Because we failed to send you to the pediatrician a month earlier when you were supposed to get your shots, you have 19 month stats instead.  

 

You are now 33" tall and weigh 24.4 lbs.  You are in good health and your pediatrician gave you a prescription with nothing but a smiley face on it that said, "Keep doing a good job." 

 

You love to make a variety of animal sounds.  The lion is your newest.  You'll repeat almost any word if we ask you to try to say it, but usually they sound nothing like the original.  But words that you can say and words you understand surprise us every day!  Your favorites are still "agua" and "nunga" (which is supposed to be "avion" but sounds nothing like it.  You are working on getting your "up" and "down" sorted out and you call both of us "mama" until we remind you which is "dada."  You LOVE to pretend to count with us even though all the numbers sound the same from you.  You love the "Eensy Weensy Spider" and ask for it by "Pider" and doing your fingers.  You love your mom's made up train song and do your arms like a train to get her to do it.  You love any roughhousing with your dad and you are usually already signing and saying "More" before you've even finished whatever fun thing he started with you.

 

Meal times are all over the board.  Sometimes you are a happy eater and sometimes it is a total battle.  Currently you eat a banana in pieces every morning and you wake up saying "Mana" until you get your banana.  You still do better with pureed food but we are trying to make you eat some of whatever we have for dinner.  Some nights are successful and some are very frustrating :)  

 

You have a lot of energy and a lot of spirit.  Which means you go non-stop all day and don't like to sit.  It also means you throw some tantrums when you don't get your way.  You fall and pop right back up usually.

 

You are still super friendly.  You run up to dogs, kids, and adults of all ages at the park, wave to strangers and say "Hola" at the mall and generally want to be cooed over.  You love to give kisses and kiss your mom's tummy, leg or even a stranger's lips.  

Kiddo you went and turned nine months old on us just when we were doing our final pack and move.  I got your photos just in time but never quite posted your new stats and accomplishments.  We went to the pediatrician for more shots and a check-up.  You weighed 18 lbs.  You haven't gained too much in the past three months but that is probably because you are crawl, crawling and standing at every opportunity.  You were 28.75" now, not much different than last time.  Dr. Fox thinks you may have been weighed wrong at 6 months.

 

You continue to love to crawl, pull up on things and walk with help.  No signs of anywhere near enough balance to stand or walk on your own.  I imagine you won't ever learn to just stand.  You'll go straight to walking.  Being still isn't your style and that is why sitting never interested you.  You pull up with ease now, anytime anywhere.  You think 2 year old boys are items to pull up on.  You like to use the coffee table to pull up and then walk around it in circles while holding on.  You are getting steadier and better at transferring between places, like from the couch to the coffee table without a spill.

 

You've taken some backwards steps in your eating.  It's hard to get you to drink all your milk.  You lose interest and start wiggling, then squirming, then crying.  Almost any sound or movement will catch your attention and seem more fun than milk.  This is frustrating because then you get hungry more often but don't eat very much.  We're working on it.  You also have had some trouble with eating solids.  Some days you eat so easily and other days you just want nothing to do with food because it means you have to stop playing.  The one trick that has never yet failed to get you to eat is to give you yogurt.  You love the stuff.  So one bite of yogurt, one bite of your meal.  We try not to use this method unless all else fails.  You have become finicky.  Some days you love sweet potato, some days you hate it.  Every time you eat banana, you choke and throw up the first bite.  Then you start eating it with relish.  This is strange because you have been eating banana since you were four or five months old and never choked on it back then.  Your newest food love is the tops of broccoli spears.  You can't get enough of them when your mom and dad are eating them for dinner.  Broccoli eating is always encouraged!

 

Sleep has been a little more tough too.  Your naps aren't very long.  An hour and ten minutes is a good nap at this point.  You've also started squirming and crying when we are getting you ready for naps but fortunately you still quiet down quickly when we put you in bed.  You also hate having anyone wipe or blow your nose now, which we need to do frequently because it seems this month you've had a constant cold (might be related to the fact that we've started putting you in the nursery at church?)  Diaper changes can be tortuous because you have to be still and are not allowed to roll over.  A toy makes it more bearable for a little while.

 

You learned LOTS of new fun things this past month from your Nona.  She's a teacher at heart and did just as well at teaching you as she does her second grade classroom.  She taught you how to wave and now you absolutely love it because you've realized waving gets you lots of attention.  So you wave at someone and then you wave again, and again, and again.  You waved through the whole airport on our trip to Ecuador and you wave up and down the streets as we walk, charming everyone.  She also taught you how to bounce while you are standing.  So when music is on or when someone bounces a little, you like to do the bounce right along with.  The other thing she taught you that you love is peekaboo.  What a fun, fun game!  Now peekaboo is a go-to method for keeping you entertained when you are upset in the carseat.  You like when other people hide and play peekaboo.  It has taken you a little while longer to like being the one whose eyes are covered when we say, "Where's Canaan?"  but you are starting to get it.  Peekaboo comes in many forms now.  You love when your dad and I toss you on our bed and pile all the pillows over you and then play peekaboo that way.

 

You've taken to doing a noise that sounds a lot like my Grandma Ruthie.  You kind of gasp for breath loudly.  You do this over and over again, wheezing around as you crawl.

 

Seeing you play with other kids is maybe the cutest thing.  You are still so little and unaware of some things and it makes you look vulnerable amidst the two year olds.  But you are also such a determined little guy and it shows on your face in these situations as you watch what kids do and try to move as quickly with your crawling.  My heart catches sometimes at these moments and I think it's just a mere glimpse of what it will be like when you are older and trying to make friends and learning the good and the bad that comes with that.

You are 7 months old this week. I'm curious to see what this month will bring. I loved you so much at 6 months that I can't decide yet whether this month could get better.

 

You are happy! Happy almost all of the time. It's really easy to tell what you want now, whether it be food, your bed or sometimes the computer power cord. You are moving like crazy. You've always been a baby on the move but til now you didn't have the skills to get anywhere very fast. Now you use a combination of hops, rolls, forward plunges and rocking on all fours to get where you go ... relatively quickly. Your dad thinks it looks like a version of the butterfly stroke, just on land. I'm starting to realize I've got to keep one eye on you at all times (maybe too slowly because the other day you found my dirty underwear on the bathroom floor and had them in your mouth before I noticed).

 

You are a good eater, eating most anything put in front of you. But it's obvious you like sweet fruits more than green vegetables. You love to sit in the high chair and bang your feet over and over against the footrest. You are also becoming a pretty good sleeper. You usually sleep 12 hours and take 3 naps during the day with no tears. Your first two naps are anywhere between 1 or 2 hours and the third nap is 45-minutes or an hour. Sometimes I have to wake up up from this nap because I want to make sure you go to sleep early. You still don't sleep super soundly but you are getting better at it. Every once in awhile you stay asleep when I come in your room and turn on the light to wake up at 5. This is very, very cute and I like to watch you sleep, curled up with your thumb and blankie.

 

You love to explore. You are looking everywhere, at everything. When you see something or someone new you want to stare and look at every part of them. You don't smile when there are new things around so sometimes people think you aren't friendly. But I know you are just so interested in figuring out new things that you are using all of your attention up on that. You love anything with a tag, a string or a cord. You never tire of putting things in your mouth.

 

You have cut your first two teeth this past month (the bottom two). One is peeking through quite well but the other is a little further behind. You are starting to know your likes and dislikes. You love your elephant and monkey wrist rattles (good for sucking) and your keys (good for banging) but you aren't very interested in Leo the Lion or Zoe the Zebra anymore. You are showing your will, whining and protesting when I take away the cell phone you are trying to eat.

 

You have a variety of sounds now. It started with "ba-ba-ba" and then you did "ma-ma-ma" and currently there are lots of "duh-duhs." One of your favorite sounds, though, is to growl.

 

You don't mind hanging out with other people but you are starting to notice when I leave the room. When you can no longer see me you let out a howl - even if I am just in the next room.

 

Your dad has loved seeing more of you this month. He is home earlier from work and he loves to come in and see you playing. You break out in a big grin the minute you see him. You still love the water and it's one of our favorite activities. The minute your feet hit the water in the bathtub you get such a look of concentration on your face and then you kick with ferociousness, splashing your whole self and all of us. Sometimes we hide behind the shower curtain while you kick. You kick and kick so seriously and then you break out in the biggest grin at your accomplishment. Lately you are rolling over in the tub but we are trying to discourage this since it doesn't seem too safe. We are loving seeing your little personality. Your dad and I love that you are full of energy and excitement. We like your curiosity. We love how content you are getting at playing by yourself.

We had your 6-month appointment with Dr. Fox today. You now weigh 16 lbs, 6.5 oz. That puts you in the 25th-30th percentile for weight. I find this hard to believe because your hands and feet look so, so chubby to me! You are 28 inches long, meaning that you are still in the 90th percentile for height. Oh baby! I have a feeling you will be outgrowing your momma pretty early on. You have your very first sickness: a cold. And you got 3 shots today, only crying on the final shot for a minute.

 

You are pushing yourself up far off the ground with your arms when you are on your tummy. You also like to get your butt in the air and scooch very slowly around that way. Your talking has turned to shrieks - especially when you first wake up in the morning or when you are most alert: the two hours before bedtime. You giggle, giggle and eat your fingers whenever I shake you side to side and of course, your dad still makes you smile more than anybody else.

 

You are spending your 6th month in a new home: the Keystone basement. So far you've adapted well. You don't mind all of the extra people and you love, love attacking Edie's exersaucer when she isn't using it. Your blankie that your Nona made has become a sleep standby and you know to reach for that the minute your head hits the crib. You still love eating anything, including the saline drops we've been putting up your nose to help your cold. You are regularly eating solids. So far you love all the sweet fruits. You will eat avocado and peas but you make the funniest faces with these foods and take twice as long to eat them, so I know they aren't your favorite.

 

You turned five months old this week. I guess I've really got to stop referring to you as a newborn because you just aren't anymore.

 

You are rolling much quicker now tummy to back and back to tummy. You look at us like you are quite clever after completing a roll. When we go in to feed you at night or get you up from a nap we never know whether you'll be asleep on your stomach or back. You are getting close to sitting up - your next milestone - but you aren't there yet. You like sitting between mom's legs where you have enough balance and stability to play and see what is going on around you. You are eating peaches, bananas, and avocados and doing a great job at swallowing it all down. Of course, between bites you like to eat the bib just as much as the food. You've learned how to scream, both happy scream and mad scream and you are employing both. You like to scream especially when you are excited. Your favorite activity continues to be putting anything and everything into your mouth.

 

You're sleeping so well. You go sleep at 7pm and wake up at 7:30am (or mom wakes you up). You take three naps a day with no trouble and often grunt UNTIL we put you in your crib and you roll to the side to suck your thumb. You also like to suck on your sheet, your sleepsack, and your sock while you sleep. We often take 2 stroller walks a day while you are awake to run errands like the bank, the grocery store, target, the library, and blockbuster. You've got a slight stroller-leg tan going on because of this.

 

This past month your dad went back to work so you don't see him as much anymore. But when he comes in the door at night he sets down his stuff and immediately swoops you into his arms and you start smiling away and laughing for him. He plays with you until bedtime and puts you to sleep since that is his time with you. Though we loved having your daddy home, it's been good for me to have this time with you. It helps that we have so much fun when you are awake and then I have time to get stuff done while you nap. I'm becoming more confident in being alone with you a lot and making it a fun time for both of us. Though I loved you from the start, I notice I love you more every day and you become more a part of my life. Some nights I think "I miss his little face and wish I could kiss him," while you are sleeping the night away. But believe me! I never go in there to kiss you because I'd never risk waking you up. You are still a very light sleeper!

 

Although you won't be 4 months old til tomorrow, we took you to Dr. Fox today.  Your new stats: 14 pounds, 11 oz and 25 and 3/4 inch long.  Yup, you're still growing.  Dr. Fox wants us to make you spend more time on your stomach (even though you hate it) because your head is still looking a little bit flat.  Other than that, you are doing all the things 4 month olds are supposed to do: cooing, grabbing, making eye contact, smiling, and drooling.

 

You got 2 shots and another oral injection too.  This time was about a thousand times less traumatic.  This time you were aware enough to not like the taste of the oral injection.  You didn't cry at all on the first shot.  You cried a little on the second shot but you calmed quickly and fell asleep despite me trying to keep you awake by bouncing your legs, tapping your cheek, giving you toys in the car on the way home.  So you didn't ever take a good nap today because of being at the doctor, but there have been no shot-related tears and for that, all three of us are pretty happy.

 

Evidence of happy baby on shot day!

 

You turned 3 months old while we were in Idaho.  We tried to weigh you at home and it seems like you are maybe 14.5 lbs, but we aren't sure.  You certainly are a lot bigger and heavier.

 

New tricks at 3 months of age?  You smile a lot more.  You like when people blow in your face and then sometimes you'll let out a smile and a shriek.  When you are happy you've started opening your mouth as WIDE as it can go.  At first we thought you were hungry when you did this, but I guess it's just how you say you are happy.  You do it over and over when you are in the mood. Your legs are getting a lot stronger and we practice a wobble stand with you.

 

You like to talk now.  You will sit and coo and gurgle and shriek if someone talks back to you.  Sometimes you do it when no one is even paying attention to you or when I'm talking on the cell phone to someone else.  You are either a genius child who gets that a phone is for talking or you like the noise of cell phone voices.  While you were with your Nona you liked to swing and talk to her while she did stuff in the kitchen.

 

 

You are also learning to grab at things.  We have a little blue ring and we hold it in front of you.  Your eyes latch on it and then you concentrate.  Your little arms flail toward and away from it until you finally connect and then you'll hold it for awhile.  You like to hold it in your right hand while you suck your thumb with your left hand.

 

 

At just over 3 months of age you have already been in 4 states: Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, and California.  World traveler, here we come!

 

You turned two months old yesterday!  We have loved getting to know you better this past month.  Your dad and I have said over and over again how much more fun this month has been since the first month.  You love to smile and giggle.  You love being held with your face out so that you can see the world.  You like sitting in your stroller, half asleep from the movement, checking out your surroundings and making sure mom is still moving the stroller.  You haven't calmed down one bit.  You aren't a cuddler at all.  You like to constantly be moving, your arms flailing outward demonstrating your wingspan and your feet kicking away, scooching you around the blanket.

 

We took you to Dr. Fox yesterday.  I had forgotten that you were getting shots at this appointment.  We got your new stats and here they are:  You now weigh a whopping 12 lbs, 1 oz.  Woah!  You are growing.  That puts you in the 50th percentile for weight, so though you are much bigger than your friend Edie, you are still considered perfectly normal.  You are now 24.25 inches.  THAT puts you in the 90th percentile for height.  Dr. Fox said you have been trending toward tall and thin at each weigh in.  You certainly didn't inherit that from your mom!  Other than that, you looked as healthy as can be.

 

Then came the vaccinations.  Oh dear.  One oral one, then three shots with 5 vaccines included.  Oh dear.  They asked who wanted to hold you for this part.  I decided I wanted to hold you because even though it would be hard, it would be harder to NOT hold you and comfort you while this happened.  You took the oral one like a champ.  We weren't too worried because you like anything that goes in your mouth.

 

Then came the first poke.  It took you a second but then you just wailed.   Your gorgeous little mouth turned into a perfect downward pout and you howled.  We felt terrible.  It got even worse with the next two shots because you wailed and looked at us like, "Why would you do this again??"  The nurse left and you kept crying.  We rocked you and held you and told you we loved you.  You would calm but then you would remember and start crying all over again.  You ate some and that helped you feel better.

 

The rest of the day you were really, really sad.  You had a lot of trouble sleeping and would wake yourself up after 20 minutes of napping.  And you would wail.  We felt so sad for you because we knew exactly why you were sad.  We rocked you and held you non-stop but even that wasn't good enough.  You certainly know how to whine when you are hungry or want to be held, but you almost never really cry.  It made this really awful.  Every once in a while we could get you to smile, but the smile would turn to tears pretty quickly.

 

We visited Jarrett and Catherine with you and you still weren't feeling well.  Catherine rocked and held you too.  We were pretty worried about you sleeping at night.  But once dad soothed you and put you down, you slept just like normal.  And today you are all smiles again with not a tear to be found!

 

You saw Dr. Fox again today.  Your new weight is 8 lbs, 11 oz.  Woah.  Eating like a champ!  Though you still don't fit in any of your 0-3 clothes, we have noticed chubbier cheeks and neck rolls that weren't there when you were born.  You are now 22.5 inches tall.

Today was your first appointment with Dr. Fox after leaving the hospital.  Your weight was 7 lbs exactly.  Dr. Fox couldn't believe that you had only lost one ounce.  Most babies lose 8-16 ounces their first week.  Your mom had no trouble believing this because she knows how often you have been eating. Dr. Fox encouraged your mom and dad to do tummy time with your every day.  Usually dad does this with you, even though you don't like it very much and get cranky quickly.