nine month well visit

On November 26, Anastasia went to the pediatrician for her nine-month visit. I do feel silly sometimes making these visits when I know perfectly well that she's not only well but intelligent, healthy, bright, and well above average. However, it's always nice to get outside confirmation of these things.

Anyway, she was 17.6 lbs, which is 30th percentile for her age; 28 inches tall (67%); and her head was 17.9 inches around (88%). She's already doing pretty much all the milestones from the 6 to 12 month handout the pediatrician gave me: sitting alone, reaching for things she wants, transferring objects between hands, crawling well, pulling herself to standing (not well yet, but that's a 12-month milestone), making noises to show her displeasure or satisfaction (this she does vehemently and constantly), looking for toys or balls that fall out of sight, becoming distressed if a toy is taken away (boy, does she ever!), responding to her name and recognizing our names, pushing toys away when she doesn't want them, playing patty cake, dancing and bouncing to music, and clapping her hands. Some people might disagree whether she's said her first word, but she regularly looks at me and says "Mama" when she wants me...and if that's not talking, I don't know what is. And, of course, she certainly "shows mild to severe anxiety at separation from parent." Make that, "screams in protest at the sight of Mommy's back, even if Mommy is just picking up toys or something and not actually leaving the room." But I don't mind. She has every right to insist on my presence. It won't be long before she'll be all too eager to get away from me. Sigh.

The one thing she hasn't done on the list is wave goodbye. Probably because I've never tried to teach that to her. Yet.

Although, on second thought, I've never tried to teach her any of these things.

When I read that she should "crawl well" by twelve months, I was curious whether her current method of motion qualified as "crawling well," so I asked the pediatrician and put Anastasia on the floor to demonstrate. Naturally, as soon as I put her down, she immediately began crawling away from me, eager to explore a new floor.

"Yes," the pediatrician said patiently, already tired of my unending exclamations about how advanced Anastasia is in every way, "she's definitely crawling."

According to the handout, we do have some exciting new developments to look forward to:

She might try to talk to herself in the mirror. She hasn't done that yet. Then again, she doesn't try to talk to other babies, either...just smiles and reaches for them, which is what she does to her image, too.

She might start offering toys or object to others but want them to be returned. So cute. Her friend Jubilant, who's six months older, does this to me in church all the time, and it never fails to crack me up. I can't wait till Anastasia is doing this one.

Ah. So fun to watch the changes--she really is different every day now. Not long ago she crawled away from me for the first time--it gave me quite a turn. I was in the bathroom (of course; wouldn't that be the way?), and I put her on the floor of the bathroom while I peed--which I always do. But this time, instead of sitting there happily looking for pieces of fuzz to eat as she usually does, Anastasia was no sooner on the floor than she was happily crawling away--out the bathroom door. I was too flabbergasted to be able to get off the toilet quickly.

Luckily Matt was home, so I called for him to come keep an eye on her while I caught up.

But I can understand all the cliches now. It really does seem like yesterday that she couldn't even control her arms, and now she's crawling away from me. Next thing I know she'll be driving and moving out of the house.

At least I'll always have the satisfaction of knowing I took advantage of every moment she did want to be with me and enjoyed it...