Nine Months Old

The boys turned nine months old a few days ago. It was an interesting month compared to some of the past few. As I sit here trying to write this, nothing “significant” sticks out from the past month. Are we becoming jaded after only nine months that nothing surprises us anymore?! I doubt that. With some of the major developments of crawling, walking and talking lurking just around the corner, I think this month was more about the details.

We’ve mentioned in the past that they interact and recognize each other. But this month it really became apparent and showed us how much fun having twins can be. For all the headaches and extra pressure it creates by having two babies, it's so fun to witness the joyful interaction they get from their brother. This one-on-one playtime also has an added benefit. We are gaining a little more time to catch our breath and maybe drink a full cup of coffee before it gets cold in the morning! If you haven’t already, check out the video of them playing and talking together.

August was a hot month and the boys have discovered swimming. They both love to be in the water splashing around. We usually take them over to one of the pools at Rossmoor where Grandpa and Grandma Scully live. They do seem to enjoy it and we’re already thinking of next summer and getting them their first swim lessons. As with everything though, there are some ulterior motives. Usually an hour or so at the pool and out in the sun will knock them out for a nice afternoon nap!

Jake has spent the past month - as in other months – in perpetual motion! He is desperately trying to teach himself how to crawl. He makes it up to all fours and just rocks back and forth on this knees and hands trying to figure out why he isn’t moving anywhere! He has also discovered the joy of taking things in and out of his toy basket. As you can see from the photo, he likes to pull things out of the basket, hold them up for close inspection and then put it back into the basket.

Part of the reason Jake is trying to crawl is because he’s always on his stomach. He usually reaches for something and tips himself over from a seated position. Colin on the other hand, is showing a great sense of balance. He will sometimes reach for something and start to tip over, but has enough strength and balance to steady himself and push himself back up. It may not sound like much, but after watching them tip over for the past few months, it’s a big step. He also is starting to be able to steady himself on his feet while holding onto something. The other day, he was holding onto the exersaucer while Jake was in it and I pulled my hands away for a good minute.

So although this month wasn’t “milestone” heavy, there were some definite changes in each of them. Sometimes you’ll be sitting there and all of a sudden one of them will do something that they’ve never done before. They may be subtle, but it feels like each one of those daily, little changes are leading to one of those big milestones.

*** A little bookkeeping after their nine-month old checkup – Colin weighs just over 22 pounds, while Jake is tipping the scales at just over 20 pounds. Both boys are healthy and happy and are clear of shots for three more months. ***