9 months

9 months
Nickname:
Still Bug...

Weight:
21 lbs 5.5 oz ~ 80th%
{6 months ~ 18 lbs 7 oz ~ 70th%}

Length:
29 1/2 inches ~ 90th%
{6 months ~ 27 1/2 inches ~ 90th%}

Weight for Length:

50th%

 

Head Circumference:

45 1/2 cm ~ 70th%

{6 months ~ 44cm ~ 75th}

Eating:

We make you four 8 ounce bottles throughout the day (just after you wake up, early afternoon, late afternoon and as we are putting you to bed). Until just recently you always finished them but now you often leave some left behind. This is probably because of all of the solid foods you are eating! Right now we usually just feed you breakfast and dinner but should probably add lunch in there soon. Your favorite food was apples/pears but this has been surpassed by blueberries. You can't eat them fast enough. We aren't making you any special baby foods because you just eat what we eat and what's in the fridge. You aren't too picky...yet. And no more food mill or pureed foods. You have mastered the pincer grasp with your left hand. And when you really want to shovel it in you grab a handful with your right hand. We are still working on the sign for 'more'. But for right now you seem content on grunting or screaming. And you have four teeth...two on the bottom and two on the top.

Sleep:

You have been sleeping through the night for what seems like quite a while now. Occasionally you wake up and will fuss for awhile but it is rare that one of us has to get up in the middle of the night. Our routine is the same, rock you while giving you your bottle. We had a couple of months where we could even lay you down while still awake and you would settle in all by yourself without too much fuss. But lately it seems like you prefer us to wait until you are asleep. Your nap routine also seems to be changing this past week. It was about a 2 hour nap in the morning and then maybe another 1-1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. But we have a feeling that you may be transitioning to one nap a day.

Personality:

You are curious, daring, physical. Also happy, outgoing and playful. You have never (or not yet) entered the 'stranger danger' phase. You may be a bit more reserved at first with a stranger but then quickly become your happy, go lucky self. You are always on the move and fully explore your environment. You love the stuff that is 'off limits' such as Sunny's dog bed, Sunny's food and water bowl and the toilet brush. You will crawl as fast as you can to one of those things and love for us to chase you. But thankfully you don't put up too much of a fight when we stop you at the last minute. Another favorite activity is KISSING! You are quite the Romeo. Your kissing rank is baby girls, baby boys, Sunny, Mama, then Papa. As soon as you are with a baby friend you go in for the kiss and it doesn't stop. The best mornings are when Papa brings you in to bed and you grab my face and give me that big, toothy open mouth kiss!

Development:

You are practicing your standing independently. And even practicing taking a step. If you are standing next to your wagon or toy you will sometimes let go and see how long you can stand by yourself. And if I am sitting next to you I will encourage you to take a step to me. Sometimes it's on your own and sometimes it's only after you can grab my hand. But you seem so happy and proud after you do it! You have rediscovered your push wagon and love to almost run back and forth across the house. You are also trying to climb. You will raise a knee trying to leverage yourself up on the couch, do a pull up on a table to get higher. We are going to be in trouble. And the changing of diapers and clothes is still a huge challenge at times. Now you like to hang over the side of the dresser and play with the drawer knobs. You are talking more and more and it is babbles, grunts, screams. We will often have 'conversations' with you where we just grunt back and forth:) You are trying really hard to open and close your fingers for 'twinkle' in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I can see how you are really concentrating and trying to figure it out.

Head to Toe:

Soon after six months your hair went from straight to wavy. Now we constantly get comments on how thick and wavy your hair is. It is gorgeous. You still have the perfect amount of rolls, the sweetest face and smile. You look like a little cherub.

Favorite Things:

It's no longer
The Wheels on the Bus or Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da
It's all about

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The ABC Song

(with the hand gestures/signs!)

KISSING!
Climbing on Sunny
Making us chase you
Being with people and other babies
Going for walks in the stroller
Eating blueberries
'Wrestling' on the bed with Papa (and Mama)
Playing with your socks, or any one's socks

Dislikes:

Having your hands and face wiped after eating
Being put into your car seat

I miss:

You sleeping or napping in bed with us. You either want to play
or crawl right off the edge. It's not very restful.

What I look forward to:

Your first word

Your first step

We didn't chase fast enough...