Weighing in

I know it's becoming repetitive in each monthly update, but this kid is getting so big!  At his 9 month appointment, Liam weighed in at 23 pounds 2 ounces and is 29 inches long.  His head is 4 inches bigger than it was when he was born, which makes it 18 inches 'round.

This is what BabyCenter has to say about Liam's size:

Based on the data you submitted, your child falls into the following percentiles:

Length = between percentile 50 and 75 

Weight = between percentile 75 and 90 

Head Circumference = in percentile 50

What blows my mind is that this is where he was as a newborn:

Based on the data you submitted, your child falls into the following percentiles:

Length = in percentile 90 

Weight = in percentile 25 

Head Circumference = in percentile 50

(7 pounds, 21 inches long, 14 inches 'round head)

The weight difference is just crazy.  He used to be so skinny and now look at him!

We've come a long way since our last monthly update, which was at 7 months.  I totally skipped 8 because the eighth month was a ridiculously crazy one with the move.  Here is what's happening these days...

Eating:
There will be a whole other post dedicated to this, but we have completely stopped breastfeeding.  I miss it very much and some days I feel so sad that I'm not doing it anymore.  We made it 8 months and I'm proud of both of us for working so hard.  Liam is now drinking only formula.  He will still take a bottle every 3-4 hours.  Most of his nutrition still comes from these feedings as it should until he is 1 year old.

At 8 months Liam started self feeding.  We began with cheerios, then bananas, avocados, and other soft foods.  Then and still now we start out his meal by giving him some finger food for about 15 minutes or so.  We give him lots of time so he doesn't feel rushed and he can take his time learning.  We were giving some pureed foods as well, because at first he wasn't getting much in his mouth.  Now, he gets pretty much what we're eating, with some exceptions along with maybe something like yogurt.

I really love that Liam is starting to eat like a big person.  It makes things a lot easier (except for the mess).  We've even been ordering him some things when we go out to eat.  He's had some pancake and egg at Bob Evans and a grilled cheese at The Cheesecake Factory.  It is so nice to be able to include him on our dining out.

Oh yes, and finally we have two teeth!  They magically appeared the night we moved into our new home right around Liam's 8 month birthday.  

Sleeping:
I'd have to say that right now Liam is sleeping better than he ever has.  During the day, he will take about a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day (sometimes a little less).  Then, he may even take a quick 30-45 minutes around 4 or 5, especially if we go for a walk.

At night, Liam sleeps straight through.  No more midnight feedings!  Most nights he is ready for bed around 8:30, sometimes it's 9.  He almost never makes it to 9:30 anymore.  Wake up time is about 7 or 7:30.  This is pretty much an hour more sleep for me since he's not waking up 5:30/6:00 to eat!

For awhile there, Liam was sleeping with us all night long in our bed.  He was teething during the time and kept waking up multiple times throughout the night.  It was so much easier to have him in bed and nurse him.  I know its a controversial topic, but he slept through the night and it worked for us until our bed seemed too small.  After we moved, we got a king sized bed and things were more comfortable.

I knew at some point I needed to transition him back to his crib, but I was still uneasy about sleeping in a big new house with my baby so far away.  About the second week, I put him back in his crib and he's been in it ever since.  Most nights he stays asleep in there until about 3 or 4 when he wakes up and feels alone, so he gets upset.  We stick him in bed with us for the next few hours.  I don't mind it at all because I love having the cuddle time together.  And it's so nice to wake up to a smiling face.  Though, my husband's is alright ;)

Developmental:
We have a crawler on our hands!  Liam met this milestone right after his 9 month appointment.  It's more like an army crawl, but he sure does get around.  The Pediatrician had told us that crawling isn't necessarily on all fours, babies can crawl in different ways.  I don't care what you call it, this kid is getting into everything!  He is all over the place and I have to say, I'm scared.  Even though I'm scared of what he'll get into, nothing is better than having him crawl up to me when I come in the door!

Liam can pull himself into a sitting position from laying down and he is beginning to pull himself onto furniture or people with support.  He is trying very hard and gets extremely frustrated when he can't get himself up all the way.  It's only a matter of time before he's cruising the furniture edges!

Our little boy can now clap his hands, which is a big step from the feet clapping we've seen lately.  He's showing more and more personality every day.  I feel like he is interested in what I say now, instead of feeling like I'm basically talking to myself.  Liam laughs at almost everything and he only cries when he's extremely upset.  We were very shocked when he didn't shed a tear after his last shot.  He is a wonderful, happy baby.  He is a delight to take out shopping or to a restaurant.  I never thought it would be this easy.  But, I'm sure this won't last long!

Liam is babbling like crazy, though I don't think he has a clue what he's saying.  He throws out Mamas and Dadas all day long.  I have noticed that when he's upset he will constantly cry out "Mamamama", but when he's happy he constantly says "Dadadada".  I'm interested to find out what his first real words will be.

Well, the 9 month mark has come and gone.  Liam is now 9 months and 9 days old!  Only three more months until the big ONE.  I'm getting so excited and nervous at the same time.  I have no clue how to plan a child's birthday party!  Pinterest will have to help me on this one...