Every month gets easier, and a whole lot more fun with this Little Lerma!
I have learned two things this month: 1.) Bella does well with a schedule and a routine (all those books were right!); 2.) Schedule and routine do not mean doing the the same thing at the same time every single day.
I love how I feel like this month we truly got into swing with each other, and I am able to read her cues well (thank goodness, by now, right!?). While she may sleep a little longer one night, or a little shorter the next, her same basic pattern has become similar enough that I now feel like we can flow throughout the day without so much second guessing going on. And there are a ton more smiles all around! I don't really look at the clock anymore, but rather look at her. Kind of like being a nurse; don't look at the monitor, look at your patient! What a difference that has made!
Ahhh...this is the sweet spot!
Happy 9 Months Isabella Rae!
I have learned two things this month: 1.) Bella does well with a schedule and a routine (all those books were right!); 2.) Schedule and routine do not mean doing the the same thing at the same time every single day.
I love how I feel like this month we truly got into swing with each other, and I am able to read her cues well (thank goodness, by now, right!?). While she may sleep a little longer one night, or a little shorter the next, her same basic pattern has become similar enough that I now feel like we can flow throughout the day without so much second guessing going on. And there are a ton more smiles all around! I don't really look at the clock anymore, but rather look at her. Kind of like being a nurse; don't look at the monitor, look at your patient! What a difference that has made!
Ahhh...this is the sweet spot!
Happy 9 Months Isabella Rae!
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| Oh, her expressions! |
-We celebrated your first Valentine's Day as a family. Daddy and I were never big into celebrating it anyways, so it was just a fun day relaxing together. In the evening, Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G, Dani and Brittney (Longbons) Lima came over with her 15 month old daughter Sofia, for a Mexican fiesta. We had a great time laughing and telling stories!
-Mama was sick for a week and a half, at the same time there were 3 "snow days". Ironically enough, there was little to no snow to speak of. Just some ice on the roads that quickly melted. Certainly winters down here in GA are dramatically different than Chicago! Either way, that meant a whole lotta staying inside, playing on the floor mat, in the pack-n-play, or in the jumperoo while Mama laid on the couch.
-At 38 weeks you went into the nursery Bible class at church for the first time! You absolutely loved being in there with other girls that were older! And you loved dancing and moving to the singing!
-Daddy had a whole week off for our first ever "Staycation!" We did a whole lotta relaxing together, and got some things done around the house. For sure, the most different "vacation" your dad and I have ever had!
-You learned how to "give kisses" this month and it seriously is one of the sweetest things ever! You will grab our face, open your mouth wide, and plant a very open mouth on whatever you bring your head to. Then you giggle, and it is just precious!
-You aren't crawling yet but you really want to be moving. You will push yourself up on your arms, then flail them out with arms and legs in the air like you're doing the Superman exercise move...then flail all around like you are swimming on land. It cracks me up, but just makes you mad b/c you aren't moving anywhere!
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| After 30 shots these were the best we could get...which clearly doesn't say much! |
-At 38 weeks you went into the nursery Bible class at church for the first time! You absolutely loved being in there with other girls that were older! And you loved dancing and moving to the singing!
-Daddy had a whole week off for our first ever "Staycation!" We did a whole lotta relaxing together, and got some things done around the house. For sure, the most different "vacation" your dad and I have ever had!
-You learned how to "give kisses" this month and it seriously is one of the sweetest things ever! You will grab our face, open your mouth wide, and plant a very open mouth on whatever you bring your head to. Then you giggle, and it is just precious!
-You aren't crawling yet but you really want to be moving. You will push yourself up on your arms, then flail them out with arms and legs in the air like you're doing the Superman exercise move...then flail all around like you are swimming on land. It cracks me up, but just makes you mad b/c you aren't moving anywhere!
Sleeping: Oh happy day...or shall I say night! Finally, FINALLY, you have figured out the whole sleeping through the night thing. There are nights when you still have your moments, but for the most part, you are placed in your crib around 6pm awake, you put yourself to sleep, and if you do wake up in the middle of the night you put yourself back to sleep! Hallelujah! You typically sleep from 6pm til 6 or 7 am. There are the *more rare* nights where you wake up for an hour or 2 and just want to be rocked. You are wide awake, but super calm as long as one of us is holding you. While it is exhausting, I am treasuring these moments as I am realizing more and more how much you don't want to cuddle and lay down during the day. You are truly so sweet and snuggly in the middle of the night!
*Sidenote: babies DO NOT understand day light savings time! I couldn't figure out why her schedule seemed so "off" the first several days after the time change and then it hit me...she didn't realize we lost an hour! Duh!
Naps are twice a day. The first nap is typically 1.5 to 2 hours after you wake up (which could mean 9, 10 or 11 am), lasting about 1.5 hrs. The second nap is usually about 2 hours after you woke up from the first, lasting about an hour. 4pm is rough for you because you get very fussy, and really would do better taking a third catnap, but you refuse.
*Sidenote: babies DO NOT understand day light savings time! I couldn't figure out why her schedule seemed so "off" the first several days after the time change and then it hit me...she didn't realize we lost an hour! Duh!
Naps are twice a day. The first nap is typically 1.5 to 2 hours after you wake up (which could mean 9, 10 or 11 am), lasting about 1.5 hrs. The second nap is usually about 2 hours after you woke up from the first, lasting about an hour. 4pm is rough for you because you get very fussy, and really would do better taking a third catnap, but you refuse.
Breastfeeding: Right as you turned 8 months, you tinkered with the idea of sleeping in a bit more and thus dropping a feed during the day. It definitely wasn't every day though. So some days you got 4 feeds (usually 7am, 10am, 1:30 pm, 5pm), and some you got 5 (6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, 5pm). Halfway through the month you decided you wanted to keep those 5 feeds, and went back to that routine. Then after daylight savings and you slept in a bit longer (8am rather than 7am b/c of the time change), you went back to 4 feeds (8am, 11 am, 2 or 3 pm, 5:30 or 6 pm).
You became VERY easily distracted this month, so getting you to focus and finish eating in a timely manner became a lot harder! Everything from the fan, to your daddy moving, to dust floating in the air were oh so cool and more important than eating!
You became VERY easily distracted this month, so getting you to focus and finish eating in a timely manner became a lot harder! Everything from the fan, to your daddy moving, to dust floating in the air were oh so cool and more important than eating!
Isabella Loves:
-Moo Cow wubanub (though pretty much only at naps and bedtime now)
-Bathtime in pink tub with squirty toys
-Jumperoo
-Musical interactive toys
-Activity musical play table (although you still aren't tall enough to "sit" at it)
-Activity musical play table (although you still aren't tall enough to "sit" at it)
-Being rocked and sung to before bedtime
-Putting her feet in her mouth
Food loves this month: BEETS, PEARS, oatmeal, corn, cantaloupe
-Putting her feet in her mouth
Food loves this month: BEETS, PEARS, oatmeal, corn, cantaloupe
Isabella Hates:
-Socks, shoes or anything on her feet
-Being on her tummy (although most days you will give me 3-5 minutes)
-Being on her tummy (although most days you will give me 3-5 minutes)
9 Month Stats:
-Height: 26.5 in (20th percentile)
-Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz (5th percentile)
*You wore size 2 diapers at the beginning of the month, and when we ran out midway through the month, we went to size 3 because we had a bunch of bags friends had given us and while they are a bit big I love them...they catch all that pee from 12 hours overnight!
*You finally got too long for my most favorite jammies from Gap (SO soft, so cuddly, so cute!)...I guess that's ok b/c they were size 0-3 months!
*Wearing mostly 3-6 month or 6 month onesies, and 6 month pants
Isabella's Firsts:
-First foods: Beets, cauliflower, corn, spinach, lima beans, chick peas, oatmeal
-First Valentines Day (February 14, 2015)
-First time in a shopping cart (outside of carseat) and you LOVED it!
-First time at nursery bible class 3/8/15
-First time in a shopping cart (outside of carseat) and you LOVED it!
-First time at nursery bible class 3/8/15
This Month in Pictures:
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| Girlfriend loves flying in the air! |
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| Looking so cute in her crazy hat |
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| This is usually what tummy time looks like! |
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| Oh so many things about this one make me laugh! |
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| Lovin' your bathtime! |
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| Sweet girl...one of my very favorite pictures! |
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| She is certainly her father's daughter! |
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| Girlie will probably walk before she crawls! |
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| Crazy hair, don't care! |
