9 Months

I think the months are getting shorter on us! How are we this close to a year already?! Your ninth month included your first Thanksgiving, your brothers' birthday, and the start of many Christmas festivities.

• You weigh 20 lbs even, 79th percentile and are 28 inches tall, 63rd percentile. You are still in size 3 diapers, squeezing into some 6 month sized clothing, but more appropriately wearing 9 and 12 month sizes now. 
• You were a dream sleeper as an infant, but not so much now. We are lucky to get six hours in a row at night. But, we can't complain too much because you wake to nurse for about ten minutes and then it's right back down. The doctor keeps suggesting we let you "cry it out." While we did that for your brothers, it just seems faster and easier to nurse you and get back to sleep, then to be awake listening to you cry for ten minutes and then having to be awake to feed you. You are also still sleeping downstairs in our room. So when you wake to see Mommy right next to you, it makes it hard for you to fall back asleep. Plus, I may have the mentality that you're our baby and this is our last time for each stage. You won't be waking to nurse at five years old, so what's a few more months of these quiet moments together in the middle of the night. You also aren't the greatest napper either, but we don't blame that on you though. You usually get one decent nap a day (lasting anywhere from one to three hours). A second nap is an occasional occurrence. Your schedule revolves around everyone else's schedule, so you have to be more flexible. The plus side is you never fuss. So even when you go without a nap or just a few catnaps, you'd never know from your mood. You are always so chill, a go with the flow kinda gal. You are able to put yourself to sleep both for naps and bedtime, but bedtime is your Daddy's favorite time with you. He loves to let you fall asleep on his chest and hold you for a few quiet hours before we go to bed too. I love how smitten he is with you.
• You are about over the baby food and are very determined to feed yourself. We've thrown a few more table foods at you this month. You love to feed yourself small banana pieces, cooked carrots, and green beans now. You still nurse every 3 hours or so as well. We are at the "fun" stage of nursing filled with constant distractions and looking around, while trying to keep you focused long enough to nurse for at least ten minutes. This is even more difficult with two big brothers running around. 
• You sign "more" and "all done." We have introduced you to "please" and "thank you," this month, but still working on you using those signs. You try to say "more" when signing too. You also say and call us "mama" and "dada." 
• You love basketball and have been to a couple of Uncle Kye's games now. You watch the entire game, following the ball and clapping with the crowd. Daddy was watching basketball on TV the other night and when you noticed, you started clapping, almost like you know, this is what we do when we watch basketball! Do we already have another sports fanatic in the family?
• You are no longer our toothless wonder. You have your bottom two center teeth and are just adorable!
• Your transportation of choice now is....WALKING!!! How?! How is this possibly that before even turning 9 months old, you preferred walking over crawling?! And even more impressive is that you are actually a really solid walker already too. You know when you're about to fall and stop to steady yourself. We haven't really ever seen you wipe out either; if you can't steady yourself, you just slowly plop to your bottom and try again.
• You can stand up now without pulling yourself up on anything either. So when toddling around, if you fall, you can pop right back up no matter where you are. 
• You are still just as sweet and pleasant as ever. We say all the time, has there ever been a happier, easier baby?! You are just a doll, Char, and we adore you more than you'll ever know.