9 Months Already!

Oh Lucas,

I can't believe the rate at which you're growing! I can't believe 9 months has passed already. So what was your 8th month like?

At times you are all rough and tumble boy: you pinch, bite, grab, claw, kick, and scratch - where did you learn all that from!?

You like to be held but you don't like to cuddle. You are particular in the way you are held and your way is the only way. You like to be held so you can look out over my shoulder, but you definitely don't like to cuddle in to my neck or shoulder. Forget it if I try to hold you in my lap facing out from me. You arch your back and twist your body until I have no choice but to turn you around.

You like to play ball...especially when I'm standing up holding you. Then you'll throw that ball down and wait for someone to pick it up and give it back to you. You've got quite a throw already, maybe you'll play for the Boston Red Sox one day!

You've really got the "drop it" game down pat. Your favorite time to play that is when sitting in your booster chair and chucking your cup over the side of the tray. Thank goodness you like your food too much to throw it over the side! That goes right in your mouth. It's a good thing your sister likes to play that game; she doesn't seem to mind picking your cup up over and over and over again. She'll tell you "no no Lucas, don't throw cup!"

Speaking of food - you make a beeline for the fridge when the door is open. There's almost no keeping you back!

Your pincer grasp is getting better every day - thanks to the Gerber Puffs and Yogurt Melts. You also like to share your sister's Honey Nut Scooters ... our grocery bill has sure increased with your appetite! You've also mastered the sippy cup; I guess no more bottles for you!

I made chili a few weeks ago and had enough leftover to freeze into ice cube trays for you. You love that chili. I think, so far, that has to be your favorite food because you just chow down on it!

You started clapping...or attempting to sign more...or doing both; we're not entirely sure. Although we're leaning towards it being clapping. You started doing this while in your booster seat eating, so we thought it was your attempt at more. But really, I think your sign for more is still to bang one hand on your tray. As if you're saying "yes I want more and I want it NOW!" You're demanding like that. You take after your daddy (like when he comes home from work and slaps his hand on the table asking where dinner is.) Ok I kid. You're like your daddy because you like peas...me? Not so much.

You self-weaned from the pacifier. This is good and bad. Good because I was really worried about how long you were going to have it and how hard it would be to break you of needing it to go to sleep the older you were. However, it's bad because you haven't figured out any other way to self-soothe yourself to sleep. Except crying. There's that. You cry, and cry, and did I mention cry? To be fair it isn't as bad as it used to be. It's mostly during the day when you're in the crib (and supposed to be taking a nap) that you get all mad that you're in there alone.

When you have something flat, like a book or magazine, you like to crawl around while sliding it in front of you. You'll go all over the room doing that.

You can stand alone for much longer periods now. You can squat and stand back up, you can pivot, you can go from sitting/crawling to standing without holding on to anything.

I guess you took after my dad after all...Around 8.5 months you took your first 2 very wobbly, drunken-like steps towards me. You're not a full walker yet...crawling is still your faster, and most preferred, method of mobility, but you can walk.

Now you'll take several - sometimes more than 10 - in a row. You started off diving/lunging towards me, but now you're more controlled in your movements. You'll put your hands down on the ground in front of you to re-balance yourself and then stand back up. You're taking steps to other objects, like the couch. Christmas should be fun - I'm afraid you're going to be running by the end of the year!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

In a way it's good that you're getting these big milestones in now - so at least your daddy was able to see your first steps and such before he's gone for a year.

Happy 9 months baby boy!