Matt took this picture of Ally this morning at breakfast. She ate a banana, bagel with strawberry jam, and rice krispies. She has the rice krispies stuck to her face.

After breakfast I was just going to wash her hand and face in the faucet. Next thing I know, she is sitting in the sink rinsing off. Then Matt filled up the sink for Ally. She had a great time playing in the water.

Ally loves to stand at the window in our living room and look out the window. When Matt's on his way home we sit there and look for him and she gets so excited when she sees him.

She has started saying mama and dada more and more. If we ask her where daddy is she finds Matt. She does the same thing when you ask her to find mommy.

I took Ally to the Childrens Museum on Thursday.

Ally played with a group of boys that were all about

the same age as her. Ally was taller than all of them

by a lot and she weighed more than the rest of them too.

She was also doing more than the rest of the babies.

Some of them were only rolling or just sitting. So Ally

Was climbing all over the boys and if they stopped

moving Ally would sit on them. It was kind of funny

to watch her with them.

Ally loved the new train thing they put in playscapes.

She really likes the Thomas the Train things. Too

bad they are a little expensive for mommy to buy.

I let Ally play in the water (well she mostly held onto a duck
and held onto the side with the other hand).

She loved watching the girls that were playing in the water next to us. She had to have her pacifier so she wouldn't chew on the side of the water tank. YUCK!!

My big helper

Ally loves to follow me around the house and

do whatever I am doing. Yesterday as I was

unloading the washer to the dryer, Ally tried to

climb between the washer and the water softner.

She saw a cord that look very enticing to her.

Ally has figured out how to point. I am not quite sure where she learned how to point, but she does a very good job. She will now point at someone when she is talking to them or jabbering about them. She has also learned that if she wants something she can't reach, if she talks and points to it, then that shows mommy what she wants. It is amazing to watch her learn and grow. She is so smart and continues to prove that to Matt and I everyday. We try to baby proof the house and she finds a loop hole. I think she may be smarter than me sometimes. Don't tell her that though.

Ally's smile

When she smiles now, she shows all her teeth.

Daddy put bubbles in my hair

Okay so I took Ally to the Dr. yesterday because she had green discharge coming out her eyes and a green snotty nose, along with her continued cough. She has a sinus infection and is now on an antibiotic and a cough medicine. The Dr. was nice enough to tell us as a side comment, "oh by the way, the antibiotic is going to cause her to have loose stools." I'm thinking, great, just another added thing for me to clean up. This morning we got up and ate breakfast and then played. While playing I started smelling something, sure enough, she had it coming down her leg and it was through her pajama pants and her pajama shirt. Errrrr... So I put her in the bath tub and took her clothes off.

When we moved into our new house we were so excited. Until I realized that we needed to have the plumber come and look at the washer hook-up? That meant going a few days without the washer. I have become very accustomed to doing laundry whenever it needs done. I ended up taking it to my mom's house and it worked out. The plumber came and fixed the hook-up. Matt got home from work and went to plug in the dryer for me and what'd ya know...the plug in is old and so we have to replace the cord on our dryer so it works with the outlet. Matt ended up fixing the dryer for me. He even took the back of the dryer off and cleaned out some lint.

Ally's 2nd day at the park

Hi Grandpa and Grandma!!!

Cheese!!

Hi Aunt Kim!
I am blowing you guys kisses!!

Ally's crazy hair

Ally is going to be a great big sister.
This is how she is going to help mommy with the baby.

Yesterday was Ally's first time playing on the ground.

She loved playing with sticks...
rubbing them together...

and learning stick fighting from Travis.
Ally enjoys eating her new sandals.

I took her back to the 80's until she

spit up all over her outfit.

Ally loved the park

She had so much fun on the swings.

She also loved the slide.

Ally and mommy.

Well, we got moved into our new house. This meaning, we have everything moved from the apartment, to the house. That does not mean we have everything put away. Slowly, but surely we will get everything where it needs to go, hopefully.
It is quite nice to be out of Scarborough Lakes. Our neighbor is very quiet. I keep hoping we are reciprocating the favor (even though I know we aren't as quiet as we'd like to be).
Last night we went to my mom's house and had dinner and family home evening with them. I think we are going to try to do it every week.
Ally had her 9 month check up on Saturday and she weighs 19 lbs and is 28 1/2 inches long. She has gained 3 lbs since her 6 month appointment and grew 2 inches. Ally is starting to sleep better in her room now. At first she just cried and wouldn't go to sleep, now she'll cry for a minute or 2 and go to sleep. Ally played outside in the grass today for the first time and loved it. My brothers came over and played outside with her and that gave me a chance to unpack some more things.

I think Matt has gone crazy. He ordered lots of girl scout cookies this year. Last year when I was craving them, he said "2 boxes is enough". That makes me wonder why he has ordered so many of them this year and I am not even in the mood for them. Hopefully by the time the baby comes, we'll still have some and I will want them then.
On to another subject...I love to pack and unpack and move. But, this go around is very different. I have just not been in the mood to do much of anything. I keep hoping there is a moving fairy and that she is going to come over one day and pack all of my things for me. I know that's not going to happen, so I have made myself do a little everyday. There isn't that much left to move over there that isn't furniture of some kind. Pictures are off the walls, most of the dishes are out of the kitchen, dressers have been emptied, closets empty, but somehow there is still a lot of STUFF here. Go figure!
The best news from the last 2 nights...Ally has slept through the night, 2 nights in a row now. I am super excited because I don't have the energy right now to get up and feed her during the night. She has her 9 month check up on Saturday. I am curious to see how much she has grown in the last 3 months. I know for sure she has learned all kinds of new tricks and has gotten really strong. She has also become very independent and wants to try everything (except walking) on her own. She will walk with us as long as we are holding her hand.
I can't wait for spring break, she is going to love hiking in the Smokies. Hopefully the weather is nice for us. A week after we get home our friends, the Nehrings should be back in Indiana. Not much longer till they are here.

Okay, so I am super excited. I never have to come home from the grocery store, to an apartment again. For those of you that have not had the experience of carrying an 8 month old and your groceries up 2 flights of stairs, it is not a great one. By the time you get up the stairs, you're exhausted. I get in the apartment and I have to sit down to recuperate from the hike up. So YEAH for moving out of an apartment.

Fun pictures of Ally

Sleepy baby
Daddy & Ally brushing their teeth