9 Months!

This post is late again, but happy 9 month birthday, sweet Caleb!

At your 9 month checkup, your stats were:
Height: 28.5in (50th percentile)
Weight: 19lbs 1oz (25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 45.5cm (50th percentile)

At this point, you're eating both Stages 2 and 3 foods. Vegetables seem to be your favorite right now, though you'll certainly eat fruits too. You're eating more and more table food. This month you tried oranges for the first time, and your reaction was similar to the one you had the first time you ate a lime. You made an adorable sour face but then seemed to love eating it. You weren't too crazy about pieces of bread or your Puffs at first but have grown to love them both. You've also enjoyed corn kernels, macaroni and cheese, Goldfish, bits of crackers and rice cakes, as well as many other things.

You're learning how to feed yourself, but sometimes it takes you using both hands to make sure the piece of food makes it into your mouth and in your lap.

When I'm feeding you, you love to play with things as you eat. It helps keep you eating, as opposed to looking and moving all around, so I have a stack of stuff that I hand you as you eat, including my cell phone, chapstick, thermometer, remote control and a Praise Baby DVD case.

You LOVE ice water, just like your mommy. You get so excited when you see a glass of it or when you get some in your sippy cup. I'm amazed at how well you drink out of a glass (with us holding it, of course), and you have even figured out how to drink out of our CamelBak thermoses (you have to bite down on the mouthpiece and suck at the same time). You're a little bit of an addict when we let you drink water from our cups.

You are now pulling up and cruising (walking while holding onto toys and furniture) really well, though you do have a lot more bruises from falling down.

I love how when you hear one of us come in the door, you get excited and start laughing and quickly crawling to the door to greet us.













You love to play, and your favorite toy this month has been an empty water bottle. You also like your stackable rings, and as always, everything that can go in your mouth does.

You talk so much and are good at imitating the sounds we make (deh deh, la la, etc.) You're also saying ma ma more, which I'm loving! You definitely seem to know who your "deh deh", "Daddy", "ma ma" and "Mommy" are, but I don't think you are meaning us when you say it.

You often will "get shy" with people. If I'm holding you and someone starts talking to you or making you smile, sometimes you'll turn away and bury your head in my shoulder, only to look back at that person with a big grin a few seconds later.

When you get around other animals you don't know, you'll start making this grunting sound. It's like you get excited and want to show us what you've discovered.

You have been so much more cuddly this month. You were cuddly when you were younger, but it seems like you were too busy being active the last couple of months. Now, when you're tired, you'll lay your head on my left shoulder facing away from me. You curl your right arm around my left arm and put your left arm down straight by your side. I love it! You've even fallen asleep like this a few times.

The day before your 9 month birthday, you tried standing up on your own in the bathtub. You often will stand, holding onto the side of the tub, but on that day, you stood up.

You truly are our little monkey! This month you climbed onto and sat on a case of water bottles and also onto the bottom shelf of a changing table at church. You've also attempted to get up on the dishwasher door, but thankfully, you haven't quite conquered that one yet.

You had your first airplane ride and trip to Texas this month, and you handled it all like a champ. You ate well on takeoff and then slept for most of the flights.

We love you, little Caleb. You are such a joy and are constantly bringing a smile to our faces. You truly are a happy, happy boy. You're always on the go, and I love how little it takes to entertain you. Thank you for making it so easy to love and care for you, and thank you for being our son!