It’s official. You’ve been outside of me as long as you were in me. That makes me a little sad because these moments can’t ever be relived, but the sadness is overshadowed by the joy of spending all of my time with you. You’re growing so fast and your daddy and I continue to be amazed by your incredible spirit.

This past month we celebrated your first Christmas at Grandma B & Grandpa J’s house. It was amazing and we had more fun than ever before on Christmas day. You played a lot with your cousin Jess and enjoyed your many many (MANY!) new toys. We also spent a night at Grandpa K & C’s house and had lots of fun ~ until we tried to put you to bed. I’m afraid we’ll just be going for day trips for a few years because you need your crib to sleep.

We had 2 visits from your great grandma M after Christmas, which was very very special. She hadn’t seen you since you were 2 days old (she came for your birth) and she loves you a lot so it was really nice for the two of you to be able to play.

In this crazy ninth month of your life, you have really developed in amazing ways. You crawl up on all fours now, and at times you’re faster than mommy can run to rescue the dogs. You pull yourself up and stand for long periods of time and have started to creep along furniture a little bit. You even took a few steps while holding mommy’s hands once, but you haven’t done it since. You love to ride on the two new cars you got for Christmas and can almost crawl up onto one of them on your own now. You climb about 3 stairs before you try to climb back down and basically dive onto me. It’s a good thing you’re never out of arms reach or you’d surely have broken something by now. You try to climb kitchen chairs, couches, ottomans and many other things that are still a bit too big for you, and you love to climb into your toy bins. In fact, lately you’ve been climbing in an taking a poo while sitting on your toys. You get the weirdness from your Daddy! (Actually it’s all my fault, but Daddy has a great sense of humour so he can take it.)

You are still nursing 4-6 times a day and eating 3 big meals and 2 or 3 snacks. This month you tried several new foods that you really liked. You can easily pick food up now and get it in your mouth all by yourself. You’re not so good with a spoon, but you sure try sometimes! You love to drink water with your meals now, but we’re having a hard time getting you to learn a sippy cup. You can use a regular cup with help, but you just play with the sippy cup and hug it really hard. We’re also trying straw cups, but so far you just chew or play with the straw. We just use a regular cup at home and cut the valve out of a sippy cup so it just pours out, but in a controlled fashion, for when we go out.
Foods & drinks you love: Mama’s milk, water, fruit smoothies, apple prune juice with oatmeal, applesauce, pears, bananas, peaches, blueberries, apricots, mangos, carrots, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, firm tofu, plain yogurt, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread/pita/panini, brown rice and oatmeal, Nutrios, Heinz apple puffs & sweet potato puffs, freeze dried apples and corn, raisins (1/4 at a time)
Foods you haven’t quite decided on yet: potatoes, squash, spinach, meat (you ate the organic chicken but wouldn’t eat the other), lettuce, tomatoes (you like tomato paste mixed with chickpeas),
Foods you hate: edamame, cottage cheese

You are definitely expressive in your tastes. We have no doubt when you love something or when you definitely don’t. You wear your emotions front and centre on your face, just like your daddy.
You have been sleeping relatively well most days. You take 2 naps of between 45 and 90 minutes and you go to bed around 7 pm and get up around 7 am. You STILL have no teeth and your teething is the bane of our existence. You are in so much pain sometimes that homeopathic teething tablets won’t work, so we try Tylenol or Advil and they don’t work either. It’s really sad to see you in pain. Sometimes you won’t even nurse ~ you just thrash in my arms and cry. Sometimes you cry so hard that you throw up. Thank God it’s not like that every night. For everyone’s sake, I hope you wake up one morning with a mouthful of teeth and just get it over with.

You love our weekly playdates with our baby group, getting together with other friends, going for walks, swinging at the park, playing with the dogs (and sneaking food to them~they love you!), having your bath, “typing” on mommy’s laptop, cords (they’re a no-no, but you still don’t get that), banging pots and tupperware on the kitchen floor, riding on your new cars and so much more. You find such joy in everything you discover, and daddy and I find even more joy in rediscovering things with you.

We have been going swimming once a week and you’re really enjoying it. You splash and play with your toys and stare in amazement at the big kids in the big pool. You get pretty chilly, so we try to only stay for about 30 minutes.
At your nine month checkup, your doctor confirmed what we have always suspected. You’re perfect. You weigh 19 lbs and you are 29 inches long. As always, you’re in the 25th percentile for weight and the 75th for height. Tall and slim, again just like your daddy. He’s pretty perfect too.

What can I say, my boy? Another amazing month with our amazing little babe.

I love you right up to the moon…and back!

Love, Mamamamamama

Tags: nine months, letters