I swear time is operating on a different dimension this year because I really can’t believe we have a 9 month old! I’m actually still dressing TKB in 6 months clothes because 1. his waist isn’t any bigger so pants still fit, though they’re short and 2. I refuse to advance him to the next stage of clothing when he only started wearing 6 months a half a second ago! I’ve shared informal updates on our life during the first three months, and second three months, and figured I’d keep the ball rolling, especially since I get a lot of baby related questions each month once the monthly Q&A rolls around. Here’s our baby update for months 6-9!
What TKB Is Eating
The kid is such a curious eater. He wants to taste everything we eat! This really started while my mom was visiting, and now he prefers to eat a piece of something from your hands versus from a spoon. He has a sweet tooth like his dad and a savory tooth like his mom, so we can’t eat chapati, pancakes, and fries without giving him some. We’ve also started self-feeding, and he likes rice cakes and wafers (the only things we’ve given him so far). I plan to try toast slices soon so he can get more grains since his diet consists of mostly veggies. My goal with feeding is to get him eating the same meals that we do around the 1 year mark because this puree business is for the birds! We still breastfeed around 3 times a day, and I’m not in a hurry to fully cut them out, but most of his calories are from solids.
How TKB Is Sleeping
Another thing that happened while my mom was visiting, but TKB now sleeps through the night, from 7pm to 5:30/6am. He’s actually been waking up at 5:15 or so the past few days, so we’re going to play around with his daytime sleep schedule and feedings to see if we can push that to 6:30 ideally. He’s on two naps a day now, but with no rigid schedule. Some days he naps for 30 minutes at a time, and sometimes for 2 hours. Because we’re home I’ve abandoned the idea that he needs to have a rigid daytime schedule — as long as he sleeps through the night, I could care less if he naps at all during the day lol.
Click the arrow to see more pictures!
New Gadgets for TKB
There aren’t many new items we’ve purchased for this period, with the exception of a Bumbo Multi-Seat, the next stage of the Monti Kids subscription toy box, and more feeding supplies. Oh and we bought a little swim floatie for babies for my birthday trip! We haven’t actually spent much money on toys or activities for him at all — the Montessori style blocks we have keep him engaged, as does a plastic takeout container or an old remote. Like the wedding industry, I feel like the baby toy industry is more or less a scam — babies are pretty easy to entertain! Another thing we’ve started using is a potty seat. We’re not trying to potty train but if we catch him in prime poop position and we’re free, we’ll take him to the toilet and let him use the potty. It’s more so to delay having to change a diaper, but hopefully, the association builds up in his mind so that potty training is easier once we’re ready!
Mama Update
With TKB being so much more mobile and talkative now that he’s crawling, trying to stand, and babbling incessantly, we needed more help to look after him during the day as Jonathan and I both work on our various projects. I mentioned this in my September Q&A but we now have a nanny full-time. It’s still odd to me because I was very opposed to the thought of a nanny a year ago. I kept holding onto this idea that I could do it all, especially since my parents managed to raise three kids without hiring help (though my grandmother lived with us for a few years). But I finally let go of the idea that to be a good mom meant that I couldn’t have someone watching my child during the day. And now that I’m able to focus more on my work, I can be more present with him when we’re playing, feeding, or reading together.
If your son starts showing any interest in soccer, please encourage him like nothing else. He could turn out to be another “JJ Okocha” or “Kanu Nwanko.” This would instantly impact and change Kenyan football.
Awwww, I love that you finally got help, the photos of him are so beautiful I am uuhing and ahhhing