Niner

Niner, niner, we have a 9-month-old.

(Technically, due to the delinquent nature of the timing of this post, we have a 9-month-and-11-day-old. Which normally I would just ignore, except I'm going to post a video from Tuesday night, which means it technically belongs in the 10-month update post, but I just can't wait another month to post it.)

There's some cute stuff happening this month folks.

Babbling. J and I have both thought we heard SS say something that sounded like Mamamama and Dadadada, but no official words yet. Just consonants and vowels and a volume dial slightly turned up (especially when his brother is around! Or napping.)

Teething. There are two little teeth slits on his lower gums and the gums are all flattened out - we're just waiting for them to poke through. SS has been gumming frozen teething rings when he gets the grumps. I think his teeth have stage fright, and are peeking out at the audience and then ducking back behind the curtain again, because sometimes I can see them and sometimes they disappear back into gummyland.

Kiss Pops. Kiss Pops has become part of the S family vernacular. SS has started making a little pop noise with his bottom lip, and it seems like he thinks he's doing kisses. But sometimes he does it when he's eating too, so I'm not really sure.

Solids. SS has been eating 2 solids a day (and actually, in real-time 9-months-and-11-days-old world, he's eating 3 solids each day, eating each meal with his brother, which is way easier than just 2 solids, I think because it's automatic, no decision-making necessary. I have to conserve my brain power for more important things, like Downton Abbey). We feed SS a lot of plain Greek yogurt, applesauce, avocados, and sweet potatoes. Applesauce is his favorite. He eats other stuff too (squash, peas, bananas, chicken, tuna) but those are our go-to foods for him, because they are so fuss-free. He is still eating everything fairly pureed (meaning mashed-with-a-spoon or stirred-into-a-slurry-with-water, not necessarily put in the food processor or blended or anything - the less dirty dishes to wash, the better. Which is why I think avocado is the perfect baby food - because it comes in it's own little biodegradable bowl.) And when we're not at home I feed him those organic food pouches (using these amazing screw-on spoons I found at Target for $4!) for convenience. SS is nursing 4-5 times/day, which is followed with a bottle of formula, and then a solid. Feeding him three different ways isn't time consuming at all...

Isn't this a silly picture?

Creeping. SS has been wiggling his way across the living room rug to BB's toys this month, and despite the fact that he is not yet crawling and often just lays on his belly kicking his legs with his arms perpendicular to his body (which I call "swimming"), he can definitely get where he wants to go. How, you ask? Rolling, wiggling, scooting. He reaches over with one arm and plants it, lifts up his legs, and rotates on his belly.

But just the other night, SS took his mobility to a whole new level. I don't even know what to call this - maybe some kind of Hybrid Army Crawl? One-armed Wiggle? Whatever it is, this was the first time we'd seen it, and we can't stop giggling about it.

What a nut.

SS remains ever-beautiful. His hair is growing longer.

SS is holding it down in the 2nd percentile for weight at 15 lbs 9 ounces.

And is in the 50th percentile for length at 28 1/4 inches long.

And is in the 1,000,000th percentile for big blue eyes, and grinning at and talking to himself in the mirror.

SS started playing in this propped-on-one-elbow pose this month - I think he thinks he's sitting up. His actual sitting up is improving, but is still unsteady. At any rate, this pose frees up one hand for toy-grabbing-and-putting-in-mouth.