Nine Months Too Fast

I remember at this time last year, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my second son, Cayden. My due date was July 5, 2010 and it just couldn’t come soon enough. I struggled with preterm labor for the last three months of my pregnancy and finally, he decided to arrive June 14, 2010. It feels as if life has flown by since he was born. The once quiet sleeping baby has become a very curious and cruising nine month old.

The first few months were rough and overwhelming. Learning to care for a newborn definitely changed my daily routine. Between feeding, changing diapers, and sleeping it left little time for anything else. The first month had many sleepless nights when he would awake every 2 hours for a feeding. By the second month, he was starting to lift and support his head and neck for short periods of time. Giving him lots of tummy time was helping to strengthen those muscles. Things began to get more on a schedule and I was beginning to know what Cayden wanted and what all his cries meant. He began to recognize faces and voices and would respond with a smile. Starting in his third month of life he was awake more and was more playful. His eye sight had improved since birth and had begun reaching for colorful objects. He also loved to bounce when standing upright and would giggle and babble.

During month four I started experimenting with baby food and cereal and Cayden started to begin sleeping longer through the night, waking only twice.He was able to sit in a seated position and could raise himself up on his arms when lying on his tummy. At five months old he loved to play peek-a-boo and could pass toys from one hand to the other. He was beginning to drool a lot and chewing on his fists. Before I knew it he had his first tooth and there was a second on its way. He was about six months old and finally figured out how to make his legs and arms work together to crawl. Even though he could crawl he still hadn’t figured it all out. He was exploring everything in reach by touching and putting everything in his mouth.

By the seventh month he was getting around more independently. He was about to learn that crawling could take you all over the house and get you into lots of things. I had to start baby proofing the house because as each day went by the more he was getting into. As he was turning eight months old he was learning his hands could do things like clapping, waving and pointing. He was also getting a little attitude and when things didn’t go his way he would get upset. Now that he is nine months old he’s pulling himself up on objects and furniture. Just recently he has been letting go for a few seconds and standing on his own. I know walking will be coming soon. He has become an expert at crawling and can get from one room to the other in a matter of seconds. He loves to leave a trail of mess. He especially enjoys dumping our little dog’s food and water everywhere. He has also been practicing simple words like “ma-ma” and “da-da” and learning that they actually mean something.

In only nine months Cayden has grown so much, physically and mentally since birth. It is fascinating how babies observe and absorb so much and become this little person. I cannot believe in just a few months he will be a year old and become a toddler. It seems like yesterday that I was holding my newborn baby in my arms. A time that could not come fast enough suddenly has become a time that has come too soon.

By Melissa K