This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Here we go again friends. This is Roark’s 9 month baby update! If you missed the last one, you can read it here.

He’s officially been outside my womb as much as he was inside of it. I know, I know, pregnancy is really like 40 weeks which technically is 10 months, but since he was born early, it was really more like 9 months.

 

He is developing into such a smart, precocious, persistent and loving child. I love watching him figure things out and learn new skills. There is really nothing like looking into the eyes of a child. They are full of wonder!

This month, we have camped quite a lot. Actually most of the summer we have taken about 2 camping trips a month and one 10 day vacation recently to Utah and Aspen. Roark loves camping and hiking. He sleeps much better when we travel and gets so excited to see so many people. Every morning his daddy takes him for a walk while I sleep in (heaven) and he gets to touch plants and trees for a sensorial experience and see different wildlife which doesn’t phase him at the least. This last trip he got to see a deer up close and he really enjoyed watching the birds fly by.

Roark stood up for the first time unaided during one of our trips and it was super exciting, until we realized that now he is really close to walking!

9 Month Baby Update

Baby R’s Stats

At Birth:  6lbs 12oz, 19.5 inches tall, size newborn clothes and diapers.

2 weeks old: 7 lbs 3oz and measured 20.25 inches tall, size 0-3 months clothes and size 1 diapers.

2 months old: 11 lbs 11oz and measured 22.75 Inches tall, size 3-6 months clothes and size 2 diapers.

4 months old: 15 lbs 6 oz and measured 25.5 inches tall, size 9 months clothes and size 3 diapers.

5 months old: 16 lbs 14 oz and measured 25.75 inches tall, size 9 months clothes and size 3 diapers.

6 months old: 17 lbs 10 oz, 27.5 inches tall, size 12 months clothes and size 3 diapers during the day and 4 at night.

7 months old: 18 lbs 8 oz, 27.5 inches tall, size 12 months clothes and size 4 diapers.

8 months old: 19 lbs 8 oz, 27.5 inches tall. size 18 months clothes and size 4 diapers.

9 months old: 20 lbs 2 oz, 29.25 inches tall, size 18-24 months clothes and size 4 cruiser diapers.

Feeding

All my worries about Roark’s weight have disappeared. He’s healthy and gaining steadily. The pediatrician says he doesn’t look like he missing a meal, so I am happy. In fact, we now have to keep Roark from stealing our food when we are eating because he prefers it to the pureed baby foods. He has had every food except for shellfish which the pediatrician asked us to wait until he is one.

He eats 6 times a day and can eat a full pouch/container of food per meal or two cubes of homemade food. I alternate between homemade and store bought organic baby food depending on our activities.

He is still intolerant to dairy, but the doctor has asked us to get him started with cheese and yogurt in small amounts to get his system to get over the intolerance. We are also starting to introduce formula at bedtime to hopefully help with this issue and to help him sleep longer.

Diapering

No change here. He still hates being changed and hates when he’s wet or dirty. He crawls to me when he needs a dirty diaper changed and pulls on my leg. It’s becoming quite clear when he goes potty and that he hates being soiled. so this will help with potty training in the future. Or so I hope!

Sleeping

Roark still takes 2 naps during the day for 40-90 mins each and goes down for the night at 7:30pm. He feeds at 10pm, 12pm and 2am. The doctor gave us the green light to cut his 2 am feeding since he seems to do it out of habit and not need. He doesn’t feed for very long and goes back to sleep and with all the solids he has through the day, he really should be able to sleep 6-7hrs straight. We will be working on that this month and the hubby will be the one doing the sleep training. Because I am too soft. I can’t let Roark cry out for more than 10 mins and some tough love will be needed for the first couple nights.

Developmental – 9 months update

• Cruises around the furniture.
• Stands up unaided for a few seconds and then falls or sits down.
• Crawl super fast.
• Clicks his tongue
• Chases after a ball
• Says Dada!

Post-partum update

Not much on this front. Still in therapy. Read more about it here.

Some Thoughts on Motherhood

Motherhood! What a crazy, demanding and strangely wonderful journey!

I have never worried more, slept less, had less time, felt more needed and more tired any other time in my life and yet, I think it’s the most amazing “thing” I’ve ever done in life. Isn’t that super strange?

And I am not even a natural mom. Some women are born for this. I never considered myself one of these amazing women. I was always the skeptical one. Now I find myself drinking the Kolaid, getting all the inside jokes, talking about motherhood like it’s always been my calling. It’s pretty crazy!

Nine months post birth and I am feeling more comfortable as a mother. I no longer protect Roark from natural things like he’s made of glass. When he falls because he is trying to walk or bangs his head because he’s hell bent on getting to whatever it is he’s fixated on and I’ve moved him away 100 times, I no longer rush to his aid like he’s dying. I no longer sterilize everything he puts in his mouth- germs are good, right? And I microwave his homemade organic food and feed him pouch food when it’s more convenient- gasp!

I let him watch YouTube nursery videos when in the car and also when we go out to eat. I breastfeed him to sleep and have allowed him to co-sleep with us from his first month. He is still co-sleeping with us 9 months later! G A S P!

I’ve done a lot of things I said I would never do before I became a mother, because until you are one, there is no way to know how you will do and react to things. I had this perfect list of things I would and would not do and after being sleep deprived for 9 months, I can no longer remember most of those things. LOL

But after all this, I still believe we are going to be okay. You see, today, because of social media and ridiculous standards set by celebrities and activists, there is all this pressure to be “the perfect mom” when in reality, no such woman exists. We are all just doing our best and at the end of the day if the kids are happy, the house hasn’t burned to the ground and everyone is alive and unharmed (bruises and scrapes don’t count), it’s been a pretty successful day!

So motherhood is flawed, there is no perfect mom and it’s still super awesome!

To watch the baby update video, click here!

xoxo

Jana

 

This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.