My Dearest Avery,
9 months old already eh? Well I can tell you baby girl, you are something else. You had your 9 month Dr. appt last week. You are now 16.4lbs and 76cm. Just a little peanut still. You are in the 50th percentile for weight, but only the 26th for weight. In fact, you have grown 5cm since your last appointment at the beginning of November, and it is now January 31st and you haven't gained any weight at all. My guess is that it is because you are mobile. Nope, still not crawling, but man do you have that bum scoot down! You can race around here very quickly on that little bum of yours.
You actually just stopped nursing this month... I wasn't ready to stop nursing you yet, but I had a three day flu that decreased my milk enough that you couldn't get what you needed so we had to start you on formula. You took to it right away (not surprisingly since you pretty much like everything) but you were getting really sick from the formula, vomiting and gassy and you just looked like you weren't feeling well when you drank it, so I switched you to lactose free and you have been fine since then. In fact, you wouldn't drink more than 3oz of the regular formula, but are drinking up to 6oz now. You are sleeping better at night now without your before bed meal too. You are now having dinner at 4:30pm, then a bottle at 6:45pm and are fast asleep for the night by 7pm. Sometimes you still get up around 3-4am for another bottle, but it is rare. I can't believe you are already sleeping through the night. As tired as I was getting up with you, I really did love having that special time just with you my baby.
The Dr. wants to see you again next month to see if you gain some weight. She wants me to start giving you more formula and less food, but I have a hard time filling you up, so I assume you will just take the extra formula in addition to your food. Daddy says every time he sees you, you are either eating or drinking something, and he's not far off, you usually have some kind of snack with you, or at least your water cup (which you hold on to for dear life) at all times. You just love having your own water cup now, It is the cutest thing to see you and Addison drinking your sippy cups together on the couch while you watch your shows. I just love how you follow her around and play together. I couldn't be happier with my two girls.
While we're on the subject of your favorite things... you have a new hobby! Pulling all the DVD's out from under the coffee table. You get so mad when you scoot all the way over there and someone pulls you away. In fact, you are getting very vocal about the way you feel now. You waste no time yelling at us. It is pretty funny. I'm sure you are trying to tell me how mad you are that you put so much effort into scooting all the way over just to be pulled away. Addison yells at you for it, but I have given up. You aren't hurting them, and it doesn't really take much time to put them back, so if it makes you happy to pull all the DVD's out, then go nuts!
Your biggest milestone this month, is learning to pull yourself up to stand! You prefer to do it with us than with objects, so I will sit and grab your fingers and you pull yourself right up! You are soo proud when you do it too. And you should be. You are so little, that must take a lot of effort! I think you enjoy the new perspective, because you can stand like that forever, and you make your legs stiff when I try to sit you down after. You just LOVE to stand.
Have I ever told you that you gleek when you eat? Especially if you are really hungry, like when you are waiting for your lunch after your nap. You can shoot spit all the way across your highchair tray! haha it is really funny kiddo. It's not like you do it once in awhile either. You pretty much do it every time you open your mouth wide for a spoonful of food.
Every single day now you are learning something new and getting stronger. I am really planning your birthday party now, and it is hard to think of you getting so big. I can't believe my little peanut is almost a toddler. Just so we are clear, no matter how big you get, you will always be my baby. I love you so much Avery Leigh. More than you will ever know.
Love you forever,
Mama
xoxoxoxooxoxoxox
