Friday, January 22, 2010

9 month update

So little J is now 9 months old.

He now weighs 20.2 lbs ( 25-50% percentile), is 29.5" long (75-90% percentile), & has an 18.25" head circumference (25-75% percentile). I had to double & triple check his weight cuz he lost since last month & it just didn't seem right to me. This is also the lowest percentile he's been in for weight so far--by far. But then I suddenly remembered that everyone kept telling me that once he starts crawling & pulling up, walking etc he will start to lose some weight due to all that activity. So apparently that is the case. He is now wearing 18 month size clothes. In the last couple of weeks he outgrew his 12 month clothes--first pjs, then onesies, then pants.

He started crawling properly on 1/4/10. He has started pulling up to standing very well & on a regular basis since 1/15/10. We really don't have any furniture that he can pull himself up on & I was a little worried about this interfering with his development, but it has not at all. All of what we have will tip over if he PULLS himself up on it, so this clearly shows me how strong he really is (much stronger than he even realizes I think) since he is getting up to standing without REALLY pulling up per se, just using it to hold himself kinda steady while he stands himself up really.

So once he learned to sit up when he would wake up from his nap I would find him sitting up in his crib. Now I find him standing up in the crib, LOL!! I can't help but think back to the early days--when he could do absolutely nothing for himself, it was all up to us parents to do it for him. And how he has slowly developed into this little independent guy.

We have baby-proofed our house, but we have a few things that are off-limits even though they are still there: fireplace, plants, speaker on TV (he likes the way it feels, but he's gonna end up tearing it up), curio cabinet (I'm afraid he'll break the glass & cut himself), blinds on windows (he's gonna break them), doggy door. I do keep the playpen & his chair in front of the fireplace & if he's really persistent I'll just close the doggy door, but the rest there isn't much I can do about. I have to admit that as time goes on he is behaving very well. I can now just give verbal warnings & he will obey 9 times out of 10. That one time I still have to walk over & slap his little hand & if he continues (rarely) I give a little spank on the bottom & relocate him to his toys.

The first few days of crawling were pretty crazy. I was REALLY exhausted & didn't think I would ever be able to keep up with him. I kept saying that I am too old for this! But as the newness & excitement of the novelty of crawling has worn off he has settled down tremendously now.

He still only has 2 bottom teeth. He still eats stage 2 foods & crackers. He typically eats yogurt for breakfast followed by a bottle of formula. Somewhere between breakfast & lunch he has a bottle of diluted juice. For lunch he usually has chicken or turkey followed by a bottle of formula. And then for dinner he usually has fruit & usually doesn't want a bottle after dinner. With each of those 3 meals I offer crackers. He really likes his crackers. I think he really just likes the independence of it.

That's all the updates I can think of for now.........will take a 9 month photo sometime over the weekend.