Olivia: 9 months!

Weight: 22lbs 2oz
Height: 29 3/4 in.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• respond to simple requests (such as "Give Mommy the toy.") Olivia will look when you call her and sometimes waves when asked.
• use consonants as she begins saying "mama" or "dada" She hasn't said the words mama and dada, but she does say the consonant/vowel combinations that she needs to say it.
• learn and say one other word No words yet, but her pediatrician is not concerned and neither are we.
• pivot in a circle as her coordination continues to develop and her muscles strengthen She is great at standing and turning around.
• feed herself, although she may be a bit messy Yep! She has always fed herself. When she does she is messy and honestly she actually prefers to be fed for that reason.
• manipulate tiny objects, such as veggie dices and cereal, between her thumb and forefinger Her pincer grasp is getting great. She can even pass items from one hand from the other.                                                    
• drop toys on purpose to watch them fall and then look for them—a sign that your baby is curious about how she can affect the objects around her She has discovered pushing or throwing things off her highchair tray. To her it's hilarious.
• develop the instinct to bounce to music She is a dancing queen. She loves moving her body and especially her head to music or really any time. She has even started doing this head shake that is reminiscent of hair band performances.
• point and poke with her index finger as a sign of her growing curiosity If I get poked in the eye only 3 times at night it's a good night. She also loves to stick her finger in my mouth while she nurses. Unfortunately her nails grow so fast and now I have to be really diligent of cutting them regularly.