We took Max for his 9 month check up 1 day before he turned 9 months old. No shots = great check up.
My baby is just little. I asked Dr. Gondol what color she thought his eyes were - she said hazel. I guess that means it's settled - he has hazel eyes just like his daddy although Max's hazel has more blue and Peter's hazel has more brown.
Weight - 16 lb 5.5 oz, 2 % (No wonder he can still wear clothes that are 3-6 months)
Height - 25 inches, 0.26% (WHAT?! He's so short that he doesn't even make the 1st percentile? Come on growth spurt!)
Head - 45 cm, 41% (Big noggin compared to the rest of him)
I tested one of the bouncy houses. I had NEVER been inside a bouncy house before this. It was fun! (Although I was happy to bounce without a crowd to witness. It was much easier to have a good time and not worry what someone was thinking of me.)
Once the carnival started, Peter came with Max and Brittany came with her boys. We had lunch and then played games, did crafts, and checked out some of the bounce houses.
Max meeting the son of one of my co-workers. Would you believe he is only 6 weeks older than Max? He is so much bigger than Max!
Max had a fun day!
Landen did awesome in the obstacle course.
Hayden tried to catch Landen coming down the slide but ended up getting knocked over. :)
Some of the fun stuff set up behind the building.
Landen visiting the fishing pond.
Max holding one of the toys Hayden won.
Such a cute, cute, cute boy!!!
The hat fell over his eyes. :)
I took a LOT of notes about Max at 9 months old. Enjoy my essay.
- He's a pro at crawling and gets around quickly
- He is starting to explore every part of the house
- Pulls up on everything - sometimes to his knees and sometimes to his feet
- He walks along things like couches and will reach when standing up to cross the distance like between the couch and then the end table
- His balance is really good - you can see him every once in awhile get scared while standing because he starts to lose his balance but then he catches himself and he's fine
- He will walk a little bit if you hold his hands
- Can move from crawling to sitting by just pushing back and ta-da then he's sitting!
- He has started to move his arm up and down to "wave" hello or goodbye (but not on command yet, it's really whenever he feels so inclined)
- He has done two Mommy and Me music classes (Kindermusik) and he enjoyed them both - we are going to sign up for them so we can go every week. He would "sing" after we sang and he is now banging his hands on things to "drum"
- Blows raspberries (which turns into biting) his bites hurt thanks to all those teeth
- Fantastic eater - he opens his mouth big and wide when he's ready for the next bite but when he's done he stops. He only eats organic foods or breast milk (Except ground turkey - can't find that organic ANYWHERE). I enjoy making his food and knowing he's getting quality food without preservatives, etc and have found that we save money versus buying the organic food in a jar!
- Really good at eating everything. He has had puffs and graham cracker sticks. We have tried little finger foods like bananas/cantaloupe/watermelon. Not so good at that, when he can pick it up he doesn't quite understand chewing it and sucks on it forever without swallowing it.
- Good at the sippy cup and grabs it when he wants water.
- Big huge open mouth smile for everyone but doesn't reach out for strangers when they want to hold him.
- Will sort of do a high five (Thanks to second cousin Taylor)
- He really is a happy, contented baby however recently he has started screaming/fussing when he doesn't like something. He is more aware when he doesn't like something and lets us know. He's also gotten a lot more fussy around mama and fusses until I pick him up and then he continues to fuss until I nurse him.
- Still not a lot of hair, it's so light that you don't see what IS there.
- He's got a beautiful creamy complexion.
- He still has the cute dimple that I love so much.
- Does not like the changing table any more. He is hard to keep still when changing his diaper and he fusses during that and when putting clothes on/off. He wants to roll over and squirm away.
- He will fall asleep in the car now, which is great except he doesn't sleep long in the carseat after we take the carseat into the house.
- Has started throwing things on the floor but it's not quite a game yet.
- His favorite toys are the Fisher Price race track that has a center track that spins around, his Baby Einstein turtle that lights up and plays music, his ABC-singing Giraffe, and he really loves his basketball hoop that lights up and plays music as well. He will play for a long time by himself with that one.
- He will follow you around now to the kitchen or bedroom by crawling and is starting to get into everything so we have to be aware of what's on the floor/in his reach.
- Max's Sleep Routine: Turn the white noise on, give him his Vitamin D drops, lotion on his face, go to the bathroom to "brush" his teeth with the finger toothbrush and water (he actually lets me do it now), then read books, kisses from mom, swaddle him up, begin singing to him, turn off lamp on the nightstand, sing and rock a little in front of the pack n' play while patting or rubbing his back, then lay him down and walk out and shut the door. Works like a charm at night - - probably 90% success rate now (after I leave he usually squirms and gets comfortable either turning his head to the side, or laying on his side, or rolling to his belly and pulling his legs up under him, and works his arms free if possible). He's in the pack n play without the raised bassinet since he pulls up now.
- However, the sleep routine only works at night. It we are trying to get Max down for a nap during the day, good luck. Nothing really consistently works. Even letting him lay there and crying himself to sleep can lead to an hour of crying.
- Max typically goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:30 then will be back up at 11:30 pm to nurse, then 3 am and then 6 am (at the 6 am nursing, I let him just stay in bed with us after that).
- Max doesn't usually wake up happy.
- He loves reading books and will play with one by himself and really look at the front and back. If you are reading to him and hold the next page up a little bit, he will turn the page himself using his left hand.
- He been a good trooper while we look at houses!
- Max super loves Peter and looks for him all the time.
- He likes watching dad throw a ball up and catch it.
- He is starting to giggle more - he's happy and will laugh but never been a big giggler and now we notice more and more that we can get him laughing to the point of giggling more often.
- He would sit with dad and type on his computer/watch Peter's computer games forever if we would let him.
- He's still enthralled with Baby Einstein videos but only watches them when we need him preoccupied for a bit, (like when I am showering - he's too big and strong now to sit happily and safely in the bouncy seat).
- Max is in size 2 diapers still.
- He still fits a lot of 3-6 month clothes, especially pants.
- He loves being outside.
- He has Lots of drool even though he doesn't seem to be teething right now.
- Not much spit up though, most days nothing. It's been over a month since we stopped the zantac medicine and he is doing great!
- Likes watching himself in mirrors.
- Great at peek a boo and he's good at pulling blankets off his head.
- Still puts nearly everything in his mouth, including his fingers/thumbs.
- Doesn't like the texture of grass, if you try to stand him up on grass he will only put down one foot and keep the other one up.
- I think he almost said "dad". We'll see how that goes...it will probably be his first word.
- Pulls at my earrings and necklaces and likes to eat them. He's also become aware that I have hair and will pull at it now.
