nine months, nine things about mo, and nine reasons why i love being her mama

nine months and full of personality. 

one. she is becoming quite the little ham. i don't think she'll ever be boring.
two. she is obsessed with all things bathroom. the trash, the toilet paper, the shower, even the marble floor. it's weird.
three. she is very expressive. if she's displeased, you'll know it. i imagine you know who she gets that from...
four. she has four teeth with two more making their way in. she has a gap in between the top two and it's the cutest thing ever.
five. she will not lay down in bed with us, much to my dismay. she'd rather jump on our faces. marlo, when can mama get a cuddle? please!!!
six. apparently mama is only good for her boobs. it's all about papa now.
seven. she eats everything. particular favorites are pancakes, avocado, fresh mozzarella, beets, and oatmeal with chia seeds. i once tried to give her string cheese that was low-fat and probably processed (i was in a pinch at the airport) and she looked at me like i had just fed her poison. she spat it out and refused to take another bite. she's a full-fat and full-flavor kind of girl. also, she hates tomatoes.
eight. her current arsenal of tricks include clapping, signing 'more' and 'milk', giving big open-mouth kisses, and cheesing on command. we're working on bye-bye and blowing kisses.
nine. she would rather eat books than read them, except her Olivia books. she loves looking at that little piggy.

one. she's the best teacher.  

two. she has put so many things into perspective that weren't prior to her and desperately needed to be.

three. we have our own little inside jokes. there are things that i do to make her laugh that someone else could do and she'd give them the you're-an-idiot look. i love that. 

four. she is always happy to see me. like, ecstatic. she literally jumps out of joe's arms when i walk through the door. it melts me into a sappy, weepy, puddle of love every single time. 

five. she has made me aware of certain personal faults that i didn't even know i possessed. she makes me work on them every single day.  

six. she brings out the feminist in me like hillary clinton scares a old white dude on capitol hill. if i want her to be anything it's to be a strong, self-assured, conscious, and empathetic woman. i want her to know that she can stand her ground while still being respectful and be respected for it. 

seven. she makes me a better wife to joe. this is one of the things that i didn't expect from motherhood. there's an entire new level of accountability when you think about how hurting your husband will affect your child. 

eight. hearing her laugh is still my favorite sound in the world. it let's me know that she's happy and content and feels safe. i think that's all that a parent wants for their child and knowing that it's true is unbelievably satisfying. 

nine. she makes me joyful. like sing-the-gospel-i've-got-a-spirit-inside-of-me-and-just-ate-a-wheel-of-brie kind of joyful. i know everyone says that you have to find your happiness outside of your kids and i agree with that. but when your life finally makes sense and you have everything you could ever dream of? hold onto that joy and never, ever let it go.