10 Months...

Lola bird is 10 months old.  Well, 10 months and two days, if you want to get technical.  Things got a bit crazy on the 12th and so I'm writing this post a bit late.

Better late than never, right?

Good heavens, I love my girl.

As evidenced by every photo I take of this little lady, her flair for the dramatic has only increased with age.  She is quite literally the most hilarious person I have ever met.  A Tina Fey in training, if you will.

And the best part is, she finds herself pretty hilarious as well.  In fact, no one can make her laugh like she can.

Lola has been all about picking up new tricks lately.  She's like a puppy, only less messy and much cuter.  And that's saying a lot, because puppies are pretty cute.

She acquired her current favorite trick from her grandmother.  We like to call it the "manipulative cough."

We ask, "Lola, do you have a bad cough?"

To which she'll respond, "Cough, cough, cough," followed by a proud giggle.

I really can't get enough of it.  If I haven't already forced you to experience it, I probably will the next time I see you.  That you can count on.

More evidence of her brilliance comes in the form of the "picture game."  Reece holds her up to a family photo and asks her to find mommy.  She points to mommy.  Reece asks her to point to daddy.  She points to daddy.  Reece asks her to point to Lola.  She points to herself, then starts up a conversation with her favorite person on earth.  

Another adorable thing to witness, and proof enough to me that she's a genius.  Just saying.

She loves to clap.  She loves to sing.  She loves to talk.  She loves to give high fives.  She loves to perform.  She loves to ham it up, all the time.

She is so much fun.

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At ten months, Lola girl has made serious progress on the mobility front.  She's a bit lazy and would be the first to admit it if she could.  But while she still refuses to crawl forward, she's found her own way of getting around.  

Apparently rolling is the way to go.

We put her down in one room, she manages to roll into the next room within a minute or two.  If rolling doesn't get her where she wants to go, she'll either utilize the army scoot or crawl backward.  That's right, she can crawl backward, it's just forward motion that seems to be an issue.

She still refuses to stand, instead opting to stick her legs straight out whenever we try to make her do so.  Sometimes she will cross her legs, Indian style (is that politically incorrect of me? I never know anymore).  Anything to avoid standing up.  The only way she'll tolerate standing is if she's in her exersaucer.  Even then, it's only for 10 minutes at a time.

That being said, I'm feeling like it might be time to lower the crib, because she's constantly pulling herself up using the side.  And trying to figure out where she'll end up in the morning is about as easy as winning the lottery.  But she always sleeps on her side or her belly, just like her mama.

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The girl is still as chatty as ever, and has picked up a few new words over the past month or so.  Those words include "woof," "me," "ouch," and "wa" (for water).

She loves the sound of her own voice, particularly when she wants to avoid napping during the day.  I will put her down, only to hear her little voice singing and chatting for the next hour or so.  It's adorable, and would be even more adorable if it didn't make for such a cranky, sleep-deprived baby.

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Lola is extremely social.  She loves her baby friends and can't get enough of them.  She still loves to flirt.  She prefers men to women (trouble).  She will do pretty much anything to grab the attention of anyone anywhere within a 10 mile radius of her.  It will be interesting to see if her Type-A tendencies carry through the teenage years.

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My little lady brings me so much joy.  She teaches me new lessons every single day, most of them about love, selflessness, gratitude and priorities.  I truly don't know what I would do without her.

And though the past 10 months have been difficult at times, though there have been many tears, many ups and downs and many feelings of inadequacy, I can honestly say, hands down, they've been the best 10 months of my life.