tries to touch her shadow or a beam of light that is shining on her.

9. She smiles her biggest smiles for Daddy and she cries her biggest cries when she wants Mommy.

It's hard to limit it to just 9!  It seems like she is learning so many new things all the time.  I thought the 9 months of pregnancy were fun, but these past 9 months have been way better.  Thanks for lighting up our lives, Charlie Bear!