Sunday, December 11, 2016

Emma: Nine Months!



Size/Weight: 20 lbs (50-75th percentile), 29.25" long (90th percentile), 44cm head (above 95 percentile). So she's back on the charts! (Holy cow, do I finally have a normal-ish sized child?! I think I do! At six months she was so off the chart in height the doctor wasn't quite sure how to describe her, haha! 


Sleep: Aaaaaah, eight months. Eighth month sleep!! Kind of like last month again (still up, still fussy sometimes and not others, goes to bed like a champ, or not). But we came to a few realizations this month that made the end of the month easier tan the first half. Mainly, food. The more solids she eats, the less milk she drinks. My boobs are apparently offended by this; because they've been producing less. (Because who wants milk when there's chicken. You know.) So by the end of the day, I've got nothing. Which isn't great for hungry tummies. Which isn't great for sleeping. Hence the supplementation with formula. More milk = happier tummy before bed = happier baby in theory. I can tell a better habit is starting to be produced; but I'm not calling it until it's more than a night here or there. 


Social: Still a lot like last month. She's starting waving though, which is stinkin' precious. I love it so much!!


Diet: Like mentioned; supply is down, formula is in. She's finally taking it like a champ, and what started out like a supplement is moving towards nurse whenever I can, then follow up with a bottle whenever she's hungry (which is every time minus the first nurse of the day). This part is hard. It was much harder with Norah (with whom I had a huge hormone fallout after the milk was running dry), but it's still making me a bit sentimental-- number one priority is happy healthy baby with a full tummy; mom will do what I can then try and get over the rest. But this is our last baby, and I'm still mourning the last times I'll get to have that bond with her, you know?

Clothes: Happily in 18 month clothes

Likes: 'Surprise' games (she will reach out and touch my face, and I will react with a little noise and surprise her fast-- hard to explain; but it's pretty precious; Norah gets in on it too), when Norah makes her laugh (which is a lot these days!), eating, being snuck up on/funny face time, DAD (her favorite is when I'm holding her and she sees dad after not seeing him for awhile-- she has her certain way of greeting him that's pretty precious. She lights up!

Dislikes: Being set down when she'd rather you carry her, her changing table (which is odd because that's also one of her favorite places to be played with?) diaper changes (she's mastering the crocodile roll; I've mastered jiu jitsu with one arm only on an infant) peaches (she makes the sour 'no' face)

Milestones: Waving has been a fun one, and mobility has picked up a bit! She now flips like a fancy pancake, and has fun waving people down to stare in to their souls or tell them stories. I love it. If the sleep was perfect, this would be one of my favorite stages. (And it technically fell in 'ten month', but she had her first snow this week!! She loved it!)


Norah update?: I'm going to start putting Norah things in bullets:
  • This girl is a riot. She has been making up stories that range from the bizarre to the absolutely precious. My favorites are the ones she makes up on the potty when she's having 'personal time'. I need to start a bathroom book.
  • There are good days and bad days. And I mean really good. And really bad. But it's okay. I try to log the good so the bad ones are bearable. And loving your kids more than anything else on the planet helps too; I just really wish they came with their own personal instruction manuals.
  • Norah's thoughts on the snow: "My heart has a little mouth, and it's smiling because it's happy."