Nine months

February was a pretty crazy month, and I'm just now getting to their nine-month update! These babies make life fun, and they've grown a lot in the past month. Here's what they're up to now:

Henry:

• Weighs 20.6 pounds and is 28.25 inches long. He actually hasn't gained weight since his six-month checkup but is much taller -- two inches taller than his sister.
• Has four teeth (two on the bottom and two on the top) and loves to gnaw on things and grind them (to my chagrin). The bottom two poked through at eight months (around Jan. 23, when I was in Florida on a business trip), and the other two came through about a week ago.
• Wears some 6-9 month clothes but mostly 9-month clothes (and a few 12-month pieces that run small)
• Scoots around on his tummy and rolls and pulls himself around quickly, but still isn't quite crawling yet
• Loves texture and is satisfied with a soft blanket and a Beanie Baby shark (to chew on) he got from a friend's birthday party a few weeks ago
• Has stopped sucking from bottles for some reason, so we've had to cut holes in all of his nipples so he'll still drink his formula
• Devours baby food, especially green beans, yogurt, carrots and apples and prunes
• Takes 20-minute cat naps unless he's being held
• Has started slapping his cheeks for no reason and nodding his head at everything
• Is very ticklish under his ribs and in his armpits
• Has quite a bit of brownish-blonde hair that's golden in the sun
• Still smiles at everyone and giggles at Norah when she crawls toward him (or on top of him)
• Loves to be snuggled and will sleep for hours in our arms
• Sits up on his own now but still likes to topple over sometimes
• Continues to love music and fall asleep quickly when I sing to him
• Is obsessed with his socks and will pull them off and suck on them right after I put them on (and try to grab Norah's to chew on them, too)

Norah:

• Weighs 17.8 pounds and is 27.5 inches long
• Still doesn't have any teeth but chews on everything, so they must be coming soon
• Fits into some 3-6 month clothes but is mainly wearing 6-month clothes
• Is very curious and loves to climb around the piano, walker and bouncer
• Just began pulling herself up and standing next to her walker and is SO proud of herself
• Loves to crawl all over Henry and put her hands on his face and in his mouth and eyes (no matter how many times we pull her off of him)
• Will only eat sweet potatoes and occasionally applesauce, so she still has formula most of the time
• Giggles at Henry when she's playing with him on the floor and loves to have Dad blow raspberries on her tummy
• Only takes her pacifier when she's really tired (and then spits it out when she falls asleep) but loves to play with and chew on it
• Loves rings, keys, her Sophie the giraffe and a plastic monkey toy (that she steals away from Henry whenever she can)
• Splashes as much as she can in the bathtub and is fascinated by the faucet
• Still takes long naps and curls up in the corner of her crib on her tummy
• Sits up well on her own and likes to play with her feet
• Has soft brown hair that's finally beginning to grow and long eyelashes
• Still has teeny feet that don't fit into any of her 6-12 month moccasins
• Loves to be snuggled and rocked to sleep

Henry and Norah already entertain each other and share this incredible bond, and it's been fun to watch them grow. They make life crazy and satisfying.