9 months old

Yesteday the twins turned 9 months old! Today we took them to the doctor for their 9-month check-up. And thank God they are perfectly healthy... we couldn't ask for a better report!

Caleb and Joshua are practically the same size. Both boys are in the 45th percentile for weight, with Caleb at 19 lbs. 9 oz. and Joshua at 19 lbs. 10 oz. They're both in the 75th percentile for length, with Caleb measuring 29 inches and Joshua measuring 29.25 inches. They both have the exact same head circumfrence of 18.25 inches, which is in the 74th percentile. This is the first time Joshua has measured slightly larger than Caleb overall. It's probably because Caleb is much more, shall we say, selective at mealtimes, although his tastebuds are learning to become more and more tolerant each day!

Dr. Russell noticed that both Caleb and Joshua studied his face quite intently while he examined them. He said that this shows that they are very studious and are more inclined to take time to think about something instead of hastily jumping to conclusions. He said most babies will either cry immediately or smile readily at him when he examines them, but the fact that Caleb and Joshua studied him so seriously before deciding that they didn't need to cry means that they are very good thinkers, and is a quality that will stick with them throughout their lives.

The doctor also said they are not teething yet, and that it's perfectly normal not to get their first teeth until 15 months. That is fine with us... it means one less thing to worry about keeping clean, and it also means we can continue nighttime feedings without worrying about rotting teeth.

At 9 months, the boys still aren't crawling (Caleb's "crawling" described in an earlier post would probably be better described as "creeping") but they are both doing quite well taking small steps while holding on to furniture. Halmoni plays "summa" with them and Daddy plays "balance" to help them practice standing up. We have a feeling that these boys are going to skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking.