9 Months

Harlan has hit the 9-month mark and it has been so much fun!

Harlan weighs 19 lbs and 13.5 ounces and is 28 inches long. He is 50th percentile in weight and 75th in height. His 9-month check up was great. No shots but he had to have his toe pricked for an iron test which he hated worse than the shots. We found out he is slightly anemic. The "good" range is 32-40 and he came out at 31. Nothing to worry about, just added a multivitamin with iron to his food.

This month we battled a head cold, a double ear infection and a rash but came out on the other side unscathed.

He is such a happy baby and loves to click his tongue and say mamamamama, bababababa and dadadadada. He hasn't really directed any of those to us like he is talking to us but at least he has got the sounds down. We also started clapping in excitement. He has only done it a few times but we are getting better.

Harlan can crawl at a furious pace and pull up on anything. If we are sitting on the couch and he is in the floor, he will crawl over to us, pull up on the couch and try to climb up to us.

He is still eating like a champ. This month we have tried pears, mango, greens, Greek yogurt and some pureed meats. I make pretty much everything he eats EXCEPT the meats. That just grosses me and him out so we buy that in the baby food jars and mix it in with the veggies. In fact, we have to mix pretty much everything he eats with some sort of orange veggie. He loves those and they mask the things he doesn't want to eat.

I am still nursing him in the mornings and at night. I have noticed recently that he is not as interested in it anymore and pulls away after only a few minutes, which makes me terribly sad. I planned on breastfeeding until at least one year. Even if he weans himself off, I will still pump and continue to give him the breast milk. I just hope he lets me breastfeed him for a few more months. I'm not ready to let go of that!

This month Harlan got to visit the Pettigrew family farm for the first time and he loved it. But I think his Grandpa loved it even more. This is a special place for Ryan, his brother and his dad and I know it will become special for Harlan too.

He is right on schedule in the clothes department. He wears only 9-month sizes right now and size 3 diapers. He hates having his diaper and clothes changed. He won't lay flat on his back so I have gotten pretty skilled at putting clothes and diapers on backwards.  

This has been one of the most exciting and exhausting months yet but I wouldn't change it for anything. It is so fun watching him learn new things. Words can't express how much this momma loves this little boy.