Dearest Gabriel,
You are now nine months and four days old! I simply cannot believe how the time has flown by. I remember when you were first born, and I was overwhelmed and my mom kept telling me that it would get better and better as you got older, but six months, nine months, one year seemed like such long times to wait! And now we're here! And you're almost a big boy! It's so so so bittersweet!
Stats
We had your nine month well baby check up yesterday with Dr. Thomas. You weighed 19.2 pounds and were 27.25" long. You gained a little over two pounds since your six month checkup, but only grew about 3/4 of an inch in lenght, which is okay. You're right around the 50th percentile for your age group, which is spot on.
She also let us know that you are perfect, physically and mentally. You're growing up just as you should. In fact, you're a little advanced (see milestones below).
You're still wearing 6-9 and 6-12 months clothes. You've leveled out a bit.
Sleep
Sleep varies with you so much night to night. Some nights you sleep really well, waking only every four hours or so. But then some nights you wake every two hours, or even every hour and half. Those nights are hard and long. Especially when they add up.
We're okay with your odd night sleep habits, though. We pray every night that you will learn to sleep longer at night, but more that we can be peaceful, joyful, and patient parents in those wee morning hours.
You nap very regularly (see schedule below).
Eating
You eat so much! I cannot believe how much you eat! Most mornings you eat a breakfast of yogurt, oatmeal, and fruit. For lunch, you eat whatever I'm having or a puree or two. For dinner, you eat whatever we're having and usually lots of it! Today, for example, we had Bible Study Fellowship so you just nursed for breakfast. For lunch we shared Chick-Fil-A: chicken noodle soup, fries, and a yogurt parfait. For dinner we had Freebirds: you almost finished half of your own refried bean and cheese quesadilla and cilantro lime rice. You also tried apple juice for the first time and liked it prettty well!
There's not a food I've had in the last three months that you haven't sampled, both because we want you to and because you want to. You love to eat and will try anything. You've yet to spit anything out at us.
Also, you're still nursing full time! I nurse you at least twice overnight, once at 7ish, 9ish, noonish, 3ish, and at bedtime around 8. I don't know how you can eat so much and not be fatter! Haha!
We hit a rocky patch nursing for about a week. You bit me one Sunday and I exclaimed very loudly. That whole week you kept biting and seemed tentative to nurse. It was very traumatic for both of us. But one day you just picked it right back up like nothing happened. Odd. I think you were trying to learn how to nurse while you had the compulsion to bite because you're teething.
Milestones
You started crawling this month! We waited and waited for weeks for you to crawl, and one day (January 14) on your own time, you woke up and decided to crawl. You took off. No patsying around. You're enjoying it more and more. For a long time you would just complain while you crawled to me and cried for me to pick you up. It was endearing. Now you'll crawl around to explore things, but often look back to me for assurance. I don't mind. :)
You're vocabulary has taken off. Apparently, most babies don't talk until around their first birthday, but you have quite the vocabulary. You say: dog (first word), ball (current obsession), bird, book, Dada (referring to Daddy), and Key (Rocky).
You also started clapping and waving just in the last couple of days. So adorable!
You love to play "ball" where you throw the ball and we roll it back to you. Sometimes you prefer to chase the ball yourself now that you're mobile.
You've just started pulling up. We're waiting on the "creeper" stage.
We thought you'd been teething for a while, but no new teeth that we could see beyond the first that I wrote about last month. You've had a lot of the symptoms, though, and we were confused. Dr. Thomas discovered that you're cutting your molars! A little early! Just another way you're advanced! :)
Events
You had your first New Year and slept through it. It's now 2013.
Recently, we joined Gymboree Play and Music. We're taking you to the music class and play class for your age. They also have an open gym time where we can just go play. You LOVE it!
Other than that, not a lot of major events.
I love you more and more every day. You changed my life so much and for the better. I love love love you!
Always,
Mommy
