Stella did what babies are supposed to do and last month (gulp–bad late posting mom) she turned 9 months old. She saw her regular doctor, Dr. Rose, who hadn’t seen Stella since her 2-month check-up. What a difference six months make! She’s hardly the same teeny thing she was at birth.

Stella’s Stats:

Weight: 19#1oz puts her into the 52 percentile

Height: 28 3/4″ puts her into the 90 percentile

Head Circumference: 17 1/2″ puts her into the 55 percentile

Stella is doing great…I like to call her my Viking baby with her *still* red hair and her height. She’s not a huge baby by any means, but she is so solid and chubby. Her thighs are so folded and dimpled. I love them. She is also such a snuggler–with me at least. When I pick her up, she folds her legs around my waist and snuggles into my shoulder. I could carry her for hours, except for her almost 20#! It’s hip-hammock time for sure.

Stella has been going through some very normal “stranger anxiety” or more to the point, “You’re not my mother!” anxiety. She gets kind of agitated if I leave her alone in the company of others, especially if she’s tired or hungry. If she’s feeling fine she will last a few minutes, at least, without me being in sight.

While she’s not so much about the mamama and the dadada, she does growl and roar. Which is so very funny. She’ll respond in kind if you growl at her so we can go for minutes making each other laugh and growl. Her laugh is the sweetest hic-up giggle I’ve ever heard. The very baby ideal of a laugh. She likes to have her feet and tummy tickled and loves to be hugged and snuzzled in any way. Such a chunk of baby love I just can’t get enough of.

Next appointment is at the one year mark! I can’t believe it’s almost here.