Meet the Bowens: Double Digits

E has reached her 10th month...double digits!

The time moves so fast and so does E. She continues to scoot everywhere on her tummy and sometimes when she is playing and I start to get closer she will squeal and then turn and try to scoot away. Other times I will see her playing and I will squeal and pretend to run away and she will try chasing me. I love to see her personality grow!

While crawling around E has also started to come up to us and try and nibble our toes. When I pull away she often giggles. She also enjoys getting "scared" by Mommy and "scaring" Mommy back.

She is officially eating anything and everything! Her first true meal was fried rice and she gobbled it up. She has also had homemade Mac and Cheese, Baked Ziti, Canadian Cheese Soup and much more!

And when I say she is eating everything, I mean it. One day I was doing dishes and turned around to see E sitting in the kitchen chewing on something. I swiped inside her mouth to find she was chewing on a stink bug. I have also found her with my shoes in her mouth!

Last month her favorite noise was "mamamamama" and this month it's "dadadadadadada." I actually rarely hear her say "mamamama" anymore and it kinda makes me sad.

For Thanksgiving we went to Montreal and Quebec City and on the drive back, E was babbling up a storm, but there is something different about her babbling now then even just a few days ago. Her babbling is starting to sound like actual words now. Matthew and I get a kick out of it, especially when we both think her noises sound like the same words.

Over the past few weeks when we are at church walking in the halls, anytime some of the young kids run past us she giggles. She loves to watch people. Many times people are a distraction from her love of eating.

E has been obsessed with the knobs on the cabinet in our living room and this month she figure out how to open it...let the child-proofing commence!

She is also obsessed with the refrigerator. Anytime we open it while she is near she heads straight for it. Maybe, she's figured out that's where we keep the food. Or maybe it's just the excitement of new things to discover.

We said goodbye to our good friends Richard, Brendan and their son D this month. Richard got a new job in Alaska. We were sad to see them go. They gave us a few going away gifts including baby food and a pop-up toy. E likes to close the pop-up toy and often inadvertently opens it back up.

This is E's first time playing with the new toy

The other toy that she is in love with right now is a stuffed duck we lovely refer to as "Ducky." E especially loves when Ducky quacks and dances for her.

She discovered Kevin...we think she likes him!

E is into banging on things lately. She bangs on the table, the floor and even Daddy's head.

She also loves to peak around corners to say hello.

Recently I have been taking the couch cushions off the couch to encourage her to get into all fours and play on her knees.

I have also been putting toys on the couch when the cushions are removed and standing her up so she can play in standing. One morning she scooted over to the couch on her belly and used her arms to pull herself up. I was shocked. Her arms are soooo strong!

With her recent ability to pull up we decided it was time to finally lower her crib for the first time. She's getting so big!

E is really into grabbing for the camera, or anything else I have in my hand. If nothing else it makes for fun selfies!

I was watching the Howell brothers one evening and they put a Santa hat on E and handed her a bell. She reminded me of the Salvation Army bell-ringers. The boys said she would bring in a lot of donations.