Gemma at 11 months

Gemma on her 11 month birthday

Here is what Gemma was up to between her 10 and 11 month birthdays:

• Very mobile with scootching around (army crawling)
• Her cheeks are finally clear of excema - this actually happened last month. I thought we were done with it two months ago, but then T rubbed his beard on her cheeks to make her laugh and it came back. So now she's really been free of it since last month.
• Gemma had a fever for three days on the hottest days of the year so far. She was also pretty lethargic and just wanted to snuggle me all day. Pippa had just started swimming lessons and she wasn't sick so... I took all the girls, made sure Pippa got in the water with her teachers, then went back out to the car. I gave Roxy the iPad to watch a movie and snuggled and nursed Gemma in the front seat while the car ran on full AC for 30 minutes. Then we went in and got Pippa and came home. (We did that Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday - no swimming on Wednesdays.) I was pretty sure it was roseola (this is exactly how it was for Pippa - fever and lethargic during the hottest days of the year) but because Gemma had that UTI in December I had to take her to the doctor. We had to do another urine bag and she actually fell asleep on the table while we were waiting (she was so hot and tired, it was sad). She came back positive for a UTI that I was pretty sure was a false positive (the quick dip was free of blood and white blood cells) but we gave her the meds anyway (because she's too little to risk it). Anyway, the fever did turn out to be roseola. On the fourth day she got the roseola rash. Here Gemma is being snuggly and hot and lethargic, then falling asleep on the doctor's table waiting to fill the urine bag.

• Gemma intentionally helps get dressed by putting her arms into her shirt or onesie.
• Pulling up on things to a standing position. 
• Pushing to sitting from lying on her tummy.
• Points with one finger.
• Still fussy the last 1.5 hours before bedtime.
• Learned to navigate the one step in our house all by herself. She can go up and down it by herself. 
• Nods yes as a response if you nod.
• Sort of signs "more"
• Has tan lines in her arm rolls and has for a while
• Waves
• Doesn't mind sitting or crawling on grass, even when her legs aren't covered.
• Has the same scar looking birth mark on her lower right back like Roxy does
• Sucks both thumbs, sucks the left a bit more I think.

Gemma at 10 months

Gemma on her 10 month birthday

Here's what our sweet Gemma was up to between her nine and 10 month birthdays:

• Has the start of curlies? When Pippa got curlies, it was a surprise. When our second baby, Roxy, was born I thought it was unlikely that she would get curlies (she did). I thought having a third baby (Gemma) with curlies would be a statistical anomaly, but here she is with the start of curlies! We will see if they turn out to be lasting curlies or baby curlies that eventually grow out. 
• Rolling all over and scootching forward a tiny bit.
• Makes lots of b and d sounds and lip smacks.
• Likes to put her bottom lip on top of her top lip.
• Interlocks / laces her toes together.
• Loves playing "Where is Gemma?" and will move the blanket on and off her face by herself. She's been doing this for a while now. 
• Her army crawl is adorable. Gemma tilts ALL the way to one side then the other to push forward.
• Is less yell-y during her last feeding before bed.
• Prefers her right hand to eat with.
• So yell-y when she wants more food.
• Pippa and Gemma like to say, "We're going to cut cut cut you off" when Gemma is done eating. She always wants more food - she's never stopped on her own I am always the one to stop giving her food (and I say, "Ok Gemma, we're going to cut you off here." which is why the big girls say it). With my other two I definitely believed that a baby would stop eating when they were full. I don't know if Gemma does that. She wants more, more, more and then she'll spit up / puke. 
• Likes patting her mouth while saying "ahhhhh."
• Still loves the doorway jumper

Outtakes:

Gemma at 9 months

A progression of Gemma on her 9 month birthday

Here's what our sweet Gemma was up to between 8 and 9 months:

• Lets you know (loudly) if you're not getting her more food fast enough.
• Sometimes sucks her thumb during the day.
• Sleeps on her side
• Upon waking up she immediately leg thrashes (both legs up and down, slamming on the carpet).
• Can pincher grasp peas and such. It's such a gentle grasp though. She doesn't crush or squish the peas (or whatever small food) at all.
• LOVES jumping and swinging in the bouncer (and has for a while now). We call her jumping bean.
• Ticklish on her feet. (Pippa playing with a paintbrush discovered this.) Also ticklish on her neck and armpits.
• Has long eyelashes but they are so blonde.
• Is excited to nurse - she does little pants and has all four limbs flapping.
• Likes to swing outside with big pushes.
• Sucks her thumb and puts her head on my shoulder when I sing to her before sleep. I love this so much.
• Gags more often than I expected with baby led weaning (basically, she eats what we eat from the get go instead of starting with purees). But has never choked.
• Blows raspberries a lot and on me, too. It tickles!
• Is a happy, calm, long nurser first thing in the morning. Is a very unhappy, screaming, short nurser before bed.
• We let her sleep in (we woke her at 9 - I still wonder how long she would go if we let her) and then only had two naps for the first time on May 6.
• Pats her mouth with her hand while saying ahhhhhh.
• Sucks her thumb a lot while awake. Gemma loves sucking our fingers, too.
• Gemma is an ambi-turner! (Instead of just rolling to the left.) This happened at the end of the month.
• Occasionally Gemma will stop nursing to suck her thumb for a bit then she'll go back to nursing.
• Puts her bottom lip up over the top lip often.
• Claps when I walk in and have been gone for a while.