Man Cub: 9 Months

Darling Boy,

How are you already 9 months old?!  You've been on the 'outside' half your life now.  Crazy fast time, slow down!  We fall more and more in love with you each day.  Everyone we meet comments on how happy you are, and it's true!  Mommy and Daddy have such a great time with you.  Your laughter, hugs, cuddles, dancing, singing, and playing entertain us endlessly.  You love being around people, and you cause your rather quiet mom to pull out of her comfort zone so that you can interact with the strangers around you.  It's a wonderful thing for both of us.  Thank you for challenging me to be more like Jesus every day.  Our prayer is that you continue to love on people as you respond to God's purpose for your life.  He made you because He loves you!

Sleeping:

This entire month has been wonderful for sleep!  Here's to many more great months of sleep!  Some nights you still wake up between 3-5 to nurse, but more and more often you are sleeping through the night.  Go, baby, go!  You don't fight going to sleep for the night or for naps.  You have so many buddies in your crib, so you curl up on your belly in the top right corner with one of them, pop your first two fingers of you right hand in your mouth, and drift right off to dreamland.  Every once in a while, I'll rock you to sleep just because I can, and I can't ever get enough of your precious cuddles.

Eating:

Eating is such a fun occasion! You still nurse/take a pumped bottle when you wake up, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and before bed.  The bottles are growing smaller though because you're eating so much 'big boy' food!  Those mid-day nursing sessions are shorter for the same reason.  I'm sad you're already starting to wean yourself.  You are nowhere near done, and let us know it, but you certainly need me less.  You've tried so many foods, and like most of them.  With still only 2 bottom teeth, there are just some things that will have to wait, but if we think you can manage it, we let you try it.  You often suck your fingers between bites, and I think you're using your first two fingers to help break up the food.  Smart boy!  You will still eat purees, but you much prefer the real deal.  I'm severely limiting your gluten intake for the time being.  Dairy is still causing you some issues, so we're slowly adding in organic baby yogurt and organic cheese to see if we can help you adjust without eczema flaring up.  Breakfast alternates between a gluten-free blueberry waffle, mango, banana, pears or unsweetened applesauce with some diced blueberries for breakfast.  Lunch rotates between avocado with a slice of organic turkey, sweet potato, or some blend of fruit and veggies puree I've made you.  Dinner is often grilled chicken, baked fish, sauteed zucchini/squash and mushrooms, spaghetti, organic mac 'n cheese, black beans, and/or any veggie puree I've made for you.  You've also had homemade hamburgers. In the purees, I'll put some combo of pears, green beans, carrots, asparagus, blueberries, plums, and black beans. Before bed you still have some oatmeal before you nurse.  You still love Happy Baby puffs, gluten free animal crackers, and Plumb Organic teething biscuits for snacks.  You saw your GI this week for the first time in 3 months.  She said to feed you anything you want, within reason.  She definitely wants more protein/meats in your diet, so we'll be working on those.  The great news is that you no longer have to see her because you are such a fabulous eater and have gone from the .2 percentile to the 17th percentile in weight....all without formula.  Take that, naysayers!

Tricks/Activities/Accomplishments

You can balance on your feet, but once you realize you're standing unassisted, you panic, bend your knees, and sit down.  So silly!  I'm not placing bets, but it won't surprise me if you start taking some steps this month.  You love to push your toys around the house.  Today, you spent an hour running with your push car up and down the driveway.  You like taking the bar stools and kitchen chairs and pushing them around the house.  You and Aggie Belle officially play ball together now.  You can make baskets on your basketball hoop at Mama and Geno's and the one in your bathtub.  It's so dang cute.  You can push doors closed and open and close cabinets.  You think it's awesome when we let you close the dishwasher.   You will also pull all the clothes out of the dryer for me and close the door on it.  Thank you for such wonderful help!

Likes:

Riding in the Pognae, your stroller, eating, playing in the bath, buggy rides at church, crawling, pushing your toys, petting the dogs, your family, singing, talking, playing under Chikondi's belly (your huge, stuffed giraffe), being outside, horses, giraffes, climbing on us, books, sucking your first two fingers of your right hand when you're hungry or sleepy.

Dislikes:
Having your face cleaned/nose wiped, when you're hungry or sleepy, when Aggie Belle barks at the door bell.

Nine Month Stats:

Weight: 17 pounds, 5 ounces

Length:  27.5 inches

Eating: nursing/breast milk bottles 6:40 am, 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, and, 7:30 pm; breakfast around 8:00, lunch around noon, and dinner around 5:30, oatmeal about 7:00 pm.

Bedtime: between 7:30-7:45

Awake: sometime between 5:45-6:15

Naps: usually 9:30 and 2:00. 

Diapers: Size 3
Clothes: size 6-9, 6-12, and 9 months onesies; size 6 months pants/shorts; 6-9, 6-12, and 9 months rompers.  You're just sleeping in onesies now for pjs because it's so warm.