9 months old

It is unreal that Baby D is 9 months old.  He is so active and getting tougher and tougher to keep up with. He’s crawling all over the place (including up the stairs), he’s getting into everything and I’ve already had to break out the baby locks for the kitchen cupboards.

This kid has a smile you can’t resist and a contagious laugh to match. He knows how to clap and wave, only when it suits him, of course.  He makes kissy noises, but we are still working on blowing a kiss and he’s most recently learned how to stick out his tongue and blow raspberries.

Now that he has his tubes and should be able to hear properly – I’m hoping to hear him say “Mama” in the very near future.  At this point, he babbles incoherently and we all just eat it up.

In addition to crawling, he’s pulling up everywhere and has even started to cruise the furniture.  I have a hunch that he could walk by Christmas.  (I’m open to any and all ideas for how to protect my Christmas tree this year).

He rejected baby food so long ago that I gave up and don’t even bother with that anymore.  He eats what we eat, and then some.  His favorites include a wide array of veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli), fruits (apples and bananas), meats (beef, chicken, and turkey).  He loves his toddler snacks – those melt in your mouth puffs and freeze dried yogurt melts, we take those everywhere we go. 

The biggest hit in the last couple of days has been mashed potatoes, like his Daddy, he couldn’t get enough of those!

Even with all of that eating he still weighs in on the small side at 18lbs 3oz putting him in the 13th percentile.

His sisters still adore him and they continue to fight over who he likes best, who he thinks is funnier, and who’s name he will say first.  (I still think it will be Mama). Don’t ask me why but I really didn’t think that they would still be so enamored with him at this point.  I thought that would have worn off after a few months and/or one he was mobile.  While they have learned to keep most of their toys away from him, I still have to pry his little mouth open and fish out a shirt for Polly Pocket or a shoe for Barbie from time to time.

I can’t wait to see what the next 3 months bring!  Like I said, I’m sure he’ll be walking soon and then the real fun begins!

All photos in this post were shot by Heather at Heather Reese Photography.  Check her out at http://www.hreesephotography.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/hreesephotography.