9 months

It's getting harder and harder to find time to write in this blog.  I often find myself shrugging it off.  There are better things to do.  There are things to do that require a lot less brain power.  I could be sitting in front of the television.  Or making a "honey do" list for the new house.  Or I could take a nice long bath.  Oh.  That sounds nice.  I just realize I have not had a bath since the boys were born.  Okay.  Off topic.  But then I start to look back through the blog and I am simply stunned by how many "things" I have forgotten over the past two years.  And well that's all the motivation it takes.  I really want the boys to be able to look back some day and see all that we got to experience together as a family. 

The boys are 9 months old (tomorrow).

Jakob - Jakob has mastered the army crawl.  He can drag his 16 lb body from one end of the living room to the other end of the living room in just about 10 seconds.  His motivation is always the kitchen.  Why?  Because that's where the dogs hang-out.  Jakob loves to stand at the gate and just laugh and laugh at the dogs.  Jakob has started to babble a lot.  He is very content sitting in the Pack N Play and just "talking" to himself for long periods of time.  He has mastered "Da-Da", "Ma-Ma" and "Ba-Ba".  Jakob still loves to spend time in the Jumperoo.  But only if he is really tired.  Otherwise he would rather be a moving and a shaking.  Jakob is getting great at standing at the Baby Einstein Activity Table.  There is a box on the table with a lid and Jakob loves to open and close the lid and stick toys in the box.  I really think Jakob is becoming quite the little thinker.  He will turn an object over in his hands again and again and again just to try and figure it out.  Jakob is also slowly starting to figure out books.  He of course loves to chew on the books but he is starting to understanding "turning the pages".  Jakob still likes to watch the Baby Einstein video on occasion but it really becoming a rarity these days.  Jakob is a master sitter too.  They do not fall over much these days.

  
Alex - I don't think Alex is going to do an army crawl.  He is days away from crawling.  He can get himself up on all fours and he is really good at rocking back and forth.  But then poor Alex tries to move forward.  His goal is always a toy.  Mr. Alex gets that toy in sight and he summons up the momentum he needs to get moving and then ... he promptly moves backwards.  And then he cries because all the energy and determination has only caused him to get further away from the toy.  My poor little man.  Alex is still not really making any sounds.  Other than screaming.  Oh!  We have a master "screamer" on our hands.  Alex screams when he is happy.  Alex screams when he is sad.  Alex screams when he is tired.  Alex screams when he is hungry.  Yep.  He just likes to scream.  And the best part ... Kara and I can identify what the screams mean.  Alex laughs more and more these days but he is still Mr. Serious.  Alex is not fearful of much.  He loves for you to do a "pretend drop" and he will even stiffen up his legs when you try to sit him on the ground because he wants you to keep playing.  

We still have really great sleepers on our hands.  The boys are doing better at napping during the day.  I think this is because both boys are much more active during awake times.  They tend to nap for at least an hour around 9:30am and 1:30pm.  We still have a bedtime of about 6:45pm each night.  I keep telling myself that I am going to extend bedtime by about 5 minutes each night so we can get closer to a bedtime of 7pm or 7:30pm.  But nope.  Each night by 6:00pm the boys are in full meltdown mode.  All they want is their bottle and their pajamas.  Most nights the boys are sound asleep before I even leave the nursery.  They still get up 1x per night to take a bottle.  Do they really need to get up?  Probably not.  But because I am still pumping in the middle of the night and it only takes 15 minutes to give them a bottle and change their diapers Kara and I still just continue to do what works.  I just don't want to go back to sleep and be forced to wake-up 1 hour later. 

Jakob is starting to show signs of teething.  He is fussy from time to time.  But we still don't have any teeth.  Alex still has his bottom two teeth ... "Clyde" and "Ainsworth" ... yep we named his teeth.  He does not show signs of any other teeth at the moment.

We still have some really good eaters.  The boys get 3 solid meals a day (9am, 1pm, 5pm).  We tend to do a "cereal" and a fruit at breakfast in addition to some finger foods.  The boys have tried waffles, pancakes and eggs.  The boys get a meat, vegetable, and fruit at lunch.  They usually have a Baby Mum Mum or graham cracker at lunch.  Then at dinner I usually give them another vegetable and then some yogurt.  Then they either get some Puffs or yogurt melts.  Jakob is really struggling with the bottle.  He is drinking between 20 - 25 oz of breast milk per day.  Alex will typically drink at least 25 oz of breast milk a day.  Jakob never seems hungry though.  He is just starting to become very disinterested in the milk.  Jakob has mastered the sippy cup (w/ a straw) and on occasion I will try to get him to drink some milk in the sippy cup.  He is usually not interested.  Jakob really likes water in the sippy cup.  Alex still wants nothing to do with the sippy cup.  Though he does love to toss it on the ground!  This always makes our dog Leo jump about 5 feet in the air.  Alex does great with his bottles and will usually down it each time with no problems.  The boys are offered 5 oz of breast milk at 7:30am, 11am, 3pm, 6:30pm and 3:30am.  I am still pumping 4 times per day.  I said I was going to drop to 3 times per day at 9 months but now I'm not so sure.  I really think my supply is going to take a nosedive when I drop another pump.  So I am hesitant.  Heck.  Because they boys are not drinking as much milk these days I am even back to the point of needing to freeze milk.  Whoa.   

They boys have their 9 month pediatrician appointment on February 20th.  I am excited to see how big they both have gotten.  And this is the no shot appointment!!!

Mary