I cannot believe I am typing Emerson’s 9-month update. Our little girl hit 9 months today and I wish I could freeze time and relish in every little moment with her. She has changed so much over the course of the last month! Each day with her is truly a blessing and we love every moment with our special, independent little girl!
Emerson is certainly on the go. She crawls quickly from one room to the next, speeding toward whatever it is she wants. But her biggest milestone has been learning to stand on her own. She can now fully stand up without supporting herself on objects and has taken her first few little steps! She isn’t fully walking yet, but she is standing up and taking 2-3 steps before losing her balance. It won’t be long until she masters it and is walking with Mom and Dad.
August brought a lot of change for our family and Emerson. We moved from New York back to California and settled in San Anselmo. It took us some time to settle into our new home and Emerson felt some of that energy. It took her a couple weeks to adjust to her new nanny and get comfortable in her new home, but she is now flourishing and back to her happy, fun loving self. She is going through a bit of a mommy phase and prefers to always have me around. It makes it working from home challenging sometimes, but we are figuring out our routine. She has made a few friends around the neighborhood and enjoys afternoon playdates with them and her nanny!
Here are some of Emerson's 9-month stats:
Weight/Height:
At her last checkup Emerson clocked in at 19.7 pounds and 29.5 inches. She is just under 20 pounds and Nate and I can certainly feel it when carrying her up and down the stairs!
Health:
Emerson has continued to flourish after her surgery, just a small scar and battle wound but no major issues. She continues to be healthy and strong, luckily we haven’t encountered any major colds or sickness yet!
Eating:
Emerson still gets a bottle first thing in the morning and before bed. She enjoys three meals a day along with two snacks. Her favorite finger foods include shredded cheese, raspberries, broccoli, chicken and pasta. She still also enjoys puree blends including pear, banana, strawberries, zucchini and mango. We introduced cherry tomatoes a few weeks ago since there is an abundance in our families gardens this time of year and she LOVES them! We also introduced scrambled eggs which has become a morning favorite of hers.
Sleep:
We were lucky that it only took Emerson a day or two to adjust from east coast time to west coast time. She is back on her schedule and sleeping about eleven to eleven and half hours a night. She continues to take two naps a day, one at 9 am and the second nap at 1 pm. Her nap length varies but average is about an hour. She prefers naps in the comfort of her crib but Nate and I experimented with a couple of naps in the stroller and car and she did pretty well with those. So we will see if we can continue to get more adventurous with one nap on the weekends.
Dislikes:
Being hangry, missing a nap or being awake too long, cleaning her nose, not being able to stand or move on her own, and being alone in the back seat of the car.
Likes:
Taylor is her favorite for sure, she loves the swing at the park, being outside playing, and bath time. She also enjoys peek-a-boo, and finding toys that you hide under other objects. She loves feeding Taylor from her highchair. I’ve tried to tell her no but she finds it too hysterical and Taylor gives her those puppy dog eyes so what can you do!?
Clothes:
Everything has moved into the 12-month size range and still size 4 diapers.
Crying:
Emerson still cries occasionally when she wants to be held by Mom, if it is taking too long to feed her, or if she really wants a change of scenery. But for the most part she doesn’t cry too often.
Milestones:
Emerson has added Da Da, Tay Tay, Baba, and Nana to her vocabulary in addition to Mama which she mastered a few months ago. She waves hello and goodbye, knows her name, who Mom, Dad and Taylor are and she has learned the word No. She is just a month away from walking! She also graduated to a big girl convertible car seat!
Postpartum:
With the move my workouts and routine are still few and far between. I did join a small local gym and a mother’s group so hoping that I can establish a rhythm there.