Hannah: 9 Months

My Peanut,

9 months old...really?  You have been outside my belly for the same amount of time that you were inside my belly!  (Well technically I guess that's not true, since pregnancy is actually 10 months, but you get what I'm saying.) You are changing so much every day and I can hardly keep up.  It is hard to believe that you are the same baby that I held on my chest the moment you were born - covered in slime, but perfectly content to just lay there with me.  I wish I had known then that you would only let me cuddle you like that for a VERY short time.  After those 30 minutes of snuggling you were ready to conquer the world!  Oh how I miss that chubby little peanut.  But oh how I adore the pre-toddler you are becoming!

Here's what you are up to at 9 months old:

• You weigh 19 lbs. 15.5 oz. (75%) and are 29" tall (90%!!)  You are gonna be one tall girl!
• You wear mostly all 12 month clothes (9-12 months) and some 18 months (12-18 months).  But surprisingly you can still wear some 6 month stuff (3-6 months) and a lot of your 9 month clothes (6-9 months).  The sizing labels are so misleading sometimes.  We just put you in whatever fits! ;-)
• You are wearing a size 4 diaper and size 3 or 4 shoes.
• You have started to give kisses, but only Eskimo ones and usually only for daddy.  He says "Hannah, give daddy a kiss" and you lean forward with your mouth wide open and rub your nose on his.  It is precious!
• You are still attached to your pacifier at night and for all naps!  Some day you will give it up. ;-)
• You are pulling yourself up onto everything and even starting to cruise a little from one piece of furniture to the next.  You have mastered standing up and sitting back down and now I hardly worry about you falling or bumping your head at all.  I'm glad you learned that skill quickly!
• You aren't waving or clapping yet, but you are so close.  You love when I clap your hands for you and sometimes if I wave you will hold your arm out and flap it a little, but nothing consistent.
• You love to knock down block towers!  As soon as I start to build one, you abruptly knock it over and smile your huge smile in amazement! 
• You make all kinds of sounds now - "Uhh Uhh Uhh", "Da Da Da", "Ba Ba Ba" and occasionally an "M", but mostly just a lot of random noises.
• You have one tooth now, with one more on the way.  You got your bottom left tooth a few weeks ago and the bottom right one should be popping through any day now.  Thankfully you haven't started biting yet!!
• You are still eating all kinds of foods and have recently started eating more finger foods.  Your favorite right now is whole peas.  It is so fun to watch you pick them up with your tiny fingers and put them in your mouth.  You are becoming a pro!  You are also still LOVING the puffs and would eat them all day long if I let you.  They were our saving grace during our trip to NYC this past week!  We had a break through with homemade green beans and peas a few weeks ago too...you are finally eating them without a fight!  YEAH!  But now that you are are getting so good with your fingers, I think I will just give you pieces of green beans and whole peas now instead.
• You are still nursing wonderfully and still 4 times per day - 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 7:30 pm.  I aim for 4-5 minutes per side and lately you have been doing great with that.  You still eat solids 3 times per day - 8am, 12pm, and 4pm and are slowly increasing the amount you eat at each meal.
• Your sleep is still very erratic and this past week while we were in NYC it got completely out of control.  With you sleeping in the same room as us and in the pack n' play instead of your bed, you were just completely out of sorts.  You were up at least 3-4 times every night (some nights it was every hour!) and ate 2-4 times in the night.  INSANE!  But last night you were back in your own bed and did a little better (only woke 3 times and only had to feed you 1 time).  Hopefully things will get back on track now that we are home.
• You take 2-3 naps per day, but lately it is more often just 2.  Each nap is 40 minutes - 1 hour and you usually go down perfectly for them.  Two 40 minute naps is not the ideal, but I take what I can get with you!
• You HATE having your diaper changed and being on your back.  The moment I lay you down your goal becomes to flip back over and get as far away from me as possible!  It has become quite the wrestling match to get a clean diaper on you.
• You have had a mysterious "rash" on your bottom and thighs for the past month or so.  We finally went to the doctor today and confirmed my "self-diagnosis" of eczema.  I hate that you have that, but hopefully if we keep you lotioned up it will clear up in no time.
• You still have crazy hair that sticks up like you just stuck your finger in a light socket....I LOVE it! 
• You now take a bath in the big tub and LOVE it.  You still slide around a bit, so I have to keep a hand on you at all times, but you just love to splash in the water!
• This month was filled with more firsts - first time riding in your big girl convertible car seat, first time meeting Santa, started standing up in your crib, first time eating cheerios, first tooth, first Thanksgiving, first time eating chopped up green beans, peaches and whole peas, first time eating broccoli and mango, first trip to NYC, first ride in a taxi, and met Great-Grandma Vaccaro for the first time. 
• You can climb up the stairs with limited assistance, but you haven't figured out how to get back down without a lot of help.
• You started "sharing" your pacifier and toys with us in the last week.  It is adorable!  You hold out your pacifier and when we take it you smile your HUGE smile and then a few moments later you reach out to get it back.  You like to do that game over and over!
• You love playing with people's noses and mouths and you LOVE when daddy pretends to bite your fingers.  Such a silly daddy!
• You are still the most social baby and smile at everyone!  You are incredibly happy as long as you are out and about and not going to sleep!  You have the most adorable smile and dimples.  We must get told how cute you are at least 10 times every day.  I am realizing just how important it is going to be to have another baby soon so you don't become a complete brat! ;-)  But mommy isn't in any rush!  I want to enjoy your babyhood before we bring another one into the family.