OK, maybe that’s pushing it.  Mia Lynn is now entering 10 months and 3 weeks.  So much has been happening lately it is hard to capture it in words, but hopefully the regular photo posting give y’all some inkling of her progress.

Last week we had another doc visit and vaccine.  Our petite one weighs in at 16 pounds, 12 ounces – still much less than Zoe, our large-boned cat.  (I can hear you snickering).  Mia is about 28 inches.  I say “about” because she’s somewhat like trying to measure an octopus.  Small but growing and is exactly on target with her development. 

And speaking of development…wow!  Since our last post Mia has sprouted 6 teeth, eats just about anything we put in front of her (including pickles and lemon wedges) and can easily walk along furniture barely holding on.  She is THIS close to walking and has even taken a few steps alone!  While in Florida recently she mastered climbing up a stair or two, although coming back down may take a while.

Beyond “dog” and “duck” she now can say “ball”  “hi” and “cat.”  She will wave after much pondering, and has learned to sign to us when she is “all done” eating (very exciting to see the sign language coming into play!)  She also meows at the cats, carries her toys around in her mouth and pants when she gets excited (thanks dogs.)  She says “Dixie” although it comes out as “ixcthie” with a lot of spit involved and only her parents would recognize it as an actual word.

Mia surprised us one night as she was toying with an electrical outlet.  We did our usual “uh-uh!” and “no!”  She then repeated the “uh-uh” and shook her head!  So now everything that she isn’t supposed to touch or do she mimics us!  Smart little bugger, she is.

The lessons learned over the past few weeks are many, but some standouts are:

1. Baby socks, pacifiers and spoons evaporate into thin air after some unknown expiration date, never to be seen again.
2. It’s ok to buy your child new toys, books and DVDs if you have to keep her quietly entertained for 12 hours of travel.  The other passengers on the flight will thank you.
3. After months of thinking we really have to watch what we say in front of our baby, now that she mimics us we REALLY have to watch what we say (Mama B!).