9 months

Miss Hannah.  At nine months...

You play peek a boo in the crib with your bumper pad.  My favorite thing to do when you wake up is crouch down outside the door to your room, when I open the door, creep over to your crib, and call your name softly while you pull down the bumper and smile at me.  Then play peek a boo over and over for a few minutes until I must scoop you up to kiss your cheeks.

You drink easily from a sippy cup.  I have started giving you whole milk sometimes at the table instead of water.  I have finally given up the formula battle after 3+ months of trying to sneak it in everywhere that I could, and you always knowing that I'm doing this and refusing to eat whatever I've offered you.

You have started sleeping a bit better at night.  You wake only 1-2 times, but there have been a few times when you've gone from 7:30 until 5, and we'll call that all night.  For the past week, since the spring forward time change, I've dropped your am nap, when you could stand it, and kept you up until your post-lunchtime nap.  This means that you sleep for 3 straight hours on those days, and it is amazing for all involved.

It has been warm enough to dress you in sleeveless and legless ensembles, and I can't get enough of the chunkiness.  No one can.  Jayce was always so long and slender that I had to keep him in onesies that were a size or two up just for the length.  So you're the first baby whose round belly perfectly fills out the middle of a onesie.  Your chubby baby arms and legs just make me crazy!

I'm having my fun putting you in baby girl clothes.  I cannot resist putting you in the bloomers that don't match the top that you are wearing, though they do coordinate.  I just love seeing a little surprise of color pop out of your dresses and it draws attention to your sweet little booty.

Every time that I take you into the doctor the same thing happens.  I strip you down, holding you up proudly like, "Look how chubby she is!  I'm doing a good job feeding her/she's doing a good job eating!"  I carry you smiling to the scale and discover that you weigh at least 2 pounds less than I think you do.  Every time.  Then the doctor gives me your percentages, which are always smaller than normal.

I asked him various questions to assess his concern about your growth and he is not concerned.  You are proportionate, so he's happy with that.

He also said that he'd have a hard time being too concerned given those cheeks.  (He really said that.)

So I'm going to let it go.  You are just a smaller child and it is no indication of any failure on my or your part.

At your 9 month check up you weighed 17lb 11oz, and are  inches long.  40% for your weight, 38% for your length.

You are a bossy little thing.  You yell at us a lot.  When you want more cheerios, want to be picked up, can't reach a toy that is out of reach, or if we're talking to one another and not to you.

The other day, Jayce and I had this little exchange, which showed me that he does understand exactly how things work around here.

Jayce: Mom, little boys aren't the bosses, moms are the bosses.

Me: That's right buddy.

When I get bigger, will I be the boss too?

Yes, when you're big like dad, then you can be the boss.

But Hannah is the boss too, and she's a baby.

Yeah, Hannah is the boss too.

You now have a 3rd tooth, one on top.  I only noticed it when I had you upside down for a second the other day while we were playing.  You won't let us feel around in your mouth or pull your lips back to look at your gums, it was just a glimpse but it is there.

You aren't crawling yet, you prefer to spin yourself in a circle on your stomach, and then roll to whatever you need.  You push to your knees a few times a day and this morning were up on your knees doing the bounce, so I'm sure it's not far off.

We cannot get enough of you.  Happy 9 months sugar.