The Robiltons

Dear Thomas,

Things just keep getting better! You are happy and social, full of giggles. You'll laugh at anything - a sneeze, a look. But there's still no one who can make you laugh like your brother. You love to watch him and giggle at all his antics.

Your sleeping habits and patterns are okay - you sleep for long stretches at night (12 hours on average) and you're starting to sleep through the night with more regularity. Your daytime naps are still a bit sporadic, and tend to consist of only one nap. You go to sleep at night very easily, but are a bit fussy with your nap. You often sleep in the stroller while we're out and about.

You've finally started accepting solids with gusto. You *love* Cheerios and are becoming very good at picking them up. Vegetables are ok, and you love fruit and dairy (yogurt and cottage cheese). On occasion you will reject the main course meals - particularly where there is rice involved. We're likely going straight to a sippy cup with you - you still don't like the bottle. We've started offering water with your meals and you take more interest in chewing on the cup than in consuming the contents of it.

You have four teeth right now - two on the top and two on the bottom, with another coming through on the top. At your nine month checkup you weighed 20.5 pounds and were 72 cm long. You are very good at sitting up and are very happy to do so! We're working to get you to spend more time on your tummy - you still don't roll very much and you show little interest in crawling or being mobile. While this is convenient for us (you're always in the same spot where we set you down!) developmentally we need to focus on your gross motor skills.

You love balls and are very happy in your exersaucer. You also love the tags on your toys, and you work hard to get them into your mouth. In fact, everything goes into your mouth these days which means that it's time for us to be very diligent about what is left lying around.

The past two months have been full of our usual activities - Storytime at the library, mom & baby exercise classes, and a new busy baby program at the Early Years Centre. We've also been busy with repairs and renovations around the house - including renovating the upstairs bathroom, which you tolerated very well. During May we were also preoccupied with preparations for the multiple celebrations for your brother's third birthday. We've started bathing the two of you together, and although Henry can be a little competitive, wanting to be "the first one" in and out of the tub, you both enjoy your baths. The days are flying by, and you fit right in with the flow of our household.

Later this month we'll be starting to transition you into daycare as I get ready to return to work. I think you'll love being with other babies - you love to watch the other children and babies at all of our activities and classes. And we're fortunate that you're in a great daycare where there will be lots of fun activities for you.