Rebekah Irene Griswold

Halloween was certainly a busy day for our little Princess Leia.  Daddy, as Obi-Wan Kenobi, made a great partner for the afternoon.  She seemed to have a good time, and even made it through the day with her costume intact.  We started out visiting her two friends, Jonathan and Ethan.  The two little guys didn’t quite know what to do with the crazy girl in their midst, but we got some cute pictures of the trio.  When it was time for trick-or-treating, we stopped by to visit Izzy the Ladybug.  The two girls canvassed all of four houses, but they brought back just enough candy to try out.  Rebekah had no trouble gobbling down a fun-size Three Musketeers all on her own.

Taking advantage of what was probably one of our last nice-weather days, Rebekah and I headed back to the zoo.  What a difference a few months makes!  She was much more engaged this trip; this time around, she actually noticed the animals and watched what they were doing.  She laughed at the camels and even growled at the bears!  The peacocks walked right past us, and I thought Rebekah was going to jump out of the stroller to run after them because she was so excited. It was a spectacular afternoon!

As much as we loved our apartment in Novi, it was feeling a bit small; in fact, the more mobile  Rebekah became, the smaller the apartment seemed.  After looking most of the summer, we finally settled on the Winding House, a two story with three bedrooms and plenty of space for Rebekah to crawl around.  Then our work really started.  We spent one weekend painting as much of the interior as we could, and we moved the following weekend. So many family members and friends came to play with Rebekah, and to help us paint and move.  We are so thankful for them!

Rebekah’s house is looking better and better, and Rebekah really is enjoying her new space.  She loves to sneak into the kitchen and pull open the drawers; she loves to climb up the stairs; she also loves to look out the back window at the trees and the neighborhood squirrels while she is sitting in her high chair eating lunch.

Rebekah is nine months old!  She is 29 inches tall and weighs almost 22 pounds.  She’s holding steady at eight teeth (a break for which I am profoundly thankful!), and getting steadier on her feet every day.  Rumor has it that she has taken a step, or maybe two, but Mommy hasn’t seen one yet.  Rebekah is becoming quite fond of her books, and not just as a snack, although she does like to chew on the cardboard ones.  In fact, if you hand her an open book, she will probably “read” it out loud to you while she turns the pages.
This face is a favorite expression of hers.  She scrunches up her face and breathes really quickly through her nose.  It is guaranteed to put a smile on your face if you ever witness this funny little act of hers.  She also loves to to stick out her tongue – all the time.  Sometimes she just gives you a little peek, and sometimes I think she is searching for food under her chin from last night’s dinner.  It is a cute little tongue,though, and if you show her yours, she will always respond in kind. 

Rebekah is eight months old today!  She is getting so big.  She pulls herself up on anything she can reach, and more and more she lets go to stand there all on her own.  Her balance is really improving.  She even tried to help me with laundry today.  Of course, she didn’t decide to help until I had the laundry all folded.  What else could she do but shake it out so I could fold it all over again.
Rebekah will eat just about any food you put on her tray, unless it is green of course.  We have tried all sorts of green things  – beans, peas, avocados, peppers – and none of them appeal to her taste buds.  She does gobble down sweet potatoes, and she loves fresh cantaloupe, not to mention the ever-present Puffs in all flavors.  We take them everywhere just in case Rebekah needs a little snack, or a little distraction.
She weighs 21 pounds, and she is about 28 inches tall.

I can’t believe it.  Rebekah is standing by herself.  We were in the kitchen at Grandma and Grandpa Hammond’s house when she suddenly stood up with her hands in the air.  It happened so fast, I wasn’t sure if I really had seen what I thought I had.  So I ran and grabbed my camera.  Sure enough, a little bit later, she stood up again, and I got the pictures to prove it.  We all cheered, and Rebekah just looked at us like it was no big deal.