I have not been as diligent about posting news about Lyla as I would like to be—sorry to all of Lyla’s fans out there! Lyla is starting to resemble a toddler these days and less of a baby, which make me both sad and excited. Here’s what’s new with Lyla at nine months old:
1. STATS: at her 9-month appointment Lyla weighed 16 lbs 4 oz (9%), was 26 inches long (7%) and her head was 17 3/4 inches (80%!!!!). So she’s still quite tiny but her height and weight are very proportionate and she’s not skinny—she’s getting some very nice full cheeks and pinchable thighs. Her head on the other hand, is making getting dressed a challenge sometimes when it won’t fit through her clothes! But it has to be so big to store her huge brain!
2. FERBERIZED! Our sleep struggle has finally come to an end! And like all the books and stories say, it really only took 2-3 nights! Why on earth did we not do this sooner? Mike and I made a pact that when she cried at night we would give her 10 minutes, go in once to make sure her head wasn’t stuck between the slats of the crib, and then after that she would have to learn to sooth herself. And guess what? It was as easy as that! I just turned the monitor down and went back to sleep and so did she, and in the end everyone survived and is much happier and well rested! Lyla now goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 (seems like everyone wants to call us at that time too—leave a message J ) she has a bath after dinner, then we read (she now turns the pages of the cardboard books herself), and then she goes to bed, in her crib, awake, and puts herself to sleep. WONDERFUL!
3. CRAWLING! Finally Lyla figured out that there are many more things to put in her mouth if she’s able to move towards them. She just started this weekend so she’s still slow and awkward but she’s getting the hang of it.
4. PULLING TO STAND: We bought her an activity table (with an over-abundance of obnoxious buttons, lights and sounds) so she has something the right height to pull up to. Plus it’s just adorable when she makes it play music and “dances” (bounces) up and down.
5. SIGNING! So excited about this—Lyla used her first sign “more” when we were having dinner. We really only use it for food, so I think she might think it means “food” and not “more” but we’ll keep working on it. She’s getting more and more consistent with using it appropriately. It’s amazing to see her little mind working! We’re also using signs for “milk” and “all gone” so we’ll see how she does with those I need to find out the sign for “water” since she “asks” for that a lot at dinner by reaching and whining for her cup. What a smarty pants we have on our hands!
6. TALKING: Lyla babbles a lot and sounds like she has very important things to tell us. She says “dada” all the time, sometimes referring to Mike, sometimes referring to a plant or a car or the television or anything else in her line of site. She also says “doggy” specifically for our dogs, although sometimes is sounds more like “doddy” or “dadoo,” but it always refers to the dogs. Guess what word she hasn’t said yet? I’m definitely feeling underappreciated, but I guess that’s my preparation for the teenage years!
7. EAR INFECTIONS: Lyla is unfortunately getting to be a pro at these. She’s had two in the past two months (maybe it was the same one that never cleared up) and might be working on the third at the moment. On the upside—she really enjoys taking her medicine.
8. EATING: Favorite foods these days are cheese and meatloaf. She’s also a fan of oatmeal, banana, pear, honeydew, and deli turkey, as well as peas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, mushrooms, and crackers. It’s great watching her try new foods. So far no allergies. She’s also pretty good at using her cup for water.
9. TEETHING: Lyla now sports six pearly whites which makes eating a bit easier. She has a little toothbrush and baby toothpaste which she loves to chew on, which I figure is close enough to “brushing.” She really enjoys when we sing the Raffi “brush your teeth” song too while we brush.
So that’s what Lyla has been up to this month. It’s crazy how fast the time goes by. I’m already starting to plan her first birthday!
