Mon 25 Feb 2008
When I finished Tobi's 8 month post, I thought that there wouldn't be a need for a nine month post. How much could change in one month that would be blog worthy? Well, I had forgotten that these months leading up to the first birthday are jam packed with developmental leaps.
At Tobi's 9 month well baby check-up, he weighed in at 19 lbs and 9 oz. He measured 28 1/4 inches long with a head circumference of 44 1/2 cm. I was a little afraid that the appointment would be a nightmare because Tobi decided not to take his afternoon nap. Add a tired baby to the serious stranger anxiety he's experiencing right now and it equals a recipe for disaster. However, in typical Tobi fashion he was on his best behavior and not the least bit fussy. He happily allowed the nurse and Dr. B to give him the once over and he even flashed them a few smiles along the way. Our doctor was very pleased with his overall health and development.
Our only concern that we shared with the doctor was about his bright orange nose and cheeks. We started noticing his rather orange complexion back in January and I decided to cut out orange veggies for a few weeks hoping it would go away and when it didn't I started to get worried. Dr. B wasn't too concerned and was pretty sure the color was coming from the veggies, but mentioned that we could get blood work done to rule out serious causes if we wanted. We decided to wait and see since she wasn't too worried and because we have high deductible insurance so anything we choose to do will come straight out of our pockets.
On the way home, Andrej and I were discussing the appointment and the worry wart in me came out and I started to think maybe we should get the blood work done just to make sure it wasn't jaundice or something serious. Several people have commented on how orange he looks so it must not be normal. A few days later I called to schedule the blood work, but couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a waste of money. Plus, I absolutely HATE to have my own blood drawn so I wasn't sure I would be able to hold my nine month old down to have his blood drawn.
Before making the final decision I wanted a few more professional opinions. We turned to my uncle who was a pediatrician for years and my good friend Dr. Google. My uncle immediately named Tobi's "condition" as carotenemia, which is when an infant's skin appears yellow or orange after eating a lot of foods that are high in beta-carotene (orange veggies, dark green veggies and breast milk). More importantly my uncle said that it is harmless and no reason to be concerned. My google search of "baby's skin is orange" told me the same thing. I canceled the blood work and decided to see T's orange skin as a good sign that the boy loves his veggies and his body is absorbing them properly. Hopefully, in a few months when he is eating more table foods he won't look like a little pumpkin.
As for Tobi's new tricks, he can clap, wave and stick out his tongue on command, or at least in response to you doing it. He is so close to signing "more" and "all done". He already does both motions, but I don't think he has connected the meaning with the actions just yet. He is such a funny little guy and he knows that if he waves his hands around (mimicking the "all done" sign) he will get a good reaction out of his audience. If there is one thing Tobi does get is how to make us all smile and laugh at him.
Around the end of Tobi's eighth month, he figured out that crawling on his knees is much faster than sliding around on his belly and now crawls full speed ahead. He is getting really fast too. Tobi loves a good game of chase and thinks it's so funny to take off down the hall, turn around to see if you are following and then as soon as he sees that you are he slaps his hands down on the floor in a fit of laughter and crawls as fast as he can to get away.
In addition to crawling, Tobi is also cruising all over the place. He can pull up on just about anything and then move around the room on his feet by holding onto cabinets, walls, chairs and people's legs. He also loves to walk behind Kaiya's old push walker. He can't turn the toy yet, but can walk behind it until he runs into something. Then he stands there banging the toy against the wall laughing at the noise he is creating. He also likes to push the chairs around the kitchen to get where he wants to go. I've also caught him independently standing playing with something in his hands not holding on to a single thing. After a few seconds he will realize this and either flop down on his backside or quickly grab on to something for balance. I won't be surprised if he starts walking soon.
Tobi is all boy. His second favorite game, after chase, is throwing things and laughing as they crash to the floor. His new nickname is Tob-nado because he blows through a room, pulling up onto each surface and throwing everything off of it onto the floor. He pulls all the books and toys off of the shelves, throws blocks, balls, toys and anything he can physically pick up. His main mission is to search and destroy anything in his path. It is exhausting to watch and pickup after! Plus, he thinks when I tell him, "Tobi! No, No!" that it actually means to hurry and finish what he is doing as fast as he possibly can before mama gets to him. It's almost like he hears, "Tobi! Go! Go!" instead of no!
Our biggest challenge in his ninth month has been the separation/stranger anxiety he is experiencing. I literally cannot leave the room without him attached to my hip. I often try to sneak away while he is playing contentedly to go to the bathroom or check on Kaiya in a different room, but as soon as he notices he is alone a meltdown is soon to follow. Our regular babysitter is such a trooper as I have left her on several occasions with a hysterical Tobi that somehow knew Mama was leaving soon. Thankfully, I know this is just a stage and will hopefully pass soon. I sure am looking forward to when I can once again use the bathroom alone.