The Peytons: Bailey's Ninth Month

Weight: 17 pounds, 13 ounces (10th percentile)
Height: 29 inches (75-90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17.5 inches (25-50th percentile)

I simply cannot believe that Bailey is 9 months old already!! It blows my mind and breaks my heart a little that time seems to be going so much faster with Bailey than it did with Ainsley. Our little guy is just getting SO big! This month he transitioned from being able to take a series of steps to walking basically 100% of the time. And if he ever is crawling, he puts his head down like a battle-ram and crawls really really fast. Whether walking or in battle-ram crawl, sometimes I literally feel like I have to jog a bit to keep up with him, so he is certainly moving fast. He is just such a cute little walker. Sometimes I'll be watching him toddle around and it just amazes me. His body is still so little that it almost looks silly seeing him walking around. I'll admit that his mobility made life more challenging since he is faster, can already reach things off the table, can climb up the stairs (and has already fallen down two of them - ahhh!!), is into everything, and I am constantly hearing Ainsley yelling "Baby is bothering me!!". Now that he is up and about, she definitely sees him more as an equal which has both its endearing moments of play and its frustrating moments of yelling on both ends and separation.

Bailey had his well-check this month and the dr gave him two thumbs up. He's still tall and thin and as expected with how active he is, his weight did drop a little percentage-wise but our dr isn't worried. She did say that he is delayed in his verbal skills and that if he wasn't so advanced in his motor skills that she would be a little concerned. This month he has started chatting with us more by making "ahh" noises back and forth but most kiddos by this age are doing more consonant sounds and he just isn't there. We aren't worried since its clear he's focusing his growth in one area but we've started trying to work with him more on getting to mimic different noises. Since the appt. we have gotten him to repeat a "ma ma" sound, so that's progress. :)

Eating... Bailey has taken a turn this month and become a very challenging eater. This started about 2ish weeks ago and I thought it was just a phase related to teeth but we're still there. :( He wants to be independent and feed himself but isn't interested in picking up anything but baby puffs and mum-mums (baby crackers). He has the ability to but just won't. So, he literally eats 4+ mum-mums a day. I try to squeeze spoonfuls of baby food past him chomping on the mum-mums but it is a challenging and can be pretty frustrating. I remember Ainsley going through this phase where she ate less but I didn't stress about it then because she was sleeping so well, which Bailey is not. But he is still nursing about 4-5 times a day and taking a few oz of formula in tge afternoon so at least I know he is getting those calories.

Sleeping... This boy is killing us when it comes to sleeping! A few weeks ago when he was teething and had a cold and started not eating as well during the day he also quit sleeping as well. And he has never gone back. Ugh!! It's awful and we still feel like we have a newborn. But we feel so stuck because he is waking up legitimately hungry and will take a full feeding in the middle of the night. Since he is eating so poorly during the day we feel so badly letting him just cry it out at night because he's not just waking up to hang out, there is actually something he needs. But it's awful and both George and I are ready for a full night's rest. That said, he does sleep well during the day taking two 1.5-2 hour naps a day.

Milestones... This month Bailey's upper left side tooth appeared. It's not the middle tooth but the side one so when it comes in all the way, he's going to look like a jack-o-lantern! He learned to clap early this month and often cheers himself on. He also learned to mimic us making popping, sputtering, or clicking noises with our mouths. He gets such a kick out of playing with us in this way.

Other loves... Bailey is a bundle of joy all day! He happily goes from one toy/activity to the next with ease and is at such a fun playful interactive stage. He loves to play under the kitchen table and chairs whether we are eating dinner or not. He also loves playing peek-a-boo with himself with spare blankets and this one specific basket that holds some of Ainsley's toy food for her kitchen. It's hilarious because he has deemed that his basket and will often dump everything out so that he can put it on his head to play peek-a-boo. Silly boy! He has started really liking books this month and loves to be read to and loves playing with books and trying to flip through them by himself. Reading stories to him is one of the few times he is still, so it is extra sweet time. He also loves, loves, loves playing outside and being in the bath. And sadly, he is taking after his daddy already and loves to get into things he isn't supposed to. In a whole room full of toys, the first things this little guy goes for is the outlets, the lamp cord, the night light, the humidifier full of water, or the diapers I just put away or the clothes I just folded. Sigh.

Dislikes... As happy as he is most of the time, man can he throw a fit if you take him away from what he wants and what will likely electrocute or hurt him. He certainly is determined. He also hates to be left out and crys anytime anyone goes outside without him. And if George is rough-housing with Ainsley he gets so sad not being in the mix. It is pretty sweet to already see him want to be apart of the family so badly.

My favorite thing about this month has been that Bailey has learned to snuggle by laying down his lil head on our shoulders. These snuggles usually happen when we get him out of his crib in the morning or after nap and they tend to be short lived but still I cherish every second of them. I just can't get enough of him resting his sweet lil body on me - I love it! Although I have to admit that he doesn't just snuggle on us. He will also flatten his body completely out on his belly and lay his head down on the floor or a pillow and be still for 15-30 seconds. It is so funny to see and oddly surprising to see him just be still for a while.