Baby Diary: 10 Months Old

Okay now this is getting scary, 10 months old. You are now in double figures and in 2 months time you will be 1... I feel like sobbing a little! 

Character

Ever the cheeky, happy and excitable boy that we know and love. You are so much fun but there have been days where you haven't been your happy little self and have been much harder to please. This month your bossy and feisty side has really shone through! I don't know where you get that from *cough cough* You aren't just becoming more strong minded but you are also becoming more loving too by giving me lots of cuddles on a daily basis. 

Size

You haven't been weighed this month but I would guess that you are now into the 20lb mark as you have really bulked out lately. You still have long and skinny limbs but you are solid. You now wear 9-12m in trousers and babygrows but still fit into 6-9m in tshirts and jackets. You wear size 4 nappies. 

Health

This month hasn't been the best when it comes to your health. Nothing major but you have had the occasional cough and cold. You have had a horrible vomitting bug too which not only lasted a couple of days but put you off your food for a week or two. There were two nights where you woke choking on your own vomit and it was terrifying. You still have no teeth but have been showing more signs of teething. I think by our 11 month update we will have a tooth or two.  

Feeding

Nothing has changed when it comes to feeding. You still have x3 5oz bottles a day, around 8oz of water and 3 meals a day. You still adore your food and your new favourite this month is egg mayo sandwiches! You love to feed yourself and sometimes refuse to be spoonfed which isn't ideal when it comes to porridge! You mainly eat what we eat now and you really enjoy sitting down at the table with us. 

Sleep

Sleep has been hit and miss again this month. You are now in another huge leap and these leaps always upset your sleeping pattern. You usually sleep 8pm-8am with 1 feed at around 6am. You used to be able to sleep right through without waking for a bottle so I don't know if you are now just used to having this feed or you are hungry. I think having the vomitting bug and choking on your own sick in the middle of the night two nights running had a negative effect on both bedtime and naptime. After those incidents whenever I would try to settle you you would end up hysterically crying and it took a few days for that to stop.

Milestones

- Speech. You now know the meaning to some of the words you say and you say them in context. Words such as Mama, Dada, Nana, Hiya. 

- Knowledge. You are a very clever baby and I have only really realised this month how many words you actually know. For example if I say "Take your dodo out" and you will look at me, think about it and then take it out. 

- Ta. Now whenever I say "ta" you place whatever you are holding into my hand (but swiftly take it back!)

- Pointing. Now when I ask where certain things are you won't just look at them but you will point too and make a "uh" noise. 

- Crawling. You aren't crawling yet but I think it could be any day now. You can now get yourself from the sitting position into the crawl position and try to move. You usually flop down onto your stomach but you are trying. Whenever you are sitting you always make an attempt to crawl. 

- Kneeling. You can now get into the kneeling position from sitting. 

- Standing. You are getting better with standing now. We dug out a play table we were sent a while back and have been practicing on that. In just a week you have gotten much more confident. 

- Movement. Although you haven't mastered how to crawl yet you are never still. Whenever you are sat down you are always attempting to crawl or reaching for something or other. 

- Waving. You learnt to wave last month but we don't need to ask you to do it anymore you do it all the time. You can also clap, dance, point, kiss and cuddle when we ask you to. 

- You have learnt how to fake a laugh and do it all the time! Along with your fake cough! 

Things you like

- Doc McStuffins. The Doc has become one of your favourites this month a long side Spongebob. I have learnt the words to all the songs so I can sing them to you and you get so excited! "Time for your check up, time for your check up!"

- Butties. You had your first proper sandwich this month and you devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes.

- Books. You love to be read to and find books very funny too!

- Nap times with Mummy. You sleep so much better when I'm curled up beside you.

- Food. Especially fruit and any food that you can feed yourself. 

- People watching. Your stranger anxiety seems to have mellowed a little this month and you seem a lot more confident around other people. You are really interested in people and what they are doing which is no surprise as you never miss a beat! 

- Diet coke cans. As soon as you see one of those shiny silver cans you try to grab it and get very excited. You are like a little magpie and like shiny things. 

- Music and musical instruments. You love to listen to Daddy play guitar and anything musical you will dance to. My musician in the making. 

- The vac, the hairdryer and the mop! Simple things make you giggle.

Things you don't like

- You always have a good whine when we clean your face or your ears. 

- Being cleaned after a meal. Which is totally unavoidable when you let your 10 month old baby feed themselves! 

- Not being able to crawl. You are really trying to figure out how to crawl and you get so frustrated that you aren't able to move about yet. Poor baby. 

Noah's 8 month development check

On Monday a health visitor paid us a visit for Noah's 8 month development check. How is he 8 month old I hear you say? My thoughts exactly! I was a little apprehensive about her arrival as I didn't know what she would be looking for but I needn't of worried. 

As soon as she arrived and began speaking to Noah he opened the floodgates. He still isn't comfortable around strangers and for some reason it seems to be worse when strangers come into an environment that he knows. He is more relaxed with strangers when he is out and about. She told me not to worry about him crying and that it's very common for his age for him to be going through stranger anxiety (I didn't tell her he's been going through this for at least the past 5 months!) She had brought a long some gifts for him too a book bag, 2 wooden books, a toothbrush and some toothpaste which I thought was a lovely surprise. 

He sat there playing with his toys on the floor while she discussed the basics with me and ask questions about his feeding, sleeping, health and so on. She was happy with the fact that he is on 3 meals a day and is able to feed himself. She did tell me that he should be having less milk (he has 3x 5oz) and should only be having milk at night time now. I don't know how she can pass this "advice" as all babies are different, they feed less or more, they could be going through a growth spurt and so on. She also said that I should be stopping the bottle now at 8 months old and offering a sippy cup of milk instead. For Noah I don't agree with these two pieces of "advice". He is not ready for just one bottle of milk a day and I am not comfortable in taking his bottle away just yet. 

Next up was the developmental checks which I shouldn't of worried about. All she checked for was that he was able to sit up unaided, was able to pass an object from hand to hand, put a object in his mouth and that he was able to use his pincer grip. All of which he was able to do, thankfully.  

Then it was time for Noah's stats! He weighed 18lb 9oz and is on the 25th percentile. He was following the 50th percentile line but she said it wasn't a worry cause he's now more active and will be burning more calories. Although he isn't crawling yet he is always moving if that makes any sense. Whether he's zooming around in his baby walker, jumping his jumperoo, rolling about and kicking on the floor or bouncing and dancing while he's playing, he's always moving. He was 50th percentile for his height and 75th percentile for his head. 

I was very happy with how everything went with the visit. Although I knew there was nothing to be concerned about it was good to speak to someone who confirmed that he is doing everything he should be. It's scary to think the next time I see a health visitor it will be when Noah is 2 years old! 

Baby Diary: 6 Months Old

Happy half birthday baby boy. I say it every month but I can't believe it's been another month and how are you 6 months old already? These past 6 months have been the best months of my life. They have flown by, been hard work at times but every single day is filled with love and joy as I get to spend them with you. 

Character

You are still one cheeky little boy. You are a very content, happy and smiley baby, you are a dream. There will be the odd day where you are aren't as cheerful but even on those days you are brilliant! I can't complain at all. You look at both Daddy and I with such love in your eyes and we only need to look at you to receive a huge gummy grin in response. 

You had been suffering with stranger anxiety for a few months but this month you seem to have overcome it. I try not to say that out loud as I don't want to jynx it but you have come on leaps and bounds. It's great to be able to see other family members getting to know you properly and enjoying you the way that we do without you crying. It was upsetting us both that people weren't getting to see the real you but now they are and they can't stop signing your praises. It's also amazing to see how your confidence has grown with other people and just in general. We are so proud of you. 

Size

Last month I guessed that you were around 18lb but I think I was way off, I think you could be that now. You feel very stocky and solid but you are a long string bean. You have a few arm and leg rolls but only little ones, you aren't very chubby, not yet, You still fit in 3-6m vests, jackets and tops but the trousers in that size no longer fit as you have long legs. Babygrows in 3-6m fit fine on the body and arms but are way too small on your feet as they are rather long too. So your long legs and long feet are the reason why we have moved into 6-9m in some clothes. It's hard work and confusing when in two sizes especially to your Daddy! 

Health

Again all good on the health front. You haven't even had a cold yet, touch wood. You seem to be teething but are dealing with it really well. I hope this means you are a good teether. You have been constipated on the odd few days but I figured out what was causing it, banana's. You love your banana's and I was giving you half a banana with your porridge for breakfast every morning. You now don't have them as much and you have been fine. 

Feeding

I was making up 7oz bottles last month but we were wasting a lot of milk. I now make up 6oz bottles and you never drain them. You are having two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast tends to be porridge and fruit. Porridge is your favourite food. For dinner you have a veg puree or a meal blended up followed by a pudding. I try to give you cooled boiled water with your food but you only manage an oz or two and then want milk. You still love your food and we are yet to find anything that you don't liked. I am hoping this means you are going to carry on being a brilliant eater as you get older.

You tried meat for the first time last week when I blended up our homemade spaghetti bolognese, you devoured it. We have also introduced a few finger foods this last week; banana, spaghetti, biscotti but I still feel panicky about it. You have great hand eye coordination but when you are feeding yourself instead of sucking bits of the food off you literally bite off a huge chunk and I panic that you are going to choke on it. I know there's a huge difference between choking and gagging and that it's all a learning process but I can't help that it makes me feel this way. I know I feel more confident as time goes by and I don't let you see my worry. 

Sleep

You still sleep great. Most nights it does take a few times to settle you but that is down to your dummy, it falls out, you want it back it. It's not a hassle but it's a habit we are going to have to overcome. You do have the odd night where you will wake up anytime between 4am and 6am for a bottle but then you will go back to sleep. You tend to sleep 8pm-9am, sometimes later. You sleep in your cot right beside my bed and I am guilty of bringing you into bed with me when Daddy has got up for work. 

You nap frequently throughout the day but only cat naps. I wish you just had one long nap in the afternoon rather than three 20 minute naps but at least you nap!  

Milestones

- Laughing. You have been laughing for a few months now but we would have to tickle you most of the time to get one tiny laugh. On occasion you would laugh if we did something funny. Now you do it even when we aren't even trying to make you laugh. I tripped over yesterday and you ended up laughing your head up. 

- Confidence. You seem to have gained a lot of confidence with other people this month. When out and about you would be shy and reserved and sometimes cried. Now you give people smiles and chatter away to them. 
- Blowing. Not only do you blow bubbles but you just blow into thin air now and make a "puhh" noise when doing so. It's very cute. 

- Coordination. You are spot on with your coordination pretty much. When you reach for something its straight into your hand and then straight into the mouth. You now not only reach for things but push your body in the direction of the item that you want. 

- Vocal. You have been vocal from a young age and everyone commented on how well you were doing. Even though you have always been vocal there's times where you have a quiet spell and I really have to pry babbles out of you. This month lots more noises and sounds have come into your vocabulary. You have such an adorable voice. 

- Learning. Not only do you know your name but you are starting to recognise the odd word. Bottle, bok bok, dodo. It's amazing to see what you are learning week by week. 

- Sitting up. You are getting more steady and confident when it comes to sitting but I think we are going to be a while yet. You still can only roll front to back and are happy to be lounging around, you are very lazy. This month I am going to try to make you practice more. I know you are happy enough sitting on my lap but you need to learn Mr! 

- Movement. You can be sat in our lap or on the play mat and if there is something you want that is out of reach you make attempts at trying to reach for it. When you are sat on my knee and spot something that you want you will lurch forward to try and grab it. I now have to have a firm grip on you at all times! 

- Playing. You have always loved your toys but are finally really getting to enjoy them. I only have to place a couple of toys in front of you and I have made your day.

- Awareness. You seem to be paying attention to every little detail now, everything is becoming more interesting and you want to explore it all. 

- Food. You have been trying a lot more different foods this month and you sampled meat for the very first time last week. I made you spaghetti bolognese and it was the first time you have had a "proper" meal with us. As in a meal I've cooked for Daddy and I and you have had some blended up (before I added any salt) So your first home cooked meal was spaghetti! I bet it tasted so much better than just veg puree's that I've been making you!

Things you like

- Mummy and Daddy. We are still your favourites, naturally.

- Animals. Dog or cat when you see a live animal you get so excited and a huge smile appears on your face.

- Food. You are such a foodie! Especially when it comes to banana's and porridge.

- Other peoples food. It's begun. Whatever we are eating or drinking, you want it. When you notice we are eating you will stop whatever you are doing, even if you are drinking a bottle. You stop and reach out for some. Your Daddy was eating his tea the other night and put the spoon to his mouth, you thought it was coming to you so you sat there with your mouth wide open!

- Teddy's. Any size, shape or colour. You love them all. They are good for cuddles, sucking, chewing, biting, wrestling and chatting!

- Diet coke cans. This is a weird one and no you aren't having any! The minute you see us with a diet coke can your eyes light up, you get excited and want some. You don't get some. If you see a can on the table you will try to reach and grab it. If I put the can in front of you you will take it and attempt to drink it! Little naughty. You do this with most food and drink but especially with diet coke cans.

- The mirror. You love to look at yourself and other people in the mirror, you find it hilarious.

- My iPhone. You see it, you want it.

- Cuddles in bed. One of my favourite things too. Whether we are sleeping or just relaxing, we love it don't we Noah.

- Spongebob. You have been Spongebob mad from a few months old and you are still obsessed. As soon as you hear his voice or the theme tune you eyes are straight on the TV, transfixed. 

- Mummy and Daddy's laugh. When we laugh it makes you laugh and smile. It's amazing that you now associate laughing with a smile and laugh back. When did you learn that?!

- Holding hands. You are a little cutie. 

Things you don't like

- Sudden loud noises. I don't think the average adult likes them so it's no surprise that you don't either. 

- Getting dressed. Yes you still hate your arms being put in those sleeves. 

- The car. You used to love the car but now you tend to get bored easily and want out. 

- You don't like it when we walk out the room and leave you even if it's just for one second. You don't cry but you will call out or shout at us. When we come back in you give us a great big smile. 

I hope this next month doesn't fly past us so quickly as at this rate you will be 1 year old before we know it. You make us ever so proud every single day and are the best thing that has ever happened to us. We love you so much. 

The smile that melts my heart

I remember back when you were two months old and you began smiling, that first responsive smile absolutely melted my heart and I remember welling up. You Daddy recorded the moment on my phone and you can hear my voice breaking as I am talking to you because you were smiling back at me as I spoke. I will remember that moment forever. 

We are so lucky because you are such a smiley, happy baby. We just have to look at you and you reward us with a big beautiful smile. You are now 5 1/2 months old and my heart still melts every single time you smile at me, I don't think that feeling will ever wear off.  

Every morning I wake up to a big cheesy grin and it is literally the best way to start every morning. I love you so much Noah, keep those smiles coming!