9 Months with Ford
FORD IS 9-MONTHS-OLD.
And growing so fast!
Things are starting to move fast. Like, really fast! Ford is getting close to walking, which doesn’t even seem real. And is growing so much both mentally and physically. Time seems to be going by quickly.
GROWING & LEARNING
Ford is so close to walking. He is starting to let go when standing nearby furniture and gets the biggest smile when he is able to stand on his own for a few seconds )typically not more than 5 seconds). It’s like he knows he is on the brink of something big! I scream and clap every time it happens, so I think that doesn’t help in him knowing that it’s kind of a big deal. #momlife
Separation anxiety? Yup, that is a thing. Ford is now aware when I am leaving and gets upset, which makes everything more emotional. But I also don’t mind the fact that he “needs” me right now. But does make daycare drop-off hard sometimes.
Also, he is growing a little personality. He gets a very serious look when he doesn’t recognize someone. It’s kind of comical how serious he can look for such a little guy! He is constantly figuring all these things out and is learning that there is a connection, like that our TV remote can turn on the screen and play his favorite nursery rhyme songs. We try to avoid screen time, but he does love listening to the Super Simple Nursery Songs playlist and sometimes it’s a fun activity for us. But I try to only do this for 15-minutes or so a day because he is starting to watch the screen.
SLEEP
We’ve finally gotten into a consistent routine with sleep. Most nights, he is sleeping from 8pm - 6am without interruptions. We are still nursing right before bed and right when he wakes up, but I am getting more strict about nursing during nighttime wake-up’s. Instead, we keep his Wubbanub Paci in his crib for self-soothing and will rub his tummy or back if he needs more soothing.
Naps are still a struggle. What’s new here? He will nap for our nanny or at daycare, but refuses to sleep in the crib for me. I’ve tried it all. He will nap easily in the stroller while on a walk or in the car, but will only nap on his own for around 30-45 minutes in the crib. If I hold him, he would nap for hours. My doctor said he will likely grow out of it and I am guessing once I stop breastfeeding all together, it will get better. For now, I rely on having help (nanny or daycare) during the day in order to get things done. On the weekends, we keep him busy and he will nap on-the-go.
FEEDING
Ford is eating like a champ! There really isn’t any food that he dislikes. We try to give him well balanced meals and snacks with a focus on fresh fruits, veggies and some type of protein + carb. We just started on peanut butter and he loves it on wheat toast or waffles! On a daily basis, he loves bananas or strawberries, peas or broccoli, and beef sausage.
I am still breastfeeding around 2-3x per day (once in the morning when he wakes up, once before I leave the house for the day and 1-2x around bedtime). I am no longer pumping and we now just supplement with formula (using this one) during the daytime. He really doesn’t love formula, but will have it if I am not an option and still wants to nurse. If it were up to me, I would be done breastfeeding…but I can tell he isn’t ready, which is hard. I think it’s the comfort of it. I am going to try to stick it out for another month, but am hoping to start dropping his nighttime nursing soon.
FAVORITE THINGS AND GROWING OUT OF…
Ford loves…
Climbing the stairs or any other object
Listening to music (the Simple Nursery Rhymes station is on repeat)
Playing peek-a-boo
Going on long walks when the weather is nice
Visiting new places and being out-and-about with us
Taking naps in the car seat or on me
Eating and exploring new foods
Swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School
Pop-up or touch-and-feel books
Bathtime
Ford is growing out of:
Anything that keeps him confined
Toys that aren’t interactive (he prefers his sorting & stacking toys right now)
Taking naps in the crib
Baby food (purees): he wants the real deal and has the his pincher fingers down!