We are celebrating Mark’s nine-month birthday in France this July, and it has definitely been an interesting milestone!
After month one, month two, month three, month four, month five, month six and month seven and month eight… here is month nine!
Mark changed a lot this month and he had a lot of “first time” moments:
- First time flying… and a long flight, across the Atlantic!
- First big international trip, with a stop in Amsterdam and a stay Nantes, my hometown.
- First time meeting the French side of his family; including his grand-parents, his great-grandparents, his uncle and his aunt, great-uncle and great-aunt, etc.
- First two teeth! Yes, two days before flying, Mark decided it was time to grow teeth. He was bit grumpy (we understood why later on when we discovered the new bottom teeth!) but he handled it pretty well.
- First time eating bread (he is addicted to the crust!), yogurt (he loves fancy coffee crèmes) and a lot of other foods we give him at dinnertime.
- First time on a carousel, at the Isle of Nantes.
- First time riding the tramway (Nantes’ main form of public transportation), the bus and he even went on a boat (okay, the Belem was docked, but still!).
- First time standing up unassisted: Mark loves being on his two feet now and he practises walking. This is something he has just picked up in France, and he now keeps on standing up in the bathtub (super not practical for me but I am proud of him!).
Overall, Mark adapted very well. We thought it would take some time for him to get used to my family since he had never met them (well, only over Skype) and he tends to scream when anyone but Feng or I hold him. It took seven months for him to stop screaming with my in-laws… But surprisingly, he adopted everyone right away and never cried with his grand-parents, great-grandparents and uncle. Strange! I thought he may like my mum right away because we look like each other and we may handle him the same way, but he was friendly to everyone, including those with less experience with babies, like my brother, who is the baby of the family.
Mark now says “mama” very clearly when he wants me (which is pretty much every five minutes… I am trying to teach him to say “daddy,” for a change!) and “speaks” a lot in his own Mark language (what can “dadddaaaadda” mean??).
However, despite trusting my parents 100 percent, I still find it hard to delegate and let it go. They play with him a lot but I still do the feedings, the bath, changing, etc. I know it’s just me, they offer to help, I just feel it’s my job. Strange.
Nine months… what a change since we brought back a tiny little bundle from the hospital!
Well done Mark for a fab ninth month – flying so few away and also standing!! Great achievements. Wow, does time fly! Feel like I have been reading about this little man for a long time now!
Thank you!
Love his smile with your mum! Adorable pics and growing lots. Glad he’s doing better with others..
Thank you! Was Cam shy with strangers?
Oddly she’s funny. She can walk into a public place and say hello or hi everybody.. But then when you want her to say hello, she’ll be so shy… So I think she’s good. She loves to talk and chat with people so I don’t think strangers are a problem. She may get this from us a lot. I’m not shy and say hello. She also says hello on our walks in her stroller.
It must be so cute!
He’s looking more and more like a little boy with every month that passes (as opposed to looking like a baby). That’s a lot of new experiences for such a young child. Way to go Mark!
Your mother looks absolutely smitten in the picture of her with Mark. She really does look like you!
He does; doesn’t he! And yes, I really look like my mom. Which is fine by me, I love her 🙂
Salut Zhu,
Oui- 9 mois! Mark a l’air si épanouie chez ses grandsparents.
J’ai beaucoup aimé ces photos :).
Je pense que quand on peut demander de l’aide, on grandit. Tu es une Maman formidable mais même les meilleurs doivent partager leur fardeau.
Souffle, ouvre la porte et fonce!
Bises
Merci de tes encouragements!
happy nine months!
Thank you!