At the beginning of the month Aunt Vicki came up for my birthday and we took you guys apple picking again. With your little tooth nubbins you guys were really able to bite off bits! And you absolutely loved pulling apples from the trees and loved eating the apples you pulled off the trees even more.
After we picked more apples than we could carry we took you guys up to the market at the farm for your first sips of apple cider and your first bites of cider donuts. Reese you loved the cider and you were pretty happy with those sugar coated donuts too. But Ry, you didn't like the donut crust. Ha! You're totally my kid. I had to peel the fried crust away for you and feed you the soft cake part. High maintenance little boy you are.
We went home and made a bunch of applesauce and made short work of eating all those apples we picked.
Life really started getting easier this month! I remember thinking that eight months was really hard, since you guys weren't too mobile at the beginning of the month and you were very frustrated by that. Once you could move and point at an object you wanted, gosh life got easier! Nine months was when you really started turning into little people.
Ry, for a while there you were doing the worm as your primary means of mobility. Much to Daddy's delight, you started rocking on all fours in October. He never gave up hope that you would crawl "like a normal kid" (his words, not mine!!). From the beginning you were much more aggressive and deliberate with your attempts at mobility. You weren't afraid to fall, and you threw your arms out in attempts to learn how to get around with reckless abandon. While you were more aggressive and more fearless, you were also more frustrated (read: you screamed a lot back then). Sigh. Thankfully that was a short phase. Now you scream for much different reasons ;)
By nine months you were cruising the furniture and toys with ease, Puff. I thought for sure you'd be walking by Halloween (and then by Thanksgiving...and then by Christmas...and then by your first birthday). Girlfriend, you are a fraidy cat. But you are so stable on your feet that when you do finally let go you're going to RUN!
One thing that really changed this month was your interaction with one another. You guys were so focused on what the other was doing/playing with/eating. Forget it! If Reese had strawberries, Ry there was no way I was going to get you to eat anything other than strawberries. If Ryan had a block, that was the block you wanted Reese. No matter how many other blocks there were.
You guys would wrestle for things and chase each other like crazy. Because Reesie was crawling on all fours (and was quite nimble) if she wanted something Ry, she generally got it and managed to keep it from you. But once in a while you caught her and when you did, you're size was definitely your advantage!
By October we were officially on table foods! You both mastered the pincer grasp and loved showing off your ability to pick up single blueberries. You'd eat a whole pint one at a time. And you were so proud of yourselves with each berry you picked up!
Bug you were trouble on two legs, pulling, standing, climbing and exploring the world around you. For some reason you got really shy this month and seemed to clam up in front of new people. Whereas Ryan, became extremely social.
One thing that really made you both come out of your shells was our Mommy and Me class! We started going to classes and you got to play with other kids and sing songs and do crafts and you really broke free from the shyness. It was so cool to see you guys interact with other kids and see how your personalities flip flopped. Ryan became my little extrovert and Reese you became really shy and cautious. I couldn't believe it, my little bossy pants gave up being the alpha dog! Ha.
We got to celebrate your Daddy's birthday this month. You guys got him an awesome Kelty backpack so he could take you guys hiking with him. He couldn't wait to test it out. We took you on your first hike later that week and, as predicted, Ryan you fell dead asleep.
I got to wear you in my carrier, Reesie, and you went bananas! You were kicking and giggling and pointing like crazy. You are such an outdoors girl and you are so full of life and wonder. The simplest thing, like a leaf falling from a tree is so amazing to you. You've reminded me, so many times that it's the simple things in life that are the most important and the most beautiful.
We also got to take some family pictures in October. I can't explain to you what it was like to see those pictures when we got them. To look at them and know this beautiful family was mine. I'm the luckiest Mommy ever.
At the end of the month we got to celebrate Halloween. I worked feverishly on your costumes. I wanted your first Halloween (as I do with all of your firsts) to be so special. I wanted you to feel how loved you were. You guys were the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood and gosh you loved getting dressed in your costumes and posing. You were such hams for the camera.
It made every time I stuck myself with a needle and every seam I sewed wrong and then had to seam rip and resew (over and over again) worth it. Everything I do for you guys is worth it. I hope that every day of your lives I make you feel loved and special. I hope that over your lifetimes I can give back to you all that you've given to me. You've given a meaning and a joy to my life that I never knew was possible. I love you both so much. I can't believe we're two days away from your first birthday...
