I’m a little behind on this update, but wanted to record it because Kaitlyn is growing like a cute little weed. She’s an incredible mixture of spunky and sweet and this picture epitomizes my sweet girl:
EAT
Eating is going strong (love, love baby-led weaning!). She has 3 food meals a day. As always, it is usually bit of what we are eating, but I’ll show more of the meals themselves Thursday for Munchkin Meals. I’m not sure if it’s in my head, but I feel like she gravitates more towards carbs than Hailey did. She loves spaghetti, potatoes, bread, etc. She also loves frozen peas, blueberries, grapefruit, ground beef, eggs scrambled with veggies, cooked carrots and anything with a lot of flavor. She does not seem to get excited about cheese, bananas, or zucchini. It’s fun to watch her pick around on her plate and grab the bites she wants the most.
Nursing is still going strong. In fact, I love it and already have a few sad moments when I think about weaning eventually. We aren’t there yet though. Unlike I did with Hailey, I nurse Kaitlyn on demand through the day. It ends up being about 5-6 times a day. Since she is on the smaller side and it’s been an especially germy winter around North Carolina, I feel comfortable nursing more often.
Kaitlyn has mastered the straw cup now and prefers it to the sippy. She can down pouches in a flash. Eating is still a messy affair, which Koda enjoys. I am excited for summer, when she can eat naked on the porch and we can hose her off afterwards!
SLEEP
Though still slightly unpredictable, I’d say sleeping is going pretty well. She goes to bed at 7:00 and goes down rather easily. For all sleep/naps, we don’t bounce or rock her anymore. I snuggle her for a few minutes, then put her in the crib. She will sometimes cry, but usually not for more then 5 minutes until she’s asleep. Typically she sleeps from 7pm-6:30/7am, but this is a rather new development. She naps twice a day. In her ideal world her long nap is in the morning from 9-11, but if we are out, a short 30 minute car nap will suffice. She typically takes a second nap from about 2-3:30.
We are still using the white noise machine, though I’ve started turning it down. It’s time to pull out her sleep giraffe so we can start to phase out the white noise.
PLAY
My busy bee! I must say that a million times a day. She does not stop moving. I turn my head for a second and she’s up the stairs. I go to wash my hands and she’s in the dog’s water bowl, pulling everything out of the drawers or grabbing at whatever Hailey is playing with. She’s incredibly quick and gravitates towards anything she isn’t supposed to play with. It’s amazing how she can find the one thing she shouldn’t have amongst a sea of appropriate toys. I’ve had to fish many a small objects from her mouth.
She’s a happy girl, unless I’m changing her diaper (because she has to stop moving and again, she hates that) or her teeth are coming through. She currently has 2 1/2 teeth, her two bottom ones are in and and her top right incisor is popping about halfway through. I can see her top two teeth starting to break the surface, so the gummy smile is almost gone!
She explores the world with her right little pointer finger and it’s adorable. That one tiny finger pokes at my eyes or in my mouth while nursing, pushes a single pea across her tray, pets Koda and everything. She always has that one finger pointed out.
Her current party tricks include: clapping her hands (she does this all day long), saying “BAH” over and over, shrieking, starting to stand up with out holding on, cruising/walking along the couch and table while holding on, making a mad dash for the stairs, screaming in the car seat until I give her a cracker to munch on, giving hugs and patting me on the back and keeping up with her sister.
She’s recently been a mama’s girl, which I can’t say I mind. For as busy as she is, she’s also a snuggler, so I pop her in the ergo quite often around the house.
Her 9 month check up is today, so I’ll come back and edit with height and weight. She’s a peanut for sure, but seems to be hitting a growth spurt, as I notice a few more adorable rolls in her thighs. She is still in size two diapers and wears 9 month clothing.
Bottom line? She’s so much fun and I just love seeing her smiling face every morning. She keeps me on my toes, yet is such a loving little baby. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up. I think she’s going to love summer- swings, pools, picnics, oh my! Bring it on.
For fun: Hailey at 9 months old
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
She’s the cutest! I can’t believe she’s 9 months old already!
Taca @ A Side Of Dessert says
I had to read the title twice because I couldn’t believe she’s already 9 months!! She’s absolutely adorable and her cute little outfits kill me!
Brittany Dixon says
I can’t believe it either! (insert every cliche ever about time flying… all so true!)
Brynn says
Kaitlyn is such a sweet, fun little explorer! I’ve loved reading your updates and hearing what she is learning and doing. You have such a beautiful family, what a blessing.
Sherry says
So enjoy the pictures and updates. It is hard to believe that she is nine months old! Does not seem like she was a baby for very long.
Lee says
The struggle is real with that diaper change! Alexander freaks out every time I lay him on his back for it.
Avery says
I’m telling you – our babies are twins. It’s SO weird! We do the pointy finger too – all day long! Haha 🙂 I just love Kaitlyn’s smile! Her little grin is the cutest! I read haileys 9 month update too and it’s so interesting to me (as a mom of 1) how different they are at perspective ages! And I agree about summer – so many fun things that await once the weather warms up!
Brittany Dixon says
Oh my gosh, isn’t it the best? That tiny little finger being used to explore everything… it cracks me up! Love seeing EC’s precious face on instagram!
Monica says
I can’t believe she’s already 9 months old. It has gone so fast!
I love her little splayed-out toes on the stairs photo. So adorable.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
What a cutie! Happy 9 months!!
Jen says
She’s so cute!!!
Okay, first-time mom question here. My little one will be ten months this weekend, but she’s nowhere near being as mobile as Kaitlyn (she’s a chunker, ha). That being said, we have really not child-proofed much, and we were looking online at various gates for our stairs, but it looks like you guys don’t have any up. Thoughts on gates? Pros and cons? Amelia’s bedroom is upstairs right near the stairs, so I think I definitely want one there, but maybe we don’t need one at the bottom?
Brittany Dixon says
Not sure I’m the best resource for this, but we are fairly lax about baby-proofing. We have a gate at the top of the stairs (also right near her room) and a gate at the bottom of the stairs closest to the kitchen. We plug up all the outlets, but other than that I just keep a close eye on her.
Leah says
Hey Brittany-
I loved the update! It’s so funny how all babies are so different! I just wanted to ask what you give her in a sippy cup. Is it water? Juice? Milk? I guess I didn’t realize that babies can use sippys so soon! My baby is 5 months today, but it will be fun when he can hold his own cups. When did you start with the cups?
Brittany Dixon says
Just water! I started offering water with meals when the girls turned 6 months. The tipping up the sippy cup didn’t come naturally to either one of them (both not great with bottles), so cups with little straw have worked best. I’m not even sure what brand we have (playtex maybe?) but I found them at target!
emma @ be mom strong says
wow 9 months flew! And to think we are only 3 behind!
Caitlin says
Oh I just love these updates! It’s fun because my man is the same age (just off by a couple of days!)
We’re working on transitioning to a cup as well (I think I’ve bought a million different kinds, ugh!) and never thought of a straw one! Which one would you recommend??
And what little giraffe is it that you plan on using? I’d love to find a little “lovey” for my little guy and see if it helps with his crazy naps 😛
Thanks again for posting these! And ps- I totally understand if you can’t answer back, just thought I’d throw it out there!
Brittany Dixon says
Hey Caitlin! I don’t even know the brand of straw cup we have, haha! I found them at Target though. I go as cheap as possible until I find out what style works best.
Kaitlyn has a lovey in her crib and I plan to start using the sleep giraffe (like the sleep sheep that Hailey had) that is basically a noise machine with a timer turn off (at 20 or 40 minutes) in a stuffed animal 🙂
Caitlin says
You rock! Thank you for the reply!
Heather says
What a spunky little cutie! I love her cute little slippers in the crib picture. Ha ha. My girl always pulls anything off her feet… unless they’re hard soled shoes. In that case, she tap dances. Is Kaitlyn just a naturally good self-soother or did you do anything to help her along? What about Hailey? My 15 month still wakes up in the middle of the night every night and cannot soothe herself back to sleep and I’m afraid I’ve created a monster.
Brittany Dixon says
I let both Hailey and Kaitlyn cry it out. Luckily they took to it pretty easily and it really took 1-2 nights of crying for 45 minutes at bedtime (which was PURE TORTURE). After that, they learned to settle themselves quickly (10 minutes max). I know it’s pretty controversial, but for us, it worked once we knew she wasn’t hungry, cold, wet, etc. Now Hailey is a great sleeper and I’m hoping K follows suit!
sarah (SHU) says
omg – the part about finding the ONE choking hazard in a pile of appropriate toys and having to fish it out of her mouth? THAT IS CAMERON. I have no idea how he does it; it’s absolutely uncanny.
Brittany Dixon says
It’s incredible isn’t it?! I want to be mad, but honestly I’m just impressed 😉 I do feel like a bad mom though for the plethora of things I’ve had to fish out of her mouth. Crazy baby.
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
Ohhhh that photo of Kaitlyn with food all over her face? Priceless! I think it’s great you’re capturing these milestones on your blog… I hope to do the same with my second one so that I have an online record of these precious moments before they are in the past.
Liz @ LovePenelopen says
How funny Penelope has been OBSESSED with bananas since I can remember! Kudos to you for keeping up the breastfeeding, I stopped pumping at 6 months and felt a little guilty but much happier
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
She’s SO cute. 9 months looks like a great age!
amber says
So after reading all of your blogs since like 10pm (it is now 2:40 am here in baltimore) I must say that I am addicted. Lol. I came here while searching about my weird broccoli, vinegar and hot sauce(yes all together..yummy) craving on Google and I’ve been here since. I enjoyed reading about your pregnancy journey (both) and some helpful tips and tricks to use when it comes to my little ones (I have 3&5 year old girls named Kayla and kayleigh). Two weeks ago my husband and I found out we were expecting our third child (praying for a boy but which ever way it’s goes we have both confirmed that he/she is our LAST child. Lol) so I want to make this birth count and do all the things I did not do before like have a 100% natural water birth at a birthing center, make them wait to cut the cord (I had no idea there were so many benefits to cutting the cord after it stops pulsating), take maternity/family pic ,etc. I’m only 6 weeks along so I have a long journey until October 25th my estimated due date but I’m excited and nervous to say the least(with the finances part REALLY making me cringe..lol) but I’m sure we will be okay. Just wanted to tell you congrats on your beautiful girls and thanks for letting curious strangers like me into your world (and teaching even a veteran mom like me something) lol..
Sundra says
9 months old already? My, how time flies! What you said about her gravitating more towards carbs really cracked me up. You’ve got a real female right there!
Julia @ LordStillLovesMe says
How is she already 9 months?!?! I remember checking in on your blog anxiously awaiting that sweet little one’s arrival like it was yesterday. Every year I feel time going by quicker and quicker, but I am only 18. I cannot even imagine what is going to happen when I am fifty years old.
ANYWAY- back to your precious baby girl. She is freaking adorable, and that smile kills me. I love reading these updates to see how vivacious she is. I bet when she is older she is really going to enjoy reading back on these and thinking about what it was like for you to be her mom!