Oscar is nine months old! He actually turned 9 months old last weekend, so I’m a little late in posting his weight update this month. After his recent health scare, I’ve been taking time to just enjoy him. He has become an important member of our family, and it’s easy to forget to stop and appreciate those we love when life gets busy. The bright spot in Oscar not feeling well is that it reminded me how lucky we are to have this little guy in our lives and how much he has added to our family.

The past month brought some behavior issues with Oscar as he’s teething, going through a toddler phase, and also starting to challenge our household hierarchy, but we’ve been slowly working through those challenges. Some of his behavior changes are due to winter and his boredom from being stuck inside due to the cold weather so, while some of the issues are real and need intervention, others should improve when the weather warms up and Oscar can get outside to root around.

Despite starting out on the naughty list this year, Oscar loved his first Christmas! He worked hard to get back on the nice list by writing Santa a letter and baking him cookies, so Santa eventually changed his mind and made a stop to bring Oscar presents.

The start of the new year gave us a chance to reflect on how much of a difference Oscar made in our lives in 2015. We waited a long time to add a mini pig to our family, and we weren’t really sure how a mini pig would impact our daily lives. Though not every day has been easy, we are still so happy we made the decision to bring Oscar into our family and hope we have many, many years to come with him.

At 9 months old, Oscar is 21 pounds, 15″ tall, and 24″ long. 

Oscar is 8 months old! Oscar is growing up so quickly, and I can’t believe he’s 8 months old already. Since I’m around Oscar every day, it’s easy to miss the gradual changes in his behavior and personality. I’ve been reflecting lately on how much Oscar has changed since we first brought him home, and it’s amazing how much he’s learned and developed.

When we first brought Oscar home, he was so scared and frazzled. He didn’t like to be touched and of course didn’t know any of the house rules or routines. Since he was so nervous, we couldn’t even get a feel for his personality. For the first few months with him, we focused primarily on getting a routine down and building trust. Once he finally bonded with us, Oscar started to come out of his shell and show us his personality and preferences.

Although the first few months with Oscar were tough and required a lot of training and patience, he is now settled into a routine and life with him is joyful and fun. We still have frustrating moments, but watching him grow and learn has been so rewarding. One day at a time, without me even noticing most days, Oscar has wiggled his way deep into my heart. He is entertaining and curious and makes me laugh and smile every single day.

Mini pigs as pets are certainly not for everyone and Oscar has presented us with challenges, but I am so grateful for him and the joy he brings into my life.

At 8 months old, our little guy is 18 pounds, 14.5″ tall, and 23″ long.

Oscar is 7 months old! We had so much fun this month watching as Oscar settles into his personality and figures out the world around him. This month was the start of Oscar’s first Fall, and he spent most of it finding ways to stay warm. His biggest discovery was the heat vent, his new favorite place when it’s cloudy and the sun spot isn’t available. He also has some new clothes to wear when it’s chilly.

Oscar made great progress this month in his relationship with his dog sister, Rylee. She still snips at him sometimes, but they have started sharing Oscar’s new bed for naps in the sun. Oscar also dressed up for his first Halloween and tried pumpkin and beets for the first time.

Oscar grew mostly in height and length this month rather than in weight, so we have added some healthy snacks to his diet to make sure he’s getting plenty to eat as he grows. Also, I added a length measurement (from snout to rear) this month so we can watch as he gets longer. At 7 months old, Oscar came in at 17.2 pounds, 14″ tall, and 22″ long.

Oscar just turned 6 months old, so it’s time for his height and weight check. Oscar has been mange free for a month, and we can now see how much the mange affected not only his behavior, but also his personality and overall demeanor. He is sweeter, calmer, and more personable without the itchiness and agitation caused by the mange. Oscar mostly enjoys relaxing in the sun spot these days. When the sun is out and he can nap in its warmth, he is a calm, happy, and quiet boy. He occasionally nibbles on the rug or throws short squealing fits, but overall we have been really happy with his behavior.

Oscar tried some exciting new foods last month, his first peach and popsicle. For his training, he learned how to shake and loves showing his new trick off to family when they visit. Even more exciting, he learned to play music on his little keyboard and “wrote” a song for his blog friends!

It has been so much fun watching him grow up over the past few months, and we just love his personality. He is curious, entertaining, and so loving.

At six months, our cuddly little Oscar came in at 12″ tall and 16 pounds.

Oscar is 5 months old, and that means it’s time to see how much he weighs. The past month has been difficult since we spent most of it dealing with Oscar’s sarcoptic mange. After we noticed the mange symptoms and took Oscar to the veterinarian, he had to spend over four weeks in one of our bathrooms in isolation. It was a tough month, but he has handled everything so well.

Oscar did have a few happy moments throughout the month. He got to eat his very first banana, and he was the star of Rylee’s 10th birthday party. He is finally through the mange treatment and out of isolation, so we’re looking forward to a great month with him back to normal!

At five months, our little mini pig came in at 11.5″ tall and 14 pounds.