Mary Cate is 9 months old!

We often have this conversation.

Me: Say Mmmma-mmma.
Mary Cate: Dada.
Me: Mama.
Mary Cate: Dada.
Me: Mama.
Mary Cate: Dada.
[Repeat]

Today she very clearly responded, "No. Dada." I know she likes me, though, because she screams (like she's done it near my ear before and now I'm deaf) when I leave the room.

But when I put her to bed tonight I finally heard "Mama!" Okay, maybe it was more like "Mamabadada," but I'll take it.

Also, she's totally adorable and I want to freeze her in time so I can just always look at her cutey little dimples and fuzzy Alfalfa-hairdo.

I don't even have a recent photo of her (too many last days of school and graduations lately, poor thing). But here's a video Nellie took of her trying to eat the buttons off Kevin's pants. She'll eat anything we give her, food-wise, but sometimes that's just not enough.

Mary Cate weighed in at 16 lbs. 14 oz. and measured 28 inches long. She sits well and is close to crawling and standing up, but let's face it, she has six servants who bring her everything she needs and wants so there's little motivation to move. Eddie's her favorite; she says "Eddie" but it's more like "[SQUEAL]-dee!" because she's always so happy to see him. She copies everything we say and do which is very entertaining. We tried to teach her the sign for "thank you" tonight, but she just said it out loud instead. Her best tricks are shaking her head, clapping, "so big," high fives, and waking up every hour every night. She ate a half-pound of pesto pasta tonight. I'm worried that once she really starts talking she will not ever stop. We love her so!