10 MONTHS?!
This year is flying by faster than I ever thought it would! You've fallen asleep in my arms the past couple nap times and I just stare at you and can't believe how big you have gotten! Earlier today I was staring at your feet while you were falling asleep in my arms and I couldn't help to go back to when we first brought you home and how tiny you were. Don't get me wrong, we are so thankful and blessed for how healthy you have been and how you are on track with your growth. There are so many sick babies and children in general and we don't take for granted on what a blessing it is to have you healthy and at home! I know that I say it every time I post your monthly updates but time just flies by so quickly and at times you just really want it to slow down a bit. We know that's not going to happen so we just try and soak up every moment!
Pictures these days are a challenge.. I know some of my friends have made comments on how you pose for the camera but that's not always true! Ha! You have your own agenda these days and that's perfectly alright...
.. Yay for turning 10 months!!
EATING
You have a hearty appetite! You are down to 2 bottles a day.. once when you wake up and a bedtime bottle. Very rarely do you get a bottle in between. When you were cutting your first two teeth you did seem to want the bottle more and I did give it to you. But you always spit up when I do that so I really try not to..
Your favorite solid is still sweet potatoes.. you've tried a lot of foods in the past few months. You've had apples, chicken, asparagus, squash, zucchini, prunes, green beans, green peas, peaches, pineapple, cherries, oranges, carrots, Red Mill pancakes, canadian bacon, kiwi, blueberries, greek yogurt, avocado, bananas, spaghetti made with ground turkey, quinoa, hummus, chicken pot pie, onions, beef, eggs, puffs, pears, and I'm sure I'm leaving a few things off.. You did have a few bites of a blueberry bagel once and your Dad told me he let you try a Cheetoh.. O. M. G.
I've been trying to look up new foods for you to try and Dr Setia said that you can have anything you want except for honey but I'm just a little nervous to give you shellfish right now. I do sprinkle a little seasoning on your foods like paprika and cinnamon on sweet potatoes and Mrs Dash seasoning or black pepper on chicken.
You still aren't that fond of peaches and pineapple made you break out on your chin and your left cheek got extremeley splotchy. Soo we won't be doing that for awhile. Prunes are another fave and they keep you regular.. chicken, apples, and your greens are staples. You LOVED the cherries and you did pineapple as well. You are drinking water very good for the most part.. there was a time frame where you were NOT interested AT ALL.
You LOVE being outside and we sit on the front porch and you wave at the cars that drive by.
SLEEP
Your sleep has been pretty good for the most part. You normally go down between 8 and 9 and have gone down to about 2 naps a day. There have been a few nights where you have woken up in the middle of the night and even early around 4 AM. One of those nights was the night before I noticed your tooth popping thru so I'm assuming you were in a little bit of pain.
A couple weeks ago, we really started with laying you down for naps as soon as you started showing signs that you were sleepy. We have never been on a strict schedule, just rocking you or I would lay you down with your Daddy for nap time. You were having a hard time being laid down for naps and sometimes even at night, so I just tried to get you on some kind of routine. We've watched for sleepy signs, yawning/rubbing eyes.. sat with you with your paci, dark room, sound machine, and when you've had no interest in that, we put you in your crib and after about 5-10 minutes you have put yourself to sleep.
You are a little sleep fighter! Even La La's sister held you at Claire's graduation party and she mentioned how much you fought a nap with her. Anyways, your naps have been MUCH better and you are SO much happier when you wake up. I've even tried to avoid going places if I could help to keep you on this "schedule" and getting you to nap. It's been a little challenging with how busy we've been lately but you always seem to fall back into the routine.. You also get bathtime most nights and this helps too. You LOVE the bath and you love the water falling from the faucet. You will sit and run your hands thru the water as long as its running.
3 AMIGAS
The 3 Amigas love love you! Sox has definitley been coming around more and Kyli could just lick your face off. I really have to watch her. Mara loves you too and she and Kyli come in your room the most when we are in there playing. I can't tell you how many times at night, when you are taking your bedtime bottle, that Mara and Kyli will come peep just inside the door and then turn around. I guess they are making sure bedtime routine is going just perfectly.
When we come get you in the mornings, Kyli gets really excited and follows us into your nursery and gets right up to the crib.
As much as they show their love for you, I still take full precaution! Tamela and I have had conversations about y'all and she says that we are doing everything right as far as your space and the puppy's space and all being right in the baby/puppy world.
WHAT FINLEY IS UP TO
Well I can say that since you have been teething you have started loving your paci more and more! And, in sad news, we have had a paci fatatlity. I thought one of your Dad's friends was coming over, so in frantic mode I strapped you in the carrier and we went to cleaning toilets. You had your paci in your mouth and I thought "I need to get that before it goes in the toilet".. and as soon as I thought it and went to take it you did just as I thought you were going to do.. you threw it right in the toilet and said "EH?". So in the trash it went without a second thought. And then later on, I started getting all sentimental and for another split second started contemplating getting it out, cutting off the paci and washing the elephant (it has been your favorite one and you prefer this one over the catipillar) And then I totally snapped back to reality and decided that just wasn't necessary. I have found another one tho and will be purchasing for backup.
You were SO tired after taking pics that you fell right asleep all cradled in my arms. Sweetest thing ever.
This has been your favorite way to sleep..
Happy baby!!
You love having a wash cloth to chew on and you also know what to do with one too in the kitchen! Wipe down your tray! It's so crazy just how much you are learning just watching us.
You enjoy playing in your room with all of your toys and this day you were into your bucket and shovels. We will be taking these to the beach with us for sure!
Before we started our new routine, you did lay down with me one day for a nap. It was wonderful. Mommy had been super tired for a few weeks so a nap during the day snuggled with you was like heaven.
You and your Daddy take your naps serious around here!
You had your 9 month pictures taken and they turned out great!!
I love my days home with you! We go from outside to inside to the front porch swing, back to your room with your toys, take a stroll outside and we've even taken out a towel and played outside.
You are pulling up and crawling and getting around like a pro. You have stood by yourself a few times and today you even let go of the couch like you wanted to take some steps but you just fell towards me. And really most of the time you are just barely even holding on to objects for balance. It's so neat to watch your wheels spin when you are wanting to move from one place to the next, almost like hhmm I think I've got this but maybe I'm not so sure....
You are still NOT a fan of shoes. I really hope that we can find some for you soon that you don't mind so much!
Sweet angel! You have actually stretched out some of this fabric pulling up on it. You used to untie the bows but you haven't done that in some time now...
I love these pics of us. Just having fun!
This was one of the nights that you woke up around 3 or 4AM. Your Daddy was gone on a baseball wknd trip and it's like clockwork ... its like you know he is gone everyt ime! So we just had a slumber party and it wasn't until daylight that I felt your whole body relax and I knew that you were finally in a deep sleep. Triple spark for Mom that day!
Ohhhh how I LOVED catching this photo of you smiling! Be still my heart.
Waving to the cars going by!
We had some errands to run and this was your first trip to Walmart (if not your second) You weren't too thrilled to be in the buggy.
We celebrated our First Mother's Day!
It was WONDERFUL!!
You woke up in such a happy mood!
We went to church and then to Mama Jane's. And then you actually got really fussy. It was about this time that you must have started going thru a leap/growth spurt because the least little thing would set you off. We had some rough couple of weeks and you were certainly showing some sassiness!! You were ALL over the place for a while!
Flower child!
Let's take everything out of the diaper bag!
You didn't know what to think of the grass.. You wouldn't get off the towel but you would touch and pick with your hands..
Having fun with Daddy!
Always have fun playing in Mommy's makeup..
You had started making this face not too long ago and I didn't even know that snapping away I had gotten a picture of it! Soo funny! You go thru spurts of doing things (like saying "boc boc" for chicken. You haven't said it in a few weeks.) This face just cracks me up!
This yellow smiley face was Uncle Ko Ko's. It giggles and shakes and at the end goes "That's funny". You crack up! It was Kolton's favorite toy too.
We visited Mimi and Big Pop and checked out his jeep! He said he got one for his grandkids and they even have a jeep terrain park built in the pasture.
Hadlee was there and she was so sweet to give you bye kisses.
We had a busy day this day! Shannon and Amy wanted to see you so we went and visited them before we made our way home. The only way that you would go near him was to get your Puffs. They enjoyed you visiting them and you were so good to have only napped for 20 mins.
I'm telling ya.. you and your Daddy take sleep time serious!!
Strolling outside on a gorgeous Sunday!
We visited Daddy at the field this same day!
This has been your new thing.. "I don't know??" Soooo cute!!
Here you are scrubbing your bottle with your wipe. You can entertain yourself for a few minutes for sure.
You are cruising around the couch and ottoman quite well...
Love hearing you laugh and seeing you smiling and happy.!
Last Wednesday you visited the vet for the first time. Mara had a checkup and you did so good and were so patient right up until the very end. I would never brave that with Kyli or Sox but we did it! The girls were so excited to see you too!
We have been exploring more outside and you love the hydrangeas that are blooming. Now we have to stop by because you will point to them..
Same thing goes for the horses too.
Ok please don't be mad, but this is what we go thru to get pictures these days! Ha! You are just not a fan of your rocking chair anymore.
You really dislike having your diaper changed and changing clothes. I've learned that Ol' McDonald most of the time catches your attention and you will stop crying/fussing.
You also have learned exactly where the bottle warmer is and the noise it makes means that you are soon getting a bottle! I had started it one evening before I got you out of your car seat, I walked into the kitchen, you heard it and almost broke your neck turning to see if there was a bottle in there.
I've noticed you searching for your paci when I give you your bottle and you will flip it over your face and even your arm.. and when you get finished with your bottle you push it away and grab for your paci. I sleep with something over my face most of the time so I'm wondering if you are going to be that way too.
Notes from Finley's journal::
4.25 // Stood up on me by herself
4.30 // kissed all over stuffed animals and toys
5.3 (?) // 2nd tooth cut thru the bottom
5.8 // very fussy, nothing satisfies you, sassy, throwing toys, all over the radar (It should have been around this time that I called Danielle and asked if Kade had gone thru any of these emotions at 9 months)
5.9 // Said Mama in the kitchen while we were cooking breakfast. I will never forget this! I went to throw eggshells in the trash, I turned and looked at you and you got this huge grin on your face and said, "MAAMAAA!". I got so excited and repeated it and you said it again! Ahhh!! It was so wonderful to hear because you have mostly been saying "dadadadada"
