OK - tardy as always getting the blog updated considering Brayden's 9 month checkup was about 20 days ago:) It is so exciting to report that he is actually on the normal growth chart for his actual age! He doesn't have to be adjusted anymore. He is (or was at the time of the appt.) 17.2 lbs which is 5th %ile and 27" which is 10th %ile! He now numbers 5 teeth and I can't believe those all sprouted up so fast since my last post. He cut his first top tooth on 9/5, got his 3rd bottom tooth somewhere in there, and started cutting his 2nd top tooth about a week ago. Getting those top teeth has been pretty hard on him and it has already changed his adorable smile so much! I just can't believe he is only 9-1/2 months and already has so many teeth! So opposite of Kaylin who got hers very slowly and much later. So, needless to say, I stopped the nursing because all these teeth were not agreeing with either of us very well anymore. It was sad and hard on me to stop, but I'm so thankful for the 9 months I got to do it this time and I hardly had to use the pump at all (unlike with Kaylin when I could only exclusively use the pump for 8 months!)
Brayden is a big, big eater and will pretty much eat anything but he sure lets you know he doesn't like it. He loves fruit and now yogurt - which we just started after his 9 month appt. - and anything else he will tolerate and eat but will fuss through the whole thing just to let you know he doesn't like it. Yesterday I finally came up with the bright idea to mix his veggies with his fruit and he lapped it right up. Duh! Why didn't I think of this sooner?! I also have mixed some into his yogurt and he likes that too. He is obviously going to be my kid that I have to sneak healthy things into. Kaylin, on the other hand, always ate - and still does eat - pretty much anything you put in front of her. While she doesn't eat very large quantities of food, she pretty much likes everything - including vegetables. But with Brayden, I'm definitely going to have to do the whole "Deceptively Delicious" approach to meal-making!
Brayden has had some huge milestones this month - on 9/12 I walked in to find him sitting up in his crib for the first time! Up to this point, I had to put him in sitting position and then he would stay seated forever chewing and playing with toys. But on this day, he got himself to a sitting position and then later did it on my bedroom floor as well. He is doing it more and more these days and in fact does it almost every time I try placing him on his belly to practice crawling. He has completely "poo-poo'd" crawling and is totally going for cruising - just like his big sister did! If I am completely out of the room, where he thinks I can't see him, and there is a toy he wants to get to.....he will get himself just about to all 4's to attempt to reach it, but then sits himself back down. If I am in the room, however, he wants to hold onto my hands, stand himself up and walk (or really hobble) himself over to get the toy. If I try to get him to crawl over there, he will fuss and roll over on his back or bend his legs under and sit up. He is downright determined as seems to run in this family!
I know this is a lot about Brayden so far, but I have finally started doing a better job and recording his milestones (poor 2nd baby!) and I want to get it down somewhere more official so I can remember to record it in his baby book (if I EVER get him one!). He has also started babbling quite a bit and is pretty good at saying "dadadadada" - of course! On 9/13 he pulled himself to stand on his block table and started the babbling so it was quite an exciting day! Then this week he pulled himself up to standing in his crib for the first time. That was quite a surprise to go in and see him standing up. Good thing Daddy had already put the crib all the way down to its low setting because we just figured this was coming soon. And finally, our intelligent, talented son has also started crudely waving whenever you tell him "hi". At first it seemed on accident, but this week he does it when prompted and waved to and it's just so adorable. He is definitely loved and adored, especially by big sister.
Now, speaking of big sister (and I apologize for this getting to long) but she is doing fantastic at school and loves it very much. She has had several milestones this month as well and is just growing up so fast! First - she got to go dove hunting with Daddy this month for the first time and completely astounded us all with how much she loved it! We went to the deer lease in Brady with Gram, Papa, Uncle Brett and our whole family. On our first day there, Kaylin went with Daddy and Shiner while Brayden and I sat in our camo in the bed of the truck watching. Kaylin wore her earplugs and watched her Daddy and Shiner as they shot and retrieved birds. I think she even took one from Shiner's mouth and gave it to Daddy. Then to my astonishment, as the guys went back to clean the birds and prep them for freezing, Kaylin watched them very intently and asked if she could help. Without hesitation, of course, Daddy put some rubber gloves on her and handed her a bird. She completely imitated what she saw them doing and tried pulling the bird's head off (stop reading here if you are a bird lover and easily grossed out!). She pulled and pulled but couldn't get it so she had to ask Daddy for help. Well gladly, of course, he helped her and then told her to clean all the feathers off the bird. Within a few minutes, she handed that bird back to Daddy and he said he had never seen a bird picked so clean!!:) She enjoyed it so much and wanted to do it again and again. And for those of you wondering, NO, I didn't know what was going on outside. I was busy inside with Brayden and it wasn't until I saw Kaylin with blood all over her shirt that I heard the tale. I guess I am not surprised, though. She definitely has it in her blood as both her grandmothers are no strangers to bird hunting and cleaning birds themselves! And she is named after each of them if you recall. So I will definitely be a hunting widow when the kids get older. NO hope that even my little girl will be staying back with Mommy. Guess I better get myself a little more geared up for some hunting if I want to see my family!:)
This month Kaylin also had her first Sing Song at her school and her Nana and B-pa came to witness it. She was so excited to have us all there that she just could not sit still and was practically doing handstands and cartwheels on the gym floor. But she did very well and sang all the songs for us later at home. She LOVES to sing! She is definitely one of those that if you want for her to do something, put it to a song and she'll be all over it and singing that song for years to come! She is also learning Spanish and Sportball at school and her friends she talks most about are Wyatt, Caroline and Owen! She still loves all of her NICU friends as well and asks to see them quite often so we certainly miss Mason, DD (Daylan), Rainey, Caitlyn, Kayden, and Dakota. Hopefully we'll see them soon!
OK - this is long enough now! I just checked my calendar and Kaylin goes for her cardiology appt on 10/15 so we are anxious for that! Please pray for continued health in our family. I'm a little afraid that she has not been given the flu shot yet, but we go on 10/6 for that. I need to go get it myself. Ugh - I hate shots! Blessings to all!
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