9 months!

Hard to believe my little bean is already 9 months old!

This was at the beach on the 4th of July. I haven't taken many pictures of him lately b/c he doesn't sit still long enough! Plus, we're too busy having fun to stop and take pictures! :)

Sweet baby! Watching his daddy sweep the kitchen floor. :)

We won't have his 9-month checkup until later this month, so I'll have to update you on his weight and height later. But I don't need a doctor to tell me he's grown a TON since he was 6 months!

Sizes:

• He's wearing mostly 12 months clothes now, but he still can fit into some 6 and 9 month things, depending on the brand, and he wears some 18 month clothes to bed.
• We just moved him up to a size 4 diaper b/c he was peeing through his size 3 diapers 1-2 times a night! 

 Doing:

• Still crawling and pulling up like a champ! So fast!

•  He can stand with just one hand on a piece of furniture, he can take a few steps to the side while holding on, and he can ease himself down without plopping or falling. He also likes to climb us. :)
• We are drowning in big, wet, amazing, open-mouthed kisses! Love it!
• He points to things and loves pointing at and grabbing my nose and lips.
• No new words, but still babbles a lot. Still waiting on "mama!" He DOES make a new, really weird sound that I can't even imitate:

• Eating SO much better! He'll willingly open up for things (if he's in the mood and likes the taste...) and he can pincer grasp small pieces of food and put them in his mouth.
• Drinking from a sippy cup with no problems!
• Loves reading books and pointing at things on each page 
• He can sit up in the front of the shopping cart now! (okay, he could probably do this earlier, but his parents are a little neurotic about germs and injuries...)

Favorite Toys:

• still loving his puzzle
• the stackable rings. He can't put them back on the stick yet, but he loves playing with them!
• I hear he likes the toy piano at school
• coasters and any other non-toy he can get his hands on!

Favorite Songs:

• This Old Man (he starts holding up fingers to count along (not necessarily the right ones) and claps as for knick-knack-paddy-whack)
• The Ants Go Marching One-by-One
• This Little Light of Mine (bedtime)
• Chim Chimerie from Mary Poppins (bedtime)
• Baby Mine from Dumbo (bedtime)
• The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
• listening to Disney Pandora (or maybe that's just us!)

 Favorite Books:

• Mostly the same ones from before, though he has added the following:
• Hippos Go Beserk!
• A to Z

Favorite Shows:

• VeggieTales
• Sesame Street (those are basically the only ones we watch with him)

Favorite Foods:

• Gerber's Puffs, especially the peach flavor
• bananas
• green smoothies (frozen and eaten with mesh feeder, or slightly melty and fed with a spoon)
• hummus
• black beans! He will pick them up one-by-one and eat a TON of them!
• baked beans
• most jarred baby foods (so far). We don't eat them often, but sometimes they are more convenient for traveling. They are loaded with sugar, so it's no surprise that he likes them.
• squash
• pasta, bread, crackers, toast, pizza crust...he likes his carbs!

Other Updates:

• Still only has 2 teeth, but it really seemed like his gums were bothering him last night. We'll see if he cuts another one soon!
• Still not sleeping through the night (he's done it a total of 3 times, ever). He usually wakes up 1-2 times a night to nurse. Sometimes we just have to put him in bed with us to get more sleep. This doesn't bother me. I look forward to the day he starts sleeping through the night, but I'm not rushing it. I get enough sleep, and I actually cherish the moments of snuggling and soothing him.
• We went to the beach for a week and he did awesome! We had quite the set-up with a half-dome tent, umbrellas, and a baby pool with toys. He enjoyed splashing in the baby pool, crawling around the tent, playing in (and trying to eat!) the sand, and getting in the ocean and the big pool. I was so proud of him! :)

Yes, this is the only picture I got of him in his swim suit...shameful!

• He has started showing separation anxiety when we drop him off at church and school. Usually at school he's okay b/c he's really comfortable with his teacher and he's interested in all the big kids and their toys (they are all together first thing in the morning). But when his teacher was out one day, he had a really hard time settling down, and he struggles through church every Sunday with different volunteers in the nursery each week. :(
• We have started researching his next carseat and plan to make that purchase in the next couple months. He still has probably 5-10 pounds to go in his current seat, but he's definitely outgrowing it quickly!
• Still breastfeeding in addition to eating solids. We're not weaning or dropping feedings. I'm a firm believer in "food before 1 is just for fun" and that breastmilk should continue to be his main source of nutrition until then. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to drop feedings. 
• He has started testing boundaries and understands when he shouldn't be doing something. This is no fun for me! The biggest things are the wall outlet in the hallway and the fireplace. He knows they are both no-no's (the outlet is covered, but I don't like him playing with it. The hearth is covered with blankets, but I don't like him climbing on it and trying to get IN the fireplace!). He will crawl towards them and turn back to see if I'm watching. He'll smile at me and when I tell him "no," he'll smile and turn and do it anyway (just faster!). Little stinker!! We're trying to make decisions about discipline now. We redirect and firmly say "no," but so far none of that is helping. I've tried popping him a few times, but I can't bring myself to do it hard enough for him to even notice! ha! It's a work in progress, figuring out what works best for all three of us. We'll get there!
• He'll reach for you when he wants you to hold him. Melts.my.heart! :)

in baby jail! :)

Each week I find myself having more and more fun with Grayson. He's so interactive and has such a great sense of humor. I love to hear him laugh! He's still snuggly and sweet, but also very active and interested in everything! It's always an adventure with this one! :)