Florence – 9 month update

Florence has somehow reached 9 months already and is just simply the most loveliest relaxed baby we could have ever wished to have.  Although she can still keep me up plenty at night time, it’s easily forgiven with her happy nature.

Feeding – Florence has gone through most of her 1st tastes that she’s allowed under one, is self feeding herself most foods, and can manage self loaded spoons with breakfast cereals. She’s now eating family meals and loves the social side of this. She handles a water sippy cup well, and so from all of this feeding has developed a really good sense of co-ordination and fine motor skills. Her milk intake is still about 5/6 breast feeding sessions a day – some only 5-10 minutes long, others longer if at night time, unwell, tired or just occasionally fussy.

Sleeping – Is a work in progress which has improved immensely in the last month. We have made the transition from Snuzpod to cot, she seems to be enjoying the extra space and the distance from our bed seems to help. We have her in our room for now due to lack of space in our current home, however she’s a lot further away than before. Prior to now she wouldn’t go down until 10pm and spent 3/4 of the night co-sleeping with us and on and off and feeding throughout the night. Now she manages to go down earlier in her cot between 7-8.30, and only waking once or twice for a feed or cuddle, and then I can usually settle her back in her cot. I do feel that her increased mobility has definitely helped her be more willing to go to sleep earlier as she’s now starting to show a proper daytime nap pattern of a small morning sleep well timed for the school run, and then a longer after-lunch nap. She’s progressed from sleeping in the pram or car to going down in her cot for a nap. It has taken a bit of strength from me to let her cry a little and try and settle herself to sleep rather than feed her/rock her to sleep.

Mobility – Florence has been crawling since 7 months and has in the last month really sped up, she can pull herself up onto furniture and is close to cruising. She is also a nifty stair climber, something that is a little terrifying to watch!

Speech – her babble is constant now and she has formed a good mama and daddadda as well as a good raspberry!

We’re still waiting for a clap but her waving is great! She can also bounce to a song and tap away with a bit of baby rhythm.

She is exploring everywhere and finds moving about a bit more interesting than toys at the moment. Her favourite pastimes are emptying cupboards, exploring outside, the bath and bubbles.

We are still awaiting the teeth, out of our four she’s our latest teether, however they’re all lined up in the gums and she goes through a lot of dribble bibs!

We haven’t experienced separation anxiety yet, but we may not as she’s never really separated from me! She has however recently eyed up strangers or relatives she doesn’t know well with a little suspicion!

I’m really enjoying this age, as from 6-12 months is one of the most delightful ages that I have found to parent. Her chubby legs, gummy smile and her adoring glances are quite simply priceless.