I admired everyone else’s Christmas posts & swore I’d have ours done before a month went by. Oops! This is fairly pathetic but typical to my life now that I just this week downloaded the 300+ Christmas photos off the DSLR. So yeah, more than two months later, here’s Zach & Lucy’s first Christmas in photos.
Christmas Eve some friends stopped by & one of them took this great photo of our extended family {on my Dad’s side}. Zach & I opening one gift of his Christmas Eve {Lucy was already asleep}. Zach also woke up first early Christmas morning so we played with his Great Nana by the tree until Sister woke up then they played together on the den floor until everyone else in the house joined us.
We open stockings in the basement in pjs & the babies fell asleep on us. Clearly they were impressed. š Zach & Lucy enjoyed round after round of gifts included an owl hoodie for Zach & his first set of Nerf balls. We attempted pea purees Christmas night aka bath time!
We stayed up at my parents’ for a few days after Christmas. These are a few of my favorites from the 26th & 27th {Lucy under the tree, Kisses from Daddy & Pops, my attempt at a Lucy & Zach in coordinating jammies shot was a fail for Zach.
Ā We enjoyed an awesome first Christmas having Lucy & Zach around. We were all spoiled especially them!
Weāve started something new this week. Family dinners: all four of us sitting around the table together eating. Two parents in chairs, two babies in high chair seats {strapped to regular chairs} lined up next to each other & facing me.
Yāall, itās made my heart happy & made me feel like my babies are really growing up.
This week itās worked out for Jason been home three out of five nights when the babies & I arrived after work/daycare. And last night, the babies evening nap lasted until 7p allowing me not only fix bottles & start diaper laundry, but to put a baked spaghetti in the oven & warm up purees too, so that dinner was ready for all four of us when Jason walked in the door around 730p.
Dinner around the table is lovely. Itās different than dinner around the table just the two of us from a year ago. Itās louder, crazier, messier & seats are rearranged. But itās so much better.
Itās better than shoving food in while standing in the kitchen holding a baby, eating while nursing two or while sitting on the floor eating with one hand & babies wrangling with the other which are the three ways Iāve been eating for the majority of the last nine months. Those have been fun too & I wouldnāt trade those moments.
But goodness yāall, this is like a glimpse into our future.
We had Lucy & Zachās 9 mo pediatrician appointment this morning.
I wasnāt shocked by Lucy being 17.5 lb & 27 in long. Still right above the 25th percentile. She took her Hep shot like a champ & was deemed perfectly healthy. Ped said see ya in three months!
Now onto Zacher. Heās still little. I said in his 9 mo update that I hoped he was over 14 lbs. My secret goal was for him to be over 15 lbs. Heās 14.5 lb & 26 in long. Heās under the 1 percentile for length {for first time} & well under the 1 percentile for weight. Da dum.
I was nervous & yet kinda prepared & not shocked by this yāall. He doesnāt eat well when heās sick. Heās more easily distracted while nursing. I think he stops when he has to work for milk while nursing. He doesnāt eat purees well.
The dreaded āfailure to thriveā wasn’t said or even mentioned. Heās been gaining weight. Just not as much weight as they want to see.
So what are we going to do? Hereās the plan. We go back on March 25th for a weight check. Between then & now, weāre going to introduce more finger foods {since he likes to feed himself}. He loved yogurt at daycare the other day & our ped said that was great to add calories, so Iām going to stock up on yobaby. Iām going to try mashed potatoes with him tonight & maybe pasta later this week. Weāll keep trying purees & continue to fatten those up with rice cereal &/or oatmeal mixed in.
And as for nursing/breast milk/bottles/formula. This is where my heartās a little sad. Since I know my supply in the afternoon & evenings has gotten low, weāre going to give him bottles for these two post-daycare feedings. This way we can fortify them with a teaspoon of enfacare {like we already do to his daycare bottles} & we can also know for sure that heās getting the 5-6 oz a bottle that he needs. The plan is to continue to nurse him overnight & in the mornings as long as he seems satisfied. If he doesnāt seem satisfied, weāll add a bottle after we nurse.
Thank God for my crazy pumping over the summer. Weāll be going through my stash more rapidly now & Iām going to keep pumping three times a day at work. Our plan is for me to keep nursing Lucy as sheās growing well on her curve & seems a more focused & patient nurser. Iāll either offer her both sides in the evenings or pump the other side if necessary.
Anyone have ideas for healthy yet fatty foods for 9 mo old who doesnāt love purees? Other tips to fatten up a skinny boy?
Zach went from reluctantly crawling just after his last month day to taking off & speed crawling. He loves pulling up on everything too. He doesn’t like to be confined in exersausers or seats for long, but he’ll play on the ball table for a while then stretch out his arm to reach for the next toy.
His monkey &/or tiger wubba nub pacis are kept close by. He’s a fan of Sophie & rings/keys he can shake & bang too.
Zach 9 mos {& 1 day}
Zach’s smile is a lady & dude killer – people stop to tell us how stinkin cute he is all the time. And we agree! He smiles freely & has started sharing his soft voice with us more & more. Zach is also now saying dadada along with ga & ba & wonderful giggles & laughs.
Zach is still our little guy. We’ll know for sure after their 9 mo appt, but I’m guessing he’s around 14 lbs. He’s wearing a 3-6 mo gymboree outfit. The sleeves are a bit short but it otherwise fits great. I’ve been transitioning him to 6 mo onesies & pants for length & am thankful to the bulk of cloth diapers for helping hold up the pants!
He’s moved into size 2 disposable diapers; Huggies naturals & honest co ones don’t give him blisters so we stick with them overnight. We can still put Zach in small sized cloth diapers & one sized diapers on the small setting.
I think Zach benefited from my being gone a couple days, we learned he needed more than 5oz in his bottles plus he had fortified milk for those couple days. I think it might’ve added a lil weight. His separation anxiety with me might be a lil better. I think dude might’ve just been really hungry. He still nurses with me before & after daycare & overnight, but we sometimes give him a half bottle before bed.
Zach is still not a big puree fan. But homeboy loves mum mums, puffs & yogurt melts. I load up his tray with those & he’ll go at it. I’ll try to sneak in some fruits & veggies when he opens his mouth for another puff.
Zach now has four teeth. The top two arrived the first weekend in Feb & are really growing in. He teethes like a champ. We don’t even realize it until I reach in his mouth & find a tooth! Seriously easy, happy lil guy.
Happy 9 months {a few days late} Zach!
I’ve decided to add the Baby Center milestones to their posts as I think they’re pretty well caught up developementally.
Master Skills {most kids can do}: Stands while holding onto something YES Jabbers or combines syllables SOMETIMES
Understands object permanenceĀ YES
Emerging Skills {half of kids can do}: Cruises while holding onto furniture YES
Drinks from a sippy cupĀ WE HAVEN’T REALLY TRIED MUCH Eats with fingersĀ YES!
Bangs objects together YES
Advanced Skills {a few kids can do}: Plays patty-cake and peek-a-boo NOPE
Says “mama” or “dada” to the correct parent NOPE
Lucy girl is wild & crazy & awesome these days. She loves being on the go & only slows down typically when she’s hungry or sleepy which is when we can sneak some cuddles.
Girl loves some jewelry! She’s holding on to my necklace as I one finger type right now. Everything goes into her mouth. A top tooth broke through two weekends ago but we have a lot of drool & chewing as we await the other one. As you can see from the photos below even paper & stickers aren’t safe from the Lucy girl’s gums.
Lucy 9 mos {& 1 day}
Lucy crawls like a champ. And she can also pull up on anything sturdy & somethings that aren’t. I’m often thankful for her fluffy cloth diaper butt for padding. Lucy’s not afraid to crawl over anything or one that’s in her way of what she wants. This typically means Zach’s getting half ran over but also led this past week to her scratching another daycare baby.
Lucy & Zach moved up to the Infant 2 room the first week of Feb. All the babies are 6-12 mos & most are mobile. Its a great fit for them.
And y’all, peer pressure & dedication works. Its like something clicked in Lucy & by the first weekend in Feb, she was eating a lil applesauce on a spoon from my Mom. Lucy’s become a puree eating champ. Ive continued to make some & weve tried yo baby yogurts as well as a variety of fruits & veggies {thanks to my MIL for buying a bunch of pouches}. I’m adding probiotics in the yogurt & rice cereal or oatmeal in the runnier purees. While she will put mum mums, puffs Cheerios & yogurt melts in her mouth, she can kinda take or leave them for the most part. This solids eating has lifted a major worry off my shoulders. I now firmly believe everything in their own time.
And speaking of time, I’ve had a lil more of it {& sleep} recently since Lucy sleeps through the night I’d say 5 out of 7 nights. She’s usually down between 815-930 & wakes up between 630-730. She’ll nap a few times a day – 30-45 min naps to & from daycare & a couple hour nap at daycare.
Lucy’s wearing size 3 Luvs & sharing Zach’s size 2 Honest diapers at night. She’s still in mostly one sized or medium sized cloth diapers for daytime. My busy body has been peeing out the sides of M BG AIO diapers. We might have to start stuffing them.
Lucy wears mostly 9 month or 6-9 mo clothes with a few 6 mo favorites squeezed on as tops vs tunics. She’s in 9-12 mo the children’s place onesies & pants. I racked up on their $2.99 sale & have been loving what I bought from TCP for her.
Lucy is still a bit of a daddy’s girl & added da da to her vocal favorites within the last month. I’m so jealous & keep repeating mama mama to {so far} no avail.
Her personality is really shining through these days & its so cute. She’s a little bit serious & slower to smile, but Lucy has the best laugh.
Happy belated 9 months Lucy girl!
I’ve decided to add the Baby Center milestones to their posts as I think they’re pretty well caught up developementally.
Master Skills {most kids can do}: Stands while holding onto something YES Jabbers or combines syllables YES Understands object permanence I THINK SO
Emerging Skills {half of kids can do}: Cruises while holding onto furniture YES Drinks from a sippy cup WE HAVEN’T REALLY TRIED MUCH Eats with fingers YES Bangs objects together I THINK SO
Advanced Skills {a few kids can do}: Plays patty-cake and peek-a-boo NOPE Says “mama” or “dada” to the correct parent NOPE
