9 Months Old!

Oliver turned 9 months old today! I brought the Steeler ball blanket and large teddy bear to my parent's house so I wouldn't need to break tradition. I didn't bring the scale though.

1. On Sunday he weighed 16lb 12oz, which puts him at 4.1 percentile for his weight (not taking his prematurity into account).

2. He has continued to make progress with his sitting skills although he still topples over every once in a while.

3. He can scoot backwards very quickly, particularly on a smoother surface (linolium, tile, hardwood floor, etc.). He cries when he backs himself into a wall or door.

4. He also has made more progress with eating. He still hasn't mastered the use of his tongue (some is still ejected rather than swallowed), but I've decided to work towards having him eat all table food by the end of the month. I also am going to attempt to introduce a sippy cup, but he may not be ready for that, which is fine. He can use the bottle for a few more months. He nurses once a day.

5. He has one tooth (on the bottom) and can say one word (Dad).

6. He's starting to go back to sleeping through the night (8:30pm to 6:00am) although he had a 5am feeding this morning. He takes two naps, which total 3 to 4.5 hours in length. He sleeps on his belly and can be put down wide awake or asleep.

7. He still loves to play with his feet and enjoys peekaboo, being tickled, music, being kissed, swinging at the playground, and splashing in the bathtub. He laughs when he sees his brother or sister in a costume.

8. His belly button is still larger than normal, but it continues to shrink. Right now it reminds me of a deflated balloon. I'm still hoping it will become an "innie" on its own and we can avoid him needing a surgery when he's five years old. I have held off on scheduling an appointment with a urologist until I know if we're moving to another state or not this summer.

9.  He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. His socks and bib are usually drenched because he's had them in his mouth.