Not Just Me, Emily: Emerson: Nine Months

April 1, 2013

You are still wearing 9-month clothes, and a few 12-month sleepers. The winter-weather-that-won't-quit is keeping you in your smaller outfits for a bit longer...and I don't mind that. It seems impossible that you can be ready for such big girl clothes already....
You are going to bed quite consistently between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. You start to meltdown like clockwork around 7:00 p.m., and we start your nighttime routine: play with Daddy and read a book while Mommy changes clothes, eat, brush teeth, bath, bedtime.
About two weeks ago, we stopped nursing you to sleep, and you've been falling asleep in your crib all by yourself. It's been a challenging and strange process for all of us...hard for you to understand a new (and lonely) routine, and hard for Mommy and Daddy to hear your cries. We have made such progress, though. You are so brave, and you're getting it. You still cry for a few minutes after we lay you down, but that time has gotten shorter and shorter...slowly, but surely. It's the right thing to do, we think. You'll just have to trust us on this one.
You still wake up once or twice a night, usually between 4:00-5:00 a.m., and then you're ready to start the day between 7:00-7:30 a.m. You usually take a brief morning nap, an afternoon nap around 1:00 p.m., and then a quick snooze before Daddy comes home. You've slept by yourself a couple of times, but usually when you sleep during the day, you're on Mommy's chest, or in the carseat after we've run errands.
You love our iPhones and will reach for and grab them when they're close-by. You've even started raising it to your ear to "talk", just like Mommy and Daddy do. "Hello?" You're so grown-up.
Because sucking on the iPhone could cause trouble (Daddy's phone had some drool-related issues...no permanent damage done), and because we don't want you to feed Royal on purpose, we're using the word "no" regularly. You usually stop what you're doing momentarily...and then smile at our fun "game".
You're becoming more comfortable staying by yourself in a room for short periods of time. Whether you're playing on the floor or eating in your highchair, you're allowing Mommy to leave the room to throw in a load of laundry, understanding that I always come back. Good ol' object permanence.
When we read together, your favorite part is turning the pages. When we say "turn the page", you're happy to do so, and you definitely understand what we're saying.
You're discovering your own voice, and all of the things that that beautiful voice can do. Sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes deep...always precious. You have so much to say, and I love listening. Your babbles often seem like sentences you're constructing, trying to communicate an important message. You whisper "buh" occasionally when we're looking for birds at the window, and "ma-ma" is definitely part of your vocabulary.

You understand "where's Mommy? Daddy? Grandma? Grandpa? Royal?" and usually look at the appropriate party. How fun (for all of us!) to be communicating with and understanding each other!
You love to clap! When you see others clapping, you're happy to join in, and you initiate it yourself now when something pleases you or you're proud of yourself. "If You're Happy and You Know It" gets you going, too.

You frequently hold your arms out to each side, raised in the air as if you're balancing. You daintily hold them in that position, usually when you're observing a situation or overwhelmed with an emotion. It's kind of your thing.
We suspect you may be left-handed like Mommy.
"How big is Emerson?" You raise your arms up high. "Soooo big!"
You have now discovered all of your body parts. (And I do mean all.) Your interest in certain parts has seemed to fade somewhat, though it made for some interesting diaper changes and bath times...if you know what I'm saying. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!
You love to eat! Daddy's right...you'll eat just about anything that's put in front of you these days as long you get to do it yourself. You are great at feeding yourself, and that is your preference. You have added Cheerios, chicken, asparagus, white potatoes, broccoli, beef, mango, cantaloupe, egg yolk, white beans, pineapple, and chickpeas to your repertoire...all bite-sized, chewable pieces, and no more purees. You still enjoy applesauce and oatmeal mixes, but otherwise, you want to be picking up your food. Chicken and egg yolk have been your latest favorites, and you still get excited when you see bananas on the counter, or the yellow box of Cheerios coming out of the cabinet.
In the morning when you wake up, we open the curtain in your room right away to let in the sunlight and welcome the day. You smile at the world and I'm reminded what a gift each fresh day is.

You go with Daddy or I to let Royal inside each morning, and when we say "let's go get Royal!", you smile with excitement as we head to the laundry room and open the door.
Being held by Daddy and chasing Royal around the living room brings big smiles!
You're still fascinated with Royal and try to grab his tail and nose and paws. But, you've also seemed to learn how much bigger than you he really is, and often, when he's barking or rushing around the room, you'll start to clamor over toward me for protection. I love that you feel safe with me. Your overall impression of dogs seems to be good, though, because whenever we see a "pup-py!" on t.v., you grin and point and laugh.

You enjoy posting up on our legs or standing up against the couch. You are so strong and don't require much support at all. You like being vertical!
You aren't crawling quite yet, but you aren't staying still, either. You shift from your tummy to sitting to crawling position very easily, and do lots of "pivoting" these days to get where you want to go. You end up going backwards frequently, but as soon as you get those knees to go back and forth, you'll have serious forward motion. You're getting there, and you're pleased to be headed toward greater mobility, I think. Any day now!