Growin' like a Weed: 9 Months

Height: 26 3/4"
Weight: 15lbs 8oz


Likes: Brooke officially LOVES LIFE! haha Okay I know that sounds odd but really, at 9 months a switch flipped and this sweet child is RARELY fussy about anything!  She plays well, eats well, and sleeps well... Our hearts are bursting with love, joy and gratitude for the amazing blessing she is!  Brooke loves to crawl (real crawling now) and pull up on everything! She still LOVES anything soft, especially pillows and soft blankets or stuffed animals, she's a hoot!

Dislikes: Hmmm being still for a diaper change?  She wants to roll over and start crawling up the table to get to the wipes/lamp.  She still doesn't like to get clothes on (something about pulling a shirt over her head or over her arms really ticks her off!). Ahhh yes, and getting her hair rinsed in the bath... that will set her off! We haven't gone on a longer drive lately so I'm not sure if she still despises the car.  She's amazing, very little she dislikes right now (and we're sooooooooooooo thankful!)

Sleeping: Pretty darn good! An average of 13-14 hours a day (3ish hours napping - 2 naps, and 10-11 hours at night). She had a few days where she skipped naps/took short naps/woke up playing/singing in the middle of the night but now she's good!  She likes to sit up and pull up in her crib now (yes, we lowered the mattress).  She has a little travel pillow tucked into the corner of her crib and her beloved TEDDY!  We really should buy a 2nd one, though she's great at letting me wash him.  It's adorable how she sings to herself to get to sleep... she's amazing!

Eating:  Three meals a day and nursing every 3 hours!  Exact same as last months post! She's great at nursing, feeds herself finger foods. Meal time is awesome, really the BEST time for me to get stuff done because she's so good at feeding herself! She can hold her sippy cup and drink out of it by herself, hold her pouch, and even share! haha she offers us food, puts her hand in our mouth and then takes it out and eats it herself!  We also learned she can drink through a straw and blow bubbles! We were all belly laughing!

Playing: Brooke loves to play with toys that shake/make a sound or something small she can hold on to.  It's normally Puppy, her little shaker ball, or a tiny wash cloth that goes with her dirty puppy toys that she holds/tries to hold everywhere she goes.  She likes to crawl/pull up on everything, especially Momma and Dad.  She will look at the TV a little bit if I have something fun on, but prefers music.  We also found out she really likes the pool (big pool or baby pool) regardless, you have to be in there with her for it to be fun :)  We absolutely LOVE watching her learn and grow!

Growin' Like a Weed: 8 Months

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Likes: Saying Dadadadada, PUPPY, or really ANYTHING SOFT! haha she also really likes pets, anytime we are at a friends house with cats or dogs she starts giggling and wants to pet them or chase after them.  Brooke is starting to like the TV and playing independently with toys.  She also likes to sit at her high chair and feed herself.  She really likes drinking water from our cups :)

Dislikes: Once again, this is tough because there's not much Brooke doesn't like! She's an amazing baby!  But, if I had to choose I would say, she doesn't like getting her diaper changed all of the times (she's a wiggle worm and doesn't want to lay still.) Ahhh okay, from day 1 she doesn't like to get her clothes changed! hahaha thankfully I'm not one of those mom's who actually cares what her child looks like/wears because Brooke wears two outfits a day, the clothes we put her in in the morning, and pajamas at night.  Child has a FIT when we try to put on or take off a shirt!

Sleeping: Brooke is GREAT at sleeping now!  Okay, she still fusses for a few minutes most time when we put her down for her naps/bed, but she sleeps 11 hours at night consistently and 2, 1.5 naps during the day!  The only time her sleep schedule gets off is when we travel in the car.  She won't nap any longer than 45 minutes in the car.  She also sleeps with a tiny travel pillow now... I know... bad mom, haha but she LOVES soft things and can roll/move well so she ends up off of it most of the time.

Eating:  Three meals a day and nursing every 3 hours!  No more biting, LIFE IS GOOD!  Brooke really prefers to feed herself rather than us spoon feeding her... it's great!  We love enjoying meal time together!  We always keep puffs/yogurt bites handy for her to snack on if we're eating our meals at separate times.  Child will eat ANYTHING though! We've yet to find anything she doesn't like!

Playing: Brooke loves to play! Anything from sitting outside and waving to cars to singing the wheels on the bus keeps her engaged and entertained.  She really likes throwing toys out of her carseat now and likes "talking/singing".  She's not quite crawling yet but can scoot anywhere she needs to go!  She likes to bounce up and down and ride in the shopping cart.  Our happy girl is great at playing with her older cousins and peers, too!

Growin' Like a Weed: 7 Months

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Likes: Standing/walking holding onto our hands, music/singing, and looking in the mirror!  Brooke gets bored REALLY easily (doesn't play with a toy for more than 5 minutes) so we're always looking for new fun things to do with her!

Dislikes: Hmmm this is a tough one.  She doesn't like playing independently for long, unless she's in a really good mood.  Ahh, okay she dislikes unclenching her fists! haha this 7 month old still doesn't hold her bottle and 9 times out of 10 her hands and toes will be clenched shut for no apparent reason.  Relax a little bit Brooke!

Sleeping: We started a new schedule with 2 naps a day (2-3-4 plan) and it seems to be working well! Yes, she gets fussy, but she's doing a lot better at sleeping 11-12 hours again! Bed time is on or before 7 everyday.  She naps well, most days (3 hours total between the 2 naps).  She LOVES sleeping with her "teddy" and doesn't wear a sleep sack anymore!  Sometimes she uses Teddy as a pillow, it's hilarious!

Eating:  Her solid food interest has gone down, which I'm fine with.  She gets 2-3 small meals a day (around normal meal times).  She's also started BITING when nursing... ugh!  I tried one day of solely pumping and bottle feeding her and wow was that exhausting or what?! So now we're back to being patient... yes, I flicked, smooshed, and NO-ed her, and she still thinks biting is fun... bless!

Playing: Brooke loves to roll around on the floor and play with her toys!  She chews on EVERYTHING and loves  to talk/sing (we always have music on).  Her favorite things are soft surfaces... she loves to roll around on a bed or a soft blanket, she even likes it when we play peek a boo and cover her with pillows or blankets (she can get herself out of them well).  She also likes it when Daddy wrestles with her and we bonk her in the head/face with a pillow.  She LOVES to look in the mirror and talk to herself.  Brooke really likes sitting outside and looking at the birds and "waving" to all of the cars in the neighborhood.

Growin' Like a Weed: 6 Months

Height: 25in  (30%)

Weight: 12lbs  13oz (5%, but the Dr. isn't concerned, he said she's perfectly petite and well proportioned)

Likes: Sitting up by herself, rolling from her back to her tummy, inch worming across the floor on her back, eating her hands, giving kisses, singing and talking loudly!  Brooke is growing into a playful and hilarious little girl!  She smiles at everyone and everything! Even on her fussy days, she manages to make us smile!
 

Dislikes: Napping.  Okay, not always but it's like she has a switch, if it's flipped, she'll take a nap without a fuss or care in the word, if the switch is off... ohhh you're in for it!  haha She'll fuss herself plum frustrated and there's nothing you can do (inside, outside, play, walk, sing, read a book) to make her happy. Then she gets over it... crazy, I know!  She also doesn't like her carseat for long rides (i.e. to Raleigh) and she really doesn't care for the sun in her face on evening walks.  She's starting to cry when I drop her off at daycare in the morning, too.

Sleeping: Nap info above.  Also, she can't nap if she's not in her crib, or at her crib at daycare, and sometimes in the car.  She will not nap in her pack n play or in her cousins crib.  haha Grandma did get her to nap in a stroller though.  Brooke normally naps every 2 hours or so, but sometimes, she's awake 4+ without a nap.  The crazy thing is, she's not fussy, unless you make her nap when she's supposed to and doesn't want to.  She's GREAT at night time sleep.  She has had a crummy bout lately with waking up early in the morning... we're still working on that some mornings. She sleeps on her back but can now roll over to her tummy. She has to be REALLY tired to sleep on her tummy, if not, she fusses until you come and get her.

Eating:  Brooke LOVES her "milkies" as we call it! haha I'm still nursing her and it's really been the easiest part of motherhood for me.  She'll eat anywhere.  I love seeing her sweet face when she's calm and satisfied after she eats.  It warms my heart to know that I am creating the perfect nourishment for her growing body!  Brooke also started solids last month! We started out with giving her whole foods and letting her play with it, yeah that didn't work too well.  Then we went to the mesh feeders, she liked it, but I didn't like cleaning it.  SO we waited a few days and tried pureed food again, and she loved it!  I make her food (bananas, avocado, apples, sweet potatoes, and peas so far).  She's having fun eating and she's REALLY cute when she eats!

Playing: This child loves to play! She's really into sitting up and grabbing her toys.  She likes music and singing.  She has fun looking at the mirror and standing up holding onto things.  Brooke's favorite toys are her hands and feet, this child can keep herself entertained... it's awesome!  Brooke really likes to play with Mommy and Daddy.  We aren't really using the exersaucer or walker anymore because I read somewhere it halts their movement/balance.  Brooke likes to roll from her back to tummy but hasn't yet mastered tummy to back. 

Growin' Like a Weed: 5 Months

Height: 24in
Weight: 12lbs 5oz

Likes: MOMMY... still a Momma's girl!  She even say's "Maaaa, Mommmmm" when she's fussing! haha Yeah, we know she's not really calling for me "by name" but it really sounds like it some time! Brooke's new favorite thing is sitting up! She can sit up alone for around 20 seconds at a time so we are sure to stay close to her.  She LOVES playing in her exersaucer and singing/talking :) It's hilarious to hear her "chat" to herself and us!  She also found her feet and enjoys playing with them.  They still haven't made it in her mouth.  B also enjoys walks and being outside! We are very thankful for this because the weather is so nice!

 

Dislikes: Tummy time :( Chick still doesn't really love to be on her belly.  She's not interested in rolling over either.  Some days she is great and plays a long time on her tummy, but that's rare. Brooke is not a fan of 6-7pm... haha really, most days she's SUPER clingy and fussy during  this time unless she is distracted or simply having a great day with good naps. Oh yes, and Brooke doesn't like saline drops and her snot being sucked out.  Poor thing... daycare = constant congestion.

Sleeping: BROOKE IS AMAZING! She can self soothe, sleep without being swaddled or a blanket, she can still sleep if her paci falls out/music turns off!  All in all, we are SO BLESSED to have a great night sleeper! She is normally about 11 hours at night at 4  or so for naps during the day.  (2 short morning naps and a longer 2 hour afternoon nap, and sometimes a nap at 5pm).  We still pray every night that she sleeps through the night and doesn't wake up until 7am.  She has been waking up at 6 instead of 7 lately.  But she plays/sings in her crib until I come and get her.  She doesn't nurse at night anymore either.

 

Eating:  Still nursing about 5 oz every 3 hours.  We started introducing solids a few days ago.  She didn't like being fed from a spoon, she doesn't like "chunks" of food (banana - rice size pieces) that gets in her mouth when she sucks on food, she likes to use the mesh fresh food feeder and eat bananas!  We do about a 1/4 of a banana a day.  I'll probably try avocado soon.  She also really likes pork! haha I was eating a piece of pork I grilled for shiskabobs and she kept trying to eat it, so I held it in my hand and let her gnaw on it.  She loved it and I let her do it 2 more times the next two days.  It was really cute!

 

Playing:  She's  GREAT at entertaining herself most of the time.  Other days she wants your undivided attention.  She's always grabbing at our faces and inspecting our eyes, nose, and mouth.  She's very good at intimating noises and making funny facial expressions.  She also started laughing a lot... it's hilarious to hear her precious little chuckle!  Brooke is also pretty good at playing in her walker.  Most of the time, she simply enjoys laying on her back and playing with her feet! She cracks us up!

Brooke Grayson, we love you so much!!! Seriously, we can't imagine life without her! She is a blessing and our little sweet love!

Growin' like a weed: 4 Months

 

Height: 23.3” (%)

Weight: 11lbs 8oz (%)

She hasn't changed since 3 months... but, that was our "at home evaluation". 

Likes: Talking, singing, standing in the exersaucer, standing while being held, Mommy... she's a pretty happy baby, except when it comes to naptime!  She is so expressive and really responds well when we play with her.  Her facial expressions and "conversations" crack us up! She's also getting MUCH better at riding in her car seat!

Dislikes: SLEEPING! Honestly... I could go on and on, but I'll save that rant for the next section.  She doesn't like tummy time, but she's getting better at it, I think she just wants to roll over and can't doing it consistently so she gets frustrated.  There's really not much she doesn't like... except for naps and sleeping! 

Sleeping: Oh my... this has honestly been the toughest thing.  You would think I have Mt. Dew in my boobs! Baby girl cannot get herself to sleep without us being deliberate to make her rest. It's VERY frustrating, especially because she started 1/2 days at daycare and will go anywhere from 5-6 hours (wake up - when we get home) to take a nap.  It's INSANE!  Our night time prayers are solely focused on this!  She's still swaddled (one arm out).  Night time wakings are normally 1-2 times, sometimes she nurses, other times, she just wants to be held.

Eating:  So good! Brooke is eating like a champ from the boob and the bottle!!! I had a plugged milk duct but it went away within a few days and wasn't too incredibly painful.  The doctor said we could start her on solids at her 4 month check up because "it's fun for them"... ehh I think we'll wait until 6 months, thanks for the OK though!

 

Playing: She LOVES being in the Exersaucer ... or being upright in general.  She is always happy to sit/stand (with assistance).  She hasn't rolled over by herself in a while, but is totally engaged in all of her toys! She's really good at grabbing toys with both hands and holding onto them.  She can also push buttons on some of her toys and make the music/lights come on. 

Growin' like a weed: 3 months

Height: 23.3” (48%)

Weight: 11lbs 8oz (32%)

Likes: Mommy… sheeee’s a Mama’s girl.   Brooke has found her voice and ohhhh man is it loud! I wonder who she gets that from (cough cough) SERIOUSLY, chick only has one volume… LOUD! Hahaha she can be fussy and not wanting to go to sleep and you turn her around and shake your head at her and she’ll give you the biggest grin and talk your ear off! How can you be upset at something so stinkin’ cute!? She also likes her hands.  Those suckers are ALWAYS in her mouth! And she likes drooling… she does it a whole lot.  Yuck! And she likes kissing J

Dislikes: Daytime naps. Hahaha okay this is still the same… BLESS.  She’s now sleeping with one arm swaddled and one unswaddled. Progress.  I’ll take it!  She also doesn’t like socks apparently, they NEVER stay on her feet!  Brooke isn’t really a fan of tummy time, she’s good at it but she gets frustrated quickly. 

Sleeping: She’s a 45 minute at a time napper during the day… UGH.  At night she goes down between 7:30 and 8:30 and will normally wake up once between 1 and 3 eat, and go back to sleep.  It’s been a while since we’ve gotten the long 8-10 hour stretches.  She can only sleep if we put her face right by her bumper.  No, she doesn’t suffocate or keep her face by it all night, but I think she really likes snuggling so it comforts her.

Eating:  Still breastfeeding but it’s getting harder.   I almost have to keep her swaddled and put a blinder on her (joking, but I should) in a dark room because she gets soooooooo distracted and wants to play!  Her hands are EVERYWHERE! Haha really Brooke?!  Boob=food… not a play toy! Oh yes, we refer to her food as “milkies” she’s a very messy eater and often times gets sprayed atleast once per feeding from my insane let down.  She doesn’t take bottles that well anymore, guess we’ll have to work on that!

Playing: All the time! She can now intentionally grab rings, rattles, push big buttons to play music and lights!  She played in a friends exersaucer the other day and LOVED IT! She realllly likes sitting ( in her bumbo) and standing!  We’re going to borrow an exersaucer until we can find one for her.  She likes playing with her activity mat, but more so enjoys talking/standing/drooling on whoever wants to hold her and play with her!