9 Months Old

9 Months old on 2 Jul 2009

9 months is a long time when you’re waiting for a baby to arrive. 9 months however passes in a whirlwind when that baby is in your arms.

You turn 9 months old this month, Noey. You were born at 38 weeks and 6 days, which means that as of 2 Jul, you have spent more time out of the womb than in it. Wow. Sometimes I wonder: do you remember any of your time in the womb, being a part of me? I think some part of you does, especially when half asleep in the middle of the night, you flop around and settle back to sleep ON ME. Like the other night, when you literally fell asleep with your head on my chest and your body on my left arm. I wondered if you would be bothered by the sound of my heart beat, only to remember that it would have been the sound you heard everyday for the 9 months that I carried you within me. I like to think that that’s why you fall asleep best lying on me.

But you’ve really developed into your own person, apart from me. And your development is currently on a speedtrack, just like they said it would be. You’re a super duper crawler, cruiser, and climber all rolled into one. You have made the dining table your personal jungle gym and can regularly be found squeezing in between the table and chair legs, rapping on the glass above your head or peeking at objects thereon. I just ask that you please refrain from swinging from the table top — you scare the living daylights out of me every time you do that, which fortunately, is not often.

You’ve started to stand without support, for a few seconds at a time. But whenever you notice that, whoa, there’s nothing to lean against, you will slowly squat down or lunge into my arms. Maybe you aren’t mentally ready to walk yet even if you’re getting there physically. You do have a lot of fun clattering around with your makeshift walker(s) though.

With your ever increasing mobility comes an ever increasing potential to wreak havoc. Sometime last month you discovered how to open drawers. Then you discovered how to pull stuff out and decided that it was FUN. Oh dear. I must admit though that I let you mess about a bit, especially around your wardrobe cos it keeps you entertained for quite a while. At least it’s a safe activity. As long as you don’t decide to eat your dirty shoes, that is.

Speaking of eating, aside from a short period when we thought you were teething and you were rejecting your meals, you seem to have readjusted back to your winning eating ways. Well done boy. You’ve taken to your fish and chicken porridges with gusto and you chow down your breakfast (usually cereal and banana) everyday. But during that painful period… Goodness. Many tools of distraction had to be utilised — from Daddy performing ball tricks, to us letting you hold and munch on your frozen teether while I skillfully aimed the spoon into your mouth. I also started feeding you more cold food, like yoghurt, which you totally love (even if you grimace after swallowing the first mouthful each time). But still, there were the difficult moments…

We’ve recently discovered a new way to encourage you to eat which has been working like a charm, and this has been to have our meals right alongside you. This is great because I’ve been wanting to let you join us at the dinner table. You appear to be utterly fascinated by the sight of us eating. Why, I have no idea but as long as it keeps you eating, I’m happy to eat with you.

And oh, about the teeth? Still none. Zilch. Your gums are definitely hard and you’re practically spitting saliva out of your mouth all the time now but we have seen no signs of any teeth yet thus far. I’m actually glad cos this means I get to put off the tussle I will be having with you over cleaning your teeth. So long as you do grow SOME teeth over the course of the next few months.

At least it hasn’t stopped you from doing all that munching that you’re so fond of. You’ve gotten a whole lot more proficient at the pincer grasp and feed yourself with ease.

Just do me a favour and QUIT PRACTISING the pincer grasp (or pinch) on my arm while I’m breastfeeding you. Ow.

One thing I’m quite proud of is the progress we’ve made on your sleep. Since we commenced sleep training, you’ve caught on really well and I don’t want to count my chickens before they are hatched but aside from periodic (very short) bouts of crying a couple of times a night, you have started to sleep through the night. Till 5am, that this. Then I do need to feed you before you’ll settle back to fitful sleep and awaken fully at 7am. More work needs to be done but I’m incredibly proud of how far you have come.

In any case, you’ve been growing really well. So much so that we’ve decided to upgrade you to be big carseat. Alas, our hopes that you would be happier in the car facing forward were quickly dashed.

“You see the tears Mummy? Can I get out now?”

Oh, woe is me!

Of course the best part about you growing up is the interaction that we have now. You’ve developed a list of party tricks, which include the growling (you growl in response to my growling), waving bye (though not always on cue), and bopping obligingly to requests for you to “dance!”. I never tire of getting you to do that. And when we play peekaboo now, you’ll occasionally want to take your turn popping out from somewhere to surprise me.

You’ve seemed to have grasped the concept of being asked where something is. You will scan the ground when we ask you where your ball is and scramble to retrieve it when it’s in sight.

Here it is Mummy!

It also cracks me up that you’ll whip around to look at the front door, then at our bedroom door when I ask you where Papa is.

Everytime you follow a command I am awestruck by the fact that you understand what I say. Of course, understanding doesn’t always mean you will comply. When I asked you for a bite of your biscuit, you were happy enough shoving the biscuit into my mouth when you were holding on to a large piece, but as the piece got smaller, you’d bring the biscuit inches from my mouth and then quickly take another big bite from it yourself. We’ll have to teach you the concept of sharing soon, amongst other things.

You are developing your own personality and there is nothing quiet or subtle about you. You’re a loud, demanding, strong-willed little force of nature and I already know that parenting you will be a challenge. Your Daddy says you get many of your traits from me and that’s enough to make me scared! (I have mellowed A LOT over the years, in case you were wondering.)

“Carry me, woman!”

Still, I look at that little face of yours and I feel like the luckiest mummy in the world.

The very luckiest.

Happy birthday little man, and know that your Daddy and I will be by your side as you charge forward, moving to your own beat.