Nine Month Summary

I can honestly say that Maddie and Will's ninth month rivals their very first month as the busiest, most exhausting, and most rewarding four weeks of our lives.  The holidays had much to do with that fact, of course, but so, too, did the twins' new mobility!  Oh, and teething may have contributed to the exhaustion as well.  Christmas, crawling, and teething...we had a LOT going on around here during month nine!

The twins' ninth month opened with their first Christmas, which was celebrated with family many times over!  The memories made during their first Christmas will be forever remembered and cherished.  It was the day after Christmas that brought both Will and Maddie's first teeth.  After months of chewing on anything and everything, Maddie and Will each sprouted two little teeth on December 26th!  Maddie immediately noticed and reacted to the presence of teeth in her mouth; for several days, she was frequently caught sliding her tongue over and around her two little chompers!  Will did not seem as impressed with his two teeth; he seemed more cranky that usual as they pushed their way through his gums. 

It was also during the twins' ninth month that the twins both started army crawling.  Will, as you know, had been "crawling" in his own unique way for about a month, but Maddie had yet to reach the milestone.  Days before Christmas, Maddie began to use her brother's method of crawling to move across the room.  She quickly adopted a more traditional army crawl, and her brother then followed suit.  Since learning to crawl, Maddie has truly become a different baby!  At one time, she could be trusted to sit quietly and play with toys.  Now, she doesn't sit still for long!  She is a girl on the move!  And everywhere that she goes, she goes with a smile on her face and a laugh on her lips!  In fact, there are times that I *hear* Maddie crawling before I see her! 

The twins continued to babble to anyone who would listen during their ninth month.  They both seem to favor "Dadadadadada" over "Mamamamamama", though I have heard Will chant the latter.  They have each "experimented" with their voices and the sounds that they can make, "trying on" different sounds and noises for a day or two before moving on to a new sound. 

With two mobile infants, it became more difficult to keep the twins out of trouble this month.  Maddie's fascination with the heating vents continued, and Will just couldn't stay away from the Christmas tree and the ornaments that decorated its branches!  They knocked down picture frames, pulled on curtains, and made attempts to take cell phones away from their parents.  To keep the babies as safe as possible, Jim installed a couple baby gates and covered outlets - and just in time, too.  Now, both of the babies routinely crawl out of their room and right up to the baby gate that keeps them from the stairs. 

We added several new baby foods to the twins' diets this month.  They graduated to Gerber's 2nd Foods and have enjoyed such delicatessies as Macaroni and Cheese with Vegetables, Pear and Blueberry Oatmeal, and Spring Greens with Brown Rice.  Will continues to be our eater, while Maddie...she has her moments/meals at which she eats well.  Toward the end of the month, however, she developed the nasty habit of spitting her food out at anyone who has the unfortunate luck of sitting nearby.  Telling her "no" or "stop" only motivated her to continue to spit, so we decided to ignore the behavior and hope that it disappears....soon.  She could definitely use the nutrition that she misses when she spits; she hasn't gained an *ounce* since we stopped into the doctor's office for the twins' second round of flu shots in December.  Will, on the other hand, continues to grow like a weed.  He is now 3 pounds heavier than Maddie, and is in the 95th percentile for height! 

The twins continue to take two naps each day, with each nap ranging from 1-2 hours in length.  In the early evening shortly before they go to bed they tend to get a little crabby...and clingy.  Will, especially, likes to be held in the early evening.  Even Maddie, though, has begun to demand to be held at that time.  Holding two tired, crabby babies can be challenging, but I do my best!  The twins sleep like champs at night.  They rarely wake up to cry out anymore, and when/if they do, it's just so that we can help them find their misplaced pacifiers.   If that pacifier belongs to Maddie, we simply hand it to her so that she can put it in her mouth herself, as she refuses to allow us to put it in. 

Will continues to be our cuddler.  He, more than Maddie, likes to be held and snuggled.  He often lays his head down on our shoulders.  For a few weeks, Will was giving wet, sloppy, wide-mouthed kisses to anyone who asked for one.  You better believe that I asked for them all the time!

The twins' tenth month, already underway, will bring their first Superbowl, their first Valentine's Day, their first "real" foods, and most definitely, lots more fun!