9 months

This guy does not want to sit still anymore.

Look ma - the bear can fly!

Good conversation.

And there's our smile!

Maybe I can take your face off?



Looking like he did something very wrong.



Hardcore toy playing.



Looking a little smug.

I love shadows!



Eliot's first St Patty's Day. Passed out and puke all over himself - typical Irishman.

Concentrating on learning to use those fingers.

Zeroing in on the crumbs.

Leave me alone mom.

It's been a rough, long winter. We are all excited that the weather is warming up and we're getting outside more. Your first winter was the fifth snowiest winter on record. We've seen way too much of the white stuff this year and are looking forward to being outside.
When I think about how much you've changed in the last 9 months it overwhelms me. You've been in the world as long as you were inside me. These past 18 months you started as a speck, no bigger across than the tip of a pencil, into a beautiful, yet so very helpless, little newborn, into this little person. A little person who is starting to make his own wants and ideas known more and more. I read somewhere that when newborns come out they miss the womb, and I really believe you did. You weren't fully formed, you almost needed something we couldn't give you because you wanted to be safe inside me and everything was so very overwhelming. Now you are a true inhabitant of the world...and you love it.
You are good at hurtling yourself in the direction that you want to go, but you're not really moving yet. You can crawl backwards, but that just ends up frustrating you more. You're able to go from a sitting position into a crawling position, but not quite vice-versa yet. You love to stand and walk with someone holding you, or hold on to things while you stand. If I let you go for a few seconds you'll balance on your own.
You have said Mama, but I don't think you know what it means. You've signed milk, but I'm not sure you're connecting the two...and you're always signing milk (so maybe you are connecting the two...you are such a snacker, you want to eat all the time). You will say hi to us, wave goodbye sometimes, say bye, and give high fives. I don't believe you know what you're saying with anything yet though - just mimicing - but it's so exciting to hear you start to talk. You can also click your tongue - and will do it on command. You can thank your grandma for that one - she's always clicking her tonge at you! You've also learned to scream. I took you to Target this month and you spent the whole time screaming (happily) over and over again in the store. It was so cute. I think I love this age because I don't have to discipline you or try and quiet you.
You hate having your clothes changed. You love baths, love your parents, love the cat and dog, love windows and outside, and love books. You even have preferences of which books you like the best. Your favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and a Dr Seuss one, Wet Pet Dry Pet Your Pet My Pet. We read books every night before bed now and you help turn the pages. You are so playful now, and interested in everything as you see it...like dust! cat! dog! food! Mama!!  You're just so aware of what's going on around you!
You're eating more and more food all the time. Your favorite is sweet potatos with apples...and I don't disagree with you, it is amazing. You sit with us at meals and have little bites of what we're having, and practice trying to pick up food yourself. It keeps you very busy.
Some sleep switch flipped in you when you turned 8 months old and you've been sleeping SO MUCH BETTER. It was bad, kid. I really don't know how I functioned. You're going 4-6 hour stretches (except at the moment because you're teething) and you're able to wake up and go back to sleep - by yourself. I went through four months of 1-2 hour stretches of sleep a night max. And I didn't sell you. You're welcome.
You're still a small baby but you have such an enormous head. Consider that a gift from your parents, welcome to the world of not being able to find hats that fit. You have your top two teeth and bottom two teeth - the ones next to your top two are just about to come in. You are beautiful and perfect and I think you are the handsomest baby I've ever seen. Next month - double digits!