Things we love... 9 months.

On the baby side of things... 

1. Zoli "Bot" cup: We LOVE this cup. Some people have had issues with it leaking, which I suspect stems from displacement of a little silicone ring that sits inside the seal on the top part of the cup. It has a super soft silicone straw that is easy to drink out of, and the bottom of the straw is weighted, so it goes with gravity... whichever way the cup is leaned, or even if it is flipped upside down. LOVE. IT. It's expensive ($8-14), but we love it.

2. Bibsters: Andrew was never a spitter. He spit up a little during the first few weeks, but I've literally put a bib on him fewer than 15 times (at the most) up until the last 2 months. Now he is self feeding, so I like these for traveling or going out to eat. Cheap, work really well, and have a pocket to catch food. Love them.

3. Play yard: This has been a lifesaver. Our house is small and not amenable to much child proofing. We use this daily... while we get ready in the mornings, while we eat, or just when he wants to play. It also breaks apart into sections or one long section to block off other areas.

4. Mum-mums: These are rice crackers that come individually wrapped in packs of 2 crackers. They are made in China which scares a lot of people, but I'm ok with it. They have few ingredients, dissolve easily, don't leave too many crumbs, and Andrew loves them. They are easier than puffs/melts because they are already wrapped, so I can throw them in the diaper bag or daycare bag without much thought. 

5. Clip on fan: It's the deep south. My car does not have rear air, and we have a rear facing car seat. I use this fan to help redirect the cooler air blowing to the back. It has foam blades and the motor isn't too strong, so it is harmless. It takes one battery which dies fairly quickly (I replace it about once every 3 weeks), but it's used daily.

6. YoBaby Vanilla yogurt: It's delicious. Andrew loves it.

For mom...
7. Pumping bra: I recommend a pumping bra to everyone, even my friends who aren't hardcore pumpers. Pumping without one is sort of like trying to brush your teeth using only your feet. I have this one from Simple Wishes, but anyone works.

8. Kroger iPhone App: No photo of this one... it makes life so easy. I can load my coupons onto it, make a list on it, check my fuel points, etc. I use paper coupons, but I can add those items to my list too.

9. Houzz: online house ideas/dream book. Free to join, sort of like Pinterest but house and design specific. I love it.

10. Sweet Leaf Half and Half Tea/Lemonade: It's delicious. The caps have "grannyism" sayings on their underside.

9 Months!!!

When did you become a big boy???

Loves: Cruising, standing up for a few seconds, your Zolibot sippy cup, bathing, being thrown/lifted into the air, animals

Dislikes: Loud surprise noises, getting dressed after your bath, being put down when you are sleepy

Clothes: A variety... you are at a convenient size! You can wear some 6 months (a few rompers are too short, but shirts and shorts fit fine), most 6-9 and 9mo sizes, and some 12 month sizes. Your belly is little, so anything bigger than 6-9mo pants hang off of you (and some that are those sizes do too)

We weighed you yesterday, you were 19 lbs on the nose.

Your hair is brown with a lot of red in it, it seems a little darker than it used to be.

Everyone still comments on how much you smile. You smile for cameras automatically and are a HUGE flirt.

You are a good taster. We really increased your table food this month, and you've done great! You like pasta, ice cream, vegetables, fruits, breads, saltines, cheese, potatoes, etc. You don't really like meat yet, mostly because of the texture.  You still eat baby food well, and the only thing you seem to dislike is green beans.

In the last week, you decided you didn't want bottles during the day. They could "sneak" them in when you sleep, but otherwise you only took 1-2 oz before you got bored. You do love drinking from sippy cups, preferably your Zolibot straw cup. It was expensive ($11), but works well. You drink juice, breastmilk, and water. You occasionally get to taste things like sweet tea or lemonade, but not often.

You go to bed anywhere between 6-8pm based on our schedule and how tired you are, and you usually wake up on your own between 5:30 and 7am. You usually take a morning nap around 9 and an afternoon nap around 2. You still occasionally take a cat nap at lunch or around 5, but not too often.

You spent much of the last month teething. You had it rough and have cut your 4 top front teeth, pretty much all at once.

You also had a virus this month. It looked like mild Hand-Foot-Mouth, but we really weren't sure if it was that or just another viral exanthem. We had the opinion of about 5 doctors, and the consensus was symptomatic treatment either way. You stayed out of daycare for 4 days.

If you aren't tired or in a teething spell (grumpy), you'll go to almost anyone. If they have food, you'll be their best friend.

You do a classic crawl with "sho-nuff" speed right now. You will stand, but mostly hold on to things with one hand or cruise. You bumped your head a couple of times at your grandparents' house when you let go, lost your balance, and fell backwards.

You shake your head "no" and say "uh-uh" when you don't want to do something. You will occasionally say "OK" and "yeah." You otherwise babble. You say "dada," "mama," "baba," "nana" and lots of other noises. You say a specific "Muh" when you want me.

You mostly ignore your cousin Avery, but you do like to pat him (or smack him) when we let you get close to him. You and Leah generally play rough and tumble.

You use your baby potty every single time we put you on it. Over the last few weekend or off days, we put you on it consistently every 2 hours or so, and you did GREAT!!!  You do both types of business with no problem. We get so excited and clap for you every time. You think it's hilarious. You also "found" your boy parts this month.

You love crawling around and crawling or looking "under" stuff... like under your jumparoo, under recliners, under or through the piano bench and legs, etc.

You are the best.