9 Months!

I know I need to finish up the girls' birth story, but it's a bit of an overwhelming thought right now! And yes, keeping up with two babies is a lot of work (which is the main reason this blog has been so neglected), but I decided I want to keep better track of what the girls have been up to lately! They are 9 months old today!

They are seriously so much fun. Honestly, Chad and I say daily we don't know what we would do without these sweet babies in our lives. They make us happier than we ever thought we could be. Definitely worth the wait :)

9 Months 

(6 months adjusted)

Avery

• Sweetest little girl ever! She is so dainty and ALWAYS has her ankles crossed
• Definitely my snuggle bug
• Has been sleeping through the night (8:00pm-7:00am) for about 3 months now
• HATES tummy time, but she has a slight flat spot on the left side of her head we're working on so tummy time is a definite must
• Is very tolerant of her sister unless Harper has a toy she wants
• Very laid back - definitely my chill baby (she has to be with her high-strung sister!)
• Will eat just about anything, but doesn't like to finish her bottles so she's smaller than Harper
• She's all head. Her head is enormous and her body is tiny. I honestly think that's part of the reason she hates tummy time so much...she can't keep her head up!
• Loves music! The second she starts getting fussy, I will start singing and she immediately stops crying. I love that about her
• Also loves lights. Any toys that light up, she loves. It's like she's in a trance. We'll catch her staring at the TV a lot, so I have to limit how much I have it on 
• Has developed a bit of stranger anxiety in the last few weeks. She used to be such a charmer and would smile at/go to anyone, but lately if Chad or I am nearby, she's selective on who holds her
• Loves water from a sippy cup! I've given her some diluted juice but she wasn't a fan
• Loves to suck on anything and drools A LOT, but no teeth have broken through yet
• Only has a binky when she settles down for bed. Once I put her in her crib, she spits it out and puts herself to sleep
• Is close to sitting up without me nearby. She still sometimes falls forward and gets all dramatic for five seconds until she realizes she's fine
• Still likes to be swaddled. I was worried about this at first, but she doesn't move in the night and she knows once she's swaddled, it's time for sleep

Notice the crossed ankles?

Harper

• Definitely my tougher baby, but still such a sweetheart
• Has always had a tougher time sleeping, but in the last few weeks, she's slept pretty well. Between 10-12 hours a night
• CONSTANTLY moving! Literally, she never stops
• I call her my "steam roller" because she rolls around the whole house. She is starting to push up and try to get on her knees, but she's not quite sure what to do next
• CHUNKY BABY! Seriously, she's huge. But that's the way I like 'em :)
• LOVES Avery. She is always reaching/grabbing at her. She also just stares at her in complete amazement. It's adorable
• Will eat anything but peas and bananas - I think they upset her tummy. She always seems to spit up more after she's eaten them so I don't feed them to her anymore. She loves rice/oatmeal cereal before bed. She goes "mmmmm" every time I give her a bite
• Also loves water from a sippy cup - I think she feels like a big girl when she drinks from it 
• Hasn't gotten any teeth yet, but is definitely hurting
• Loves her binky! She sometimes wakes up in the night for it, which can be frustrating but she goes back to sleep immediately after I give it to her
• LOVES bath time! She splashes like nobody's business. I laugh like crazy when I bathe her. She really is so funny!
• Loves playing with toys on the ground with Avery...and always wants whatever Avery has
• Sits up like a champ, but I still like to be close by
• Likes/needs her sleep. She requires little cat naps throughout the day (aside from her two big naps), otherwise she gets super grouchy
• Also loves to be swaddled. She requires it, actually. Because she fidgets so much, she wakes herself up and gets extremely frustrated. So I'll swaddle her as long as I can before she starts moving more in the night. Both girls know when they're swaddled, it's sleep time (whether they like it or not!)
• Still has reflux issues. We were paying a lot for Prevacid and it wasn't doing anything so we took her off it. The spitting up has definitely decreased since she's only eating bottles every other feed. And it doesn't seem to bother her so I'm not too worried about it
• No more heart murmur! Woohoo!

 She does this squinty face all the time. It's my favorite!

We have their 9 month check up next month (way late for some reason), so I'll update their stats then. 

We are so blessed to have these babies in our lives. They are constantly growing and learning more and more everyday. They are at such a fun age - definitely my favorite so far (although I'm pretty sure I've said that from the very beginning)!