It Is Hard to Believe

I found these things in my laptop case the other day.



I found a diaper that could fit the boys when they were first born and their name cards from the hospital. Their diapers were small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. The amazing thing is that these diapers were so small, and yet they were still loose on their tiny little bodies.

To put it into perspective, here is their first diaper next to one they wear today...

But you know, you still can't get a good understanding of the difference between the butts that sit inside these little diapers until you see these...

Just another reminder of how lucky I am to have the miracles that I call my little boys.

The Boys Are 9 Months Old!

This month can be summed up with several words: chicken pox, discovery, and growth.


Chicken Pox -- Jason had a pretty bad case of the pox. He broke out in hundreds of spots. They were everywhere. He's finally feeling better and starting to heal. Sadly, the pox haven't fully left our house. With Shawn's poxes just starting (darn it), I know this next month will be just as exhausting as the one we just left. At least to start with. I can't wait until everyone is finally over them and normalcy can return.


Discovery -- The boys have discovered each other. It is really sweet to watch them stare at each other and smile. They coo at each other, scream back and forth, and laugh at each other. One of my favorite things is to hear them talk back and forth in their cribs, as they do most afternoons at nap time.


Growth -- Shawn has finally caught up to his brother in both weight and height. While there is only an inch difference between them, their weights are now only ounces apart. The best part is that Jason doesn't look so huge when he is next to Shawn. They actually look fairly close in size now. This growth spurt, however, has sent me to start investigating new car seats. We have probably less than a month before they outgrow the ones they came home from the hospital in. They are so big now that I can almost forget how small they were initially. Almost.


Yikes. Only three more months until they are 1!

Highlights from this month...

First attempts at talking to each other...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Shawn - 9 Months Old

Shawn: (6 1/2 Months Adjusted)

Weight: My scale says 8.3 kilograms, or 18 lbs and 4 oz (10-25th percentile). He is still wearing size 6-9 months onesies and pants. Shawn is in Size 3 diapers. He definitely has a little meat on his bones now!

Length: 29 inches! That is between the 50-75th percentile for an 9 month old! He is growing like a weed!

Feedings: Shawn eats 6-8 ounces of formula a feeding consistently for a total of 28 ounces a day. He is still taking preemie formula. Shawn has decided that solid food isn't really his thing unless it is his oatmeal or maybe his fruit. Boy this kid has a strong tongue! He isn't a fan of green veggies like peas, green beans, or mixed veggies. (what happened to my Mikey? Oh where, oh where did my Mikey go? Oh where, oh where could he be?)

Favorites: Shawn still loves to snuggle. His favorite thing is for me to cradle him in my arms and kiss his face. He gets the biggest grin and does his little Muttley chuckle. He also still likes his taggie ball. A new favorite toy for Shawn is his teddy bear. He loves to hug on it and chew on its nose. He continues to enjoy bath time. He'll splash and play so much that he is exhausted when he gets out of the tub! Let's not mention what that makes me look like after Shawn's bath. I might as well get in there with him!

Least Favorites: Exercises. Tummy time. Veggies.

Personality: Shawn is pretty easy going. He wants to be where the action is and is happy as long as he knows he isn't alone. Shawn still loves to smile and flashes it easily. He is much quieter than his brother.

Areas to Work On: Shawn still needs to work on strength training. He continues to make gains, but he has a lot of work to do. I would say he needs to work on eating his veggies, too.

Issues: Shawn still has some tight muscles and is still about six weeks behind Jason on his milestones.

New Things: Shawn has started to enjoy his jumper. He likes to jump near Jason, and they spend the time jumping and talking to each other.

Randomness: The pox have struck Shawn again. I was so hoping that the one pox he had when Jason first broke out was all he would get. He had fevered and was miserable just like Jason at the time. Alas, that was not the case. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Shawn is spared from a case like Jason's. I still think he needs a break.

And in case you want to revisit the other month's growth posts, here they are: *Shawn at 6 Months* *Shawn at 7 Months* *Shawn at 8 Months*

Jason - 9 Months Old

Jason: (6 1/2 Months Adjusted)

Weight: According to my scale, he weighs 8.5 kilograms, or 18 lbs 12 ounces ( 10-25th percentile). He is wearing size 9 months clothes. Jason is in Size 3 diapers during the day and a size 4 at night (um, that is self explanatory, right?).

Length: 30 inches! That is in the 90th percentile for a 9 month old! He's lean and mean, man.

Feedings: Jason still eats anywhere between 6 - 8 ounces of formula a feeding for a total of about 30 ounces a day. He also eats solids for breakfast and dinner. He is not a big fan of green veggies like peas, green beans, or (heaven forbid) mixed veggies, but he eats them without much fuss. I did try to give him a teething biscuit the other day--he was not having any of it! I had to laugh. Don't worry, Jas, you'll get used to them. We even tried more protein last night. We got through 5 spoonfuls before he refused to open up for it anymore. (Made us laugh the whole time he was eating it.)

Favorites: Jason loves to listen to his brother. When Shawn "speaks" to him, Jason will just laugh and laugh! He also is starting to really like the game peek-a-boo. The jolly jump is still a high contender for the favorite list, too. Lastly, he likes to observe the world around him, spending a great deal of time looking from thing to thing in the house.

Least Favorites: Nap time. It is getting harder to get Jason to lay down for his naps. He starts to cry the cry that just pulls at my heart--the big boo-hoo cry with huge tears. He still isn't a fan of tummy time, although I must admit he is tolerating it a bit better. (I am being generous with the word "bit".)

Personality: Jason loves to laugh and giggle. Usually, he is pretty mellow, but I do think he is developing a strong attachment to me, so I have to be within his line of sight to make him happy. He has been grumpy lately; I'm not sure if that is because he was sick, or because he is just a grump. There is a bit of stubbornness starting to show in Jason, too. What's up with that?!?

Areas to Work On: Exercising. Being pox free. Eating all his veggies. Napping for longer than 15 minutes! And, dude. You're better now. Stop waking up in the middle of the night!

Issues: Biting mommy is one of Jason's new things. Shocked the heck out of me the first time he did it, too! So, now I have learned to lay a burp cloth on my shoulder first. (I ain't no dummy. It only took once three times before I learned that.)


New Things: Jason is starting to reach for me when I go to pick him up. He is also sitting up on his own for extended amounts of time.

Randomness: Jason is blowing bubbles now and scrunching up his nose. It is too cute. Oh, and there was that chicken pox thing we had to deal with...such fun for all.

And in case you want to revisit his other posts, here they are: *Jason at 6 Months* *Jason at 7 Months* *Jason at 8 Months*

Second Verse, Same As the First

The pox are back. Found the first one on Shawn's inner thigh this morning. Sigh. Too bad the one he had when Jason first broke out wasn't "enough". He deserves a break for all that he's been through! Maybe we'll get lucky and have a fairly mild case. I am a bit worried, though, because all of the info on the web points to the second family member's outbreak as more severe than the one before it. Wouldn't that be fun?

Jason, of course, is nearly healed. His scabs are coming off all over the place (waaayyyy gross). He still looks like he has little red blotches, but I only see a few places where there may be some scarring from some deep poxes. Thankfully, his diaper area has cleared, too. I know that had to have hurt.

Tomorrow, the boys turn 9 months old. I'll be posting their 9 month posts ASAP.

Whoa.

Shawn has taken advantage of Jason being sick. I still can't believe it, but my boys now weigh exactly the same--18 pounds, 4 ounces (8.3 kilograms)! Wooooo to the double Whooooo!

What Happened to Mikey?

I don't know what happened, but Shawn no longer eats just anything. He has decided that he doesn't care for green food, and all veggies are hit and miss any more. Darn it. Plus, he is exceptionally skilled with his tongue of steel. If he doesn't want it in his mouth...it will not get in. Seriously. He is that good.

Where does he get that stubborn streak?

I have tried to tell him that I am more stubborn than he is (you know, with me being bigger and all), but he just keeps testing the waters.

This is him after the dinner battle last night. It was Isaac vs. Shawn -- and I think Shawn won!

That's my boy!

Edited to add: Isaac begs to differ. He prefers to call the match "a stalemate". Oh, brother!