Please, no pictures! = )
Wow, so hard to believe our baby boy is 9 months old, crawling, eating, and growing bigger everyday. It doesn’t feel like 9 months have passed already, or like 18 months ago we saw that positive on the test and realized the adventure was about to begin. So awesome.
Highlights of this past month include crawling, clapping, waving and saying Hi-iii!, adding new foods to the repertoire, the entire family having the daycare stomach bug, spontaneous belly laughs, growing opinions, learning the word NO!, and lots and lots of love. He’s in the 90th percentile for height at 29.5 inches but only 25th for his weight at 18lb 9oz. I swear he’s growing like a weed!
We’ve played outside, discovering new textures like grass and gravel and cement, watching the dog run by and the birds fly and the trees waving in the wind. Watching the dog play with daddy and watching someone bounce a ball are his two favorite things to laugh at. Matt also tickle/attacks him sometimes and he laughs so hard he gets hiccups, wiggling and giggling and anticipating the next attack before Matt even gets there. He also loves to play peekaboo – after diaper changes I often pile extra clothes on his head then say “where’s Forrest?” and he throws them all aside and laughs. It’s so fun.
He babbles a lot, saying Baa-baa-baa most of the time but mixing in the mamamas when he’s tired or fussy, and has started saying yayaya, fake-laughing with ha’s and ha-ha’s if you’ll do it back, and generally starting to imitate or trade sounds with us when he’s in the mood. He still won’t say dada, the pill. = )
We discovered that watermelon is awesome, plain yogurt is so-so (better when mixed with something sweet), and pedialyte does not taste good when mom is trying to force it on you – blech! Since turning 9 months we’ve also discovered the joy of blueberries, tried brocolli, and got pretty bad diaper rash from cucumber. Our pediatrician has cleared us to try lots of new foods so Forrest will be experiencing more new flavors and textures soon. So far he loves to eat and has accepted if not enjoyed just about everything (exceptions above!), my good boy.
That blue spot on his forehead is a regular adornment these days, though it eventually turns green then yellow (but hasn’t disappeared since learning to crawl) – he seems to hit there first when he tips over, poor guy. Forrest books around the house on hands and knees, aiming for the areas he shouldn’t go like the fireplace, the stereo equipment, the pile of dog toys… but also taking trips under the console table ‘tunnel’ and roaming around finding piles of toys and books to play with. He learned to crawl up two shallow steps into our dining area but we’re still working on crawling back down, and we’re helping him stand at the couch and play so his little legs are building walking muscles (so exciting! so dreadful!!).
I’m so happy to report he’s sleeping pretty well these days, usually getting about 9 hours at night with a couple wake-ups that don’t require any intervention. He has been waking up hungry occasionally around 3:00am this past week, hopefully due to a growth spurt and not a new habit, but otherwise he goes down by 9:00 and I get him at 6:00am to start his day. Naps are going really well and he’s discovered he can turn his music on in the crib when he wakes up. At night when he’s getting tired but still fighting it, he’ll play and play then see me and speed over to bury his head in my lap, or face plant on the floor if he doesn’t see me. That and rubbing his eyes are the best indications that it’s time to go to bed (even though he protests when we get up to the dark nursery, let me tell you!). There were a couple of nights mid month that he was perfectly content to lay on me in the evening and chill while we watched TV, but that didn’t last.
9 months, wow. Forrest is growing so quickly into a little man. Each day something changes, a new skill is added, we can see him learn something or try something or test some boundary and we couldn’t be enjoying the process more. This baby rocks!
