Nixon - Nine Months

Nine months!  Our little monkey keeps growing up way too fast, but we're having so much fun in each new stage.  This boy is busy.  He's crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything, and grabbing everything he can get his hands on.  Needless to say, he's a handful these days.

We got his official stats at his well-baby check-up.  He's up to 21 lb, 5 oz. (64th percentile) and 28.5 inches (60th percentile).  His head however, just won't stop growing.  We were curious to see if it would be off the charts this time, but it squeaked by at 99 percentile.  Clearly, we have a genius on our hands.

I'm planning a post specifically talking about food and eating, but I will say that Nixon is loving solids.  We're done with purees for the most part, and his lack of teeth doesn't slow him down too much, though obviously we stick to soft/mushy foods that he can easily chew.

Nixon's thoughts on life as a nine-month-old:

• Diaper changes must be escaped from at all costs
• Baths are super fun but being dried off is the worst form of torture imaginable
• Mommy's cool and all, but Dad coming home from work is the best part of the day
• The world is my jungle gym
• I really hope Mommy and Daddy stop calling me Boo Boo McNixon before high school
• If Mom and Dad make me sit in my carseat for more than twenty minutes one more time, I'm going to scream.  Oh wait, I already do that.

Things Nixon has been loving this month:

• Bananas and broccoli
• The park - it's finally cool enough to be outside during the day, so we've discovered the joy that is swinging
• Blowing raspberries on any surface, including but not limited to: your face, windows, the fridge, and the floor.

Outer Banks {Part Two}

Days three and four of our Outer Banks vacation included the Wright Brother's Memorial, Bodie Island lighthouse, and one last trip to the beach with a non-snoozing Nixon.

Hanging out with Wilbur and Orville

Where the plane launched

The memorial, on top of Kill Devil Hill

Helping with the first flight

Bodie Island lighthouse - we were going to climb it, but Nixon was in the middle of a rare 2+ hour nap

Skeptically sizing up the ocean

The cold water was a bit of a shock

We tested out the sand away from the scary waves - still skeptical, but a little happier

Outer Banks {Part One}

We took advantage of the long Columbus Day weekend and spent some time exploring the Outer Banks.  It was a wonderful few days of delving into the history and soaking up the last of the warm days.  Days one and two consisted of walking around the town of Manteo, visiting the Lost Colony museum, and the beach (which Nixon slept through).

Checking out one of the boardwalks

Sneaking veggies off Daddy's plate at dinner

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Starting our day with coffee.  Nixon is after the muffin.

Starting our tour of the Lost Colony - clearly, the history is thrilling to Nixon

Nixon demonstrating how the local Indians used fishing weirs to trap fish

Nixon the pirate

Nixon's first time at the beach, and he's snoozing

"Fine, I'll wake up for just a second"

Nixon: Eight Months

This month has been a big one for Nixon in terms of achievements.  Most notably, he's on the move!   Once he got the hang of crawling, he's become unstoppable.  As soon as I set him on the floor, he's off to explore whatever catches his eye first.  He's also mastered maneuvering into a sitting position on his own.  He still loves standing, and while he can't balance on his own yet, he's pulling up on anything he can reach.  This kid is going to be walking before we know it!

We're still struggling a little with sleep, but we're slowly finding a nap routine that works.  Hopefully consistent nighttime sleep will follow.  There are no issues whatsoever with eating, however.  This boy loves his food!  No teeth yet, so chewing is still a little tricky, but he manages.  He has no time for purees anymore, feeding himself is the only way to go!

Nixon's faves this month:

• Peek-a-boo - but just using your hands doesn't cut it, at the least you have to hide behind the couch.
• Crawling - or at least being able to get places on his own.
• Broccoli - probably his all-time favorite food currently.  I hope it lasts.

Trying on winter clothes to see if anything still fits.  Obviously, he was thrilled.

Taking a break from crawling to do some baby yoga.  He's a pro at downward dog.

On The Move

The little munchkin is officially mobile!

He's been crawling for a couple weeks now, and while I'm not convinced he actually likes crawling (probably the fault of his huge head), he does like being able to get around.  Nothing is safe from his curiosity.

He's already moving on to pulling up on anything and everything, so I'm giving it another couple months before he gets fed up with crawling and starts walking.

Eight month update coming soon!

Adventures in Eating

Now that Nixon has passed the six-month mark, we've started incorporating some solids into his diet.  It's been so much fun watching him discover new tastes and textures and experience food, although sometimes that experience is consuming the food and other times it's squishing it and watching it fall on the floor.  He's slowly getting the hang of chewing (although he has no teeth yet, so it's more like sucking) and swallowing.

As with most things pertaining to parenting, I went into this with a pretty clear idea of how I wanted to do it, only to have that dissolve within a few days as we figured out what works best for Nixon as an individual.  I've planned all along to follow baby-led weaning, which basically means we skip the traditional baby food and offer him pieces of soft foods that he can easily hold, and he'll eat at his own pace.  He's still getting all the nutrition he needs from nursing, so right now food is simply a learning experience.  I like this method for multiple reasons, mostly that we're not spending extra money on baby food or taking the time to make our own.  And while we've been able to follow this plan pretty well, we've also been feeding him some foods with a spoon instead of strictly letting him feed himself.  For one, some foods are just easier to eat with a spoon, such as applesauce, and I'm not thrilled about wiping the applesauce off the wall if he were to attempt to feed it to himself.  Secondly, there are times when he just really wants to eat, and he gets frustrated at his inability to get the food in his mouth fast enough.  So, it turns out that a hybrid of baby-led weaning and traditional baby food is what works best for our little guy.

So far, some of his favorites include bananas, sweet potato, avocado, and peaches.  The other day, we gave him a puree consisting of blueberries, plums, and spinach, which he gobbled up surprisingly fast.  One thing he's tried that he doesn't seem to be a fan of is carrots.  Baby cereal wasn't a huge hit either, even with applesauce mixed in, but I can't say I blame him.  Other than those two things, everything we've offered him has been a hit.  Mealtimes are definitely a lot more fun (and a lot more messy) now that he can join in!

Nixon: Seven Months

I feel like I just wrote Nixon's six month update yesterday, and here we are at seven months already.  The past several weeks have been a whirlwind of adjusting to our new home, unpacking, and settling in.  Thankfully, I think the worst is over, and we've found our new normal.  I mentioned last month that Nixon had been having a rough time sleeping, and while he's gotten a lot better, he's still waking up pretty frequently at night.  I think it's just a growth spurt plus being on the verge of a developmental milestone (crawling!!), so I know his sleep will get better before too long.

Speaking of developmental milestones, he is so close to crawling.  As soon as I put him on the floor, he flips over onto his tummy and gets up on his hands and knees.  He'll hold that position for a few seconds, or even rock a bit, so once he figures out how to go forward there'll be no stopping him.  He's also quite the pro at sitting up on his own, although we usually still prop him with the boppy pillow just in case he topples.

Thinks Nixon's been loving this month:

• Eating solid food - I have a post coming soon on Nixon's adventures in eating, but I will say that he loves to eat (and play with) actual food.
• Vacuuming - we never had a vacuum in Italy, so the last month has been his first experience with one.  I put him in his walker, and he follows me around completely transfixed while I vacuum.  Let's hope he's still as fascinated by it in ten years or so.
• Standing practice - obviously, he can't stand on his own without help balancing, but the kid loves standing up.

Nixon finally got to meet Uncle Tommy, his godfather.  They had a blast playing together.