Aiden :: 9 Months

Aiden,

My sweet happy boy...I think this was the first month we saw your sad side! You started teething this month, and you are NOT a fan. While you haven't been your usual happy self, and a bit more cranky than normal, you are still happier than most. So we really can't complain. And it doesn't take much to bring that big grin to your face. As long as you were being held or right next to me or your Daddy, you seemed fairly content. So we just got some extra snuggles and cuddles this month to help you through your rough times...and I'm definitely not sad about that! When I am done feeding you your bedtime bottle, you have started laying your head on my chest/shoulder, with your arms wrapped around me, and you will just look up at me with those baby blues and babble away. I like to think you are telling me all about your day. And my heart basically explodes.

Love, 

Mama

AIDEN MICHAEL

Stats :: 25 pounds, 30.13 inches

Clothing/Diaper Size :: you are wearing size 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers {with size 5 overnight diapers}...still!

Loves :: being held, giggling with Daddy, Sasha, reading books

Dislikes :: teething, being left by himself {when either Mama leaves the room or when Eli and Maddie go play somewhere out of sight}

Eat :: you were eating a ton at the beginning of the month, but then you started teething, and your appetite went way down for a bit. but I think your massive growth spurt finally passed, so you are balancing out a little more now. you love eating solids, and when we put you in your high chair, we better have it ready! you are also starting to figure out that when your brother and sister get in their high chairs, it's time to eat...and you expect solid food too :)  this month you tried, pancakes, black beans, mac 'n' cheese, oatmeal, white rice, waffles, animal crackers, cucumbers, pineapple, mandarin oranges, Spanish rice, French toast, Happy Baby Puffs, and chicken. some of these foods were because you just reached over and helped yourself...but you are doing just fine with all these new foods!

Sleep :: you are pretty much on the same sleep schedule as last month. you would sleep your long nap in the morning if I let you, but if I don't get you up at the hour or hour and a half mark during that morning nap, you take a short nap in the afternoon and are just miserable the rest of the day. for the most part, you did well with sleep while you were teething, though you did have some shortened naps and a few middle of the night wake-ups for awhile because you just didn't love that teething mess. but thankfully, you were able to put yourself back to sleep. also, we are still stuffing you into your Magic Merlin sleep suit; you outgrew that months ago, so your little arms and legs stick WAY out haha. but since you don't roll and have ZERO desire to be on your tummy...we'll keep you in it until it doesn't zip or it becomes uncomfortable for you. I'm not even sure what I expect to happen if/when we take you out {your brother and sister were out before 7 months}, but we're doing just fine with the status quo. while you don't roll, you do somehow scoot across the crib and we often find you in the upper corner of your crib {when we placed you in the middle at the beginning of the night}.

Play/Development :: you started having a bit of separation anxiety this month. while I used to be able to set you down to help your brother and/or sister or do something nearby, you definitely made your opinion known that that is no longer acceptable. you must be held or very, very close to me AT ALL TIMES. you wanted to be held most of the month, which I love, but that is very hard when (a) you weigh 27 pounds, and (b) you have 2 older siblings that also need me. you want SO badly to crawl, buddy, and you are so very close. even within the last couple of days, you have started crawling a short distance. but you are not consistent quite yet. just when you get going, you move back to sit back down on your bottom and just fuss. or you will get up on your hands and knees, like you are doing a plank or downward facing dog...and that's just too much work haha. you are still trying to pull up on everything now, so I'm curious to see how quickly you move past crawling to cruising and walking {!}. and then to add to your overall fussiness this month, you got your first tooth, and you don't seem to be handling it quite as nonchalantly as your brother/sister did.  

Unique to You :: you still have that fiery hint of ginger in your hair, buddy! that red hair has lasted a lot longer with you than it did with your siblings {and it's definitely more noticeable}, so we're curious whether that will stick around or not. you have become much more expressive this month, and you have a range of smiles and excited/curious/surprised faces. you are also starting to have some definite opinions...you will actually push our hand away if you don't want something. while this wasn't your most laid back month {lots of clinginess and fussiness}, you still are one of the happiest babies. it doesn't take much to get you to smile, and you are always up for a giggle. I am already starting to see glimpses of the proverbial baby treatment, just in how your brother and sister want to do things for you and you seem perfectly content letting them haha. so we'll have to watch that and be sure not to let you get away with too much :)