Jadyn at 9 months

Jadyn turned 9 months old yesterday! We went in for her check-up today and found she is now 15 pounds, 15 ounces and 26.5 inches long. These numbers place her between the 10th and 25th percentile for weight and length. Her head is at 50th percentile, measuring 44 cm in circumference, which explains why she grows out of some of her shirts with smaller head and neck openings more quickly. She now has 4 teeth across the top, the last of these 4 dropping into place just last week. She took the opportunity to use all these teeth to bite Mommy's nose while in the doctor's office today. Ouch! We are now allowed to try her interest in grated cheese, ground meat, and small chunks of soft fruits and vegetables. Here you see her chewing a slice of apple tucked inside a mesh bag.

What does a 9-month-old do all day? Well, this one is very busy trying to experience everything and figure stuff out. When she is at school while Mom and Dad are at work, she crawls all over the place, pulls herself to standing at every opportunity, pushes on rocking chairs to feel the swinging motion, plays with balls and musical toys, and interacts with her teachers and the other children in the infant room. She rarely finds time or interest for a significant nap, so she often sleeps the entire half hour ride home. At home, she pulls herself to stand at the TV and flicks at the buttons (she did manage to turn it on once, but we're not sure she understood that she caused it), stands at the coffee table and reaches for anything she can get her hands on (newspaper, Mommy's cell phone, a remote control, Daddy's bottle of beer), tries to open the kitchen cupboards and drawers, wants to pet the cats but they are usually quicker than she is, and pretty much crawls all over the place. She is often fascinated with details: the rivets on Mommy's and Daddy's jeans, a spot of unexpected color, beady eyes on a toy or stuffed animal, a loose thread or string. She is also quite a help around the house, as you can see in the pictures below.

Petting Cosmo with Daddy (Check out the teeth! She often winces like this in anticipation of the camera's flash -- we call it her pirate face. Arrr!)

Climbing onto Cosmo and Daddy

Playing in the kitchen with a plastic cup

This is the microwave!

Learning how to use the toaster oven

Emptying the laundry basket

Eyeing the goods in the refrigerator