It Begins...

What begins? The fun part! :o) Matthew is now crawling very well - out into the hallway, chasing after the cats and all that. His knees are red and have little bruises on them, but they'll toughen up in time. He is also getting very good at using objects (furniture, toys, etc.) to help him get from his hands and knees to just his knees and, sometimes, his feet! He can't stand without holding on to something yet, though. Not enough balance for that! Here's what the newsletter says:

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 39 weeks (Approximately 9.1 months) old now.
At nine months old, babies usually range from 26.25 inches long and 16 pounds (10th percentile) to 29 inches long and 21.5 pounds (90th percentile).
Your baby no doubt knows his or her name and understands many words for people or objects that he or she loves. Your baby also understands common gestures. For example, if you motion for him or her to "come here," he or she will probably crawl over to you without having to hear the words. He or she is also an expert babbler and probably loves to repeat one sound or series of sounds over and over. Since your baby is probably mimicking many of your behaviors - the good as well as the bad - now's the time to think about what behaviors you'd like to change or improve in yourself before he or she starts following your example. For example, if you react calmly when things don't go your way, then your baby is likely to do the same. If you get upset and yell, he or she is likely to mirror that behavior as well. That can be a scary thought. People often wonder how they became just like their parents. Well, it all starts now.
Does your baby like to clap his or her hands and move his or her body to music? Rhythm and interactive games are big favorites right now. Try teaching him or her the finger movements to songs like "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and "This Little Piggy Went to Market." Point out body parts such as your eye, nose, mouth to help him or her learn the words - soon he or she will be able to point to the correct body part along with you.

Matthew loves to say "bababababa" right now, and he really jams to music! :o) He bounces up and down when he hears some that he likes. My husband has been working with him on body parts - mostly the face (nose, eye, ear, etc.). He's feeling better - in the past day or two his nose has gotten less stuffy and he's in a better mood. Gave me his cold, though :oP What a nice boy! His 9 month well baby visit is this afternoon so we get to see how big he's getting - as if we need proof that he's growing like a weed! His hair is, too. He could use another hair cut.

Sick Baby

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 38 weeks (Approximately 8.9 months) old now.
Your baby is learning to grasp small objects between his or her thumb and index finger and can judge depth more accurately, both of which will have him or her picking up everything from a favorite toy to each crumb of dropped food you missed when cleaning the floor. Your baby is also starting to respond to simple commands and may give Mommy a toy or share his or her finger food. What a giver!
The ability to sit unassisted for 15 minutes and reach for a toy without losing his or her balance will have both of you beaming with pride. You have many reasons for commending your baby now. . . not that you needed another excuse to show your adoration.
As your baby is becoming more attached to you, he or she might also be becoming more attached to an inanimate object, such as his or her pacifier, a toy, or a favorite blanket. This is another sign of separation anxiety. As your baby realizes that you may not always be there right by his or her side, he or she decides to attach themselves to something that he or she can keep with him or her at all times. This insecurity may also be intensified by a big change, such as a new babysitter, or if you moved into a new, bigger house.
Your baby is probably pulling themselves up and may be able to lean against furniture with his or her hands free. Despite taking lots of tumbles, your baby is determined to conquer gravity. Soften his or her falls by placing rugs or blankets under the furniture he or she uses for balance. Don't feel pressured to wean your little one simply because he or she is eating solid foods now. There are many benefits to extended nursing, including the infection-fighting antibodies he or she receives with each ounce of breast milk, and the unique bonding that occurs during nursing. Remember, experts advise that breast milk (or formula) should still make up 75 percent of your baby's daily diet throughout the second half of his or her first year.

Well, it was bound to happen. Poor little Matthew has his very first ear infection and cold! And I figure that my husband and I are next, since he's been using both of us as his own personal kleenex since yesterday morning. We think he got the cold at the doctor's office when he went in on Friday evening - he had been running a fever of over 102 and that's when he was diagnosed with an ear infection. The good news? Since he's on antibiotics (which he actually thinks are not too bad tasting!) he probably won't be getting any secondary infections from the cold like bronchitis. Or an ear infection, which I'm not as excited about since he already has one! And some more good news - he's getting much better at crawling. He can go clear across a room now - if he feels like it. However, since he hasn't been feeling well his good sleeping habits that I was so excited about are now out the window. He gets up more often now than he has in a long time. Sigh.

As for the newsletter - yes, he can pick things up with his thumb and index finger. Although I haven't noticed him responding to simple commands. He isn't that attached to any inanimate objects. He likes to sleep with a pacifier and blanket, but he doesn't have to have either one when he's up playing (although the pacy has come in handy lately since he doesn't feel well). And he doesn't pull up onto furniture, although I have noticed that sometimes if I'm sitting next to him, he'll try to use my leg or other body part as something to use to try to stand up with. He hasn't been sucessful yet, but the interest is there. Growing up so fast :o)

He's Mobile! (Sort Of)

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 37 weeks (Approximately 8.6 months) old now.

If you decide to introduce pureed meat to your baby's diet, start with small portions, and be sure the meat is tender, thoroughly cooked, and pureed. Depending on how many teeth your baby has and how long he or she's been eating solid food, you can try a few small chunks of meat. Remember to introduce new foods one at a time, several days apart. Your baby's taste buds are still getting used to the taste of food, so don't add any seasonings including salt, spices, herbs, sugar, honey, butter or margarine. He or she doesn't need much protein now and is probably still getting enough from your breast milk or formula. You may want to prepare yourself for your baby's first bowel movement after eating meat. A good sturdy clothespin should do the trick. I can promise you, after he or she starts eating meat you'll no longer wonder whether he or she has had a bowel movement or not. You'll definitely know.

Take a moment to double-check your baby's sleeping arrangements. He or she will be standing and pulling themselves up soon (if he or she isn't already), so you may need to lower the mattress in his or her crib so he or she will not accidentally fall out if he or she stands up and leans against the railing.

Well, this is different. Usually the newsletter talks about stuff that Matthew isn't doing yet, but he's been eating meat for about 2 months now. Only pureed for a while, but now he gets into some chunks. It really makes no difference how many teeth they have...think about it. Babies get their front teeth first. The first set of molars don't come in until they are almost 2. How often do you chew with your front teeth? Not very often probably. Matthew does just fine mashing things up with his gums, which is what babies who have teeth at this point do also. Now, he HASN'T pulled up, but his crib mattress has been at its lowest possible level for quite a while so that we don't have to end up moving it again.

A couple exciting things...Matthew has been sleeping much better as time goes on. He normally will wake up maybe once a night still, and then it's probably 50/50 as to whether he will need to be fed or just have his pacifier stuck back into his mouth. The last 2 nights, though, he has slept all the way through without even needing his pacifier. So that's good. And also, he's crawling!! Not very well yet. He can only go for very short distances, kind of shuffling his knees forward and then usually falling when he tries to move his hands at the same time. But he is covering some distance and I'm sure he'll get himself coordinated pretty quickly. Things are about to get a lot more interesting on the parenting front, I think! :o)

"MMBBOO!"

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 36 weeks (Approximately 8.4 months) old now.
Just when you were getting used to your baby only taking a couple of small naps during the day, he or she may decide to keep you on your toes and stop going down for his or her afternoon nap. Many babies cut out their morning nap at this point and while this may not be enough for YOU, it is probably plenty for him or her. The good news is that when he or she cuts out the morning nap he or she will usually sleep longer during his or her afternoon nap. After all, he or she has been up playing hard for 5 hours or so. Use the extended nap time to get extra little things taken care of around the house that you may not have had time for before.
As your baby's hand-eye coordination improves, fill-and-empty games and stacking games will begin emerging as his or her favorites. Measuring cups, measuring spoons, and plastic storage containers will be big hits because they nest inside one another. Recognizing how one object relates to, or differs from, another is what some of our earliest school lessons are about. You can help your baby get a head start by offering toys and games that will help him or her learn this. Your baby is creating more complex memories from his or her experiences. For instance, he or she might see a ball, remember how it moves, and push it. He or she's even able to set goals for themselves, such as making noise from a pan by crawling to it and banging it with a spoon. Give your baby plastic bowls, pans, and other utensils and he or she will happily (and loudly) "perform" for you.
Your baby is beginning to recognize names, basic words like "no" and "bye-bye," and familiar sounds. He or she will look when you point out objects and he or she may also point at things when you name them. This is called receptive language and precedes the ability to speak. Since he or she now remembers daily rituals, try greeting your baby each morning with the same phrase. He or she'll look forward to it.

Matthew is becoming quite the character. It seems like he's learning new things in spurts these days. One day he won't be good at something, and then all of a sudden the next day he figures it out! One example is his chunky food. I've mentioned that he tends to gag a lot and doesn't handle it very well. Over the past few days, though, he's gotten a lot better. He can get through a jar of Stage 3 food with minimal gagging, or sometimes no gagging at all (depending on the consistency, of course). Last night he had green beans and rice, and didn't gag once. He also tried Zwieback Toast, and does very well. Also, and this is a big one, he's almost crawling!! I thought that we were a ways off, yet, because it just didn't seem like he was getting the hang of it very quickly at all. But yesterday that all changed. He can get up on his hands and knees by himself, and even move his hands OR his knees like he's crawling. Just not both at once, so he still can't get anywhere. But it's a vast improvement! He has also gotten into a sitting position from his hands and knees a couple times. All of these new developments in just one day, so who knows? He could start crawling for real today and be a pro by the end of the week :o)

As for the newsletter, Matthew is still taking 2 naps a day, although it is sometimes harder for him to fall asleep and the naps tend to be shorter. I would like to try to see how he does with one nap a day, but I hate to mess with my husband's schedule too much since he's the one that is home alone with Matthew 5 days out of the week. I just don't want his nighttime sleeping to be affected by too much sleep during the day. Which I guess I don't really see happening...yet. Oh, and he can also say "Boom!" I don't know if it should be counted as his first word or not. It sounds more like "MMBBOO," but he says it when he knocks over a stack of toys and my husband and/or I say "Boom!" in response. He finds it all quite entertaining :o)