Eline at 9 months:

• Has experienced a phase of rapid development and growth over the past couple weeks, with strides in both fine motor (rake grasp, manipulating toys with both hands, passing objects from hand to hand) and gross motor (sitting unassisted for 10 seconds, rotating her trunk toward people/sounds, arm strength, balance)
• Smiles more frequently than ever and cackles often, with occasional outbursts of actual laughter
• Is a bit of a mama’s girl, especially when hungry or tired, and is also very attached to daddy and brother
• Has grown into 6 – 9 or 6 – 12 month clothes and can wear either size 2 or 3 diapers
• Really enjoys eating purees when she is well-rested but does not have much patience for the process when she is tired. Her favorites so far are prunes, sweet potato and peas.
• Is fascinated with her feet and loves to wave them around, hold onto them and even suck on her toes
• Chews on everything and drools buckets, thanks to what appears to be a molar on its way in
• Generally takes a 30-minute to 1-hour nap in the morning around 9 a.m. and a 3-plus hour nap in the afternoon starting around 12:30. Goes to bed around 7 – 7:30 p.m., feeds once more around 11 p.m., then sleeps until 6 a.m. Still sucks her fingers and seems to like her lamb lovey.
• Has almost completely transitioned to straight formula. (A post on the end of pumping is forthcoming, I’m sure.) Still does 5 feedings a day but is taking more volume at most of her feedings and seems almost ready to drop the late-night bottle.
• Speaks in mostly vowel sounds but has started producing some occasional consonants, along with the well-loved raspberries and buzzing and guttural sounds. The volume has gone way up! She can be loud when she really gets going.
• Loves absolutely nothing better in the world than to have a family member cuddle, love on and talk to her.