9 months now Baby...

My little man,

Here we are and you’re 9 months old. Slow down a bit baby! I can’t keep up with how fast you are growing up! It’s hard to believe the 9 month mark has come and gone.

This month hasn’t seen as many ‘new’ developments as the last did, but you are growing more and more into your own personality now. You are certainly one cheeky little boy, and a cheeky little boy that Mummy cannot resist.

You do not stay still now babe. If I put you on the mat in the lounge room, you’re up on your hands and feet ‘crawling’ around everywhere, or you’re straight up to the couch and walking along from one end to the other. You have also discovered behind the recliner this month, and love to go in then and then come around the other side and surprise us! Jaidyn and you have even made a little ‘cubby’ in there from time to time.

You favourite places still seem to be where you are getting into things you should not be! Around the fish tank where the extension cord is. The computer tower (but Daddy has now put it up on the table). Our bedroom where you like to eat keys, phones, coathangers or earrings. Jaidyn’s bedroom, with its wealth of little things to stick in your mouth. The TV and receiver with nice buttons to push. And the bathroom and toilet. It seems I am forever saying ‘No!’ or ‘Get down!’ to you these days Monkey!

Mealtime is great fun, especially lunch. You love to get a sandwich and squish it between your fingers before shoving it in your mouth. Your little teeth are doing their job much better these days, and you can bite off little bits. You are also sometimes having toast for breakfast these days or a piece of apple (carefully supervised) for afternoon tea to suck or munch on. And you are getting quite good at your sippy cup too. Unfortunately you are also good at holding it upside down or even throwing it off your highchair! I love to watch you as you put it up to your mouth and slurp away.

You now have 3 teeth baby boy. Your first had appeared in last month’s letter. Your second came a week later. And your third has come through in the last few days. I would have expected it to be a centre top tooth, but no, its one of your little incisors. And to look at your gums now, it looks like the other incisor will cut in before the centre ones too. I can’t wait to get a photo of that… my little vampire! I will need to get you a little toothbrush now.

Days come and go in the life of a baby. Our day usually starts at about 5.30am, sometimes you let me sleep into 6am even (so generous of you!). I am usually woken to a baby screaming at me for some attention, then walk in and you are there in the corner of your cot standing, trying as you might to get out I’m sure. There’s also usually a wonderful pungent smell first thing in the morning! Nice! If it’s before 5.30am or I’m finding it hard to open my eyes, I will give you your bottle in your bed and pray that you’ll go back to sleep. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. However, this might just become a more regular occurrence as the mornings get darker and darker heading into winter. If it’s dark, its still bedtime! After your bottle, its time for a big play (waking up everyone in the house as you go). Mummy usually has this time on the computer before Jaidyn gets up, to catch up on emails, forums etc. So you crawl around in the lounge room, or over to me at the computer, and usually find some cords to play with on the way… It is always fun when Jaidyn wakes up and you two usually spend some time together doing something, then you try to follow him to his bedroom, but only to have him shut you out (rules are you are not allowed in there as its too messy!)… you don’t much like that, but then search for any other rooms where Mummy has left the door open for exploring..
You usually have another sleep before we take Jai to school or when we get home. Sometimes another bottle after that sleep, but I’m trying to cut you back to only 3 a day, so this is more when you have your Weet-bix or if you’ve had them earlier, maybe some yoghurt or fruit for morning tea.
You really are quite easy to take out, and pretty much adapt to whatever I am doing. You love looking around if we go to the shops, or love playing with other kids if it’s off to playgroup or someone’s for a coffee. You now ride up in the ‘big trolley’ when we do the groceries, but you squirm to reach the food or try to suck on the handle, or reach for anything that is within arm’s length! Mummy has realised that you are not really so helpful at the shopping as you usually throw anything I give you to ‘look after’ on the ground! You are still well-behaved though, just ‘curious’ really.
Lunchtime is a favourite for you. You sit up in your highchair while I’m having my lunch or doing something on the computer. Lunch usually consists of a sandwich with vegemite, jam, honey, or I’ve even tried some peanut-butter now (thankfully no allergies have reared). You drink from your Sippy cup, usually water, but sometimes a bit of watered-down cordial or juice too. And sometimes we’ll finish with some fruit or custard or yoghurt.
Afternoons are pretty much the same as mornings. You have a sleep sometime there, some afternoon tea and play around the house or if we are out. Mummy usually gets out some of the bakeware and Tupperware and you have a ball with that. And you find it rather amusing to whack yourself over the head with a cake tin! Lately you seem to be dropping that last afternoon sleep, which is not so good for Mummy because you are cranky from about 5pm! Being home by myself usually at this time of evening, it’s chaotic to get you fed and bathed before 5 (I prefer), then get you into bed. If I don’t have any vegies made up, I usually give you some of what we are eating, which means you eat later. I like to feed, then bath you about 5-5.30pm. But it doesn’t always turn out this way. For dinner you usually enjoy some mashed vegies, and I’ve started putting some ham and cheese into it too. More and more you are eating what we are. In the last couple of weeks you’ve enjoyed Tuna mornay and rice, Apricot chicken with mashed potato and you even ate some of a rissole. Yum!
Bedtime is usually at about 6.30pm. Sometimes you’ll have another bottle now, or sometimes you won’t. Come 7.30pm after Jaidyn has gone to bed too, there’s peace and quiet again, with some special time with Daddy now! Being a Mum is a tough job and long hours!

We spent Australia Day on a little family outing. We went to the beach for a little while, but it was so hot that day that we dared not leave you two out in the scorching sun for long. We did snap a few pics on the beach though, and you looked so cute in your little swim set that Sal gave you. We then took the long drive home via the glasshouse mountains with some lunch at the Lookout Cafe.
You are talking more and more. No new words yet, but in the last couple of days you have hardly stopped the babble. “dadadadada…. Aaahhhhhh…. Dadadada……” is how you do it at the moment. The ‘aahhhh’ in the middle is almost a yell sometimes! I’m still waiting on the ‘Mamama’ though. L

Mummy has been doing a little bit of work again at the Daycare centre over lunchtime. This means that you have been coming along to play with me the other babies. You have really loved this so far! There is one other little boy in particular, Noah who is a month older than you, and you two have a ball together, crawling around, shaking your heads, clapping your hands. You are both doing roughly the same things, so it’s great to see you play together. You love all the new toys there and had particular fun going through the tunnel the other day! What fun! You were a little unsure about the sandpit though. You just sat there not doing much at all. Here I was, worried you would just eat the sand, but I’m sure that won’t be too far off! You don’t really like to go to sleep at daycare though, so 2 or 3 hours is our max with you in tow. It’s good to get a little money for the family and still be able to play with you, and you with other babies too.

You are starting to get more into church too. You love to sing along when we are worshipping. You are without a doubt, the loudest child at church though! But its great to hear you yelling along with the music when we sing. So cute!

And finally, you are learning how to wave. This is so so cute! Of course though, you never seem to do it when anyone else is around, so I’m sure they don’t believe me. But, I managed to get it on camera yesterday! You are so funny to watch. Here we are, waving profusely at you, saying “Hi Eli! Hi Eli!” (must look rather crazy really). You stand with one hand balancing you on the table or gate or something, and stick your other arm in the air. Sometimes you move it back and forth. Yesterday you seemed a little confused though, as you were shaking your head with your arm still, instead of the other way around! You’ll get the hang of it soon enough, and then we can wave at everyone when they leave.


Well, I didn’t think I would have this much to write about, but I’ve made it to 2 pages long! I love writing these letters, thinking about all the funny and wonderful things you are doing as you grow, and these will be so great to look back on in the future.

Love you with all my heart! Mummy xxx