9 Months

Sloane is now 9 months and went for a check-up recently. She weighed 17 pounds and 2 ounces which put her in the 25 percentile. Her length on the other hand, is in the 95 percentile at 29.5 inches. She is a tall, thin baby. Her head circumference was 43.6 cm which was 45%.

Recently, Sloane cut her first tooth on the bottom, and when the doctor looked into her mouth, she said the top four were on their way and should pop out at the same time in the next two weeks. Sloane is also crawling everywhere now and can pull herself up to stand holding on to things, so we started safety proofing our house. We have already put baskets full of her toys in different rooms so she has a place to crawl and get into stuff and moved objects out of her way. She is very mobile and curious to discover everything in sight. She has become especially interested in remote controls and cell phones. We also lowered her mattress on her crib. Next on the to do list is put covers on the unused outlets. She is also starting to eat more adult foods. We are introducing soft fruits and veggies like bananas, carrots, and peas. So far we notice she likes to eat them if they are by themselves, although she still has difficulty picking them up. We have tried mashing them up and mixing them with her cereal or other foods, but she spits out the chunks.

Sloane had recently had her first fever and cold, so when the doctor looked in her ears she found an ear infection. She was amazed that Sloane was still sleeping so well and so happy. She said Sloane must have a higher tolerance for pain! Despite being sick, she was still her pleasant self. It just reminded me how blessed Jake and I are to have such a wonderful daughter. She is so sweet and becoming increasingly affectionate to show us her love in little ways. Sloane will put out her arms for you to pick her up, and when you do, she will nestle her head in the crook of your neck. My favorite is when she crawls over to me just to sit in my lap and play with her toys as if that is the best place to be. Jake and I have decided this is the most fun time with Sloane. She is so interactive and loving right now, and seems to learn something new each day.

Here are some things Miss Sloane can do:

* holds her bottle
* crawl
* pull-up to a standing position from sitting
* drink from a cup
* play peekaboo
* say "mama" or "dada" indiscriminately
* object if you try to take a toy away
* bangs objects
* responds to name well