I can’t believe that Katie is already nine months old. The past few months have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. Between going back to work and the holiday season I feel like the past few months have been a blur. I want to do a better job of capturing these memories so these monthly updates are going to be a priority.

So much changed this month as she mastered the art of crawling and has become fearless. I remember when we used to be able to set her down on her activity mat while she laid there, barely moving.  These days, we can’t take our eyes off of her or she’ll quickly move off the activity mat to the curtains, stairs, or other tempting area of the house. Luckily, my parents are here this weekend and are going to help us quickly childproof the home since she has started moving faster than we expected! You can imagine my face when I saw her suddenly go from crawling to climbing the stairs.

So, looking back, what transpired last month?

• Moving EVERYWHERE – During February she started rocking back and forth, showing us that she was interested in crawling. But, the evolution from rocking to army crawl took a while and then, overnight she went from army crawl to actual crawling. She moves very quickly, especially when she’s barefoot or not on a slippery surface like her activity mat.
• Standing – She is happiest when she is standing, slowly experimenting with walking. She has learned to pull herself up using either us, the sofa or our new ottoman as a brace. Once she is standing she bravely moves side to side, constantly looking up at whoever is in the room with a huge smile. She is so proud of herself.
• Flu and croup – We thought we had escaped flu season and winter without any serious illnesses in our family. While she’d had a few minor colds which each lasted a few days, last month she suffered from the flu for six days. When she was up during the night coughing constantly and having difficulty breathing, we took her to urgent care after a number of recommended actions didn’t help her symptoms such as elevating the crib, steam shower, rubbing her chest and bottoms of her feet with Zarbee’s Naturals Baby Chest Rub.  Based on symptoms, on Sunday morning they diagnosed her with croup and gave her a steroid to avoid further complications. But, on Tuesday afternoon when she had a high grade fever, we went back and her pediatrician immediately recognized the symptoms as flu – high fever, congestion, glassy eyes, lethargic, and fussy disposition.  Luckily a few days of rest, cuddles, extra hydration and Tamiflu helped her feel better within a few days.
• Kisses – While Katie hasn’t said any words yet or mastered the art of waving, she did give me the most amazing kiss on the lips the other night. She’s done at a few times since then it and make my heart melt every time!

Schedule 

As I mentioned in a previous post, we have introduced solids over the past few months and now Katie is enjoying solids three times per day.

• 7:15 AM Wake Up and cuddles
• 7:20 AM Bottle #1 (7 ounces of Similac Sensitive OptiGRO formula)
• 7:30 AM Upstairs playtime while we get ready for work
• 8 AM Solids + Water in Sippy Cup (Usually yogurt, fruit, cheese, avocado, or eggs)
• 8:25 AM Leave house for nanny share
• 8:30 AM Playtime at nanny share
• 9:15 -9:30 AM Nap #1
• 11:15 AM Wake up and Bottle #2 (7-8 ounces)
• 12 PM Solids + Water in Sippy Cup (Usually a mix of proteins and vegetables such as Edamame, Broccoli & Avocado or Green Chicken Quinoa followed by some fruit)
• 12:15 PM Playtime/Park/Walk
• 1:15-1:30 PM Nap #2
• 3:15 PM Wake up and Bottle #3 (7-8 ounces)
• 4 PM Solids + Water in Sippy Cup (Usually very similar to the 12PM meal)
• 4:15 PM Playtime/Park/Walk
• 5:00 PM Catnap if needed (Typically less than once a week does Katie show signs of needing a 20-30 minute catnap)
• 5:30 PM Pickup from nanny share and walk home
• 5:45 PM Playtime at home with lots of reading, crawling and standing practice, dancing and playing downstairs
• 6:45 PM Naked Baby Time (We have programmed our Google Home device so that when we say Hey Google It’s Naked Baby Time it says “Sleep well Katie” and then dims the lights and turns on the sound machine in her nursery. We walk her upstairs and undress her and transition into a soft, quiet mode ensuring that we help set the mode for sleep.)
• 6:50 PM Bath Time (Katie absolutely loves her nightly bath and is in love with these bath toys which she plays with in the tub and we use to continue teaching her colors, textures and animals. We put this bath mat in the bottom of the tub this month which allows her to sit and play more securely without the risk of slipping.  We are currently using and loving Burt’s Bees Baby Shampoo and Body Wash.)
• 7 PM Bottle #4 (7-8 ounces)
• 7:10 PM Rocking and reading 1-2 books before putting Katie in her crib with 2 of her Wubbanub pacifiers as she now sucks on one and cuddles the other

Favorite Things

• Teething Toy and Medicine – It seems odd to call this a favorite thing but this all-natural teething relief has helped with teething pain tremendously as Katie now has four teeth and has found great relief from just 1 dose of this before bed. While we introduced the Munch Mit originally back in December, she had very little interest in it. These days, she will happily gnaw on it while she’s in the stroller as we walk to and from nanny share.
• V-Tech Busy Learners Activity Cube – We have tried to only introduce a new toy to Katie every other week or so which has allowed her Christmas gifts to bring continuous joy and surprise to her for months afterwards. This week we introduced this fun activity cube as a way to keep her occupied and entertained in the morning while Bo and I both try and get ready for work. She has enjoyed using it to push herself up to standing, play with the moving pieces and push the different buttons.
• Puppets –  Soft, cuddly and creative creatures provide easy interaction for adult and infant anywhere and any time! While we only have two so far (Peter Rabbit and a bear) I am sure we will be buying more soon as playing and watching puppets is one of her favorite pastimes.
• Pout Pout Fish – I discovered this book when searching for a few new books on Amazon and I can understand why it is rated so high. The colorful illustrations, sweet lesson and gentle rhyming has made it a favorite book for during the day or calming down before bed.
• Carters – While we have a few special outfits from Jacadi, Lilly Pulitzer and Smocking Hot Mommas resale site on Facebook, 90% of the time Katie is wearing cotton basics from Carters.com or the Carter’s outlets. You can’t beat their prices for the quality especially when you consider how quickly Katie is growing. She is currently wearing 12M clothing but based on her height, she’ll soon be in 18M! These outfits have been our favorite so far – bears, hearts, and polka dots!