Dear Mungee,
You turned 9 months old on May 17, 2010. You've now been an outside baby for as long as you were an inside baby. You keep growing and letting your personality shine through. Your hair is really starting to fill in and it might be light brown, but it's still hard to tell. Your eyes are definitely a deep chocolate brown. You still look just like your Daddy, but you have your own unique nose. I've decided you might have my toes, but that's just wishful thinking on my part - there's got to be some of me in you! I certainly hope you don't get my flat feet though.
You love to eat. You have three meals of solids a day. In the morning you have multigrain cereal mixed with fruit juice and a fruit puree. Lunch is usually a vegetable and dinner is a mixed puree "meal". I'm surprised by some of these meals that you like, because they don't seem very palatable, but I'm glad you aren't picky at this point! You still nurse in the morning, before and after naps and before night night.
Every once in a while, I try to give you a chunk of cheese, bread or other seemingly tame food, but you haven't gotten the hang of chewing and you usually gag on it. If we go out to lunch, I still have to feed you purees in the restaurant, which isn't too time consuming, but I will be excited when I can slap at placemat down on the table, toss out some peas, carrots and noodles and we can eat simultaneously.
You are still working on trying to crawl. You push one knee up underneath your body to try and get going, but this always results in you flipping over. I think you've recently figured out that is what happens so you resort to rolling to get to your destination.
You took your first "swimming lesson" and your first bath in the big tub on April 30. You weren't too keen on the swimming pool at first, but you warmed up to it eventually. We also introduced you to the baby pool at home and you LOVE to make splashy splashies in it, as well as the tub.
Your ability to wave has improved. You're most skilled at waving at the cat or to the baby in the mirror.
You clap with excitement when we say "Yaaaaay!"
You're becoming even more vocal, and in the last few days have REALLY discovered your yelling voice.
You suffered from your second ear infection this past month. This time around it was only in one ear, but it was painful for you nonetheless. Dr. W decided to treat you with Augmentin, which had the "lovely" side effect of causing you to poop about 6 times a day. We were so glad when you finished that medicine!
Your third tooth has come in! It's the top front right tooth. I can see about three more on the top that will probably come through within the next month. At your followup doctor's appointment with Dr. T, she said the top teeth were "loading up". Yikes! You're really good about not biting me though. I hope that trend continues.
About two weeks ago, after your ear infection started to clear up, I spent the whole week working on getting you to nap in your crib. You seem to be doing well so far, although your naps are shorter than I think they should be. You've started sleeping through the night again and we are so thankful! We could handle the night wakings, it was you we were worried about. I feel like your rest is SO critical to you being in a good mood throughout the day. You and lack of sleep are not the best of friends!
Your 9 month well-visit is on Wednesday and we'll talk to Dr. T about all kinds of exciting things, including introducing new foods and upcoming expected milestones.
I really can't believe this time has gone by so quickly. I was thinking yesterday that just as I'm getting used to being a stay-at-home-mom, it's almost time for me to go back to work. I wonder how long it will take for me to adjust to being back in the workforce, but more so, if it will be a tough transition for you.
As always, we continue to hope that we are doing the best we can by you and giving you all the love, attention, education, nourishment, confidence, encouragement and care you need to grow and thrive.
Love, Mama and Daddy
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