NINE MONTHS

Sweet Cole, you are NINE months old!  Yes, that means you are 3/4 of the way to being a one year old and this momma can barely stand it!  You have grown and changed soooo much (have you heard this before - maybe in like every previous post?)! 

You are a rock-star sleeper... 7:45pm-7:00am each and every night and you still take 3 naps... 9:15-11:15, 1:30-3:30 and a catnap on most nights from 5:30-6:15 which works out perfectly for me to be able to cook dinner - thanks buddy!  (And a HUGE shout-out to Baby-Wise for allowing me to have two wonderful sleepers!!!) Now this doesn't mean you don't wake up at all.  You do wake up, talk for a bit, and then go right back to sleep.  I'd say this happens most nights and probably 2-3 times.  Back when you were about 6-7 weeks old you did this and I just let you cry it out a few times and you have slept ever since.  Also, you like to stand up in your crib, hold on to the rail and bounce... wild child!  You also try to chew on the crib as well.  Luckily, it has a plastic cover baby-goat - ha! 

You wear a size 4 diaper and size 12-18 month clothes.  We even just bought you your first pair of shoes and you look soooo cute in them!  You have started to pull your socks off and like to chew on them, and our socks too - GROSS!  

You crawl EVERYWHERE, pull up constantly, cruise around the furniture, and have started to stand up in the middle of the floor and then sit right back down.  I am pretty sure walking is in your near future... gulp!  

You will still eat some baby-food but much prefer table food.  There isn't a thing you haven't liked and you gobble down anything we put on your tray.  Your favorite real foods so far are:  mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, corn, carrots, peaches, pears, avocado, rice, noodles, olives, meatloaf, pork, turkey, chicken, squash, onions, zucchinni, black beans, pancakes, toast, cheerios, mum-mum crackers, goldfish and puffs.  You have also started to drink from a soft nippled sippy-cup.  You still take 4 bottles a day, about 27 ounces of formula a day.  You can hold your own bottles now and can drink your bottle all by yourself if needed... (I like to hold you and get snuggles in while you eat, because this is the only time your are still.  You gaze at me and stroke my face... it is my very favorite time of day.)

You remain happy as can be, and seem to be just thrilled now that another few teeth have popped through on the top.  Not the top center ones but the eye teeth?!?  You chew on everything and suck your thumb only when you are trying to fall asleep.  You also rub your blanket on your face ... it is just precious!  You actually LOVE nap time and seem happy to go to your crib and get your blanket!  

At the Dr. this time you had grown in length, but not weight!  Probably due to a few things...  You had a terrible vomit-bug (refer to me Vomit-giving Post) and didn't drink much formula for a week.  You did drink Pedialite, but the formula was pretty hard on your tender tummy.  I think you lost a pound or two then and have spent the last two weeks gaining it back!  You also became mobile, which burns lots of calories!  She also attributed it to the fact that you are now on table food and that it takes a while to get really good at getting enough food to be a full meal for a while.  The thing is, you just aren't built like your brother.  He weighed 7 pounds heavier at this age, which makes perfect sense seeing that he wasn't mobile yet.  However, you weighed almost 2 pounds heavier at birth - weird huh!   

Height - 28.25 inches - 50th%

Weight - 20 pounds - 50th% 

You have quite a bit of hair.  You were born with quite a bit and it never fell out.  Now more is growing in.  You have the cutest double cowlick in the front... should make styling your hair interesting!  We took pictures the other day and I put your hair in a mohawk with a little gel - you looked soooo super cute!  

You like to yell, not cry, just lots of LOUD, happy yells.  If Grady yells back at you, you laugh and do it right back at him with the same sound pattern.  It is pretty funny, unless we are at a restaurant!  

Speaking of restaurants, you do really well in the high-chair and we take you two out with us quite a bit.  Now we like to frequent the 45 minute or less establishments without white tablecloths if you catch my drift... you tend to be somewhat loud and a little messy!  

You are in.love.with.your.brother!  When G walks in the room all of your focus goes towards him and your get the biggest smile on your face.  Good thing you two are both rough and tumble because you two already wrestle!  You like to crawl over his legs, play crawl chase, take baths together, and sometimes he even gives you your bottle.  Some of the happiest moments of my life so far are watching you two interact.  There is just something so sweet, pure and innocent about it all.  Stay like this forever...  Did I mention that Grady loves you right back and is so very proud of you?!?!

Your favorite toys right now are:  the animals from the Little People Barn, the fridge magnets, the musical drums, anything you can fit in your mouth, chew or suck on, and any of Grady's toys, shoes, etc.  Basically anything you aren't supposed to have.  The Christmas Tree has been somewhat of a challenge... but worth it!  You LOVE looking at the lights.  You also like to race over to the dog water bowl and dump it out ... three times so far this week!  I would have to say that your favorite toy really is Molly though - you just love her and crawl all over her and grab her hair and let her lick your hands - gross.  She is a great sport!  

Cole, we love you so much!  Thank you for bringing such happiness to our life!!!