9 Months Old!

I know I say this every month, but we can hardly believe that Grant is 9 months old already! He has been out longer than he was in! He continues to surprise us everyday. We went to the doctor this morning for his checkup and here are the latest stats: He weighs 20 pounds, 13 ounces, which is the 50th percentile. He is 29 3/8 inches tall--the 82nd percentile, so he is growing tall like his Daddy! This also means that he needs a new car seat soon--the height limit is 30 inches on his infant seat, so we will be shopping soon for a big boy convertible car seat! His head circumference is 18 3/4--which is the 95th percentile. He still has quite the big noggin, but luckliy there wasn't major growth since the last time, so it is fine. The doctor continues to be impressed with his development, and we no longer need to think of him in terms of what he would be based on his due date. He has definitely caught up! The doctor said Grant looks so much like his Daddy, and she was also impressed that we have not needed to come to the office for any sickness or anything since his last well check-up--that he is so healthy and making it through the winter without anything, which is rare! I like to think that Grant is this way due to breastfeeding, and maybe he is inheriting my good immune system (that I'm sure I got from my years of teaching). Hopefully the doctor didn't jinx us and he will continue to stay healthy. Before we left the doctor, we scheduled his next appointment--for when he turns 1! That is so crazy!

We are taking Grant for his 9 month pictures tomorrow. He has changed so much since his 6 month pictures, so we really want to get them taken again.

Grant is also so close to crawling. Just this week he has made many improvements. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. Also, he has learned to start scooting on his belly to move closer to something, so we are pretty sure that he will be off and moving in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for a video on that! Happy 9 month birthday, Grantman!

"You are the best thing that's ever been mine"

After I fed Grant his lunch today, I kept him in his high chair with a sippy cup and some finger food to keep him busy while I cleaned up and did some dishes. Many times while doing this or cooking or whatever, I will put on the radio in our kitchen. I like to sing and dance silly in front of Grant to get him to laugh. He really seems to love the music. One song came on today, "Mine" by Taylor Swift, which is one that I sing to Grant a lot either at home, in the car, etc. I know it's technically a love song, but every time that I hear the lyric, "You are the best thing that's ever been mine" I think about both Grant and Doug. They truly are the best things in my life! When the song came on today, Grant started smiling--before I even started singing it or got his attention. This may be just a coincidence, but I like to think that he recognized it as the song I like to sing to him. I got him out of the high chair and danced around the kitchen with him in my arms, as he smiled and nuzzled against me. These are the moments I dreamed about when we were hoping for a baby or when I was pregnant. Tears filled my eyes, and all I could do was thank God for bringing Doug and Grant into my life. So many times I get completely filled up with strong emotions like this, that I can't believe I have what I do, and I just pray that all my loved ones can feel this way too at some point in their lives. I will never forget moments like these--it's what life is all about!

Milestones

Grant is now 8 1/2 months old and has developed a few new milestones since the last post! First of all, last night he grabbed food on his own and got it to his mouth for the first time! Usually the "pincer" grasp (using the thumb and forefinger to pick up food) develops around 9 months or so, and he doesn't quite have that figured out yet, but we were happy to see his interest in trying to grab the little puffs off of his tray and attempt to eat them. Seems like such a small thing, but was very exciting to us!

Grant has also discovered how to move all around his crib and turn in many directions. He got himself completely sideways and up against the side rails after his nap the other day, and he was gnawing on the crib rail. Good thing he doesn't have any teeth yet! He has also managed to get his legs stuck in between the rails, making him quite angry. We started putting him in a sleep sack for his naps now too (he used to just wear them at night) to keep the legs contained. Needless to say, we will be putting up some mesh bumpers this week to help stop both of these new habits.

While he is still not crawling or getting up to a sitting position on his own yet, he is still managing to get himself all over the room, under things, etc. by rolling and turning. He also likes to sit on his own next to us on the couch or on the floor, and doesn't want us to just hold him as much anymore, unless he is tired, of course, in which case we savor those moments! He also loves watching Lexi, our dog, and smiles when he sees her move. He is starting to grab for her and wants to pet her, so we are really starting to watch for that more closely now! We also are sometimes putting him in the Pack 'n Play with some soft toys to entertain him. It keeps him safe and contained, and he doesn't mind it if he falls over, since nothing can really hurt him in there. He really seems to like playing in there alone sometimes--almost like his own little office.

One more milestone is that Grant is now starting to grow out of his 6-9 month clothes, and has just started wearing 12 month outfits/sleepers this week. We only had a few things in this size, so luckily he got some things for Christmas, and we bought him lots of new things as well. Hopefully he will be in this size for a few months at least before we need to buy him a whole new wardrobe in the next size!

Just thought we'd share a little more about what Grant is up to these days. He is becoming more and more of a little boy to us instead of a tiny baby, and we are really enjoying watching him grow and learn. We thank God everyday for him, and I am so lucky and happy to be home with him during the day. We love just hanging out in our pajamas all day playing, reading, etc., and I can't imagine not being able to do this everyday! We are now finding ourselves calmed down from the holidays, back into our daily routine, and relaxing more. It's nice to not have much planned this month. I'm sure things will get crazier as Grant starts moving, springtime approaches, etc., but for now, days of being snowed in, taking long naps, and hanging out as a family are perfectly fine with us.