Andrew's 9-Month Update!

Dear Andrew,

You are nine months old!  Wow!!  What a month!  I can’t really believe it myself.  I have to start thinking about your birthday party, soon.  WHAT?!  This has been a fun month for you.  Your personality is really shining through and you are helmet-less!  Woo hoo!  Your helmet journey was short and sweet, blessedly.  Now you can grab your ear effortlessly when you get tired and suck your thumb at the same time.

You went to spend a week at DD Nana and T-Pa’s this month.  You did great, except you weren’t a terrific napper.  You did sleep through the night though, so we’re really not complaining.  You went to the lake where you were a trooper but you hated your life jacket.  You don’t care if the boat is moving or just anchored somehwere—you prefer to be crawling up and down the boat regardless.  You also really wanted to touch all of the buttons at the captain’s seat.  You liked playing on the lily pad at the lake and floating in the water.  You figured out how to make splashes with your hands and also in the bathtub by standing up and plopping your bottom back down.  You thought that was hilarious.

You are starting to figure out that we’re giving you baby food and it seems you want the real people food instead.  Except that you haven’t gotten past the gag reflex with the adult food.  If it’s super, super tiny you can get it down but you can’t pick it up if it’s super tiny.  And I’m not one to just stuff it in your mouth—so we’ll figure it out one day.  Some days you’re a great eater and other days you are not.  I think once you get past the gag reflex, it will be easier on us.  You really liked trying lasagna and baked beans on your vacation.  You’ve eaten some chicken and steak if it’s in miniscule pieces that happen to end up in your mouth.

I can’t leave you anywhere.  You’re turning mischievous!  You crawl constantly and always want to go where you shouldn’t.  The stairs are a real danger right now.  You’ll head towards them and look back with a big smile on your face because you know you aren’t supposed to be heading towards them.  Then you’ll turn around and continue to the first step.  Look back.  Smile.  Play a game of peak-a-boo with the banister.  Then I’ll head your way and you will laugh and race up the stairs.  Then I’ll pick you up and you’ll laugh all over again.  I can see you are going to get into lots of trouble around here.  If I can keep you in a room contained, you do better about playing independently and just observing what’s there.

You definitely use your mouth as a sensory tool.  Everything and I mean everything must go in your mouth.  This includes lake water.  If you’re interested in it, it’s going in your mouth.  You find everything on the floor and eat it.  I’ve fished so much out of your mouth its ridiculous.  Obviously I need to keep a cleaner house. Ha!

You are not walking and I’m still not sure you’re that interested in walking.  I don’t think you have figured out the coordination of your legs moving.  You are starting to balance yourself up on your knees, but you haven’t really started moving those legs once you’re standing up.  You LOVE, LOVE to climb and stand.  But, no walking.  I think it may be a couple more months before you walk.  You love that big brother though.  You just crawl for him and his toys all the time.  We’ve had lots of boo boo’s, too with you being mobile.  You’ve face planted a few times and then you also had to adjust to a helmet-free life.  That was a rough few days.

You have curly hair in the back just like mama.  You’re also super tan thanks to all of your lake trips in Arkansas.  I think you take after mom and my dad (and also Aunt Kirkie).  You drool like crazy and I can see your top two teeth coming in as well as a third one on the bottom.  Everything ends up wet that’s within your vicinity.

So, let’s see.. at 9 months you:

• Are always on the go!  By way of crawling and exploring every nook and cranny you can find.  You also like climbing the stairs (to mom’s chagrin)
• Eat 4 bottles a day at 6 ounces and food 3x a day.  You love yogurt!  That’s always a win for us.
• Weigh just under 19lbs at 18 lbs and 9 oz.  Your 9-month well check is this week, so I’ll figure out how tall you are soon.
• Wear 6-12 month clothing and size 3 diapers.
• Suck your thumb and play with your ear all at the same time to soothe yourself.
• Love puffs, but anything bigger or harder you have a hard time swallowing.
• Have the sweetest laugh!  You are ticklish on your tummy/rib cage and daddy can really get you going when he tickles you.  You also laugh really hard when someone is chasing you.
• Enjoy chewing on EVERYTHING.
• Sleep from 8 to 8:30 on the weekends and we wake you up at 6:45 am during the work week.  Take two naps on the weekend but still need three naps at school.  We have to work on this during the school day to get you down to two naps because when you turn one you will only be able to have one nap a day!
• Say GA GA and MA MA.  You aren’t saying “mama” asking for me, but just the sounds.
• Are a mischievous little booger!  You know when you aren’t doing something right, but you do it anyway with this goofy grin on your face and twinkle in your eye.

You are just getting so big!!  We love you so much baby boy, always and forever.

Oh mom, I don't need to sit in the circle! 

We were blowing bubbles and this turned out pretty cool.

Camp DD Nana & T-Pa

Andrew's 6-Month Update!

Dear Andrew,

I can't believe it!  You are six months old.  YOU.ARE.AWESOME.  That's all I really need to say.  You have really just done more of the same this month.  You are SO CLOSE to having two bottom teeth.  I can see them right there, but they haven't poked through yet.  I give you just another week and I think they will have grown in.  You seem to tolerate the pain pretty well; just lots of drool and things in your mouth.

You sit on your own moderately well.  You will tip over after about 3-5 minutes, but you are really getting the hang of it.  What is most impressive is how much you love playing on your tummy.  You'll just roll yourself right over and grab whatever toy you can find.  In fact, I've put you on the play mat only to walk away and find that you've rolled over, did a 180 and scooted yourself off the mat.  It's pretty impressive for a baby who can't crawl.  You're pretty cute when you try to move-- it's more a whale approach right now.  You'll get it though, soon!

When big brother puts his attention on you, you just laugh and laugh!  He makes you giggle like crazy.  It's great to listen to you.  This is the first month that I heard you just down right make big belly laughs.  And all because of big brother.

You still smile all the time and are generally happy.  You will sit and play, or jump and play for about two hours before you start to get fussy.  You bounce from activity to activity very well and don't mind do anything where you can watch big brother.  We go on walks with big brother to park and you like strolling and watching brother play on the park.  We also put you in the swing an you really liked it!  You had a way better demeanor than big brother did on his first swing!

You went to the rodeo where you were a model spectator.  You sat in DD Nana, T-Pa and Aunt KK's lap and were perfectly content to chew on some "chewelry" and watch the heifers walk around.  Again, you are awesome!

You've been sleeping like a champ with no wake-ups in the middle of the night.  You roll around really good in your crib and fall asleep with little to-do.  This in of itself makes you amazing.  Momma is so lucky and counts her blessings every night.  Thank you baby boy.

You gave the entire household a bad stomach bug.  It kept big brother home from school for four days and mom and dad home from work for four days, too.  It was terrible and you were patient zero.  I hope you don't do that again!

Oh wait, probably the biggest change this month is the addition of your helmet!  We just got it on March 25th.. so we've been adjusting your head to the helmet.  So far, you don't seem bothered by it at all and you are your same ol' happy self.  I know its going to work wonders and you'll be out of it soon enough!

So, let's see... at six months you:

• Sleep from 8-6:30 on weekdays and 8-8 on weekends.
• Take one really long nap (>2 hours) in the afternoon with two shorter naps beginning with the one in the AM (1 hour-ish) and a catnap in the evening, usually on the way home from school.
• Love sleeping on your tummy-- heck, you like just being on your tummy in general.
• Eat 5, 6 ounce bottles during the weekday and usually 4, 6 ounce bottles on the weekend.
• Love eating foods!  You've just about figured out the whole "eating off a spoon" thing and love eating.  You get so excited and just start chomping.  We've tried oatmeal, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas, apples, squash and pears.  So far, so good!  I'm going to get you some puffs this week and we'll start seeing how you like those!
• Wear size 2 diapers, though my next shipment of diapers are size three!  Growing boy!  Poop 1-2x/day.
• Like your jumper, but for the most part your favorite thing is to sit in someone's lap.
• Don't seem all that interested in standing, yet.
• Smile all the time and think big brother is hilarious
• Like being tickled
• Chew on anything-- we always keep teething toys around with you!
• Suck your thumb and the pacifier has pretty much gone by the wayside.
• Wear 6 month clothes
• Have curly hair-- at least on top!  We'll see how curly it is once it starts growing in more.
• Did not like taking your pictures in the bluebonnets-- maybe next year!

We love you baby boy, always and forever.

At the rodeo-- always smiling.

Best picture we got at the blue bonnets.

Your new helmet!  So cute!

You were not having your pictures.  This is the best one we had!