Happy 9 Months Rocky!

My little Rocky had her 9 months wellness checkup this morning with Dr. N. Baby girl is 27.5 inches long (50%) with a head circumference of 44 cm (50%), but only weighs 17.12 lbs (25%). The doctor says it's very common for kids to lose weight at this age because they are more active. Rocky is very healthy and "just perfect", according to the doctor. She had a little poke on her finger for a routine test for lead, which turned out to be negative.

I also took her to CPL to have her blood taken and tested for food allergies. Rocky has a sensitivity to milk. There have been a couple of incidences where she was exposed to it and developed red splotches and white bumps all over her mouth, chin, and neck. Dr. N and I both said it would suck if she was allergic to milk because she'd be missing out on cheese and ice cream. Although, sometimes I wish I was lactose intolerant so I couldn't eat all those scrumptious yet fattening foods. Milk was the catalyst for this test, but the blood panel will also reveal if she's allergic to soy, corn, wheat, and other common sensitivities. My baby was a rock star at the clinic. Even though it took a while for the tech to find a good vein on her little arm, Rocky did not cry. She shifted around a little because of the discomfort, but was quiet and good the entire time. All of the techs and Peanut were so impressed. Rocky's badge of honor is on her right arm.


Rocky is very fast and stealth on all fours. She's getting into everything and even starting to pull herself up. I've had to reinstate babyproofing at the crawler's level by unplugging lamps, moving plants, and keeping the floors clean, which is next to impossible with the bottomless pit known as Peanut around. I'm sure Rocky's eaten her share of dried playdoh, leaves, stale Cheerios, paper, and who knows what else.
It's interesting to see how Peanut is dealing with Rocky stealing his toys. For a 3-year-old, he is surprisingly patient and generous with her. He's still all boy and doesn't think twice about grabbing a toy back or even stealing one right out of her hand. However, I've tried teaching him to replace the toy with another one to minimize her screaming, which neither one of us enjoy hearing.

The little diva refuses to hold her bottle! She has fantastic fine motor skills and has that pincer thing down. She's great at feeding herself, but will not hold her bottle or sippy cup to drink. She'll handle it, play with the nipple so it squirts in her eye, drop it on the ground on purpose, put the nipple in her mouth, but as soon as I touch it, her arms go limp. I think the breastfeeding is creating this laziness. Rocky nurses really well and has stopped biting me (thank goodness).

Her loves:
Swimming, but hates it when daddy dunks her.
Pacifier. Just like her brother, she needs it to sleep.
Playing sound mimick, head tilt, and head shake.
Grooving to music. It's cute the way she rocks back and forth when a good beat is going.

Rocky's day time schedule is all over the map. The result of her family's busy schedule. We'll squeeze in naps and meals when we can. However, she's in bed by 7 PM and sleeps about 12 hours. Rocky is happy, easy going, curious, and sweet. I love her so much.