Raising Lyla: Lyla at 9 Months

And the final trimester of the first year begins!

I was looking at some old pictures this week, it never ceases to amaze me how much change can occur in so short a time. Look at these two bath shots, from June 3rd and July 27th (still over a month ago!):

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We're really enjoying our Thursday playgroup. I'm the organizer and it's a great group of women and babies. We rotate each others' houses and a local park.

Lyla is still a really good sleeper. She goes to bed between 6:30 and 7pm and wakes up between 6am and 7am, with one wake-up around 4:30am-5am to nurse. This is a quick 10-minute visit, so while I certainly wouldn't mind when she cuts this out, it's perfectly bearable. We still have some crying issues for naps and bedtime about 25% of the time, which is definitely an improvement. The bad days are really hard for me, so I can't wait until we get past this phase.

She does sleep exactly like me- on her tummy with her bottom in the air, and hard. :-)

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If I had to pick a theme for this month, it's talking and movement!

Lyla has always babbled a lot, but now she does it with inflection and gestures. At times I feel like I'm talking to a grown-up who just speaks another language that I don't understand. This past week she said her first word, "Wow!" I don't think it will be long before she adds more words to her repertoire, and I wouldn't be surprised if she talks long before she walks. Reading stories is one of her favorite activities; we read about a dozen books every day and she sits quietly looking at the pictures and listening. And she loves to turn the pages! She has favorites too- the first was Baby Animals, which is now out; The Color Kittens and The Poky Little Puppy's Counting Book are in.

Rolling clear across the floor and belly surfing have been replaced with arm and core work, as she practices getting on her hands and knees more. I never considered what a complex movement it is just to go from sitting to all fours and then moving forward- but it truly is! So many things going on at once to make it happen. She can do a really great plank right now.

In the mornings she nurses in my bed before I put her down to get dressed. Her favorite toy

during this time is my chapstick, which I use before giving to her to play with. She immediately pulls the lid off and clangs the two together like cymbals.

This is called, "mommy, gimme that camera!"

Eating solids. . . . .

I put three meals a day in front of her, but she eats very little. I mean, like, 2-3 bites per meal. Breastmilk is still her primary source of nutrition by far. Her pincer grip has developed a lot recently and so she able to feed herself much more and this has created a bit more interest. As this skill continues to develop she will certainly start eating more. Meager as her consumption is, her favorites have been yogurt (plain, full fat), millet cereal, pears, and peas. Yogurt is the only food she'll eat in any decent quantity. A recent discovery, she really likes Veggie Booty. I've given her little pieces as a snack in between meals, more for the practice. She likes to lick the pieces or gnaw on them a bit, for the most part she wittles them down to a gloppy wet mess.