I feel like every month I'm rendered almost speechless as I look back through the weekly photos. As much as I hate admitting it, my wee little man is not so little any more - in fact he's nine months! He's been on the outside now for just as long as he was inside. And, as much as I enjoyed the "in" - the "out" is just better and better everyday!
We had a regulary scheduled doctor's appointment today. It was a bit grueling in that we had to fill out a six page "test" with questions pertaining to Max's gross motor skills, fine motor skills, social skills, sleeping etc. It really forces you to think about how your child is developing (and possibly freak out a little bit) as well as making you aware of how "in the moment" you should try to be when interacting with your baby (aka put down the phone sometimes :) That said - he passed! haha! The doctor said he was doing great - we talked a bit about food and bottles (because I had lots of questions) and she sent us on our merry way.
Weight: 23 lbs 8 oz
Height: 30 inches
Such a Big Boy: Full on crawling, pulling up, eating more solids, using a sippy cup, and finally sleeping through the night
Still our Baby: Oh so chubby, snuggly and sweet, loves his bottle and pacifier
On the development side
Crawling: Last I updated - he was army crawling everywhere. And suddenly, almost overnight, he got really good at full on crawling. He got his belly off the ground and it all clicked into place. Can you believe it? My little used to be embryo is crawling!! He crawls everywhere - in the family room, all over his room, and even down the hallway. We need to take some time and really babyproof this house ...but there never seems to be enough time! For now, if we keep an eye on him and "spot" him near the stairs it seems to be fine.
Sitting: He is an excellent sitter!
Pulling up: I used to call him "gumby" because his legs seemed so bendy but - lately he puts more weight on them. We often find him standing in the crib after nap time (enough that we lowered the mattress). He can also pull up on the stairs, couch, high chair, and ottoman.
Playing: Max is so much fun to play with these days! He loves to pull out all the books and is especially obessed with "tactile" books (meaning something he can touch, turn, or pull on the page). He still LOVES his instruments - probably the drums most. He will use the drum sticks to bang on just about anything. We use the stacking cups to build tower after tower that he knocks down. Also - homeboy loves to "rough house". Meaning - he will crawl over to you, pull up and flop on you. Then, if you flip him on his back - he will just roll all over you (Auntie Stacy started this habit....and he's super in to it!) Another funny thing I discovered is that if you put a small blanket over your head and ask "where's mama" or "where's dada" - he will crawl right over and pull it off. It's his version of peek-a-boo, I think. I would also be remisce if I did not mention he is OBSESSED with out cat, Pecan Sandy. Sadly, Pecan does not reciprocate his love and usually runs away (much to Max's chagrin) - though she will stick around if he's eating cheerios. (She likes to "clean up" after his mess).
Babbling: Max loves to babble! We are hearing lots of "da dads" and "ma ma" too! Mixed in with lots of "ya ya", and the "na na" and "ga ga" sound! He also likes to experiment with the pitch of the sounds...almost like he's trying to get our attention! ha!
Eating
Max still drinks four bottles a day (8:30, 12ish, 4ish, and 7). While we prepare eight ounce bottles - he generally drinks somewhere between six and eight ounces. His favorite is the bedtime bottle -- he will usually drink all of that! We aren't too worried about him drinking the full eight ounces all the other times because it's natural for babies to start drinking less when they eat solids and generally start to wean themselves as they get closer to one year.
As for meals - Mama still feeds him breakfast - usually a grain based cereal with pureed fruit or vegetable and one or two finger foods. The babysitter gives him a snack (toast, mum mum, cracker, or softened fruit). We finish up with dinner at home. The biggest changes are that we are trying to offer/give more protein (so far chicken, turkey, and beef) - he usually eats about 2-3 ounces and also more pureed fruits and veggies. More recently he has tried steamed broccoli, asparagus, soft cheddar cheese, yogurt, pasta (bow-tie) and banana! He can totally get down on a banana. Basically we try to "deconstruct" whatever we are eating so he can have some too. It's just so hard to monitor how much he is eating of "solid" foods - so we still offer the other pureed stuff too! The finger foods we are using include - puffs, mum-mums, crackers, toast, yogurt bites, and these things look like cheetos (but aren't).
The sippy cup is going So Much Better! We give it to him regularly and he probably drinks about 2-4 ounces of water a day (which the doctor said was great!)
Sleeping
I'm proud to say that he pretty consistently sleeps through the night! We went through a rough patch during some teething (on the top) - but that can't really be helped. And, the baby orajel was pretty great during this time. Most nights he will wake up and babble a bit in the morning (around 5) but we don't go in and he usually goes back to sleep. The past two weeks, he has been waking up around 6:15 and then I go get him from the crib and bring him back in bed with me. We snuggle for a bit and he usually falls back asleep. I love this time (so much in fact it made me late today! ha!)
Napping is usually pretty good - still two naps a day (morning and afternoon). Morning nap at about 9:15 AM for an hour and fifteen mintues or longer. Afternoon nap about 1:45ish for an hour or so. All total he gets about 13-14 hours of sleep a day (wish I were getting this much!)
Just plain fun...
Renewed interest in clapping, still trying to put together a "wave", creating Valentine's (stay tuned), having Auntie Stacy and Grandmim babysit two times (for a work event and wedding), new toys, music class (on Tuesdays), a big boy car seat, messy meal times, bathtime splashes in the ducky, snow days in his snow suit, and his first piece of "art" came home from school!
Can't believe this babe is NINE months old. We love you Max, forever and ever and ever!
xOXo
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