Nine Months (!?)

Wow. Parker--how is it that every month you really are another month older? I can hardly believe that you are now three fourths of a year old. Here is the (overdue) rundown on what's going on with you these days....

• You are now officially in a size Five diaper. We have been using Luvs for about the last month. They are less expensive than Pampers but really almost just the same. You can tell the difference but whatever--they still catch your peepees and poopoos! We still haven't tried an overnight diaper, but you haven't had too much of a problem with the leakage since last month.
• You are in size 12-18 months clothes. I can squeeze you into a nine-month outfit, but it's pretty difficult. Again, it's your length!
• At your doctor's appointment this past Friday, you weighed 23 pounds 10 ounces and were 31 inches long. You are in the 100th percentile for your height and head size and in the 75th percentile for your weight. The doctor said that at the rate you're growing, you'll probably end up being close to 6'4"! He also said that we had a "healthy boy."
• You crawl at lightning speed now. It's so sweet when you crawl all the way across the room and you huff and puff with your mouth wide open in a big smile because you're so excited. I haven't seen this yet, but a couple of days ago, you even crawled all the way up Honey's stairs! Walking is on the horizon....
• You are also pulling yourself up on everything you can get your hands on--your playpen, your crib, the dog gate, your toy basket, the couch....you get the picture. You let go with one hand and use it to grab a toy or to wave at us. Sometimes you even let go with both and stand there for a couple seconds before bouncing down on your butt.

Here you are with all of your cousins--Joseph, Haley, William and Ian

• Because of all of this movement, it is getting harder and harder to take good pictures of you inside. Everything turns out blurry! I am going to have to start doing some research on special flashes for the camera or setting the camera to different shutter speeds. You can barely sit still long enough for me to snap anything fantastic anymore. It's frustrating but I guess it's a good thing since you are getting bigger and stronger everyday. Again, I just need to learn more about the right/better way to take pictures.

You and Honey

• You have six teeth now! The two teeth next to your center front teeth came in within the week after your eight months post. You have the absolute SWEETEST smile I've ever seen in my life. Your little teeth just shine through when you're happy. The doctor said that your molars look like they're about to come in. We haven't seen them yet but are waiting for this to happen. Apparently its very painful, so we are preparing ourselves for that!
• It seems like you are starting to have a few separation "issues." Last Sunday, I dropped you off in the nursery, and when I picked you up, Miss Juanita said you cried the entire time I was gone! If I leave you in your exersaucer to go in a different room or in the playpen, you often starting crying or just whining now, when you did not do this before. This doesn't happen all the time, so I don't know if this is the real reason, but (not to be redundant) the doctor said that this is usually the time when separation anxiety really kicks in. We'll see what happens over the next month...

You and Grams (Grammie)

• In food news, NOTHING has changed. I have been trying over the course of the last month to feed you different things that are chopped or mashed up really small, and your daddy is just absolutely scared to death of you choking. Don't get me wrong--it freaks me out a little, too, but we have got to get on the path to real food! I've given you some things like chopped up pears, zucchini, sweet potatoes and apples, but you generally gag on anything that isn't jarred baby food, puffs, or Mum-mums. This is something we are really going to work on over the next month. There may be a couple "scares" on the road, but that's part of parenthood!
• You are starting to blow kisses. It is a very infrequent thing that you do on occasion because really, you haven't fully learned the skill yet. It's coming though, and it's already soooooooo sweet!
• You and Reese have become BFF's. He LOVES to lick, and you love to be licked. You get in the exersaucer and reach your hands out to Reese. If he comes over, you let him lick your hands until he walks away. You usually reach for him again, and when he doesn't come back over, you get upset! When you crawl over to the dog gate, you reach your fingers through the holes for Reese to get to you.
• You are starting to wrap your arms around our necks like you're giving hugs. You actually do it and squeeze your little legs up. Even if you aren't really hugging, we know you're on the path to doing so, and we love it. It's the best feeling in the world. You also do this thing when we pick you up where you sit back a little and beat your hands on our chest--kind of like you're playing the bongos. It's pretty sweet.
• When we're holding you and you see other people, you often will bury your head into our chest like you're being shy. It's adorable. If you're sitting on your own, you'll sometimes tuck your head down and look up at us with the sweetest face. It's like you're saying, "don't look at me...I'm embawassed."
• We celebrated Thanksgiving on the 25th, your actual nine-month birthday. We spent the first half of the day at Honey's house with Daddy's family and the second half at Omi's house with Momma's family. We had a wonderful, relaxing day, and it TRULY was the best Thanksgiving we've ever had because we were able to celebrate it with you. I love watching our families react to you. You fill the room with happiness and love.

Playing with an early Christmas present from Auntie Nay and Grams

We cannot believe how you continue to amaze us with what you're learning each day and how our love for you continues to grow and grow. Life for both of us is so much better because you're here. We love you!