The Hammer Family: Catching up on January....

Now that January is almost over, I thought I should catch up... ha. Just kidding. Actually, for some reason, I have been having problems with blogger. Turns out it was my computer. I tried to make posts several times over the last few weeks and I couldn't upload pictures. Anyway, it's resolved now... So get ready for a picture overload!

Vera turned 9 months old just before Christmas, but I never did a 9-month post because I was waiting to get her check-up results from the doctor to post with the pictures at 9 months... She had a great check-up. Her stats:

height-- 30 inches --95th percentile

weight-- 18 lb., 15 oz. --45th percentile

head-- 17.75 inches --75th percentile

So she is going to be tall like Grady!

At Grady's 9 month checkup, his iron levels were HIGH, and so the doctor let us go ahead and switch him from formula to whole milk. I was afraid that Vera wouldn't make that transition yet and I was right. Grady started taking cereal REALLY early due to all of his reflux issues, and so he got lots of extra iron that Vera didn't get. She was super close, but her iron levels weren't quite where the doctor likes for them to be in order for them to stop formula. RATS! So he put her on an iron supplement and we are going to test it again in February.

She loves her "face blocks." I think she recognizes all of her family members when she plays with them...she just giggles and "talks" to the faces. We have heard her say "MaMaMaMaMa" and "DaDaDaDaDa" several times and I will pridefully note that she says "MaMaMaMaMa" more than any other name! ha ha! (I have to rub that in because Grady chanted "Da-Da" over and over before he EVER said my name once and Josh gloated about it forever!)

Miss Vera still loves her brother's toys. She and Grady actually play really well together despite the age difference. She wants to be right where he is at all times and he is usually very patient with her and shares what he is playing with.

(I know, I know...we REALLY need a haircut!!!!!)

January 21st meant 10 MONTHS OLD!!!!!! I cannot believe it! Two months til ONE! Sometimes I want to stop time because I feel like it is running away with my kids!

Reading to her "babies"...

If I haven't mentioned it before, Vera has totally picked up CRAWLING this month. In December, she was mostly rolling and doing a tad of scooting... But now she is ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE!!!! And in to every single thing she can get her hands on.

This isn't the greatest picture, but you can see her up on all fours...something Grady never did. He army crawled and never ever used his legs. He just drug them around behind him. But she is a little speedy crawler compared to him. We have to watch her like a hawk.

We got Grady new booster seats and we are giving Vera his toddler carseats. I cannot believe she is ready to be out of the infant carrier! Josh and Grady built a "car" out of the booster seat box. Grady couldn't understand why it wouldn't actually "go."