Watching you become your own little person is such an amazing journey. I remember when you were so small I thought you might break. How did just a few months ago skip to here and now? And, yes, I still think you might break, but it's because you are moving so fast and practically jumping out of my arms!
As of two weeks ago, you are starting to get the hang of this 'nighttime is for sleeping' idea. I.never.thought.it.would.happen. But, after a long pep talk with your Auntie S and some extra encouragement and hugs from your Dada, we crossed the bridge of letting you cry for awhile in the middle of the night. A few weeks later, you are going to bed between 7 and 7:30 PM, waking between 5 and 6AM to nurse, and then? You go back to bed until 7:30 or 8 AM! As always, I don't expect this routine to last, but for now, it is delightful! And, yes, there are still nights when you insist on seeing your Momma for a middle of the night visit, and I can't complain, little man. These moments are fleeting. I'm still in love with your slightly open-mouthed, just fallen asleep, lashes floating on your chubby cheeked face, sleeping self. The times I have to rock you and hold you close are near and dear to my heart. Even your Dada likes to rock you and watch you sleep in his arms. When we put you down in your crib, you immediately roll to your side or to your tummy with your face smooshed into the mattress. Most of the time, when you wake in the morning or from a nap, you cry a little bit but are perfectly content to play in your crib. You have long conversations with your giraffes and cow. If they are not doing a good job of listening, you pull the curtains through the slats, stand up to chew on the rail, or put your hands through the rails to get a good grip on anything close to your crib. When we come to rescue you from your crib, your smile lights up the room, as do your sneezes when we turn on the lights. After a greeting smile, you raise your hand and grunt for Charley, looking down for him to walk in wagging hello. I think you two will be great friends.
Here we are at nine months and your movement repertoire has gone from a wee bit at six months to fast as a jackrabbit. Keeping you contained, confined, and entertained while I try to do 'things' around the house is a daily challenge. I can look the other way for a mere three seconds and you disappear around corners, up stairs, or you pull up on something not meant to support your growing weight. Two weeks ago, I used a diaper box to block the doorway between the bathroom and your bedroom while I was folding clothes, only to look up and see you scaling the box, about to face plant on the bathroom floor! Your crawl has evolved from what we called the "all four rock, then hurl yourself forward", to an outright all four crawling sprint. I'm convinced you are not walking because you don't see the point. Who needs to walk when crawling can get you where you want to go so daggone quickly?
Continuing as a favorite past time would be eating. Your love for solid foods grows daily. In the past week, you've tried Cheerios, chunks of Colby cheese, yogurt, and chunks of apples & bananas. Bananas, pureed or mashed, are still your nemesis to the point of bringing you to a gag; however, you will eat them in cut up chunks. Strange. You are still nursing five to six times a day and have become a champion nurser. Assisting with solids but not with nursing (haha), are the presence of your two middle bottom teeth. Lurking beneath your gums, your four front teeth are easy to see and ready to break through any day. You are quite the communicator with your sounds, grunts, and screams. We've translated your screams into three categories: just talking animatedly, complete and total excitement, and the angry, frustrated ones. You like to make your lips make the 'bbbbb' noise with your finger making them vibrate, holding your mouth open and hitting your hand against it to make noise, and clicking with your tongue. Last Sunday, you said "Dada". We decided it wasn't a word connected to your Daddy, just another sound, but you should have seen your Dada's face. He.was.thrilled. Also, you say 'rarara', 'babababa', 'momomomomoma', and countless other sound combinations. I am amazed we are already wondering when you will say your first words...
Lately, you enjoy dancing to any music you hear nearby, putting everything in your mouth, walks with the BOB, scaling the stairs, knocking over towers, climbing on Charley, bath time (especially the water running out of the faucet), 'helping' Momma fold, ahem unfold, the clothes, and pulling items out of their containers. (pens out of cups, blocks out of their boxes, clothes out of baskets, toys off of shelves) In the kitchen, you beeline for Charley's water bowl. With summer arriving, you have a new love for grass and burying your toes in it. Wait until you have sand between your toes, Bug! :) Speaking of toes, you continue to use them like another set of fingers! And, you have a wave! The fact that it is backwards, makes me smile. Yaya pointed out, you are mimicking what you see when people wave at you.
On the other hand, you do not like diaper changes. They are increasingly tough because you try, and often succeed, to roll over or you protest verbally with screams or tears. You have a great dislike for dogs who bark. In fact, it makes you cry and cling to us in fear. You still have a very serious side. In fact, when it comes to strangers or people you don't often see, you will stare them down. Offering smiles free of charge isn't in your personality; instead, you make people work to see a smile.
Finley Scott, you are such a joy. Loving you is a privilege. Praying we continue to do so with grace. Always,
Momma
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| A two-toothed smile |
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| Waving hello! |
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