Eli :: 9 months

My baby is 9 months old today and as my brother in law would say this day is a huge deal because...he has officially been out of the womb longer than he was in the womb. This months has been a busy one and the first half of it very difficult, but it came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. Just after little man turn 8 months we packed up for our winter ski vacation and headed to Whitefish, MT for a week of skiing/snowboarding fun. Eli was just starting to get his two front teeth in and wasn't feeling great. It was the first time he was away from me for any extended period of time. The ski resort had a day care which he attended everyday for four days. He did OK some days and not so OK others. I still went in every three hours to nurse him so that helped, but he would not eat the jarred baby food I sent so he pretty much survived the whole week on puffs and bananas and hummus. I tell you what, my kids are baby food snobs. Oh well, the real stuff is best anyway.

The day after we got home from MT, Eli and I headed out for AL to help Nana post surgery. This was the first time he was going to meet his Nana, Grannie, Papa, and Mimi. I wish he were a little happier, but he was sick and teething the whole time. It was hard! He wouldn't sleep unless he was laying on top of me and he wouldn't go to any of his grandparents very easily. I hope their feelings weren't hurt to much. It was just a hard week. I am grateful he got to meet his grandparents. Once we got home those two front teeth popped on through and he became a happy boy again. The rest of the month was pretty good.

• He still is not sleeping through the night, every now and again he will, but mostly he gets up for a midnight feed and then another early morning feed. It doesn't bother me too much since he just eats and goes right back to sleep. By now I have forgotten what a night of uninterupted sleep feels like. 
• He is still being swaddled, we tried to change that, but it was not good. He must not be ready quite yet.
• The boy is still nursing 6-7 times per day and I don't see this letting up any time soon. The kid is a milk-o-holic!
• This kid loves his solids and eats like a champ. The only thing he is not too fond of by itself is avocados. He will eat them mixed with other stuff. He loves cheerios and gets so excited when he sees the bright yellow box. He pretty much eat what we eat for every other meal and is developing quite the palate. I am so grateful he doesn't have any food allergies as of yet.
• The boy has four teeth, he got the top two right at the beginning of Feb.
• He loves his toys, we have a mobile toy box and he gets so excited when he sees his toy box come to where he is sitting.
• He his still not moving where, no rolling or crawling. He loves to sit, he still hates his tummy, but he is getting more brave as he reaches further and further for toys out of his reach.
• He is a generally happy boy, mostly in the morning after his first feed. he loves his big brother and I can often leave them alone while I shower and I will hear tons of giggling coming from whatever room they are in. This is my favorite part of being a mom.
• Eli is a cautious soul. He like to feel his feet firmly on the ground. He likes to have me in his view and he is not very adventuresome right now. He really hates loud noises, especially when someone is crying. This might change, but for now I will enjoy my sweet, tender boy.

****Update on stats****

Eli had his 9 months check up on Feb 20th. He is 16lbs, 14.5oz and is 27 1/4 inches tall. He is in the 3% for weight and the 13% for height. They are not so concerned any more. He is just a small boy. What they are concerned about now is his lack of mobility. I have a referral for Physical Therapy for him. I am OK with this. The PT will do nothing but help my boy get out of his comfort zone.