This month has been such a blur of so many different things. I hardly even know where the time has gone let alone where to begin.

Well, both of Dahlia's last remaining two of four teeth on the bottom are through as of this week, giving her a total of eight! So far, it's been a pretty painless process for everyone. We still have the pointy ones and then the molars, so I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch.

Dahlia climbed the stairs yesterday, from the bottom all the way up! Boy was she pleased with herself. She had her brother egging her on from a few steps ahead of her all along the way, and was a little sidetracked by some blue tape on one of the upper stairs left behind to protect a rough spot on the stair. All in all, she was a real pro. Now, I'll have to monitor that area very carefully!

Dahlia has the most infectious laugh and jovial disposition. She likes to play hide and seek and loves to flash her grin and captivate whatever audience is seduced by her smile. Dahlia does the head slant and grin these days. Sometimes she rests her head on whoever is holding her and smiles at passersby. Other times, she will be cruising the table and will rest her head down and smile to capture my attention. She's doing a couple of signs, too. All done and milk and so big. She can also wave bye bye. She makes some funny fake laughing sounds and sqeauls of joy that are just too funny.

Dahlia has been pretty flirty with the boys lately. Last weekend, she and Oscar had a big makeout session, as Dahlia is a pretty good kisser and enjoys leaning in, open-mouthed, to the right kind of guy. At music class this week, she and a little boy named Redding were really loving all over each other, giving hugs and kissing and patting each other. Sure, it's cute now, but look out!

Dahlia has been quite taken by books over this past months. She will flip through the pages of her box of books for quite a long time. She will also eat the books and seems to have some sort of inborn sensor for any paper product that might be lying around within her reach. I've dug quite a few bit of paper from that girls mouth! She kind of has this love of everything, though. She seems to have a very strong natural independent curiosity about her.

She is, of course, saying momma and dadda quite regualrly and with correct assignment. She really lights up when her dad comes in the door after a long day at work, which is a nice way to be greeted for daddy, too.

Dahlia has been eating like crazy! More than Elias ever has. She seems to be interested in a wide variety of flavors, too. I have been holding back giving her all of what we eat, trying to follow the rules but it is hard to stay creative with the offerings. Anyway, she is defintely growing and changing into a little girl. Almost 10 months now!

Dahlia is always lurking over her brother's shoulder. He used to embrace her involvement in activities with him, even encourage it, but as of late, one gets the feeling that Elias believes Dahlia is ruining everything. I'm sure Brad and I don't help this situation much, as he witnesses us constantly extracting Dahlia from places she shouldn't be...the wood stove, the stairs, eating paper, etc. She's just plain naughty (tee hee) and we tell her so (as sweetly as we can cuz' she's so cute). I'm afraid Dahlia may always be looming largely (and loudly, as she has begun to protest some of Elias's antics that used to go over quite easily, like hand-holding, and ear tugging) behind her brother, as he's pretty neat and she's pretty curious. It's a win/win, lose/lose kinda set-up.


On a more historical front, we went to the zoo today, and though Dahlia has been to the zoo before, this was her first true zoo-scapade, and she loved it! She loved being let out of the cozy confines of mommy's sling to stand up next to the turtles and the fish. When the big sturgeon swam passed, she reached out to grab it through the glass, and she watched the waterfall by the ducks, who all looked as though one leg had been amputated (but it hadn't, whew! What an awful thought, that not only were zoo animals tortured by being imprisoned in some artificial, obviously sub par existence, but also mutilated? Brad and I really struggled to see the other leg on the number of ducks in the exhibit, because they all were paddling with just one webbed foot. Upon further inspection, the other leg, tucked away without leaving even the slightest bump of a trace, did come out for a little paddle...what a relief!). She liked the turtles and also liked the birds outside, standing proudly next to the little fence until she started to chew on the exhibit description plaque and had to be extracted. What a sight to see! Such a lovely little mind absorbing (and enjoying) the whole world!


It won't be long before my post begins with news about Dahlia's first steps. She dangerously close, standing up unassisted regularly and cruising about everything and anything. Pushing chairs about the house, lapping the coffee table, etc.