Ford at Nine Months

Three-quarters of a year.  How did it happen?   On the one hand, the time has flown, and I wonder how my little baby can possibly be three months away from his first birthday.  On the other, I can't quite believe there really was life before Ford -- did I really dry my hair and go to work every day?  Did I actually have whole days go by where nothing stained my person?  And I slept all night without interruption?  Really?  Strange.

Despite long nights and sometimes long days, we are having a wonderful time with Ford at this stage.  He is so interested in everything and everyone, and despite his insomnia, remains in a great humor most of the time.  We just adore him.

At NINE months, FORD is:

STILL a BIG boy.  We had a good check up at the pediatrician.  Ford's neck has made a reappearance over the last few weeks (it was previously obscured by fat), but his feet are bursting out of the bottoms of his footie pajamas, so we predicted a longer and leaner boy this month.  We were right.  Ford weighed 22 lbs, 10.5 oz, which is in the 78th percentile, down from the 95th percentile at 6 months.  However, he was 30.25 inches tall, in the 98th percentile, up from the 93rd last time.  So, it would appear we are shooting up and slimming down, at least slightly.  I'm glad he's growing well, but I miss his rolls.  I looked back over pictures, and it would appear his chubbiness peaked somewhere between 4-6 months.  With his new, trimmer physique, he looks more like a little boy and less like a baby.  Tear.  Anyway, the pediatrician was pleased with Ford's growth and development.  He still wearing 24 month clothes...just can't bring myself to buy 2T just yet, although some of our 24-months outfits are a little snug and short!

EATING more and more "big boy" food.  The pediatrician gave us the green light to fire at will, except to hold off on peanuts and peanut butter until he's a little older.  We tried cheese this week -- to no one's surprise, Ford loved it.  He's also been chowing down on peas and squash lately.  He's really getting good at his pincer grip -- I would guess at least half of the peas or puffs I place on his tray end up in his mouth, rather than his lap!  He still nurses three times a day, but I can tell he's taking less.  I'm glad for him to grow up and learn to enjoy food, and part of me will be so glad to regain at least some control over my own body once he eventually weans, but I have so loved nursing my baby, and I will miss this sweet time when it ends. He still eats a big lunch and big dinner.  He mostly nurses in the morning, although sometimes he eats a little snack as well.  Still has just his two bottom teeth, although I expect one on the top any day now.

STANDING so much!  He started pulling up this week, and he's really getting good at it.  We got him a walk-around table, and he LOVES it.  He will stand there and play as long as I let him.  He's even getting bold and trying to hold on with just one hand, although it doesn't usually end well for him.  He also loves to walk behind his walker, as the video below shows.   Standing is really Ford's favorite; often he'll start to fuss while he's sitting, and he'll stop as soon as I hold my hands out for him to pull up.  Funny little man!

SO CLOSE to CRAWLING.  He can get himself onto all fours from a sitting position, and he can rock and rock, but eventually he faceplants without moving forward.  This really makes him angry.  I still think he may skip crawling altogether, as he is much more interested in standing and walking, but he really is so close.

"TALKING" up a storm!  His babbles have really taken off.  He says "ba-ba-ba" and "bye-bye-bye" the most, but every once in a while, he'll say "ma-ma."  No "da-da" yet.  Poor Dada.  It's so fun to hear his little voice.
LOVING just about any activity we come up with.  He loves to play in the pool.  He loves to swing.  He loves all of his toys, loves to be held, loves to go strolling, loves to read books (especially "I am a Bunny" - and he can now find the bunny and point him out to me!), loves to sing songs...you get the idea.  He's just the happiest kid.  One of my favorite Ford tricks these days is how he "dances" -- if I have music playing, I swear he shakes his little booty to the beat.  Boy's got soul. 

SLEEPING is still the pits.  We bottomed out on our trip to the beach with Mimi.  He decided that he HATED the pack and play and screamed whenever he got near it.  After that, he mostly slept in the bed with me.  He also stopped going to bed well, and was rocked to sleep by either his Mimi or his Aunt Connie Ruth at night and for every nap.  Of course, he came back thoroughly spoiled.  The pediatrician said that the most important thing for me to do was to teach him to fall asleep on his own for naps and putting him down the first time at night, so that's what we have been working on this week.  It's been rough, but we are surviving. 

Working on naps has been the most exhausting by far, as we had gotten in a (bad) habit of just napping together on my bed.  This was great sleep for Ford -- not so great for Mommy, as Ford likes to sleep with his head in my chest and his feet propped on my tummy...and not really a good long term plan, as I'd like to leave the house once in a while.  So, we've been working on going to sleep on our own in the crib.  He stops fussing in his crib within just a minute or two of being put down, but then just plays and plays and won't go to sleep.  It's funny and maddening at the same time to watch him.  I watch Lambie and Bunny go flying across the crib, followed closely by a little brown bobbing head.  I hear "bababababa" then a giggle and squeal, and then big grinning brown eyes peek at me over the side, and then he laughs and laughs when we make eye contact. I can't help but laugh too, even though I am so frustrated.  Oh well, this too shall pass, and in the meantime, I have the funniest, most precious little boy ever (who, as I type this, has been asleep on his own, in his crib for an hour and a half!  Thank you, Lord!)