Isabella turns 9 months old today. In three months, she's going to be one year old. I cannot believe we're already making plans for her first birthday party (which will have a Goodnight Moon theme). I cannot believe how fast the time is passing.
I cannot believe how quickly my baby is growing up.
The biggest change in the past month is her ability to feed herself. She's quite the self-feeder these days, and is working on her pincer grasp, used to both grasp at Cheerios on her highchair tray and to squeeze the cats' bellies.
Also, I may have a little leftie on my hands (ha-ha). She is much more adept at feeding herself with her left hand than her right, and even when a Cheerio is placed directly beside her right hand, she'll often reach over with her left hand to grab it. Rich is convinced we can market this to our advantage when she becomes a pro golfer.
She's also putting up a big stink when I try to feed her many of the foods she used to love. I'm not blending them as smoothly as I did when she was younger, because babies her age are supposed to have more texture in their foods. She doesn't seem to be too fond of it, often sticking her tongue straight out and letting the offending food fall right off of it. Anyone else experience this?
And to round out her feeding escapades, she's also discovered the joys of blowing raspberries while her mouth is full of food, and then breaking into a huge smile as I pick pureed carrots out of my hair. Fun stuff.
Oh, and she has no teeth. None. Not even the signs of any coming in anytime soon. I'm convinced we'll be fitting her for dentures in a few months.
Isabella says "da-da-da" (most often in a whisper, oddly enough) much more than "ma-ma" these days, although I don't think she identifes what she's saying with either one of us yet. She does, however, recognize certain objects and certain people, and turns to look at them when prompted. For example, someone can say, "Where's your ball?" and she'll immediately turn and look at it.
She's still not crawling, and as I mentioned in last month's update, I don't think she ever will and will probably go right to walking. She is, however, a masterful roller. She can roll, and quite quickly at that, wherever she needs to go.
While she's showing no inclination to get up on all fours and get her arse in gear, she can however, go from a seated position to a crawling position (if she were so motivated, that is).
Her babbling now sounds increasingly like actual words, as if she's trying to speak instead of indiscriminately emitting sounds as she has in the past. Or she might just be plotting revenge against me in some foreign language for making her eat pureed cauliflower. I don't know. But I'm keeping my ears open just in case.
She can clap her hands together as I sing "patty-cake" and she often starts to clap spontaneously, for no reason at all. She can also wave goodbye, and she performs several inappropriate hand gestures when she's frustrated, but I won't get into that here.
And here's my favorite new development of the past month. My little girl will sit or lay still for minutes (and quite a few at that!!) on end turning the pages of her board books and "reading" aloud. There's no sound in the world as sweet to me as the quiet babbling she makes while playing with her books.
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I cannot believe how quickly my baby is growing up.
The biggest change in the past month is her ability to feed herself. She's quite the self-feeder these days, and is working on her pincer grasp, used to both grasp at Cheerios on her highchair tray and to squeeze the cats' bellies.
Also, I may have a little leftie on my hands (ha-ha). She is much more adept at feeding herself with her left hand than her right, and even when a Cheerio is placed directly beside her right hand, she'll often reach over with her left hand to grab it. Rich is convinced we can market this to our advantage when she becomes a pro golfer.
She's also putting up a big stink when I try to feed her many of the foods she used to love. I'm not blending them as smoothly as I did when she was younger, because babies her age are supposed to have more texture in their foods. She doesn't seem to be too fond of it, often sticking her tongue straight out and letting the offending food fall right off of it. Anyone else experience this?
And to round out her feeding escapades, she's also discovered the joys of blowing raspberries while her mouth is full of food, and then breaking into a huge smile as I pick pureed carrots out of my hair. Fun stuff.
Oh, and she has no teeth. None. Not even the signs of any coming in anytime soon. I'm convinced we'll be fitting her for dentures in a few months.
Isabella says "da-da-da" (most often in a whisper, oddly enough) much more than "ma-ma" these days, although I don't think she identifes what she's saying with either one of us yet. She does, however, recognize certain objects and certain people, and turns to look at them when prompted. For example, someone can say, "Where's your ball?" and she'll immediately turn and look at it.
She's still not crawling, and as I mentioned in last month's update, I don't think she ever will and will probably go right to walking. She is, however, a masterful roller. She can roll, and quite quickly at that, wherever she needs to go.
While she's showing no inclination to get up on all fours and get her arse in gear, she can however, go from a seated position to a crawling position (if she were so motivated, that is).
Her babbling now sounds increasingly like actual words, as if she's trying to speak instead of indiscriminately emitting sounds as she has in the past. Or she might just be plotting revenge against me in some foreign language for making her eat pureed cauliflower. I don't know. But I'm keeping my ears open just in case.
She can clap her hands together as I sing "patty-cake" and she often starts to clap spontaneously, for no reason at all. She can also wave goodbye, and she performs several inappropriate hand gestures when she's frustrated, but I won't get into that here.
She's a whole lot more mobile these days, and increasingly active and squirmy. There's very little holding her on my lap and cuddling anymore. She wants to be moving all the time.
And here's my favorite new development of the past month. My little girl will sit or lay still for minutes (and quite a few at that!!) on end turning the pages of her board books and "reading" aloud. There's no sound in the world as sweet to me as the quiet babbling she makes while playing with her books.
One change in Isabella is definitely bittersweet for me. She's not as interested in nursing anymore. Now some may read this and say, "And you're upset about this...why?" Of course, when she's weaned in means more freedom for me, and caffeine by the gallonful, but it also means my little baby doesn't need me as much anymore. Nursing her provides a bond between us that only the two of us share, and when that's over, well, it means an end to that special relationship. I know this sounds ridiculous and corny, but I will miss nursing her when I stop breastfeeding.
9 months! You're right--time is going by so fast. I am so touched looking at that beautiful little face. One of my favorite things is to come to this blog and find out how you and Isabella are doing. What a wonderful thing that she has you (and Dad, of course)--and that you have her. Thank you for telling us all her new developments. It's never a dull moment with Isabella! :):)
Looking forward to that birthday!
What a dollbaby she is! I love the bright pink hat!
how do I score some tix to this fab party??
Woohoo for lefties!
And yes, "they all grow up so quickly!"
Pretty soon you'll be sending her off on her senior year prom.
Cutie cutie! Can't wait to hear about the 1-year extravaganza!!
Wow. They are growing so fast! I still remember when you were going in for your c-section! Wow. Madelyn will be turning 8 months and she isn't crawling either. She rolls where she wants to go and can get her butt up in the air--- but not up on her hands yet. If her butt goes up, she just rolls over. Everyone says don't rush it because once they are mobile- watch out. lol.
She is a cutie!!
Happy Nine Months, Isabella! I just want a little nibble of those cheeks!
I totally understand the mourning of the nursing, but it's awesome that the weaning is being initiated by her. At least you don't have the mourning in conjunction with guilt. And, I promise, in the not-too-distant future, you're going to feel awesome about your new, non-boob-centered, relationship.
Oh, she's reading books! A girl after my own heart. I love that she's talking too.
Isabella is a little older than Flybaby, but he also is getting antsy when I spoon-feed him. The past couple of days, we have had "Finger Food Lunch." I got tired of him fussing over the spoon, so at lunch he gets a break and gets to feed himself little bits of safe food. He's much happier. He does have 7 teeth now, though, so he can actually bite a little bit.
She is beautiful! And I think the rolling is really quite cute. I basically crawled for a week before deciding walking would be better, where my sister probably would still be crawling around at the speed of light had my parents not encouraged her to start up on her feet.
omg Lore does that same evil thing with a mouth full of food and lets it just slid right on out... OR she will be eating something like a piece of chicken and pulls it out and toss it on the floor to hear the splat... such a stinker...
Love the photos and the pink hat! Also love your description of her reading to herself.
I can't believe how fast this wonderful time of babyhood zooms by.
Can you clone her for me?!