9 months

Month 9 is coming to an end and 10 months is just around the corner!!

You are a fast moving baby!  I have been going to the YMCA almost every week day and Carla tells me almost every day that you like to play with the big kids.  Today she had to keep you "fenced" off because there were too many big kids where you usually like to hang out, crawl and just check things out.

You are babbling and babbling every day.  On our car rides, dropping off H & E and Daddy to work... you just babble and babble.  The most common sounds for a while were, "ga-li, ga-li, ga-li..."  You say it really fast.  The sounds like how we say "curry" in Chinese.

Our daily routine goes something like this.  You wake up about 6am.  For the past week, I've been bringing you into bed with me.  Daddy actually has been getting you because he has a really hard time listening to you cry, so he gets up much faster to go get you.  When he brings you into our dark room, your legs are kicking and you're doing your cough, cough sounds eager for some milk.  I usually dose off rubbing my cheek next to your soft soft hair.  ... when I touch your hair, whether with my face or my hands, it sends a calm feeling down my back.  I love you so much.  I cannot seem to remember what it was like before you came along.

Then Hannah & Elijah join us all in our bed and we have a snuggle time.  Everyone gets dressed while you have a play time in your crib listening to "Steve Green's, Hide 'em in your heart."  The longest time you've been happy in your crib has so far been about 45 minutes!!  Amazing!  You will usually stay happy for about 30 minutes before I come in and greet you with your first diaper change of the day.

I've decided to change your diaper after your playtime because I usually find a "treasure" after playtime anyway.

Then we go downstairs for breakfast.  These days it's been oatmeal, apple sauce and plain yoghurt.  You eat a really large bowl.  About the same amount as Hannah & Elijah.

At 8:30, it's snowsuits on and out the garage we go.  It's daddy to work and Hannah to school.  And sometimes Elijah to school too.  When we walk past other moms and dads, we almost always get a smile looking at your little face peeking from the pink bundle that's wedged into the navy stroller seat.  Elijah is almost always towering behind standing on his little step on the back.

We get home about 9:10 and it's right away to nap.  I hold your head on my shoulder as I slowly walk upstairs.  It's about the only time of day you will lay your head flat and nuzzle in.  (this was a little tip I got from Nana when she was putting you to bed often.)  With the blinds drawn, I lay you down on your stomach and you almost never fight it.  I click on "waterfall" on the white noise and the door is shut while I have some time with Elijah.

By about 11:00 you wake up for some milk and lunch.  And we are off to the Y where you play and cruise around.  We  come home and it's nap time again.  Elijah and I have been learning chess or playing at this time.  Then once you're up, another nursing time and we are off to get Hannah.

After Hannah gets home, it's cheerios in the high chair and down on the floor crawling and up in Mama's arms, or wherever you're most comfortable until 5:00.  Then it's supper time for you and 6pm is bed time.

You love having a good bath, but it's been tricky to get a bath for you while the rest of us are eating at about 6.  But it's working out ok for you to have a good night's rest, that your little bottom is just doing ok without the nightly bath.

About a week ago, when Auntie Vanessa was here in the evening.  You had cried out at 9pm.  Since you are over 9 months old, I knew it was time to skip that "dream feed."  So with her support, she said, "she's ok."  And I was able to endure about an hour of your crying.  You went back to sleep and you have been just fine with the exception of a few evenings where I stepped in and just fed you.

And that is the busy schedule as the baby of a family of 5.  Your life revolves around all of us, and somehow, we all get to play with you, interact with you and just love on you.. and sometimes a little "too much love" from your brother and sister.  But that's for another day.

A special period with Nana & Papa

written on Nov 17, 2010 from Florida
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Looking at some pictures from our time at home in the summer ..........time especially spent with Naomi, as you are writing some thoughts for her..........really brought back the sweet memories of our happy and smiley little Naomi.

 

First the walks - Papa just loved to take Naomi for walks and stop under the trees and have her watching with awe the moving leaves, especially the big weeping willow on Hazelwood......the branches and leaves hang right down over the sidewalk and Naomi would grab on to those leaves and immediately give them a taste (well, Papa was pretty quick to not let her eat them!)

 

Naomi loves to swing and would swing in the large red swing at the park on Papa's lap, or the black baby swing by herself, or her own blue shark in the backyard.  It  is amazing how content she would be as she would always swing for long periods of time.

 

Naomi loved to get into the newspapers!  Even before she could crawl really well, she would 'scoot' as everyone called it, pulling her small body across the floor with her strong little arms..........and head for the newspapers on the bottom shelf of our table downstairs.  We blocked the table with some cushions...... with no success........Naomi simply went around the table and came at those newspapers from the back of the round table!  She would just keep pulling and pulling those newspapers off the shelf til she was done!

 

Peek!  Carrying Naomi, Nana would stop at the entrance to our apartment, from upstairs, with Naomi. Naomi and Nana would peek around the corner to see where Papa was!  She would be peeking right along with Nana and be excited with her beautiful happy smile when we saw him.

 

Naomi is the happiest, smiliest baby girl!  When anyone speaks to Naomi she smiles from ear to ear "like a lightbulb".  I (Nana) kept thinking we probably should nickname her "sunshine" or "happy" or some wonderful word that describes her contagious happiness.

 

Papa and Nana really enjoyed our special time in the mornings in September/October 2010.  Mom (Jen) would drive or walk Hannah and Elijah to school (or the school bus) and Naomi would stand/play in the bouncy seat in our kitchen as we finished our porridge.  Did you know Papa makes porridge for Nana and himself most days of the week!  (a healthy start to each day for sure)  Well Naomi just loved that bouncy seat with all its bells and whistles and she maneuvered them all as she spun herself around the array of fun things for a baby to do.  Nana would then take her upstairs for her breakfast!

 

Nana gave Naomi many of her nightly baths and got her all clean and cozy and ready for mom's bedtime feeding!  Naomi would be so..............ready for sleep after her bath!  She had  a splashing good time in her little blue tub (the same one Hannah and Elijah used when they were babies), but most of the bathtime was spent trying to reach for the faucet or something else she found interesting in that bathtub (other toys).  Hannah and Elijah would both remind Nana, when they were in the bathroom during this time to "Not take your EYES off her for even a second!"   They were so concerned about her safety.

 

We are counting the days til we get to spend that special week with Naomi, Hannah, Elijah and mom and dad, too, this coming Christmas season!   What will our sweet little girl be doing by then?  walking?  talking?  We cannot wait to see!

 

Love, Nana and for Papa 

Stairs!

I was just hanging around the "landing" area where you often stay when we are getting out the door.  It's at the bottom of the long stairs and at the top of the 2 steps from the main entrance.  Auntie Hope was around and I was just checking my email on my phone.  I looked up and you were standing on the first step, sort of rocking a little.  I looked up, looked back and my phone, and then looked up again in amazement! I almost missed the moment!  "Woa!! You just climbed your first step!" Ah, what to do.  Hold you so you don't fall forward!  Quick, go grab the camera.

I turned to Auntie Hope, "um, Hope can you hang on to her?"... I dashed for the camera.  But you turned around and just sort of slouched down beside Auntie Hope.  That first moment was not caught on film.  But it was caught on my memory.

So I then encouraged you to climb some more stairs by placing a toy a few steps up.  And step by step you went up the whole set of stairs.  The next day, you went up the entire set of 12 stairs without any incentive.  Or perhaps the incentive was the hinge piece for the baby gate at the top of the stairs.

You might be the third child, but each of these "firsts" still matter so much!  Each is a big deal!

A Special Season

Next week Nana and Papa leave for Florida.  Their departure will end a special season in your life with them.  Although they will return at Christmas and then April to come back to join us in our life here in Guelph, you will be older and the dynamics will be different.  And that will be the beginning of another season.

For this season, I want to remember the special moments.

Since the beginning of September, we have fallen into a routine.  When I drive everyone to school and work, you stay with Nana and Papa at home.  They first feed you your breakfast and then play and then put you to bed.  They say they like to get you to play hard and tire you out.  Papa loves to put you on their bed while you crawl around.  They play peek with you.  In the afternoons, they take you out for walks.  And often, you'll fall asleep on the walk and when the stroller stops you open your eyes.

Usually, you go downstairs while the rest of us have supper and then Nana brings you up at about 6:35 to give you a bath.  They know your tired signs and know how you go down best.

I will ask Nana and Papa to write some things that they have found special.  But these are what I get second hand.

8 months

You were 8 months before we were ready for it.  And you are an advanced 8 months child.

From your little army scoot to your now high hands crawling, your little body just moves across a room quickly.

Papa likes to tell me all the things you do in the mornings when you spend time with them.  One of those amazing moves is your pulling up to the couch and moving along toward the exersaucer.

You now say "Mama," "num num," "da da," "na na."  And we have also heard many other sounds that sound like you are mimicking speech.  Perhaps you will speak early too?

I've heard you utter something that resembles "hi!" And within context!

How we delight in you our little girl.

Six months and a movin

You are six months and such a funny, cute little girl.  You found a fun way get around.  You are so mobile.  We call it the mermaid scoot.  You pull yourself forward and then do a cute little push with your feet that looks like a flap.

Ah, my sweet girl.

You pump your legs when you eat.  As you're nursing away, you scratch my back and pump your legs.  You're a busy little girl.

You have been pushing up so high when you are on your stomach that I've lowered the crib mattress and pulled up the side rail so you won't go tumbling over.

In the bath, I've had to switch you to a larger bathtub.  The "infant to toddler" bath tub simply won't do when you are turning around trying to roll or climb OUT of the tub.  When we went swimming, I laid you on the ledge of the pool and I discovered how much you just LOVE being on your tummy.  So that night, I pulled out the larger plastic tub, filled it with about an inch of water and put you in it on your tummy.  You were so happy splashing and chewing on the plastic star.

Speaking of swimming.  When we were in BC, I dunked you for the first time.  And there you enjoyed the water even the first time.  We spent about 30 minutes in the water!   I was afraid to dunk you, but with the encouragement of Auntie Jamie and a few others, I did it.

I remember asking Auntie Vanessa wether or not I should go under water with you or not.  She said, "if the water is going to distract you too much, then I would just dunk her."  That was good advice.  I've been dunking you since!  And here we are, just over a month later, at the Y.  And there you were just splashing and kicking your legs.  It was like you couldn't wait to swim!

Nana says, "the way that girl kicks, she's going to be a swimmer!"

Six months is also the milestone where food is introduced.  I introduced rice to you first.  You had a typical, "what is that texture mom!" look to your face, but licked away every spoonful.  I kept giving you rice cereal for over a week.  I just didn't have my act together to get sweet potato as the next item.  I finally bought the sweet potatoes, steamed it in the steamer outside (since it was so hot that I didn't want to heat the house up even a little), I ground it with the electric foodmill that I bought off Kijiji for $10.  And voila.

Then I introduced banana the next day.  Now I have to look what would be next.

As for sleep, you've kept me on my toes.  You wake up about once a night on average.  about 4:30am would be the time, after I've fed you at about 11pm and went to bed.  There were a few days where you woke up every two hours.  I had to take some drastic measures and let you cry a bit at night to break what seemed to be a forming habit.  That quickly broke and there you are back to 4 hour stretches at night.

And as we close in on six months, you are so responsive and happy.  Papa LOVES to take you on late afternoon walks, where I forego your need to sleep in your crib.  Somehow he has managed to bring you back home after you've fallen asleep, laid you in your crib and have you keep sleeping for a long time.

You give Papa a most sweet laugh when you see Papa.  You light up when you see it, it's so very sweet.  When you see me, it's this eager yearning.  But Papa gives you such joy.  Ah, it's so heart warming to witness such a relationship.  When I walk down the stairs with you in my arms, you always start babbling and making sweet noises as if to tell Papa, "here we come!!"

I have also noticed that you've responded with such glee when you see Daddy and I hug and kiss.  You just light up.  Seeing this, I realize that I need to show Daddy affection more.  Our affection for each other is a symbol of the most important relationship that gives you a foundation for security.

Seeing that we are now more than half way of you turning a year, I realize just how fast time has gone!  I guess I can still continue, but I have less than a year to breastfeed you, if I am to stop at the usual 12 month mark.  Hmmm, looks like at the sound of my yearnings, I think I may nurse you for longer.

switch

It has been a few weeks coming.  The morning I found you watching your mobile with the miracle blanket by your side was a strong indication that miracle blanket days are coming to an end.  I could have held off buying an extra blanket, but I caved.  And here we are, just 2 days after being swaddled in the new mint green miracle blanket (it hasn't even been washed yet!) you have shown me you are done.  The makers of miracle blanket say it's for babies up to 4 months anyway.

Tonight as I wrapped you up, it was clear you were not going to sleep just yet.  So I left you, swaddled, sort of.  Then heard you babbling away.  Eventually, you cried out and it seemed that you had made a full circle of your crib.  You were at the other end, crying cuz you were stuck with no more crib space to maneuver.

I moved all the bibs, toys out of your crib and anticipated that you may move around some more.  I turned you on your belly, sans miracle blanket.  And ah, Auntie Vanessa's sleep sac!  Mama needs to do SOMETHING for you when I put you to bed.

Alas as I write this at 10:59pm, you are crying.  hmm, maybe I didn't spend $30 for a second blanket for nought.  You still need a good swaddle.