FFF: 9 Month Update

Hugh & Enoch celebrating 9 mos of life!

I can NOT believe that my baby is 3/4 of a year old!!!  Where has the time gone??  There's an old saying, "The days are long, but the years are short," which I can absolutely agree with, almost everyday that I'm a parent.  I've tried to embrace this quip though by enjoying each and every "long" day that I have with Little Man, knowing that each day is a gift from the Giver of good gifts, and knowing that I want the "short" years to be filled with purposefully spent days.  :)

I'm pretty sure that I didn't type up a 8 month update (so sorry!!), but I'm gonna chalk that one up to a crazy eighth month!  We were so busy visiting family, traveling, packing, tying up relationships, moving, unpacking, etc. that the time flew!  Enoch did pretty much stay on the same schedule he's been on for the past few months though (nursing 4x-5x per day, eating 1-2 jars of baby food (veggies & fruits), napping 2x per day (9-10:30 and 1-2:30), and sleeping from 6 pm til 6 or 7 am.

We can definitely say that having a schedule/routine is beneficial for Enoch because between moving and traveling, we've seen how being "unscheduled" doesn't work well for him.  And having a schedule also helps him readjust within a day or two after being off.  So we are thankful that we settled into a schedule with him early.  (Although I should say that after the out-of-state move, it took him 5-6 days to get his bedtime/awake time back to normal.  His naps never really suffered, but he struggled with falling asleep, and he was waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 for awhile there.)

Enoch has adjusted well to our new house.  The linoleum is pretty slippery, but I think he'll figure that out soon (for instance when he tries to stand up and his foot slips or when he bends way over and looses traction with his hands).  He likes playing in the stroller while we do things (housework, organizing, cooking, etc.), but I've noticed that he gets SO much more sweaty here than he used to... maybe the killer humidity?  ;)  And I think he's also finally getting used to the noises (for instance, his bedroom is right beside the kitchen (the fridge/oven part, to be exact), so for awhile there I couldn't cook/clean the kitchen after he went to bed.  (that was rough!)  Now I try to be quiet in there during his naps, but he's pretty resilient after he goes to bed.  :)

Since our move, we have also changed our family schedule again (and it could be subject to change in the Fall once Hugh is teaching classes).   For now, Hugh has started taking Enoch for some "man" time in the mornings (rather than in the afternoons).  Usually they go outside and play under the shade tree or go for a walk.  It has really been a helpful change for me because it gives me a little free-time each morning for exercising, showering, or whatever else I want to do before family worship and Enoch's first nap.  On most days, Hugh is still able to get out the door early enough to make it to the office before it's too warm (he's riding his bike), and it gives them some nice (cool) time to play together outside.  (Hugh really enjoys it too!)  Here's a video that Hugh took of their typical man time:

Things Enoch likes:

   -grabbing/touching everything
   -talking
   -getting out of the house... he just loves seeing people!
   -being tickled
   -Daddy time
   -going for walks
   -turning the pages in a book
   -grabbing grass & dirt
   -helping Mama with chores and decorating
   -listening to us sing
   -watching cars (especially those with trailers)
   -biting

Enoch being ferocious while he chews on this foam "B"

(as you can see, he left some marks!!)

Things Enoch doesn't like:

   -being alone

Things Enoch's not quite sure about yet:

   -swimming in the pool
   -dogs
   -our linoleum

New Skills:

   -standing while holding on to an object (or a parent)
   -eating Cheerios (not perfectly consistent at this yet)
   -reaching


Here is Enoch standing up:

And here's an attempt to eat Cheerios (he doesn't actually eat one in this video, but you can see his strategy/skills)