9 Months Old

Well, Evie, I said I would jot things down as they happened and I did anything but. This month started slow but zipped by in the end. Glancing over the post I did for month 8, I feel as though you grew and aged 2 months in just 1 month's time.

Those 3 teeth finally came in and then some. As I write this, I can now see the top of another bottom tooth (its through your gums but not quite "out" yet) completing a row of 4 teeth on the bottom. Grandma Lulu was in town this week and found a top canine while you were laughing on the changing table. I thought I had heard you grinding your teeth last week (which, is a rather sickening sound. Its like nails on a chalk board) and couldn't figure out how you were doing it. I guess now we know. So, that's 5 teeth in all. They're all coming in out of order but as long as they all come in, who cares, right? Way to catch up!

I'm still into your sleep patterns. You sleep in these frantic positions all over the crib but I am getting more used to it. I find you buried under a blanket, shoved in a corner, sleeping cross-wise or laying with your feet up & over the bumper. I really could do without your "face-down" position, though - its unnerving. Lately, you've been restless at night. I think you are on the verge of some other milestone. Its neat to watch you react this way and also sad to see you so frustrated even in your sleep.

You started wetting the bed at night. Actually, you've been leaking during the day, too. I guess this was bound to happen. We've gotten away with cheap diapers for a few months now. Well, I am happy to report we are back to name brand so now you can fill a diaper with 2 gallons of pee again. Where does all this pee come from anyway?

I did buy you a bath seat like I talked about last month. It... kinda sucks. I have to now clean out the tub before you get in. It also takes a heck of a lot more water to make your bath. When we are done bathing, I then have to rinse out the seat and put it somewhere in our small bathroom. I have to do this after it dries out and before I hit the shower the next morning. I know this may not sound all that big of a deal... but... it is. Its really a pain in the ass. I'm finding that I have started bathing you every 3rd night as a result of this nuisance. I'm sorry you've had less frequent baths as a result of my apathy to cleaning the tub. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

You started saying more varied sounds including "da-da!" We think you are actually beginning to know who da-da is and who ma-ma is. You have been known to say "da-da" when he gets you in the morning (you used to call him ma-ma). Maybe this genius is all in our heads, but, I don't think so. You also "blow" a lot. You blow out of your mouth like one would do when they are cooling off hot food. You tend to do this when you are content and playing with a toy rather intently. Fake coughing sounds are also a commonly heard sound. We think you are doing this to get attention and we are try not to react to it. You will get loud if you really want all eyes on you. Once we look, you grin. Its hard not to fall for this game. You're too cute with that big grin on your face.
You babble a lot (you even talk to your toys) and still love "ba-ba-ba" and "ma-ma-ma." Your laugh is still a horsey nerd laugh but you will squeal & giggle when we grab the back of your thigh. I love the squeal.

Dad went to the Post Office to buy you a Tyvek envelope to sustain your paper chewing habit. I am happy to share that this has worked and you LOVED IT. After a few weeks though, you are not falling for it as much and are attracted to the "real deal" paper more then ever.

Crawling. Nope, not yet. But you don't flip-out about being on your stomach anymore. This is a good sign. You wriggle and writhe ALL THE TIME. Its almost impossible to entertain you anymore. You always want to get to something or go somewhere. Thing is, we have no idea where that is! Grandma Lulu put you through a bit of "baby bootcamp" and forced you to crawl until you whined. You'd scoot backwards and just get more angry as we clapped and cheered you to go forward. That must have been frustrating as hell for you. Sorry about that. You'll thank us later when you catch on and understand forward mobility.
You aren't pulling yourself up yet but you will stand as rigid as can be when we try and sit you down. You like to lean on the coffee table till you slide away or slide into the splits (I don't have to hold you at all but I do have to be ready to catch you when you fall. And, you will eventually fall!).

We started giving you Gerber Puffs. At first you thought it was a trick that you were not going to fall for. I spend so much time yanking small things away from your mouth that you just sat there staring at the puff in your fingers. I started a video taping this encounter for posterity till I realized 12 minutes in - you were not going to eat it at all. I stuck one in your mouth and you looked dazed. I don't think you liked them at all. But, after a few days with grandma (she probably force fed you while I was away at work) and you took to picking those things up rapid fire. Now, you seem to like them a lot!
On this same vein, I tried "stage 3" foods with you last night and you threw it all up. So much for chunkier textures.

We left you alone with grandma and grandpa instead of taking you with us to do taxes. I thought for sure you'd freak out. I was wrong! You did great! This allowed dad to get some time away from home during the day and for US to have a DATE one night before grandma went back home. It was very nice. We went to dinner, blew $80, came home, ...the end.

You are learning how to wave. Dad puts you up against the glass door when I get home. He'll hold you around your middle and face you out against the glass. When you see me outside, a huge grin lights up your face and you flail your arms & legs wildly. You bang your palms and wave excitedly until I walk in the door... that's when you stare or giggle. Its the most fantastic homecoming I could have ever imagined. Its like a heroes welcome for dragging myself to a corporate office 5 days a week.

We put you out in the backyard the final week in March. The weather was so nice that you wore just a short-sleeved onesie. I put you on a blanket and watched you "rip! rip! rip!" up all of the fresh green grass that daddy worked so hard to plant this spring. You loved it! It was almost cathartic for you somehow. All that pent up winter frustration... just letting it all go with one simple "pull!" and watching the green blades land in your lap. You really like sitting outside with the trees, the birds and the wind blowing. Who doesn't? I can't wait to get out the baby pool and picnic with you out back this summer. It will be so nice to experience something other than inside.

No new nicknames this month.

Things Evie has to look foward to this month:
• Going to the doctor for her 9 month check-up next week.
• Trying Zweiback toasts and other new textures (moving up a stage in foods!)
• Attending her first kid's birthday party (Happy 1st, Miles!)
• Seeing A and J this weekend.