Carter, I am barely getting this posted before your next monthly update but better late than never bud :) The stress these things cause me is probably silly. I lose sleep at night thinking I'm going to forget some detail that you'll ask me later on in your life! I suppose that's inevitable, but here are some details that I have remembered about your 9th month and want you to know...
Look how big you are!! The most common comment we received this month about you was that you look so much like a little boy now, and not so much like a baby. Bittersweet for your Mom and Dad :)
At the doctor this month we learned that you...
-Weigh 20.4 lbs, which puts you in the 40th percentile for weight and although I can't remember right now how many inches long you are, I do know that you are in the 95th percentile for height! So that means you are following in your Daddy's footsteps still, long and lean.
-You are a healthy little guy and right on track for your age! I'm grateful that with 9 mo under our belt, you've hardly been to the doctor beyond these well baby checks. Your next visit will be when you turn one, then at 18 mo and 2 years! That's hard for me to believe, but this month ended the well baby monthly appts.
-You are wearing a size 4 diaper and size 9-12 mo clothes.
-You are still napping twice a day and sleeping from about 8pm-6:30 or 7:00 in the morning. Your sleeping has been a little bit sporadic this month, but we're chalking it up to lots of traveling and your teeth...
Although this month has not been marked by sickness, it has been a hard month for you because of those stubborn little teeth that are taking their sweet time to come in! Your doctor found 4 teeth that are just under the surface and most likely the reason you have been fussy and having a hard time sleeping. While we've been at Grammy and Grampy's 2 of them have now broken through (your bottom front teeth) but you have been a trooper considering how much your little mouth has been hurting. This is a common look from your 9th month...Sad eyes and that paci in your mouth for comfort. We've gone through lots of tylenol and motrin over these last few weeks Carty!
You began this month happily sitting on the floor playing with your toys, but you are ending this month on your tummy and sometimes up on your knees! You are SOOOO close to crawling, but not quite there yet. Mostly, you're just incredibly frustrated and we're hoping also motivated to pick this latest skill up. You HATE it when we walk away from you or leave the room and we are now finding you on your tummy "swimming" like crazy as if you are trying to chase us down. It makes you so mad, but I'm thinking eventually it's going to be the thing that finally clicks for you. You want so badly to be on the go with your sister and we want that for you too!
Toys are becoming lots more fun and interactive for you and this little car your sister got for her birthday is a new favorite! Fortunately she's ok with you being in it because she loves to push you around for a ride. Sometimes that goes well and sometimes it must be a little scary buddy! I promise we are keeping our eye on your safety :)
You are still a happy little guy and it doesn't take much for you to break into a big grin! We like to say that you are either grinning and happy or screaming and mad. There's not much middle ground with you Carter, it's one extreme or the other.
One of our favorite memories with you this month is your sudden love of the water! It has been incredibly HOT this summer and I think that's helped you go from hating the water to loving it. We've taken you to the splash pad, put you in blow up pools and even went to some big pools too!
You swam at the Wright's for the first time, which is also where Ava did too. You love to splash in the water and kick your legs and Daddy got a kick out of how fearless you have become, even tolerating water in your face or on your head.
We love that you are very easy going and flexible Carter. You are up for just about any adventure and you are just like Ava in that you never want to miss anything that's happening! You love to look around and take your surroundings in. We keep putting you in the car and trying new things and so far, you seem to love it.
This month you are more interested in eating table food and we keep putting new things in front of you to try. Having some teeth will help broaden your palatte, but so far you are getting more and more adventurous by the day! You love to be at the table for meal time with everyone and you and Ava are starting to cause some chaos together :) She taught you to bang on your tray, which makes the two of you giggle hysterically while Daddy and I go back and forth about whether we should stop it or let you have fun! You are still drinking about 5 bottles a day, but with more and more table food in your diet you are becoming less interested in formula. We are working on transitioning you from a bottle to a cup much sooner that we did with Ava, so far you like it for water but we'll see what you think about milk soon :)
You and Ava have truly become little buddies with each month. You are crazy about her and she feels the same about you. It just melts our hearts to hear her open your door in the morning and say, "Good Morning Carty! How are you? Sleep good?" You light up and she can't wait to get you on the floor so she can play with you.
However, she also dances a fine line between loving you and torturing you. She doesn't quite understand what hurts you and what is within the definition of "gentle." It won't be long before you are able to get back at her and when you can, we won't stop you :) But, we've been memorizing Eph. 4:32 this month with Ava and soon we'll be teaching it to you too. I have a feeling it's going to be a mantra for years to come...
Carty, we just love you like crazy. You bring so much joy to your Daddy and I and to everyone else who meets you. We love having a little boy in our family and we are enjoying all of the new things you are constantly doing and learning. This is kind of that point in your little life when things start happening fast and in the blink of an eye we will have two active kiddos in our home! We just love to see your personality develop and grow and are so thankful for the privilege of parenting you.
Happy 9 months Carter!
Wow! Carter, you ARE quite the little boy now, aren't you?! Amazing how much you've matured since our last date in the park. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. Can't wait to see those teeth! Clara still doesn't have any, but now that she is crawling I am realizing that is where many of her frustrations were stemming from (not being mobile).
ReplyDeleteHe is looking so much older. And TEETH! "hard" evidence he is quickly growing into a toddler. Hope his discomfort will be mild. XXXXOOOOO
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