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9 Month Check In

May 10, 2016 by Julie 60 Comments

Chase is nine months old! (Well, he technically turned nine months old on April 29 but here we are, 11 days late. Oops.) One of the first thoughts I had as we approached nine months with our baby boy is that Chase has now been out in the world for as long as he was in my belly. It’s a crazy thought and while I felt like everything changed so much from week to week during pregnancy, it seems like every single day with Chase brings about something new.

Julie and Chase

One day Chase can’t roll from his back to his belly and the next day rolling officially becomes his favorite mode of transportation. One day Chase is all gums and no teeth and then the next week he has three teeth peeking through.

Happy Chase

It’s crazy to watch a baby slowly grow into a little person right before your eyes and every time something new happens, I am reminded that my baby boy won’t be a baby forever. I absolutely love watching Chase grow and explore but sometimes I just want time to SLOW DOWN. I make an effort to remain present and enjoy small moments every day but I realize Chase’s first birthday is only a few months away and one day I’ll look back on pictures of Chase at nine months and say, “I can’t believe how little he was,” just like I find myself already doing at his three month baby photos!

Chase 9 Months

Seeing the world through Chase’s eyes is such a joy. He laughs when I put on my sunglasses or twirl my ponytail around. He giggles when I pretend to eat his fingers. He kicks and squeals and smiles his biggest smile of the day when Ryan arrives home from work. Chase is so full of energy and his exuberance is contagious.

ryan and chase

While Chase has always been a curious and observant baby, he is now becoming a rather impatient, too! He doesn’t like to be in one place for too long these days which means we are all over the place every day.

The toys we have in our house buy us 30 minutes or so of playtime until Chase starts to get a little fussy and needs something new. That’s when play dates, Gymboree, swim lessons and walks outside with Sadie are key. Chase thrives on stimulation outside of our house and seems to do best when we are out and about and he has new things to look at, touch and taste. (Always taste. Everything goes in his mouth these days!)

Legos at Discovery Place

Chase does pretty well with solo play but seems to be entering a phase where he really wants a playmate… And if you start to walk away in the middle of playtime, he will let you know that is unacceptable. Playtime is becoming more and more hands on and interactive!

Sleeping

Oh sleep, you are a beast. We made such wonderful sleep progress with Chase when he was six months old but regressed quite a bit over the past month.

It started when we dropped the Magic Sleepsuit. The transition went okay (we transitioned him into a swaddle that let his arms free and gradually loosened the swaddle around his chest until we dropped it completely) and the struggle with this transition centered around the fact that Chase would roll onto his belly and didn’t know how to purposefully roll back onto his back. (He’s been rolling from his belly to his back since he was only several weeks old, but not intentionally.) Chase would get stuck (basically like a reverse-turtle!) and cry out until we’d flip him. This struggle went on for about a week as he learned to master rolling both ways and I thought we were finally in the clear until Chase’s first earache happened. This completely changed everything and I truly had no idea how much an earache could impact a baby.

Chase Shocked

I felt absolutely horrible for Chase and did my best to meet his needs and offer him all the comfort and love he clearly needed when he wasn’t feeling well. Chase is normally such a sturdy little string bean and whenever anyone holds him they comment on how he feels so strong, so holding a baby who felt limp and looked extremely fatigued all the time pulled at my heartstrings. He would wake up absolutely screaming in the night and I nursed him on demand and did my best to give him as much comfort and love as possible.

Ryan Julie Chase Fagan

And then, right as he started to feel better, Chase began teething which also impacted his sleep. So here we are at nine months and I’m back to nursing at night again. I am hoping to attempt sleep training again (similar to what we did at six months) this week, so cross your fingers that all goes well and we’ll be back to better sleep in our house soon. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a new mom it’s that everything changes ALL the time. There’s always a new challenge to conquer, right!?

Feeding

We are continuing to do a mix of real food and purees over here and feeding Chase is one thing I am hoping to learn to love a little more than I do at the moment. It’s definitely a messy experience that can be frustrating at times when Chase closes his mouth and absolutely refuses to eat but I’m rolling with it and doing a few things to make meal time more enjoyable. Eating together helps and dinnertime is Chase’s best feeding time. I will generally give Chase bits and pieces of whatever we are having for dinner and his favorite foods are always the proteins! He is ALL about chicken, fish, shrimp, steak… basically any protein is always the first thing he reaches for when we give him a few options on his tray.

As for the purees, I am currently trying to give him purees once a day because I feel like he actually consumes food better in puree form than real food form at this point. (He will absolutely eat and swallow real food, but it’s also a lot of gumming around and sucking on food at this point, too.) Sometimes Chase does well with the purees and other times eating is the last thing he wants to do. Food is not his priority and he’d almost always rather be playing which is why I’m trying to do things to make food feel like playtime and a little more fun (like the floor mat idea)! His favorite purees continue to be any combinations that include sweet potatoes, butternut squash and pears.

Chase 9 Months

Breastfeeding is still Chase’s primary source of food (I think I repeat the “under one just for fun” mantra regarding food every day to make myself feel better when Chase’s eating isn’t exactly on point) and it is going well! When Chase isn’t distracted during a feeding (<— always a battle!), I find myself truly enjoying nursing. Nursing Chase feels like a reminder for me to slow down. It’s during our nursing sessions when I feel like my heart doubles in size as I look at Chase, stroke his hair or cheeks and dodge his grabby little hands as they reach for my face. When he’s done feeding during the day, he’ll often come off my breast and babble up a storm. He’s always so chatty and smiley after a feeding and it’s just the best!

One nursing-related issue that surfaced this month was Chase’s clear preference for my breast over a bottle. I dislike pumping and since I feel fortunate to be home with Chase every day with the ability to nurse him, I’ve let pumping fall to the wayside. I think this may not have been the smartest thing to do because now Chase definitely prefers eating from my breast to a bottle. He will eat from a bottle, but not particularly well and that can feel a little stressful to me at times (even though I do feel like it is my fault). I think I need to get back to pumping and bottle feeding a little more regularly since I want to feel like we can have a babysitter feed Chase from a bottle in the future without me feeling stressed that it won’t go well. Something to work on!

Happy Chase

Likes

  • Clicking his tongue
  • Kicking his legs (I love his “double leg kick” the most!)
  • Swim class
  • Bath time with Dad
  • Gymboree music class (especially the big drum and the shakers!)
  • Watching and petting Sadie (we’re working on “gentle touches”)
  • Protein (fish, chicken, steak, shrimp… you name it!)
  • Music
  • Outside
  • Swinging with Grandma
  • Afternoon walks with Mom and Sadie
  • Banging on his high chair tray
  • Jumping around in his activity jumper
  • Rolling all over the place
  • Making his ridiculous “stank face”

IMG_6357

Dislikes

  • Getting dressed
  • Having his nose wiped
  • When Mom tries to see his teeth
  • When he’s playing with a toy and someone tries to take it away
  • Low voices
  • Being in one place for too long

Nine Month Baby Favorites

We’ve had some new discoveries this month that Chase seems to love and I’ve added them to this list that also includes some of our tried and true favorites that continue to be go-to items for Chase at nine months old.

Nine Month Baby Favorites

PLAY

  • Fisher Price Kick N Play Piano
  • Fisher Price Rattle and Rock Maracas
  • Baby Einstein Bendy Ball
  • Baby Einstein Activity Jumper
  • Jelly Strands Baby Teething Necklace 
  • Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote
  • Oball
  • Skip Hop Activity Mat
  • Baby Einstein Take Along Musical Toy

EAT

  • Protective Floor Mat
  • Chicco 360 Hook On High Chair
  • NUK Mash and Serve Bowl
  • Munchkin White Hot Infant Safety Spoons

SLEEP

  • Wubbanubs
  • myBaby Sound Machine
  • Motorola Baby Monitor

Past Baby Updates

  • What I Wish I Knew Before My Baby Was Born
  • Eight Months
  • Seven Months
  • Six Months
  • Our First Sleep Training Experience
  • Traveling With A Baby For The First Time
  • Five Months
  • Four Months
  • Three Months
  • Two Months
  • And Then He Smiled
  • Three Weeks
  • The First 12 Days
  • Q&A: All About Birth & Life With A New Baby
  • Chase’s Birth Story: Part I, Part II

Be sure to follow PBFingers on Instagram and Facebook!

I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Baby, Chase Monthly Updates Tagged With: 9 months old, baby, baby favorites, nine months, nine months old

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. Patricia @Sweet And Strong says

    May 10, 2016 at 6:28 am

    Chase is the most adorable baby! Love reading about how he’s grown throughout the year and it seems like his personality is really starting to show.

    Reply
  2. Teri says

    May 10, 2016 at 6:42 am

    I’d start offering Chase a little cup to see if he’ll take that better than a bottle. My 18mo never took a bottle (poor torture for me!) but he looooves his Munchkin 360 sippy cup. Definitely something to look at. Not like a regular sippy cup. And don’t fret too much about the food. Seriously at one, everything switched and clicked for us. A whole new little guy!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:01 am

      We have that cup! I’ll definitely try it! And thanks for the words of encouragement surrounding food. I guess I just feel like everyone around me has kids who seem to LOVE eating and it often feels like a struggle for us at this point. I appreciate your advice!

      Reply
      • Katherine says

        May 12, 2016 at 12:22 pm

        I second Teri. My 17 month old didn’t really care about solids until 12 months, and I too would see how he does with a cup or straw cup. I know kids who didn’t like the bottle but enjoyed a cup/sippy cup/straw cup – every stage is trial and error.

        Reply
        • Berry says

          May 12, 2016 at 11:13 pm

          I was just about to suggest a straw cup too. The munchkin 360 cup didn’t exist when my son was little, but he started drinking from a nuby straw cup around 9-10 months. Maybe Chase would take to a cup better than a bottle. He might like to have it during his mat meals or during playtime just to explore.
          Good luck with the sleep! It was always a struggle for us, and teething and illnesses always set us back from any progress we had made. But one day, eventually, he will sleep 🙂

          Reply
  3. Laura says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:10 am

    Check out Anabel Karmel on Amazon! She has some great cookbooks for feeding little ones. I love them!! Some of them you can buy used- like new for very cheap too 🙂

    Reply
  4. Nikki says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:12 am

    Sweet boy! 9 months is such a fun age! Personalities really start to show. :). Really and truly, don’t stress about the feeding. Babies have their own timeline for ‘real’ food, just like everything else: rolling over, crawling, teething, etc. my three varied pretty greatly regarding when they actually wanted to eat (vs. just explore the different tastes and textures (I.e. Make a massive mess with little-to-no actual consumption)): oldest was 8 months, when she started easing her way into solids; middle devoured anything we gave him, right at 6 months; and my baby, 13 months, had zero interest in solids until 10 months. She is in speech therapy for feeding, currently, as she doesn’t have lateralization of her tongue, which results in choking, and her therapist has repeatedly commented that she was just a “late bloomer” re: interest level, and that it is completely fine, GOOD, in fact, to follow her cues and not push it.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:27 am

      Thank you for sharing this, Nikki!!!

      Reply
  5. Brittany Healthy Slice says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:16 am

    9 months sounds so big! I didn’t think it was possible, but he just gets cuter by the day <3 Can't wait to see y'all soon!

    PS- Neither one of my girls took a bottle, so I know the struggle is real. Luckily the more food he eats, the less stress it causes 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:26 am

      I remember you saying that about H and K and I’ve thought about that many times which honestly makes me feel so much better!! Can’t wait to see you on Saturday! <3

      Reply
  6. Holly says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:25 am

    Julie, my daughter wouldn’t take a bottle either. We tried so many brands too! Finally I gave her pumped milk in a sippy cup and that went much better. Soon she figured out how to use a straw and now uses a straw sippy cup. Forget the bottle if he hates it. Also, we did baby led weaning and purees but I quit pureed after a few weeks because she refused to open her mouth. She didn’t eat much until her 1st bday but she was getting everything she needed from breastfeeding. Try not to stress, Chase will figure out food on his own. Keep trying!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:27 am

      I truly never even thought about a sippy cup but another reader left a similar comment! I’ll have to try it!!

      Reply
      • Bethany says

        May 10, 2016 at 9:37 am

        I have heard the same thing too. We have a million sippy cups and the ones that are working for us are the Toss and Go sippys. Light weight for baby to hold on to and feed themselves. I thank daycare for that discovery 🙂

        Reply
    • Susan says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:12 pm

      Agree with the suggestions for sippy cups. Daycares start pushing them at 9-10 months, and by 1 year babies do really well with sippy cups versus bottles. So you might as well go that route at this point. Most pediatricians agree you shouldn’t do bottles past 1 year because of teething.

      Reply
  7. Kristin says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:58 am

    I love these posts so much. As a mom of an 8 month old I totally relate to so many things you talk about! My baby refused formula at one point and since I couldn’t pump enough milk I had to be home all the time to feed her. It was so stressful. So glad we finally found one she likes. I’m now struggling trying to switch binkis. Like Chase my daughter is obsessed with her wubbanubs. Apparently they are only supposed to be used till 6 months or when they get teeth because they can chew off the tip of the binki! ? They have other similar items that attach to other pacifiers called “Paci Plushies” on Amazon but my daughter only seems to like the soothie binki. Curious about your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Bethany says

      May 10, 2016 at 9:39 am

      Isn’t that the same with any paci tho? Our 9 MO uses a MAM paci and I have seen those paci plushies that fit onto the different pacis.

      Reply
  8. Morgan says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:04 am

    He is growing so fast! My youngest daughter is about a year older than Chase and I can’t believe how fast it goes by! Which is a huge relief since both my daughters were bottle refusers! I haven’t been able to be away since they were born (they are 18 months apart) for 3.5 years!!! ?? But all worth it!

    We had success with a straw cup when I was away a little longer than she normally went without nursing or if we were out and it wasn’t convenient to nurse. And we use the 360 wow cup (similar to the munchkin one) in the crib at night with water now that they are older. I tired to avoid the sippy cups with spouts since there is some debate about them not being great for oral development. And for what it’s worth, when he gets to a year, don’t expect him to magically be done with nursing – it’s a arbitrary age relating to formula consumption and not that indicative of BF babies’ schedules. I weaned my youngest at 20 months because I wanted to be done but she would have happily kept nursing. And it wasn’t until she weaned that she started drinking her milk (check out hemp milk).

    Anyway, you’re doing great and Chase looks adorable! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Sarah Beth says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:06 am

    Hey Julie! I love reading your monthly updates about chase– my daughter is a few months younger than him, so it’s fun to get a little preview of where she’ll be soon! One thing we’re loving as we’re starting to get into food is a high hair that can be completely wiped down, which helps so much with the inevitable mess. We have the keekaroo height right chair, which is pricey but beautiful and will last forever. Best part is there’s no fabric, so clean up is a breeze. My daughter actually has zero interest in food so far, but she loves sitting up there banging her toys on her tray while we eat!

    Reply
  10. Heather @ Polyglot Jot says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:13 am

    What a cutie! I love his fuzz hair and smile!!

    Reply
  11. Christine says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:17 am

    Oh the 9 month sleep regression!! We just went thru this with our little lady (she just turned 10 months). Apparently since their little minds are on overdrive at this phase in their development (learning to be more mobile, etc.) it messes with their sleep habits. It lasted about 2 weeks with our daughter and now she is back to sleeping thru the night like a champ. Hopefully this phase ends for you soon!!

    Reply
  12. Becki says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:31 am

    Chase looks like a very happy little boy!!! Love all the photos and updates. In the years to come you will look back and be so thankful you documented his life. It is so easy to get busy and not take the time to write things down thinking you won’t forget and soon enough the years pass and some of the things you thought you never would forget you do. Chase will love to read these updates when he is grown too.

    In terms of food – does your pediatrician give you guidelines about what to introduce? I only ask because our second child has severe, life threatening food allergies despite no one in our families having them. He is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and shell fish. I know there are guidelines as to how early to introduce certain foods.

    Reply
  13. Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:40 am

    Such great pictures. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family. By the way, awesome hat!! xo Lauren

    Reply
  14. Kim says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:44 am

    it’s always an adventure! You may want to try milk in a sippy cup or straw cup — most peds will recommend getting your kiddo off a bottle between 12-15 months anyway, so if he doesn’t love it, probably easier in the long run not to introduce it.

    One piece of wisdom, regarding feeding: my son was in the NICU when he was born bc he was born 7 weeks early. He was healthy but had to learn how to eat on his own (without a feeding tube) before he could go home. It was torture, and there were days we wished we could force him to eat so we could get out of there. One of the nurses was very reassuring and told us to always try to make eating pleasurable for him. While that meant that sometimes feeding sessions were short or suboptimal, In the long run, we wanted him to associate eating with feeling good, happy, and fulfilled.

    We carry that lesson with us now that our kiddo is 14 months old – while he is normally a fantastic eater,
    Some days it is a real struggle and we try to figure out ways to convince him to eat. Then we remind ourselves, though, that we are playing the long game. Our son always eats better when we don’t stress about it and let him lead the way. Good luck!

    Reply
  15. Jami says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:48 am

    I love Chase planking in both pictures where you and Ryan are holding him! Strong boy! How does he do with shots at the doctor’s? That was always my biggest worry. Oh and they say as soon as you master something in motherhood, a whole new challenge comes up. I’m envious that you get to be home with your guy all the time. I feel like I was attached to my pump because I have a full time job, outside of being a mommy. Enjoy it!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2016 at 10:20 am

      He seemed to respond well to all of his shots (no real change in behavior) except for his 6 month shots! Those were a beast and he was definitely in a funk for 24 hours after that!

      Reply
  16. Jessica @ Semi-Sweet Tooth says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:50 am

    Love that little dude. 🙂 I feel like each monthly update shows such a different side of Chase. All of his pictures look extremely happy and excited about life, which has to be so much fun! Love how much love your little family has for one another. With all of the back and forth with feedings and sleep training, I completely feel that the love and kindness is what’s really going to consistently stick.

    Looking forward to seeing him with some of his little baby teeth. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Katy says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:34 am

    You should watch this video called Slow Down. I don’t even have children and it made me cry. It’s really sweet. 🙂

    https://youtu.be/clcNB_EUao8

    Reply
  18. Melissa @ melissakolbeck.com says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:43 am

    I don’t think any baby likes their nose wiped. I’ve had to pin Ellie down to do it. It’s awful!

    Reply
  19. Steph says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:52 am

    My son, now 2, didn’t really eat a lot of food until he was 18 months old. Before that there was a lot of chewing and spitting out. I was stressed to the max that he’d never eat real food! Even after 18 months it can feel stressful if they don’t eat three square meals a day. One thing my pediatrician said that I repeat to myself is to look at a week or even two weeks of nutrition and see if he’s getting a variety of foods. If he is, great! And don’t worry about that day he ONLY ate crackers because in the last two weeks he’s had protein, meat, fruits and carbs, so he’s all good.

    Reply
  20. Larissa says

    May 10, 2016 at 10:41 am

    I love reading your baby updates as I have a 9 month old as well! If it makes you feel any better my little guy is going through a rough sleep regression right now – so I feel your pain! My baby also never took a bottle, but will drink from his sippy cup if necessary (strangely he finds the ones with handles too distracting and toy-like and does better with the ones with no handles). These babies certainly have their own preferences haha!

    Reply
  21. Rachel @ Simply Rachel Nicole says

    May 10, 2016 at 11:01 am

    Sleep is always a tough one. 🙁 My little ones never liked being swaddled though, so that is a transition that I have never really thought about.

    Reply
  22. Jan says

    May 10, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Love these updates & that picture with the octopus, too cute!

    Reply
  23. Amanda @ Exploring Life & Things says

    May 10, 2016 at 11:12 am

    Oh my gosh his little smile is the cutest thing ever!

    Reply
  24. Kim from MN says

    May 10, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    How exciting that he loves bath time now, when he didn’t before! Lots of good wishes your way for sleep training and bottle feeding and all the rest to go smoothly and easily. Chase is such a cutie! Thanks for the update, I have sent your baby favorites list to one of my bffs who also has a 9 month old, born two days after Chase. 🙂

    Reply
  25. Jade says

    May 10, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    He is pretty dang cute! We have our ups and downs with sleep with our 18 moth old. Don’t worry though, she almost has us sleep trained 😉

    Reply
  26. Jessica says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    Such a cute guy!

    So, disclaimer- this is coming from a mom with a little one who loves to eat. However, I really wouldn’t stress about him eating solids just yet. At 9 months, he’s still just exploring food and textures and learning how to eat it all. The majority of his calories should still come from breast milk at this point. Continue to offer him a variety of foods, including foods you don’t think he’ll like. He will most likely change his mind about those foods after enough exposure. Also, learn to trust his appetite. If he isn’t hungry, don’t force it. My daughter picks at her food at some meals and eats double servings at others. I know I’m not starving at every meal so why would I expect her to be? Feeding a baby can be messy and a challenge, but as long as he’s trying to eat something, I wouldn’t worry too much about it!

    Reply
  27. Maureen says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    I love reading your updates as I have a four month old son; I find it helpful to look back at your previous posts and see if Chase did the same thing when he was at the age of Adam! Thank you so much!

    My one question is, what type of camera do you use for your photos? They come out so bright and clear!

    Reply
  28. Kate says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Have you tried the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeders? I used to put frozen berries, etc. in them for my super busy daughter. Chase sounds very similar to her in terms of energy and attention span. The frozen fruits were great during teething and when I needed 10-15 minutes to get something done.

    Reply
  29. Sara @ Oats & Rows says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Ahhh He’s just soooo cute!

    Reply
  30. Laura says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    Our little guy is about a month behind Chase – he was born in late August. We only nurse/do pumped milk, and he has been in daycare 5 days a week, 8:30am-5pm, since he was 3 months and he still doesn’t like the bottle! Prefers being nursed every time. I do go see him almost every day at lunch to nurse so that probably doesn’t help his preference. But just wanted to let you know that some babies just prefer to nurse, even when they are diligently given a bottle. I don’t think it is your fault!

    Also, I love that little outfit on Chase in the last pic of him! Where’d you get it? Have you been buying lots of clothes for him or do you have a hand-me-down system set up with friends?

    Reply
  31. Lauren @ Oh Hey! I Like That! says

    May 10, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    He is the cutest little guy!

    Reply
  32. Julie @ Running in a Skirt says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    Oh goodness! He really is the cutest baby! Love the updates. Hope you get back to sleeping soon.

    Reply
  33. Jane Graybeal says

    May 10, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    He is SO darling! And we also had a major sleep regression around 9/10 months but it will get better 🙂 And I was basically the same way with pumping, since I’m home with my son, I kind of stopped doing it and then it was a little challenging when he did need a bottle. But don’t beat yourself up too much because I can totally understand not loving pumping, it’s such a pain! And I’m not sure how long you’re planning on nursing, for me I wanted to make it to a year and then kind of let my son decide when he wanted to be finished. Right when my son started walking around his first birthday, he just seemed to lose interest in it and it was like I was having to force him to nurse. So I went with his cues and we gradually weaned and we were totally done by 14 months. And because he never loved a bottle and only had one infrequently when we’d go out on date nights or whatever, it wasn’t a big deal for him to drink out of a sippy cup (we use a straw type cup) when we started giving him cows milk. (Whereas I know some babies who are more used to a bottle have a super hard time giving it up and I know most pediatricians want them to start transitioning to sippy cups after they turn one anyway) Basically, what I’m saying is don’t beat yourself up about him not wanting a bottle/not pumping because in a few months, it probably won’t matter 🙂 And you will totally look back at pictures of him now in six months and think he’s so tiny! They really do grow and change so so fast!

    Reply
  34. Fiona says

    May 10, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    Oh gosh we are in the same boat with feeding too! Some days my 10 month old wants everything I give him and some days it’s nothing so just hang in there … I use food for fun until one as well to help keep the mom guilt at bay and my kid is all about the carbs .. So I try to start with veggies and then move to his faithful carbs at the end of the meal! And don’t stress about bottles and pumping some babies go right to sippy cups … So just try to give yourself some grace you’re an amazing mama and doing all you can for Chase and he’s lucky to have you!

    Reply
  35. Laura says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    Hi Julie! My baby is about a month older than Chase, so I enjoy your monthly updates! My guy won’t take a bottle at all and I have been surprised lately hiw well he has done for a bsbysitter for long stretches without BFing by only giving him purees food in pouches.

    Reply
  36. Julia @ Drops of Jules says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    I think that first picture of this post is my all-time favorite picture of you and him. Such a beautiful family, Julie.

    Reply
  37. Sarah says

    May 10, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    I have an 8 month old girl and i feel you on *so* many things you touched on in this post!!! Every day changes so much and so fast!!!! She loves the same toys Charlie does, also prefers breast to bottle (which i *also* feel is partially my fault.. and i love but is super hard to manage sometimes when i want a night out!!!), thrives on being out of the house and super active/social, and loves to grab my face while nursing (so that i will kiss her hands and fingers)!!! You’re doing a great job, momma!!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:25 am

      Exactly!! I don’t mind nursing day-to-day but it makes me feel stressed thinking about a night out/being away from Chase for too long.

      Reply
  38. Iulia says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    Super long-time follower but I never comment. One of my favorite times of day is getting your blog e-mails. Cheers me up like nothing else. This is one of my favorite posts. I really felt how much you and Ryan are in love with Chase and getting a real sense for his baby personality. Love it!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:22 am

      This was so wonderful to read this morning! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!!

      Reply
  39. Alexa Tolland says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    He’s adorable 🙂 Your feelings about him eating sound exactly how I felt! I felt like my baby was never going to like food and would be eating milk/purees forever. But I have to agree with everyone else and say that somehow it just works out, so hopefully it doesn’t worry you too much in the meantime… You’re obviously doing such a great job introducing him to food! And I feel for you with the bottle/breast preference, it’s so hard! I’ve heard of so many babies either preferring the breast, making it hard for Mom to feel like she can leave, or doing the opposite and preferring the bottle, hurting Mom’s milk supply. I swear, sleeping (aka not sleeping!) was the hardest thing for me to deal with, and feeding was (/sometimes still is!) the second hardest. Best of luck in both areas, you’re doing a wonderful job!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:24 am

      I appreciate this comment a lot, Alexa! Thank you!

      Reply
  40. Jess says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Hey there! I just wanted to say that my first (now a two year old) took a bottle of expressed milk at daycare for a while but started refusing around 6-7 months. We got buy by mixing three four ounce containers of breastmilk with baby oatmeal every day. She was okay being spooned very watery cereal, and got her liquids that way when the boobs weren’t around. It might be worth trying if you want to leave Chase but he won’t take a bottle. By a year, she could use a sippy cup, but wasn’t much interested in them before that time.

    Reply
  41. Natalie Clark says

    May 10, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    It’s so crazy how much babies change day-to-day, month-to-month! I’m glad I’m not the only mom who is frustrated by the mess of eating. My little girl is 17 months and wants to use utensils herself. I have to fight the urge to do it for her so there won’t be so much of a mess! I guess motherhood is messy!

    Reply
  42. Annie says

    May 10, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    I love these baby updates! I am not a mom yet, but I hope to be in the next few years and your pregnancy and baby posts are almost like a guide for what’s to come in the future! I even took notes on what books you recommended to read during pregnancy. Truly a great resource for moms and moms-to-be!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:23 am

      Thank you, Annie!!!

      Reply
  43. Caroline says

    May 11, 2016 at 9:06 am

    Chase is adorable! He seems like such a happy baby. My son is a month younger than him, so I love reading your updates on Chase to get a sense of what we might see developmentally in our own little one.

    Re: feeding, I highly recommend reading Ellyn Satter and about the division of responsibility. In a nutshell, it says that the parent is responsible for providing food and the child is responsible for deciding how much to eat. My baby isn’t a great eater, either, but reading this made meal times so much less stressful!

    http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/dor/divisionofresponsibilityinfeeding.php

    Reply
  44. Maggie says

    May 11, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    Hard to believe Chase is 9 months old! I’ve been reading your blog for years and always love checking in each day. I have a 2 year old and one more on the way. I actually wrote about dealing with a fear of giving birth for all the expecting mamas out there. (http://www.lushbreak.com/?p=632) One tip is to keep in mind this is one small day in your long relationship with your baby. It really is amazing how fast they grow up and delivery becomes just a memory before you know it!

    Reply
  45. Natalie says

    May 12, 2016 at 7:04 am

    I can’t believe he’s 9 months old! Time’s flown by since you’ve had him and yet it’s like he’s been here since forever!

    Happy 9 months Chase!

    Reply
  46. sari lewis says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:23 am

    I love your monthly updates and hearing about Chase growing up! I would also be interested in a Julie update! You had been doing those for a few months and I really liked hearing that perspective as well as Chase’s.

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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