9 months

That's three quarters of a year baby boy, your birthday is not so far away. I can't believe it! There's really just one word to describe you now...BUSY, and I know this is just the beginning. You are making more and more big boy moves in the last month. Your commando crawl is starting to mature as you get up on your hands and knees now. You are also standing well as long as you hold on, and just four days ago, you finally figured out how to walk while holding my fingers! You are showing interest in pulling up, but haven't figured it out yet. All you need is a little practice though. We dropped your crib mattress last week so that you won't end up on your head if you try standing up in your crib and mommy isn't looking.

Your Daddy likes to talk about how persistent you are. You get very focused on one thing (usually something you can't have) and keep going back to it until you get it. Last week instead of napping, you managed to get the curtain into your crib. Then, when we moved your crib, you found some more cotton to pull out of your diaper bag at the other end of your crib. You definitely still love your cotton. You prefer that it be vertical now. Curtains, pajama pants, dust ruffles, the bottom of the ottoman, you name it, if it's fabric and it's hanging, you want to eat it.


Your sweetest move in the last month has been giving kisses. You only do this on your own time, but one afternoon you gave me four or five in a row. I think you were showing off for Lah-oo and Grandpa on Skype. You also love hugs. You think they are funny and giggle every time I give you one. You still like me to stroke your hair and head while you nurse or rock. You often take my hand and move it along your forehead to remind me of this.

When you are well-rested you are the happiest boy and talk or sing a lot. When you are not, well, you're not. Your Dad and I have tried so hard to help you get the sleep you need, but you seem to have your own ideas. We'll keep up our efforts though because we know how much you need your sleep and it makes us so sad to see you struggle when you don't have it. I am trying to get you outside before every nap so we can both get some fresh air and maybe you can get tired out. Sometimes it seems to help. You enjoy our little walks together either way. Just recently you seem to notice a squirrel for the first time. Your raised your little eyebrows as it flicked its tail and jumped between the trees. By the way, you started to sleep with your knees tucked under you in the last month. I think that is so precious; I hope you do it for a long time!


We had your nine month check up about 10 days early because your pediatrician and his family are leaving to become missionaries in Peru. At your visit last week you weighed 19 lbs 2 oz and were 29 inches long. You picked up your old growth curve and were about 40% for weight and between 50-75% for height. I guess that means whatever we've been feeding you, we must have been doing right. Seems like such a waste to have worried about it now. I am still making almost all of your foods which I think we both enjoy. Daddy enjoys making up names for things. This week you tried "prapples" (prunes + apples) for the first time. You've also had "pearots" (peas + carrots) which I prefer to call by the real name. You don't care when we call them, you're just happy to eat them. Your Daddy and I are also thrilled that your spitting up has finally gotten much better. You still reflux many times a day (which we can tell because you'll burp and get a sour look on your face, then swallow), but you've gone weeks without having to wear a bib!

Just for fun, here's what I think you'll learn to do in the coming month. I bet you'll begin crawling on your hands and knees (instead of belly) and you'll get faster! If we give you the chance, I think you'll also start cruising (walking holding on to furniture). You'll soon learn to pull up and push yourself into a sitting position. Those things will add a new challenge to nap time as you might not know how to "undo" them if you try them in your crib. I also hope you'll learn to wave "bye-bye" and maybe a couple of baby signs we've been working on. Perhaps you'll get a few real words too! It's going to be another big month baby boy. I can't wait to see what surprises are ahead!