Everly's 9-Month Update
Just like that we have a 9-month old! She continually puts a smile on our face and keeps us on our toes. She has one decibel, which is loud. Happy or sad, you'll know it right away. She had her shots this month and got weighed and measured. She is 18.5 lbs, 28.5" and her head is in the 88th percentile. Her hair is coming in like a weed and the mullet is still going strong. I thought about cutting it this month but got a lot of backlash from her Instagram following. Give the people what they want I say. She still likes going to Jason's games. She'll usually be awake the first period, sleep the second and one intermission and then awake the third. I've gotta say this girl likes her routine, but does great when we need to break it! She still fills her days with downward dogs and now also likes pulling the toilet paper off the roll. Never a dull moment with this girl.
Toys
Her favorite toy right now is the V-tech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train. I am also in love with this toy! It has so many good learning features, as well as lights, sounds and movement to keep her occupied. Jason also bought her a HUGE stuffed animal for Valentine's day and she plays with it all day. She also loves playing with packing material, boxes, diapers, paper, her books and her Baby Bjorn (it's like her security blanket). Oh and I take her to the gym with me sometimes and she likes my blender bottle and kettle bells.
Food
I still breastfeed her a few times a day, but she is starting to eat a lot more real food. Her favorite foods right now are avocado, chia jam, oatmeal with peanut butter, tomatoes and blueberries. New foods we added this month: tuna, chicken, beets, strawberries, chia seeds, flaxseed, almond butter, coconut milk, beans, ricotta, Larabars and coconut oil. We made a decision not to give her any processed foods or anything with sugar. Only whole real foods for this girl. She likes grabbing pieces of food and putting them in her mouth now, which tends to get really messy really quick.
Day-to-Day
She wakes up around 7, eats and then plays with her learning train. Then she crawls around from room to room, takes a morning nap around 9-10, then she wakes up and we usually run an errand, take a bath or go for a walk and then have lunch. Then she has her afternoon nap around 12:30-2:30, plays with her toys again and Jason usually gets home and he plays with her. If her afternoon nap was short she'll nap from 4:30-5:30. Then she'll eat dinner, and then she'll play in the kitchen while I make dinner. Before bed we'll play together as a family (I think this is her favorite time of day) and then read a book and put her down around 7 or 7:30. This is how I find her after most naps:
Giggles
She likes when we make high pitched noises, point at her, dance, make funny faces or tickle her. She thinks its hilarious when Jason throws an apple around and gets so happy when he comes home from work! She also spent time with a little dog this month and loved him! She laughs at him, chases him around, plays in his water bowl and pulls on his fur. You're also guaranteed a smile when you take her outside. She loves the outdoors, be it in her stroller, baby bjorn or crawling around, she'll be one happy camper.
Grumpy
She gets grumpy when shes tired, hungry, teething or strapped in her car seat too long. She still isn't really good with anyone but Jason and I, but is slowly warming up to other people over time.
Milestones/Firsts
She is pulling herself up on everything - the tv stand, coffee table, couch and any shelf she sees. She still crawls all over the place and has started taking a few steps if we hold her hand. She now has her two bottom teeth, and based on all her chewing more are soon to follow. She has also started waving at everyone, and everything. This month she had her first photo shoot with mom & dad, took her first 4.5 hour flight, first trip to Phoenix, first shoulder ride, first swing, watched her first Super Bowl with dad, went on her 11th flight and went on her first hike.
Tips
I realized Everly likes high fat foods - avocado, nut butters, chia seeds - and sleeps so well. I'm not sure if there is any correlation, but if you're baby has trouble sleeping it's worth a try! We also decided only to give her a soother (aka pacifier) when she's in her car seat or going to bed, and we use a different type for each. That way whenever I put her down she gets so excited for her soother and associates it with sleep. She goes down really easy and rarely makes any noise.
Best on-the-go snacks for Everly are Larabars and KIND Chia Bars. No mess and made with real ingredients and no added sugar (check the ingredients on the Larabars, not all are without additives)!
I also bought Young Living Essential Oils this month and I am loving them! I diffuse them in her room for naps and at night time and have mixed Thieves oil with coconut oil for a natural teething gel. So far so good! I will post more about them once I get a chance to use them more.
Best,
Stacey