Emerson's 9 Month Update!

I’ve thought about writing this update a million times, but just haven’t found the time to actually sit down and write it. Life has been busy lately as summer has hit and traveling has been in full swing. Sadly, Emerson is now closer to 10 months old than 9….time just never slows down! I was just telling Josh that this year has truly been the quickest of my life. This month marks 1 year since we've moved to Lizella and it just doesn't seem possible. Emerson is truly turning into a “toddler”, as opposed to, an infant right in front of my eyes. She has made so much progress with so many things and this month has been a blast watching her grow and learn. It blows my mind to think that in a little over 2 months, I will have two toddlers. How in the world?! I’m cherishing each moment with our sweet girl and loving each month that passes more and more!

Height and Weight: This month Emerson had her 9 month check-up, so we were finally able to see how her height and weight had progressed over the past 3 months. Emerson now weighs 16 lbs. 11 oz. and is 26.5 inches tall. She is in the 30^th percentile for both height and weight, so that was encouraging to see. She's gained almost 3 lbs. and grown 2 inches in the past 3 months. A few days after this, Emerson got her first ear infection. I could tell she wasn’t feeling well, but since we had just been to the doctor the day before I thought it may just be viral. Unfortunately, she woke up miserable the next morning and turns out it was a double ear infection. Thankfully, our doctor is open 7 days a week, so we had no problem getting her checked and getting the medicine she needed quickly even though it was a Saturday afternoon.

Eating: Overall, Emerson is an excellent eater! I am so thankful after having a picky eater the first time around. It’s really nice to have a kid who will eat just about anything (for now). There are days where she doesn’t want to eat as much, but she still eats a decent amount of solids each day. Emerson will shake her head back and forth to tell us “no” when she doesn’t want any more food. It’s actually kind of nice, as opposed to, her getting upset about it. Emerson still loves bread (loves sharing a peanut butter sandwich with Grayson) and also any type of soft and cooked veggies (lately she has loved cooked squash and peppers). She also loves beans, cheese, and meats (BBQ, taco, hot dog). She still likes grapes and blueberries and is back to eating chopped up pieces of banana. Today, she ate a piece of pizza (deconstructed). At this point, the only “puree” I feed her is yogurt. She hasn’t been as into eating puffs and yogurt bites lately. She does better with regular food. She eats what we eat just in smaller pieces and loves it! She likes to eat what mommy, daddy, and Grayson have….she wants to be just like the group! Emerson does okay with feeding herself, but at this point, I still feed her most everything myself. I try to give her opportunities to “self-feed”, but don’t do it too often…mostly because she isn’t great at it! Ha. Emerson is breastfeeding less and less. She breastfeeds every 4-5 hours and can go longer if needed. This is so bittersweet for me. For over 3 years now, I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding. There is a part of me that is ready for a break, but I also love breastfeeding my babies and feel very grateful that I've been able to do so for so long. I plan on weaning her at 12 months, but I know a part of me will miss it. Emerson has started biting at times during her feedings, so I won’t miss that! She has started drinking out of a sippy cup. She doesn’t fully understand it, but she is slowly getting the hang of it. Emerson loves stealing Grayson’s sippy cups and gets giddy with excitement each time she gets to hold one!

Sleep: Sleep has been okay this month. Emerson is all over the board. Sometimes she will sleep longer stretches at night (she slept 10 hours straight once this month!), but usually she wakes up once a night. And lately, it’s even been twice a night. She is pretty consistent about waking up once a night though and the time varies. Everything is the same, as far as, her sleep schedule goes. She is still napping twice a day and going to bed/waking up for the day around the same times. (8:30-9pm – 8-8:30am) She doesn't nap well if we aren't at home and just doesn't take super long naps in general. We have been out of town twice in the past two weeks and nights have been really rough for her. She goes to sleep fine in the pack ‘n’ play, but wakes up throughout the night. She did take some good naps while we were out of town from lack of sleep at night. At this point, I’ve gone almost 10 months without sleeping through the night, so I do get very tired sometimes. It’s discouraging for me to still have a baby that doesn’t sleep through the night (I always feel like I must be doing something wrong!), but I know that one day she will. Hopefully! Emerson has also been wanting us to rock her to sleep this month. She used to be better at putting herself to sleep, but this month, she has really wanted us to rock her to sleep each night and sometimes for naps. Sometimes it’s frustrating, but it’s also super sweet! She especially loves when daddy rocks her to bed. 

Clothes: Emerson is in a size 3 diaper, but she’s about to move up to a size 4. She is also in some 6-9 month clothing and some 9-12 month clothing. She is somewhat petite for her age, but the bigger clothes aren’t so big on her anymore and she can wear most of them!

Mood: Emerson’s personality is coming through more and more as time goes on and it’s so fun to see it develop! She has always been very laid back and happy with that little bit of fire and sass and that’s how I would continue to describe her! Overall, she is a very happy baby, always smiling and laughing at everyone. If for some reason she isn’t happy about something, she is becoming more vocal about letting you know that. She has also learned to “fight back” with Grayson. When Grayson takes a toy from her or something that she is enjoying playing with, she will put up a fight and won’t let him have the toy. Or she will scream very loudly about it. She is learning to stand up for herself, that’s for sure! She shakes her head “no” at me if she doesn’t want something and gets very upset if you take something that she has away. She has been very clingy to mama this month and doesn’t always want other people to hold her. If she sees me, then she cries until I come get her. If I am out of her sight, then she is usually content being held by others. She is doing much better in the church nursery and any setting where I have to leave her for a while. Emerson is a mama’s girl, but I’m not complaining. She also loves and recognizes daddy and Grayson immediately. She lights up when they enter the room. Grayson still gets the most laughs out of her, but she is also laughing a lot more at mommy and daddy! Emerson is still very curious. She is really checking everything out and wants to hold and touch everything. She is definitely entering that "getting into everything" phase including the trash cans and the little rocks in our fireplace (she loves to stick them in her mouth and I'm constantly having to get them out). She is still super sweet and loves to cuddle. She gives the sweetest little grins all the time and says “Dada” when her daddy is holding her. Emerson is becoming more and more vocal and is talking a lot these days! Baby talk that is! She doesn't really say any real words yet except "Dada", but she loves to say "Gah Gah" and "Baba". She is also getting better about repeating the sound that you say. She loves to explore and is very content crawling around the living room putting everything in her mouth! Emerson has also started getting her feelings hurt. If I have to get on to her or "scold" her, she immediately bursts into tears! She is definitely sensitive in that way. Emerson is full of sunshine and sweetness! I love the bond we have as mother and daughter. 

Milestones: This month Emerson started CRAWLING! It was such an exciting milestone for us because Grayson skipped crawling and went straight to walking. It’s so fun to have a “crawler”, but it’s also been a game changer (and has shown me how dirty my floors are!). Having two mobile kids is a whole new world! I have to watch Emerson like a hawk because I never know where she is going to go or what she is going to get into. But it’s so fun to see her crawl everywhere and finally get to where she wants to go all on her own! She has also started pulling up to her knees constantly. She hasn’t pulled up to her feet yet, but she’s very close. We need to lower her crib! Her mobility has really changed and majorly improved this month! Emerson can also give high 5’s and play "patty cake" which is really fun! She just laughs and giggles and smiles from ear to ear while we do "patty cake" together. 

Teeth: Still 4! But she has been more grumpy lately, so I’m hoping another tooth is on its way!

Loves: Waving at anyone and everyone, clapping along to music, splashing in the bath tub or pool, making friends wherever we go, riding in the shopping cart like a big girl, still loves all of Grayson’s toys instead of her "baby" toys, putting everything in her mouth, crawling everywhere, rolling a ball back and forth, patting/smacking everything, being tickled, giving high 5's and playing "patty cake", always finding shoes and attempting to chew on them (so sanitary!), getting up on her knees to explore, being rocked to sleep, still loves being held but wanting to get down and explore more and Emerson really loves her family (mommy, daddy, and Grayson). Emerson and Grayson have started to actually "play" with each other recently and Emerson just giggles and smiles the whole time! They love to crawl together all over the house...Grayson has reverted back to being a baby! Haha. 

Doesn’t Like: Getting strapped in the car, having to sit still for diaper and outfit changes, getting licked in the face by Cedric (overall, she isn’t nearly as into Cedric as Grayson was), taking away something she is playing with, gets overwhelmed by big crowds, standing on her feet (she immediately sits down when we try to stand her up) and she will cling on to me and refuse to let go when I try to put her down if she is in the mood to be carried. 

Things I Want To Remember:

1^st Haircut (bangs) – I wouldn’t consider it her first real haircut, but Emerson had her bangs trimmed this month! She did great and didn’t even really notice what was happening. I don’t plan on a proper 1^st haircut for a while! She has a lot of really long baby hairs that she's had since birth. She never lost any of her hair and she was born with a lot. But I plan on letting it continue to grow out and then get it "shaped" when she's a little older. 

1^st Trip to the Beach – We went to Jekyll Island with Josh’s family for a few days and then went back to Jekyll Island for a few days this week for Josh’s work conference. Emerson loved the sand, but hated the ocean! She ate way too much sand for my liking, but she was not a fan of going in or near the water. She seemed a little overwhelmed at the beach with Josh’s family last week (17 people in one house). She was very clingy and more fussy. Emerson seemed happier this week at the beach with just Josh’s parents there with us. I think she may do better in smaller groups which is how I am too. Josh and Grayson are the extroverts of our family! That being said, she loves her cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents and had a lot of fun with them! Our nieces and nephews loved playing with Emerson and helping me take care of her while we were at the beach. 

                                                   

Mommy Update: Emotions have been all over the board this month in my world! Emerson is definitely my easier child right now, but having a challenging, moody, high energy and attention demanding two year old AND a mobile, breastfeeding, and more opinionated baby makes life a little more complicated. One minute we are all playing together and having a blast and the next, they are both crying and things are chaotic. Grayson and Emerson have a typical sibling relationship – they are best friends but also get irritated with each other. Grayson loves to pester Emerson, but then he gets sad when she goes away or he can’t play with her anymore. Emerson thinks Grayson is so funny, but she also cries a lot when he messes with her. She likes to smack him and pull his hair (in play) which never results in anything good. Recently, Emerson stuck her finger in Grayson’s mouth and then Grayson bit her. It was quite dramatic and pretty typical of their interactions lately. They want to be near each other all the time, but then they keep bugging each other. I’m having to adjust to dealing with their “sibling interactions” more and being a little like a referee. Grayson has started to get a little jealous of Emerson in the past month or two, so that has also been something I am learning to navigate as a mom of two. Grayson has been fighting sleep a lot lately and the tantrums have been rough, so this mama is tired! And tired mamas are emotionally mamas. Recently someone told me that they thought my kids were "always happy and always smiling and basically perfect" based on my social media posts. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard this because that is definitely not the case. I’m the first to admit that I am no expert at having two kids. We are almost 10 months in and I still feel like I struggle at times. A part of me feels embarrassed admitting that because most moms who have 2 kids appear to be rocking it and lots of other moms have more than 2 kids and are also rocking it. Two kids may not seem challenging to some, but where I am with an almost 2.5 year old and a 9 month old, it can be hard. Some days, I can get overwhelmed and discouraged and other days, I feel like things are great! I can be really, really hard on myself and think that I am not a very good mom on those challenging days. The same lessons that I learned the first year of being a mom with Grayson are lessons that I continually have to remind myself today. Don't compare yourself to other moms. Don't compare your kids to other kids. Give yourself grace. Stop being so hard on yourself! Remember that you are doing the best you can and that's all you can do. A bad moment in the day doesn't make it a bad day. Don't beat yourself up for mistakes you or your child makes. Don't let your worth as a mom depend on how your child behaves or hits certain milestones. Every child is different and each child has their own little mind and can make their own decisions. Having a 2 year old has taught me that it is my responsibility to teach my child right from wrong. They aren't going to naturally know and that's okay. It doesn't make them a bad kid. Being a mom has taught me so many things about myself and also made me question myself more than I ever have before. I will never claim to be the perfect mother, but I will always try my very hardest to be the best parent to my children. I will always pour everything I have into raising them even if I don't always see the fruit of that labor (yet). This season is amazing and wonderful and exhausting and straight up hard sometimes all wrapped up into one. Life as a mom is always busy and hectic, but like I say each month, I am trying to soak in every moment because I know I will miss these days. I share this not out of self-pity, but knowing that I'm not the only mama in these shoes. We all have those days and we are in this together!

Grayson's 9 Month Update!

 

I love doing these updates! It's so fun to see the progression. I know the updates are probably too detailed for most, but I treat this as Grayson's online baby book and I don't want to forget anything ;) This update was originally written at the beginning of the month (when he actually turned 9 months old), so things have changed slightly since then. Grayson has officially been out in the world longer than he was in my belly -- he is 9 months old! This month is bittersweet because I realize that his first year of life is quickly coming to a close. He's transitioning from an infant to a toddler right in front of my eyes and is looking more like a little boy these days. With that being said, being his mommy just gets more and more fun. I love my little man! 

Weight & Height: Grayson is 19 lbs. 10 oz. (33rd percentile) and 29 inches long (73rd percentile). He is starting to thin out, but he still has those chunky thighs that I love! ;)

Feeding: Grayson is down to 4 feedings a day including the bedtime feeding. It makes me sad to think breastfeeding him is almost over, but I'm happy that he is naturally weaning himself off breast milk. The solids category is still a work in progress -- but that's okay! Grayson still loves yogurt, puffs, and drinking water out of his sippy cup, but this month, he started eating more table food and doing more baby-led weaning. Grayson is a very independent child and would get so upset that he couldn't hold the spoon when I was feeding him. He prefers to feed himself, as well as, hold and drink out of his cup himself. We have been letting him feed himself more often which he enjoys. I don't know how much food he actually gets in his mouth, but he is getting better and better at it. He likes to eat strawberries, watermelon, eggs, and bits of bread with peanut butter on them. He is eating more and more off my plate and eats what we have for dinner sometimes. Grayson is still eating purees when he is in the mood, but that's more of a random thing right now. He won't eat straight up veggies, so I buy a lot of the fruit and veggie combos and he does okay with those. As a whole, I am seeing a lot of progress in the eating department, so I am happy about that!

Sleeping:  Sleep has been all over the board this month! Grayson was doing much better with his bedtime routine and going to bed earlier. He was only waking up like once a night which is really good for him. But then we went on vacation...and that messed it all up. He slept in the Pack 'N' Play while we were at the beach and really didn't like it. He was up twice each night and woke up at 6am each morning...so much for a vacation! When we got back, he was sleeping absolutely terribly. Like worse than ever. I assumed it was teething, but it continued to get worse. We took him to the doctor and it turned out that he had an ear infection. I felt awful for not knowing it was an ear infection and just thinking he was teething, but to my defense, his symptoms were almost the exact same as when he's teething. Lesson learned. Once he got the right meds, he was sleeping more normal, but still waking up in the night. He was waking more out of habit than anything else and didn't know how to self-soothe himself back to sleep. After talking to the pediatrician, we started letting him cry when he woke up in the night and then going in every 10 minutes and patting his back, reassuring him, and walking out. The goal was to let him know we were there, but not get him out of his crib and not breast feed him for comfort. And this goes without saying, but it's been extremely tough and heartbreaking. No parent wants to do that to their child. On a positive note, it has been working. He has been sleeping so much better and is finally learning to self-soothe. He has been getting in the habit of sleeping from 730-5 or 6am without waking or waking but putting himself back to sleep which is basically a miracle to us. It's all still a work in progress (can you tell that's a theme for us?), but overall, he is slowly becoming a better sleeper and I think the sleep training is working!

Clothes: He is in a size 4 diaper and is in 6-9 and 9 month clothing.

 

 

Mood: Aside from Grayson being sick and having an ear infection, his mood has been great! He did great at the beach and was happy the majority of the time. He is so curious and interested in everything going on around him. He is on-the-go and into everything these days. A very active little boy :) He loves to explore and is entertained by me giving him random objects around the house or out of my purse (lotion caps, anything that shakes or makes noise, a hair tie, etc.)! I love Grayson's silly personality that is starting to come out! He is such a goofball. He has the biggest smile and shares it with everyone. He is doing much better about going to others and usually has good days even if mom and dad aren't around. Josh and I joke because he is so independent in a lot of ways, and yet he can be very clingy. Grayson definitely loves his mommy and daddy! Can't complain there :)

 

Teeth:  Grayson has 6 teeth! He got his 6th tooth the day we left for the beach. I am thankful teething has left us alone this month although it was replaced with an ear infection and constant congestion. The change in weather has left Grayson with a constant runny nose :(

 

 

School: Grayson is doing so much better in Mother's Morning Out and nursery at church. It just took a lot of consistency and persistence. He is happy and learning to have fun with his classmates and teachers. I'm so proud of him! He absolutely loves other children and lights up whenever they are around.

 

Milestones: Grayson now says, "Ma-ma", "Ba-Ba", and "Woah" along with a million other sounds (He is very chatty and vocal!), he also says what sounds like "Yes" and "No", he is "army crawling"!, he is cruising the furniture...I can look away for a second and he is half way across the room!, he can now throw the ball himself when we play catch, he has started baby-led weaning and feeding himself.  

 

Loves: Giving Cedric his dog treat and feeding Cedric his own food (he thinks it's hilarious), sharing and giving you what he has then taking it back (again, hilarious to him), Grayson is a giggle monster and loves to belly laugh!, loves to clap and dance, crawling to Cedric's food and water bowls, loves drumming on everything, loves watching mommy and daddy brush their teeth (random, I know!), loves people watching, swinging at the playground and being outside instantly calms him.

 

Things I Want To Remember:

First hair cut -- I held off on cutting Grayson's hair for a long time. I wanted to wait until he was a year old, but the poor baby couldn't even see, so I gave in (after a lot of peer pressure from my husband!). I am so happy with how his hair looks although it does make him look like a little man. He's so handsome though and I love this length on him! Surprisingly, Grayson did awesome with his first haircut. There were no tears, just lots of driving his "car" ;)

 

 

Grayson's second visit to the beach -- We had a wonderful week with friends and really enjoyed the quality family time together. Grayson was happy the entire trip and really seemed to enjoy the beach!

Aquarium -- We went to the aquarium to celebrate my 27th birthday (you get in free on your birthday, woot woot!) and we had a lot of fun. Josh and Grayson had never been, so it was neat to experience that with them. Grayson was loving the fish!