Tuesday, September 18, 2012

{Ben: 9 Months Old}


Another month has passed and Ben is nine months old!  What is my big man up to?  Lots of things!
 

1.  We visited the pediatrician yesterday and Ben got a great report.  He weighed in at 28 lbs and 6.3 ounces (99.7%) -- a little less than a week or so ago, so I think he is finally starting to thin out a bit!  He measured 30.5" (96.9%) in height, so he is still a tall baby.  No vaccines this visit, but they did take blood and he did get a flu shot. 

2.  Ben is crawling up a storm...but at his own pace.  He is a slow crawler in my opinion (or at least compared to how Luke crawled).  He gets to where he is going at a little bit of a slow pace.  Not sure if it is due to his personality or maybe all that weight he is carrying!


3.  He is pulling up on everything and cruising around anything he can stand near.  He has had a few falls, but nothing major yet.  Just a few bruises here and there.  I think Ben likes to be vertical more than anything.  He will stand holding on to something for 30 or 45 minutes at a time.  I guess he just likes to see what is going on!

4.  Ben is already standing independently!  He started this about 3 or so weeks ago.  He would be standing holding on to the coffee table or something stationary and then pick up a toy, let go and hold it with both hands.  Now he does it all the time and will stand independently for almost a minute or so before grabbing back on to something or squatting down.

5.  He is nursing about 3 times a day and drinks a bottle of pumped milk at night before bed.  He does nurse in the middle of the night too, but never a full feeding...it is more for comfort and to get him back to sleep.  I never had the intention of nursing this long, but it works for him/us so we are just going with it.  I am already thinking about how I am going to get this baby to wean at 12 months -- it might be a challenge!


6.  Six teeth have officially popped up -- four on top and two of the bottom.  I just love his goofy, teethy smile.  It sure does change a baby's look.  Teething has caused some sleeping problems, but has been helpful with eating table food.

7.  Speaking of table food, Ben loves it!  He will really eat anything I put in front of him -- toast, strawberries, cereal bar, cheerios, banana (his favorite!), blueberries, waffles, etc.  He never took to pureed baby food, so we just moved on and it is going very well.  And he is loving his sippy cup (and his brother's that he finds lying on the floor -- who knows what this baby has drank!). 

8.  Ben started school this month!  He goes once a week on Wednesdays for five hours.  And he also went to the nursery so I could attend my MOPS meeting.  Such a big boy :).  I have enjoyed the time away and I think he has too.  And there is nothing like missing your baby and feeling the joy of picking them up. 

 
9.  Ben still struggles with sleeping through the night.  I feel like a broken record.  Some nights he wakes up only once (amazing!!!), sometimes it is three times (arghh!!!!).  We have tried crying it out, soothing, etc.  I really don't know what else to say except that I really hope he starts getting the hang of it soon.  My pediatricion thinks that the mobility and eating more table food might help the situation in the next month or two.
 
10.  Napping is going well.  He takes two naps a day -- his morning one around 9:30 or 10:00 am and his afternoon one around 2:00 pm.  It is wonderful when Ben and Luke nap together and I get about an hour or so to get stuff done.  Luke is starting to drop his nap though so these days are limited. 
 
That's about it!  He is still the most smiley, happy baby.  I can't say it enough of how much joy he brings to me and our family.  I am starting to think about his first birthday already and that seems almost unreal.  I am also trying to figure out what Ben and Luke are going to be for Halloween.  It is a bit tough when Luke won't wear anything on his head -- no Mickey ears, no train conductor hat, nothing.  So I think I might have to be real creative or real boring as far as costumes. 
 
Love you Ben!


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