A pretty quiet week this week - Isobel had her nine-month well child checkup with the pediatrician, and all is well. She's now 19lbs 6.5oz, and around 28in tall ... I suspect even a little taller, as she wriggled and writhed on the table when the nurse tried to measure her top-to-toe length! Thankfully no needles this time, although we did have to get some blood taken to check her iron levels - a standard test for babies who have started on solids, to ensure they're getting enough iron in their diet. The phlebotomist (who came up with that name for the profession?!!) took some blood from her finger into three little glass tubes, then wrapped a couple of bandaids around. I was instructed to wait back in the waiting room for a few minutes for the bleeding to stop and then remove the bandaids, as they were choking hazards for babies in carseats. Isobel managed to chew the bandaids off before the lance point had clotted over, so I had to go back in for a second set of bandaids!! She then sat and watch the Nemo fishies swim round and round in the fish tank, and soon everything had healed enough for me to take her home again.

On Saturday we were invited by Ash and Denise to their house for a BBQ - they've moved from their old apartment in town to a new house, and the boys looked very much at home running around in the backyard and playing in the dirt!! They were a bit uncertain about Isobel invading their space - Dylan is a bit older, and stayed pretty much away, but Tyler was very sweet and kept offering toys for Isobel to play with on her picnic mat! Isobel had a great time roaring around on the grass and nearly made it to the garden beds a couple of times ... yoinked away in the nick of time, much to her disappointment . Michael and Ken started kicking a soccer ball around, and Isobel was entranced ... so I thought she should join in!! I held her under her arms, and then swung her feet like a pendulum to 'kick' the ball - she laughed and laughed and laughed, which set everyone else laughing as well. I thought she might find the hold a bit awkward, but she didn't want to stop for dinner in the end! We did have a wonderful dinner, and it was great to catch up with everyone again after being away for a few weeks.

After Isobel's response to the soccer ball, we thought we'd better get her one of her own - so she's now got an 'inside' ball and an 'outside' ball. The inside one is just a beach volleyball, with nice soft fabric that isn't going to mark the walls if things get boisterous . She hasn't done much with it yet apart from trying to chew it, but it's still a fair bit bigger than she is!!