Nine months

Rives’ “inside out day” was February 17….9 months old.  He has been in my arms as long as he was in my belly (give or take a few days).

It’s amazing how fast the nine months in my arms have gone….so fast!

Rives is such a joy to our house!  I think his sisters are the happiest when they are playing with him or talking to him.  He loves them so much and lights up when they are around.  He is also so understanding when they are hauling him from place to place and trying to “help” him.

What is he up to:

• CRAWLING!  He is not just crawling, he is exploring and into everything…a glimpse of my future.
• Eating lots of different foods.  I am making his baby food and have a little pride in the fact that I have bought ZERO jars of baby food.  His favorite foods are yogurt, bananas, sweet potatoes, a mixture I make that is sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and broth.  He tolerates new foods.  He is kind of picky when I introduce something new, but after a few attempts he usually decides that he likes it and gobbles it up.  Although, tonight, I introduced some broccoli, rice and mushroom mixture.  He loved it!
• I am still nursing him 3-4 times a day.  He is easily distracted during our nursing sessions and because of that, eats best early in the morning and last thing at night.
• He cannot drink out of a sippy cup.  I’m lazy with making him do it…third kid.  I figure when he gets thirsty enough, he’ll drink.
• If he is feeling good and does not have a cold or ear infection, he will sleep from 7:30pm to 6:00am.  He is an early riser because I have to yank him out of bed on M/W/F at 6:30 to drop off Nora.  I hoping this summer he learns to sleep until 7:30!
• When he is not feeling well, nobody sleeps good.
• He is a BED sleeper at home.  He rarely falls asleep if someone is holding him…he likes to look around and thinks that he might miss out on something.  Since he rarely falls asleep if someone is holding him, he does a champion job of falling asleep on his own.  He immediately rolls over onto his tummy, puts his little hands underneath his stomach and hikes his hiney in the air.
• He loves his paci and sleeps with at least three in his bed.  He only needs one but I need at least three in there in case he loses one I don’t have to go in and give him another.
• He takes two naps a day.  Not very often do those two naps happen at home.  He typically gets one good nap at home, in his bed…usually about 2 hours.  His second nap is in the car.  On the way to pick up his sisters.
• He is wearing 9-12 month clothes, I have no idea about shoes because he doesn’t wear them, size three diapers.  He weighs about 18 pounds…we go to the doctor next week for his well-child visit.
• He babbles a few things but his favorite is “dadadadadadadada”…Matthew loves that.  He will say “babababababababa” a lot too.  And sometimes he’ll throw out a “mamamamamamama”.  He knows his name, at least he turns his head if someone says it.
• I am his favorite.  Definitely his favorite.  Although, recently he has been lighting up when he sees Matthew too.  That’s nice, too.
• I am trying to get him to wave his hand “bye”.  I will say, “Say, bye bye” and move his arm up and down.  About 5 seconds after we have left he will start babbling “bababababa”…yes, genius.
• He is very friendly and will grace just about anyone with a smile.  He’s a sweetheart!

Happy 9 months baby boy!!!!!!  I have loved having you in my arms!