You are nine months old and it's hard to believe my baby is 3/4 of the way through her first year! I look back at pictures from just a few months ago, and it seems you've grown so much in just that short amount of time. I still love to go through all the pictures, starting from when you were born, and remember how tiny and precious you were.
But month nine has been nothing short of fun and eventful! To start, you went on your first international trip! We're currently in Taiwan visiting your great-grandmother (tài pó), great-uncles and great-aunts, and family friends. That's another post for another day, but you're doing so well and proving what a wonderful baby girl you are.
Just this past week, you've started trying to move around on your tummy, so I think you'll be crawling very soon. If you see something you want, you try to wiggle your way over there. If you have enough room, you'll just roll. I've left you on the rug in one spot and returned to find you'd rolled until you can't anymore - into the couch or onto the hard tile. You still love to stand and prefer me to sit with you so I can hold you up standing. You've become constant movement, though, and are always wiggling and sitting and standing and climbing. You work up a sweat in Taiwan (no central AC) until your hair is wet!
You've also started babbling a lot more; you preference is to squeal / scream. But a few times you've said things that are correct. When you wave, sometimes you say, "Buh buh." You've babbled "Dada" and "Mama" a bit, but only recently you've been crying "Maaaaaa" when you want me. So I think you are starting to associate me with "Mama" - it's so fun!
Speaking of me holding you, you've recently taken a strong preference for me over anyone else. It started shortly before this trip; you don't let anyone else hold you. While I do love that you love me so much, I admit I sneak into another room if you're content with someone else holding you so I can just sit there in peace. I'm not sure if it was a development leap or we're just so used to it being the two of us, but you won't even let Dad hold you. You're definitely having a "Mommy's Girl" month!
You've been a wonderful little sleeper, going to bed around 7:00 or 7:30pm and not waking up until morning, usually around 7:00am. And you take one morning nap, usually around 10:00am and sleep for one to two hours, and then you take a little shorter afternoon nap around 3:00pm. This little structure has been really great for your mood and you're such a happy camper in the evenings now.
The sleep department is the only area where you're having a hard time on this trip. The crib we're borrowing is a little too narrow for you (I never realized how much you flipped from tummy to back to tummy and so forth), so you've been sleeping with us in the bed. You'll wake several times at night and I honestly just don't want to deal with it, so I nurse you back to sleep because I know that'll be most effective. We'll see how things go when we get back home....
You love food, there is no doubt about it! If we're eating and you're not, you get angry - or "hangry". I've made sure to have rice crackers in the diaper bag in case we're eating something you can't. You do still nurse quite a bit, mostly on demand. You eat when you first wake in the morning, and we've gotten into the habit of nursing before nap, too. I'll make sure you don't need more when you wake up since you usually fall asleep eating, and then do the same in the afternoon. Your last nurse feed is right before bed, so we do roughly 4-6 "sessions" per day.
I'm excited for your first Thanksgiving and am already starting to plan some first Christmas festivities. Taiwan is decorated for Christmas and you love staring at lights, so it will be a fun holiday season.
Just please stop growing up so quickly ;)
I love you so much!
xoxo,
Your Mom
{9 Month Stats}
- Weight: 19lb, 12oz - 73rd percentile
- Height: 30in - 99th percentile
- Head: 46cm - 94th percentile
- Clothes: 9 month (you're going to start wearing 12 month sleepers when we get home)
- Diapers: size 3 during the day, size 4 at night (still)
- Shoes: You've been wearing the shoes I bought online that are 4.5". They're super cute and keep your feet warm when it's cold, so I don't have to bother with socks.
- Likes: Mom, standing, sucking on tags (on blankets, burp cloths, etc.), watching everything from the carrier or stroller
- Dislikes: Anyone besides Mom (hah), being tired, and being left alone
