Nine Months Old!

Dear Anna,

Yesterday you turned 9 months old.  As it was Easter Sunday we didn’t get a chance to take your monthly pictures, so we did them today.  I can’t believe how quickly this first year is going by!

20090413_pigtails

This has been an amazing month for you!  Last month you could sit up if we put you in a sitting position.  Now you can get yourself there.  And you pull up to your knees so you can play with things while kneeling – that’s a lot more fun than playing with things laying down!  You can even stand for a bit while holding on to a piece of furniture or someones hands, and at least a few times you’ve actually gotten up on your feet yourself.  And you are an amazingly fast crawler – I can’t take my eyes off you for two seconds or you’re out the door of whatever room we’re in!

20090413_withbear

You’ve tried many new foods this month, including broccoli, chicken, blueberries, eggs (“hidden” in pancakes and muffins), zucchini, spinach, kale, olives, fish, green beans, cookies (G.G.’s sugar cookies), egg yolk, ham and cantelope.  You have continued to only eat table food, and have expanded your repetoire to include things like ravioli and chicken noodle soup.  You even eat “real” slow-cooked oatmeal, and drink out of a straw cup.

20090413_silly_baby

Yesterday you signed “help”.  I’ve been sort of inconsistently signing lots of different words, so I’m surprised you’ve picked anything up besides “more” and “milk”.  But you had dropped the toys you were playing with while you were sitting on Grandma’s lap, and you clearly signed “help” – one day last week I had signed it to you in a similar context, and not before or since.  I think I’m going to have to start getting more consistent, because I would love to know what else is going on under all that hair!

20090413_withdaddy

The babbling continues, and you’re starting to jargon a bit – babble like you’re carrying on a conversation.  You don’t really say “mama” or “dada” yet, although you do say “dadada?” and laugh when I say “daddy is at work”.

20090413_withcarolyn

See?  An amazing month.  Every day it seems like you’re on the verge of a new skill or a new discovery.  I can’t wait to see what this next month brings!

Love, Mommy

9 month well-baby visit

Vital stats:
9 months, 1 day old
18 lbs, 7 oz
27.5 inches

Anna is now in the 50th percentile for height and weight. A little less than last time, but pretty much exactly average. She’s mostly out of 6-9 month clothes, and some 9-12 month clothes are getting a little short…

She only had one shot today, and she wasn’t entirely pleased about it. Poor baby was having fun playing with the paper on the exam table and charming the pants off of everyone in the office, showing off her clapping and standing abilities…and then she got stuck! Much howling commenced.

Oh, and we pretty much have the green light to give her any foods we want at this point. Not that we have much choice in the matter – if it goes in someone’s mouth, she must share too. I think I’m still going to wait until she’s a bit older before we try peanut butter or shellfish, though. There’s plenty of other things to try before then, anyway!