Estimated Height: 30 inches
Estimated Weight: 20 pounds
The last few months have been a real challenge for me and Sam. As much as Gavin's cuteness, sweetness, silliness, have all grown so has his sensitivity and difficulty. I guess that is the trade off. It doesn't help that he has pretty much been teething for the last three months which seems to have set in permanent grumpiness. The teeth have also resulted in constant drooling and the biting of EVERYTHING. We have a biter on our hands people! Don't be tempted to put your finger in that cute little mouth of his because he will chomp down so hard it will make you bleed. Trust me I know from experience. He will bite your shoes, your hair, your fingers, your arm, mom while he is nursing... I mean everything people. He has two bottom teeth and four top teeth, which has earned him the nickname of piranha. Another challenge has been sleep, and more of the lack of it. Since he hit the 6 month mark something started inside him that said, don't ever sleep through the night again. He sometimes wakes up 3 times in the night! Usually it is just once or twice but after not having slept through the night in months, it is beginning to take a toll on me, mentally and physically. I have pretty much been sick the entire summer as well as kind of having a regression in my postpartum depression. With all of these challenges I have decided it is time to wean Gavin which I have such mixed emotions about. Part of me is so excited to have some of my freedom back, but there is a huge part of me that is just not ready to give up nursing. As challenging as it has been with Gavin, I won't deny the amazing bond it has created between us. So that will be our next new adventure and challenge and hopefully it will be better in the long run.
Well enough with the challenges and on to the good stuff. Gavin has grown so much this month. Literally he is getting so tall! He can sit up all by himself and lower himself pretty easily now. Yesterday he actually sat up all by himself! So I guess that happened at 9 months but whatever. He still rolls around all over the place and can only scoot himself backwards. He always manages to get himself backed into a corner. He rocks on his hands and knees all the time and is so close to crawling. He has been doing it all month long and I think any day now he will figure it out. He just has the cutest little jibber jabber that is all the time. He does this funny thing where he waves his hands in the air up and down and makes this crazy loud noise. I have yet to catch it in a video but it is just so hilarious to me. He loves to talk. People always are telling me they think he is saying words, but it is really just babble. He says sounds like mama and dada all the time. He make a sound like fffff all the time too. At the beginning of the month he started spitting and thought it was great to spit every time he got a mouthful of food. I am glad he doesn't do that anymore. Just barely he learned how to click his tongue. Gavin is a great eater. I can tell he is starting to get a little more picky about taste and texture but I would still say he is a great eater. He has tried all kinds of food and now he loves to pick it up himself. He would seriously eat those puff things all day long if I let him.
This stage is a big challenge for me for so many reasons, but I am trying to just take moments with him to just sing songs and play or snuggle instead of getting frustrated. At this stage I love how much Gavin observes around him. He just soaks it all up like a sponge. Every bird, butterfly, dog, cat, or leaf blowing in the wind that passes, he seems to notice. I love that he is starting to really recognize people and how excited he gets when you see him first thing in the morning or when Sam comes home from work. I love when he lets me snuggle him at night and we just sit in silence after a long day. I love that when we have gone camping he likes to snuggle up with me and sleep. I love that he has started giving big wet kisses. I love all his different smiles. I love his pudgy little hands and feet and how he likes to pick things up with his feet like a little monkey. I love his little voice that is just singing and jabbering all day long. I love how much Gavin loves books and story time. I love his wavy golden hair and his big brown eyes that just melt your heart. I love his new toothy smile and his giggle when you tickle him. He is just the sweetest little guy and the love I feel for him is indescribable. I can't wait for the next few months to see how much he grows and learns. We sure love you baby Gavin!
