Jude & Sloane | 9 Months

Nine months.  As of last week they have been in the real world longer than they were inside of me.  I don't have to tell you which nine months went by faster.  The other night I read their birth story and cried all over again.  When people say, "I don't remember what life was like before kids," I have to disagree.  I remember it quite well--it was wonderful.  But now?  Now it is so much better.

We went to the pediatrician today for their nine month check-up!  It went well and both babies got glowing reports.  They did a finger prick to test for iron levels and poor Jude had to get pricked three times (on three different fingers) due to not producing enough blood.  Neither baby cried and Jude watched the entire time. He was mesmerized!  Jude's weight has slowed down a little while Sloane's weight has slowed down quite a bit.  Both are still rather tall with huge heads. 

Jude's stats at 9 months:
Weight: 23 lbs 10 oz (90%)
Height: 29 1/2 in (85%)
Head: 18 1/4 in (80%)

Sloane's stats at 9 months:
Weight: 18 lbs 14 oz (55%)
Height: 28 1/2 in (80%)
Head: 18 in (90%)

EAT
Things are about to change in this area (I can hear you breathing a sigh of relief--hooray for new content!) but this past month was about the same.  They nurse five times a day, eat solids twice a day (oatmeal in the morning, fruit or vegetable in the evening), and have two snacks.  The snacks were new this month - puffs and mum mums.  I think we tried them a few times in month eight, but their tiny hands and mouths refused them.  We would give them a puff and they made a sour face and spit it out immediately.  Now they actually pick up the puff and put it in their mouth on purpose.  Woohoo!  I was really afraid I'd be pureeing their food until they left for college. 

Jude's hands are almost always sticky--he is all boy.  All he has to do is hover his hand over a puff and it sticks to his hand, which is downright confusing for a baby.  He also has the strength of Superman, which means he carefully holds the puff and it breaks into three pieces.  Meanwhile, Sloane is a hoarder.  I'll give her four puffs and within seconds they are all gone. As I'm cheering for her I realize she is holding onto all of them and hasn't eaten a single one.  She eventually decides to eat them but only after she has collected Jude's as well.

New foods this month included peas (hated them), blueberries (Sloane liked them, Jude tolerated them), and peaches (both adored them).  They LOVE mealtime and get really excited when we put them in their high chairs.  Sippy cups are still pretty much a joke--they know how to use them but prefer to throw them.  The other day I gave Sloane a sip from my (large) glass of water and she drank quite a bit.  I was surprised at how successful she was so I did the same thing with Jude and he loved it as well.  They both got upset when I stopped giving them sips.  So perhaps we'll skip the sippy cup all together.

SLEEP
They wake up at 8:00, go down for a nap at 10a and 2p.  Both naps last anywhere from an hour to two hours.  We dropped their third nap, though I sometimes put them in their cribs at 5p and they play quietly while I take a mental health break for 15-20 minutes.  Is that bad?  That's bad.  Don't tell.

PLAY
Jude and Sloane still love to play together. Their favorite toys are top-of-the-line items that cost a fortune.  They include the following: empty water bottles, empty wipe containers, boxes, and newspapers.  Christmas is going to be easy this year, I will just head to the recycling bin and pull out a few gems.

I've recently noticed they get frustrated when one takes a toy from the other.  This used to be a fun game but can now be a source of frustration.  It's hard to teach babies how to share but I'm determined to try.

They are both babbling all of the time and mimic each other and us quite a bit.  Other times, however, it's like they look right through each other and don't even notice their sibling is sitting right next to them.

SICK
The three of us came down with another cold this month (Michael lucked out).  It's crazy how long they hold onto these colds.  Mine lasted three days--theirs lasted almost two weeks.  Jude HATES to have his nose wiped and throws a fit if you get near him with a kleenex.  I was so proud of myself for "tricking" him the other day.  I gave him a huge hug, put his face on my shirt, and acted like I was swinging him back and forth.  In doing so, I was able to wipe his nose.  I thought, "HA, I win!"  And then I realized "winning" meant I had my child's snot all over my shirt.  Not sure it could be considered a true victory.

TRAVEL/CELEBRATIONS
We celebrated the 4th of July by attending the Coppell parade with Mimi and Papa.  Both babies ignored the parade completely and watched the neighborhood dogs.  Neither of them were scared but very curious.  I guess we'll try again next year.

We traveled to North Little Rock so Michael and the twins could (finally) meet the Besancon side of the family!  We also got to meet little Aiden, who was an absolute doll.  After spending a few hours at Aunt Carolyn's house, we drove to Fort Smith for the evening before returning home the next day.  It was a whirlwind trip but I was so glad we were all able to get together.

We also had our first official twin play date! Amber wrote all about it so visit her blog for a full recap and pictures!  It was so great to finally meet Parker, Jolie, Harper, Keegan, and their sweet parents.  Six parents with six babies--it was hilarious!

WHAT'S NEW?
This was a big month for Jude--he started crawling! It's a belly crawl (aka army crawl) and it was slow going at first, but he has some powerful legs and can now get anywhere fairly quickly.  Sloane, on the other hand, has perfected her crawl and is speedy.  She uses those long legs and arms to cover distances quickly.  Jude is content with a fun toy in front of him but Sloane gets bored quickly and wants to explore.  She found our printer this month and has printed five documents.  Ask me how to print something and I will direct you to our 9-month-old because I haven't a clue.

Jude has always been bigger than Sloane but the difference has never been more apparent than this past month.  Not only does he weigh quite a bit more, but his face is more mature, he has eight teeth (vs. her two), and his hair now lays down.  I used to roll my eyes at the "Are they twins?" comment but now people just assume they aren't.  A man at the grocery store guessed they were 4 months and 14 months.  Crazy!

IMPORTANT DATES FOR JUDE
July 4 - Rocked on all fours
July 9 - Army crawled for the first time
July 20 - Sat up on his own - all of us (including both sets of grandparents) saw!
July 21 - 7th tooth: Bottom right lateral incisor
July 27 - 8th tooth: Bottom left lateral incisor
July 31 - Lowered crib

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SLOANE
July 26 - Pulled to a stand
July 30 - Cruised around the coffee table
July 31 - Lowered crib

Dear Jude,
This letter will be the most I've talked (written) without being interrupted by your sweet voice.  Bubby, you are a TALKER!  You are the first thing I hear each morning and you keep it up throughout the day.  I can't decide if you are narrating your day, telling me about your dream, talking about your sister, or just discussing the weather.  Your face and arms are always expressive so I can tell it's good stuff!

Another favorite of yours is bath time.  We put you in the tub and everything within a three foot radius gets soaked.  You would kick and splash for 30 minutes if we let you.  I really think you're going to be an excellent swimmer one day.

You are still sensitive and require lots of attention. When you get upset you will put your face all the way to the floor (while sitting) and then lift up your head with the saddest eyes.  As soon as one of us picks you up the tears are long gone.  You love playing with Sloane but are happy to play independently as well.  You like to pick up two of the same thing (balls, rings, etc.) and hit them together, which is what I always do when I sing the clapping song (written and performed by me).

I feel like you have become a complete sponge, soaking in everything around you and showing us you're no longer a little baby.  You are, however, very ticklish so when things start to get too serious for me I simply tickle you or give you Eskimo kisses so I can hear your sweet belly laugh. 

We are so blessed to be your parents, sweet Jude.  I know we may not understand one another quite yet, but surely the phrase, "I love you" is starting to sink in because I say it 1000 times a day.  I love you!

Dear Sloane,
I'm not sure you'll read this entire letter because you have so many other things you need to do!  You, my dear, are everywhere at once!  I will never need a gym membership because I spend all of my time chasing you.  I love watching you explore your surroundings, even if most of those surroundings are not kid friendly.  You get frustrated when I pick you up and move you, but please understand I have your best interest at heart.

Being an explorer isn't for the meek.  You bump your head daily.  You usually let out a short cry and then you've already moved on to the next big thing. 

I believe you are going to be all girl.  For your nine month pictures I put you in a pink dress and (in my eyes) giant bow and you absolutely LOVED it.  You were a complete ham in front of the camera and couldn't stop playing with your frilly dress.  You also love when I wear jewelry.  As soon as I pick you up you get a grip on my necklace and the laughing commences.

Speaking of laughing, you laugh all of the time now!  You've been a happy baby for quite a while but never really laughed until recently.  It's music to our ears!  If I want to get a good laugh all I have to do is smile at you.  That sounds cheesy but it's because (for some strange reason) you love to touch my teeth--you think they're so funny!  Along with laughing, you are talking quite a bit more.  Still not as much as your brother, but much more than past months.  We're seeing traces of the "twin language" we've heard so much about.  It is so fun to sit back and watch.

You are so much fun, Sloaney.  I have to get my hugs in when I can because a second later you're gone.  Just know I'm always behind you if you need me.

Love you two!! Love-Mom