Babies in a Chicken Coop

Today we went over to the Haller's House to see twelve little baby chickens. Pennington got to hang out inside a chicken coop with the baby chicks. He tried to feed them grain but he ended up eating some of it himself. He also proceeded to put the straw in his mouth. Overall this was a pretty cool experience for Pennington.

Nine Month Checkup

Daddy took Pennington to his nine month checkup today. We found out the following Pennington now weights 19 pounds 6 ounces (27 percentile) and is 28 3/4 inches long (61 percentile). Overall Daddy was told that Pennington is very proportionate. On the development front Pennington is right on track.

Living Outside

Last weekend it was really nice outside. Mommy and Pennington spent sometime hanging out in the front yard playing in the water table and exploring all the plants. Of course Pennington wanted to eat the plants. Below are some photos from last weekend.

Springtime Fun with Daddy

Daddy is currently working Friday to Sunday so he gets to spend lots of quality time with Pennington during the week while Mommy is at work. Below are some recent photos of Pennington at the park with Daddy. I'm sure you can guess who bought Pennington the really cool shades.

Favorite Things for a 7 to 9 Month Old

I thought again it would be helpful to write down my favorite things for a 7 to 9 month old so when my little girl comes I will be able to remember.

1. Robeez - This has been on my list forever. I love them.

2. Small Books with thick pages. - This was on my 4 to 6 month list as well. Pennington loves trying to turn the pages of the books I read to him. Books with the think pages are the best. Especially when he wants to chew on them.

3. Cups with Straws - I am convinced that for some reason Avent, Gerber, ect market sippy cups as the cup of choice for a 6 to 12 month old in order to make a profit. You end up purchasing all different types of sippy cups because you child can't figure out how to use them. Sippy cups are really expensive too. Even though cups with straws say they are for older children they are much easier for children to use and they are way cheaper. You can get like 5 straw cups for the price of one sippy cup. I currently have four sippy cups that I don't even use. The cups with straws are the way to go.

4. Music - Pennington loves listening to music. It can always calm him down. He also enjoys making him own music on the piano.

5. Backpack carries - A 7 to 9 month old is to big for a front carrier, so it is time to move onto a backpack carrier.

6. Pack and Play (aka Playpin) - This was on my list last time as well. Honestly these are a must have if you are traveling out of town with the baby.

7. Booster Seat - This is a must have. We use it all the time. We take it with us to restaurants and friends and families houses for dinner. I personally prefer to feed Pennington in the booster seat right now over of high chair. The high chair is way to big for him at this age. Booster seats are also like 1/4 of the price of a high chair.

8. Umbrella Stroller - I love using the umbrella stroller when I am at the mall, at the market, or even just going to the park. It is way smaller and easier to carry than a normal size stroller. Plus it is like 1/4 of the cost.

Nine Months Old

Pennington turned nine months old today. During the last month he got his first tooth. He started talking more. Usually makes Ba, Ma, and Ch/Ka noises. He loves crawling from one piece of furniture to another and pulling himself up to a standing position. He bumps his head from time to time when he is trying to get back on the ground from a standing position. He started taking big boy baths in the bathtub. He loves feeding himself. His current favorite food is bread. Pennington you are going up so fast.

Mother's Day

Below are pictures of Mother's Day.

Mommy opening her gifts. This is a side view of pregnant Mommy. She is wearing a few pieces of clothes under her jacket so her tummy looks a bit lumpy.

Mommy looking at her new shoes.

Mommy holding up her new outdoor blanket. Soccer games and picnics here we come!

Water Table

Mommy and Daddy got Pennington a water table and he LOVES it. He enjoys putting his hands under the water and spinning the wheel around and around. He also gets a little wet from splashing the water around. Our plan is to use the tub as water table during the summer and a sensory table during the winter. Below are some pictures of Pennington and his water table.

More

For the last few months we have been working on signing to Pennington. Our signs include more, all done, bath, dress, dog, food/eat, cereal, ect. I just realized that Pennington has been signing more back to us for about three weeks now and we had no idea. His more sign looks a bit different than how we have been showing him but basically the same idea. Instead of just touching your finger tips together he puts both of his hands together and moves them up and down. I can't even begin to describe how exciting this is. He only uses the more sign when he is eating. Specifically when he wants more watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas, ect. Below is a picture of Pennington signing more.