Dear Samantha: 9mths And it's full steam ahead

Dear Sammy

So much for sleeping through the night!!!! It lasted all of 1-2 weeks before you got a cold and I had to get up to you one night as you were struggling to breath. I only had to pick you up one time and your back to your old ways and back to the drawing board for us.

With commando crawling mastered you have now turned your attention to trying to get yourself up on to all fours and within about a week your persistence pays off and you’re up and going, with a big smile of satisfaction on your face. And then within a week of you mastering that, you learn how to self sit. And then within a week of that you started to pull yourself up onto your knees followed closely by pulling yourself up onto your feet (however you have only been able to master that once). From day one you have been a mover and shaker and as I watch you persist in achieving each and every one of your milestones I know that we will never be able to hold you back; mmmmmmm a good thing I know but I can also see how that is going to cause tension at different points in our lives.

Crawling off to play with a toy so I thought.

As they say 'Priceless'

Now that your crawling better and faster you tend to follow me around the house more and also starting to become more investigative. Your always up for a play in your room with your teddies and when your brother isn’t watching you quickly take off for his room and your into his teddies, shoes or what every you can get your hands on. It’s rather cute and while William has said ‘no stay out’ he doesn’t really mind and loves to welcome you in and play with you.

Sprang

It’s very clear that you love your brother very much; greeting him with a smile and putting up with all the affection he bestows upon you. It’s even very clear to me that some days when it’s just the two of us that you miss him, and it’s on these days that when we arrive at day care to pick him up that you get excited as we pull up or as we walk in the gate.

We enjoyed our first family get away with friends this month. It was nice to take some time out from our busy life and slow down for a few days and spend some quality time with friends. Phillip Island was our destination and while the first day was a little wet the rest of the weekend was dry even if it was a little windy. And as we had a slower pace to the weekend you actually were able to have a morning sleep each day which was lovely and you topped it off with sleeping for 1-1.5hrs which is unheard of at home.

Enjoying investigating 'home' for the next few days

As tall as an African Penguin

As your become a better little eater I’ve found that you are settling into a routine of some sort; even if your sleep isn’t a part of that routine. While I haven’t managed to wean any of your milk feeds out I do know if I’m not around you don’t really miss them, your just a happier girl. I have a feeling you’re going to breast feed longer than what William did.

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 35.5 weeks – started to understand hand in food to month and by the end of the month this will sometimes give me a little more until meal time. You also take your first few all-four steps
• 36.5 weeks – You begin to sit yourself up from crawling.
• 37.5 weeks – Pulled yourself up onto your knees. You also appeared to have cut your 3^rd tooth but by the next day it disappeared.
• 38 weeks – Using the Bumbo you pull yourself up onto your feet, oh you were rather proud of yourself