Stop it, Right now!

Ansley is 20 days from being 9 months old.

Let me repeat that. 9 MONTHS OLD.

I always hear people saying "Oh, it will go by so fast. Treasure every moment." I just wish someone had warned me that it would go by this fast. I haven't even finished her room yet!

Here's the latest:

We have a crawler...almost. I guess we have more of a lunger. She'll get on her hands and knees, rock back and forth a little, then lunge herself forward. 9 out of 10 times, it results in a face plant into the floor. She has mastered moving backwards though.

She may look like her daddy, but she has her aunt's attitude. No joke. When she first started eating solids, it was kinda cute to watch her sputter out what she didn't like. Cute is no more. If she doesn't like what you are feeding her, it will either end up on your face, or each bite will be followed by a loud grunting scream.

She's also becoming a fit-pitcher, turning bright red, clenching her jaw and fists, and then screaming when she doesn't get her way. Whether it's yucky food, mommy's sunglasses being taken away, or daddy not stopping to say hi while passing through the living room. Who knew babies could be impatient?

Sometimes, I'm pretty sure she's going to turn green and rip her clothes off. My family calls her Baby Hulk. It may soon become a reality.

We had our first real fever. It hit suddenly, and topped out at nearly 104. Yes, I kinda freaked out. Yes, I was one of those first-time mommas and called the doctor. Yes, I took her in and yes, the doctor said nothing was wrong, just to piggy-back Tylenol and Motrin. I thought Paul would be frustrated with my seemingly invalid concern, but he laughed and said, "Just getting closer to the deductible." Score.

The new puppy? Yeah, Rufus came to us with mange. Not the bad kind, but he was thoughtful enough to share it with Bunker. So, two trips to the vet, two skin treatments and one antibiotic later, Rufus now lives outside. Not just because of the itchies, but also because he mananged to squirt poop on my living room wall. Not sure how, but didn't want to risk finding out with another episode.

Ansley went swimming for the first time! The best part? Something happened with my SD card, and I lost all my pics of the inaguaral event. Ridiculous.

Life has hit an incredibly slow point at the office. As busy as the school year is, we all kinda start going crazy after one week of office time. Plus, I won't be getting off early, so Ansley will be with the sitter about three hours a day.

This is the summer of weddings and babies (well, that's more so the fall). We've made it to 2 weddings so far, and still have 2 to go. And, babies? 4. Three friends, and a sister-in-law. Time really is just flying by. Oh, and I've been married for 4 years. 4 WHOLE YEARS!

So, that's our life as of late. Nothing incredibly funny or sad to tell. We're looking forward to our vacation next month. Last year took us to Puerto Rico. This summer, we're staying close to home and spending a week in Ocean City, Maryland.

Sometimes, it feels like time just creeps by. When Ansley is fussy or just a handful, I find myself wishing away the few hours before bedtime, just so I can have some time to myself. But after I put her to bed, I find myself sneaking back into her room and I just stand there. I look into her crib, and just watch her sleep. It's those moments, when the tick of the clock seems to stop, that I take a deep breath. I breath in the soft scent of a freshly bathed babe, and sigh. Because even though it seems like nothing will steal that moment from us, I know that just a few hours will bring a new day. And, with that new day comes more milestones, more personality, and even less time as a baby.

She's growing up. Maybe I should glue my eyes open so I don't miss anything.