9 months old

How is it that this little boy is 9 months old???  And, why is it that his 9 months outside of my womb have passed by so much more quickly than his 9 months in my womb?

Charlie's newest hobby

Nine month facts....

• 16.5 lbs (with clothes on)  27 3/4 in long
• Sporting 2 shiny, new teeth!
• Wearing size 3 diapers
• Still does not like the bath, but puts up with it with only mild grumbling rather than blood-curdling screams...one reason he now gets bathed once a week, rather than once a month (just kidding, I think)
• Nursing morning and night
• Taking 2 bottles of formula and 1 bottle of juice throughout the day
• Eating anything we give him, although green beans are not his favorite, and starting to eat more table food that I prepare for the family, just blended up....Swedish meatballs and Pot roast with veggies were big hits!
• Sitting up independently, but not attempting to move around....thank you, Lord!
• Supposed to be taking two naps a day....Daddy needs to have a little talk with him on that one.

The biggest event for us this month was introducing formula.  I think it was more of an ordeal for Mommy than Charlie.  At his last check-up, we discovered that he had dropped from the 25% in weight to below the 5% (with clothes on).  I could also tell that even though he was still nursing, he just wasn't getting as much milk as he needed.  I tried to supplement with extra food and juice throughout the day, but it just wasn't enough, so I actually brought up the question of formula to the doctor, and he agreed that we needed to supplement.  Now, this is the first baby that I have ever given formula.  With my first child, my goal was to breastfeed for at least 6 months.  He easily continued nursing until he was a year old, when I weaned him because little sister was on the way.  I continued nursing each of my children for a year.  Baby #3 actually would not take a bottle of any kind!  No juice or anything until he was about 13 months old.  I have absolutely loved nursing my babies (as well as the financial savings from not buying formula!).  So, introducing formula was a little bit of a let down for me, but Charlie took it like a champ and now shows visible excitement when he sees me bringing a bottle to him.  I have also noticed that he has packed on some weight in just the past two weeks, so all is good. 

Charlie is often the center of attention around here.  His big brothers and sister often ask to push him through the house in the stroller or ask where he is if they can't find him (we only lose him occasionally).  He is usually a trooper during their attempts to "play house" with him as the baby, but there are times when he needs to be rescued and Mommy becomes Super Mommy! 

Every day is delight with this little man.  Each new days brings smiles and laughs that are just contagious.