9 months old

Last Sunday Ruby turned 9 months old! I used to look at 9-month-old babies and think that they were so grown-up and that their parents were so seasoned. And here we are on the other side.

As a baby of 9 months, Ruby has made advancements in some areas and not so much in others. Perhaps the most dramatic advancement has been in eating solids. Whereas one month ago we were acting like fools trying to elicit a momentary smile whereby we might sneak a spoonful of food past an otherwise clamped jaw only to elicit the crying and the gagging, Ruby now eats with great gusto and has been receptive to a wide variety of foods.



In the past week, she's begun to try proteins such as soft tofu and chicken. I prepare the chicken by poaching and then pureeing chicken breast and mixing an ice cube worth of chicken with about two ice cubes worth of veggies. Who knew broccoli and chicken mush could be so delicious?

Ruby has also started experimenting with Baby Puffs, which are similar to Cheerios and are meant to serve as practice for finger foods. They are supposed to dissolve on the tongue, but Ruby usually slobbers all over it before it ends up in her mouth, so it dissolves in her hand. Although messy, they seem to be a good exercise in hand-mouth coordination and mastering the pincer grasp.



Speaking of mouth-related advancements, Ruby is finally teething! She is definitely the last in her circle of friends to be toothless, but I can now feel the tippy top of one tooth through her lower gums. Teething doesn't seem to bother her too much during the day, but it might be the cause of more frequent night awakenings, which has cut into Steve's sleep.

The area in which no real progress has been made is that of mobility. Ruby still does not crawl and barely rolls. I am almost certain that she will walk before she crawls because she is nowhere close to crawling. She also has never pulled herself up to sitting, so her crib remains in the newborn position. However, she has become a very proficient sitter and can reach quite far to grab something and then sit back up. Even if you push her, she can usually regain her balance and sit back up like one of those bobble dolls.



At 9 months, we can now tell for sure that Ruby is learning and understanding things. While she can occasionally make the baby sign language sign for milk, her favorite all-purpose sign is to flap her little arms, meaning "pick me up," "I want that," and "general celebration." She also now initiates her own games of peek-a-boo by pulling something over her head, waiting a few seconds, quickly pulling it off, and waiting for me to say "peek-a-boo!"

Although it was always clear that Ruby has a sweet and happy disposition, we are now getting an even better glimpse into her personality. We can tell that Ruby is a thinker. There are often times when we can hear the wheels turning. It takes her a little bit of time to warm up to new environments, especially those that are somewhat loud and overwhelming. She will sometimes silently observe the situation for 30-45 min. before relaxing and joining in on the play. When handed a new object, she will examine it carefully for several minutes before deciding to put it into her mouth. I have yet to see her decide something is NOT good to put in her mouth.

Even though Ruby is becoming more and more like a little person, we still have many nice baby moments.



Don't grow too fast, Ruby!