Sweet Cora Katherine, you’re nine months old!

And my, how you’re changing. You now have three teeth (and two top ones on the way), have started pulling up a bit, babble constantly, clap with glee, and have been positioning yourself to crawl. You’re also full of personality, madly in love with Pinot kitty, and ever-curious about Big Sister’s antics.

Month nine was filled with adventure — your first “swim” in the neighborhood pool, your first 5k in the jogging stroller, a big trip to Bethesda and Richmond, plus plenty of fun in between.

Weight: 18 pounds, 12.5 ounces (50-75th percentile)
Height: 27 3/4 inches (50-75th percentile)

Eating
Baby-Led Weaning for the win: You’re such an explorative eater, and will try anything we put in front of you! From eggs and olives to fish and fries, you love it all. There are certainly favorites (watermelon, blueberries, bananas, frozen peas, and spaghetti) — but so far you’ve been game for everything we’ve tried. Such fun!

Nursing is still a special part of our day, happening before every nap, plus once or twice throughout the day. Our sessions are quick but productive, and I do my best to find a quiet and boring spot so you aren’t as distracted. I’m still pumping a couple times a week to keep a freezer stash up for date nights and a few trips this fall. Thankfully you’re a champ with the bottle — and for that we’re so grateful.

Playing
Oh sister, sister, you love nothing more than Claire Bear’s toys. Sometimes y’all share sweetly…other times the years seem to flash forward as we watch you pull hair and fuss over favorite dolls and books. You also love your feet, your toy tool set, a pretend remote, and anything else we’ll let you chew.

We’ve set up an activity table, and enjoy helping you stand and play. You have strong, sturdy legs, but haven’t quite mastered your balance and will slowly “trust fall” forward or back. In time, in time!

Sleeping
Who needs sleep? It’s overrated, right? (…sigh…) We blame your teething, a cold, even your growth spurt, but the bottom line is that when it comes to nighttime, you keep us on our toes. Naps are still long and regular (9:30–11 a.m. and 2–3:30 p.m., thankyouverymuch), but you’re still waking up around midnight and 3 a.m. each night, no matter what time we put you to bed.

At your 9-month appointment last week Dr. Wendy encouraged us to begin sleep-training through your 3 a.m. wake. It won’t be fun for any of us, but hopefully just a few nights of fussing will have us all sleeping better.

Your Big Sister
…loves to join you in your play yard — making it look like we’ve put you both in baby jail. You’ll happily play together for 20 minutes at a time, which is a delight to you both (and super helpful for Mommy and Daddy). Claire CANNOT WAIT for you to start crawling, and has promised to help us baby-proof soon.

We have a feeling the next few weeks will be filled with excitement as you start cruising around, Cora Kay. It’s still hard for us to believe that our baby girl is almost on the move. Loads of fun to come, little one! We adore you.

Hugs & kisses,
Mommy & Daddy