3/4 of a year!

Piper celebrated her 9 month birthday this week.  I can’t believe it. 

It’s funny- while Piper was in the NICU, it seemed so insurmountable.  I was sure we’d never make it home.  But now?  It seems like an eternity ago, and I’m quickly starting to forget how long we were there.  It’s amazing how your mind strategically forgets. 

We had a 9 month well (!!!) child visit yesterday.  They were very impressed with her weight gain (although I’m certain that a fair amount of it is still some fluid she’s retained from surgery last week), and sitting at about the 7% on the Ds chart at about 11 1/2 pounds. 

So what’s so important about that “11 1/2 pound” mark???  Check this out:

Notice anything different?

That’s right, folks—at 9 months old, Piper has finally outgrown the newborn insert in her car seat.  I wonder if you can buy another set of those—I’m pretty sure they’re not intended for 9 months of constant use, and I think they’re a little flatter now than they were.  Surely they’re just as safe for the next kid, right???

(**On another note, we got the car seat that’s good up to 30 pounds.  At this rate, she’d be well into first grade before she outgrows it.  Not that we’ll make her, but there’s something very wrong about driving your child to school, real school, in an infant carrier.**)

Nothing else too exciting at the doctor.  We did get referrals to the audiology clinic (they just want to get her checked around her birthday) and the genetics clinic.  And Piper got one of her booster vaccinations, so that she doesn’t have to get so many next time.

But the best part of the whole thing?

We don’t have to go back until her birthday.  Count ‘em, folks—three whole months. 

…I hope I didn’t just jinx myself.  Darn.