Nine Months

Or, more accurately, "Holy Shit! We Kept Yet Another One Alive For a Full Nine Months!"

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but you have strange eyes. They are brown in the middle near the pupil, blue/gray on the outside of the iris. My eyes are the same way, except mine are green with brown in the middle. Sometimes yours look brown, sometimes blue, sometimes green, and sometimes almost violet. I think they may eventually end up brown, but we will see. Who knows?

You are really becoming exciting these days. You have had your pincer grasp down for months already, and relish in picking up specks of dirt off the floor, self-feeding, and giving me the vulcan death pinch while I am breastfeeding you. Speaking of breastfeeding, I must give myself a big pat on the back for sticking with it for so long. I really think we are going to make it to a year! I am so proud of me, and of you for making it relatively easy on me. I admit that I will miss the closeness a tidbit, but mostly i will be glad to move on to the next level with you.

You are eating all sorts of solid foods and have been for awhile. You love the smooth pureed fruits and vegetables, and are now warming up to the chunkier "meal" jars of food, but your favorite thing in the world is to eat whatever you can feed yourself: Zwieback toast, rice krispies ("crippies," as Rollie refers to them), and mashed foods like mashed potatoes, finely chopped pasta, and mashed banana. You ate a small piece of moist blueberry muffin the other day at Joe's, and i thought your mouth was going to fold back over your ears, you smiled so big.

You have been sitting up unassisted for awhile now, but are just starting to show interest in moving around a room. You roll from front to back with abandon, rolling like a log to nowhere, but laughing maniacally the entire time. You are my own personal Roomba - When you run into an obstacle, you just start rolling in the opposite direction. No crawling yet, but when you are sitting, you bend one leg in front of you, and the other one is stretched out behind in a modified split, then you reach for objects. You haven't quite figured out how to get that front leg behind or up under you, but i think you are close. Then again, maybe you will be one of those babies that foregoes crawling for pulling up and cruising. You are already starting to sit next to a table, facing it, and then using your arms to pull your chin up over the side. What upper arm strength! Now, if you could just figure out to pull your legs up under you, you would have it.

You go to bed at 7:30 pm every night, and you wake between 7 am and 8:30 am every morning. We are still working on your naps, but they seem to be getting a little longer. One in the morning, about 2 hrs after you wake up, and then another in the afternoons. I am even getting the hang of making your nap coincide with Rollie's quiet time. I am a Parenting God.

You love to laugh, and are the smiliest thing ever. Not quite so much whining as during the first 6 months or so of your life. I think that is in part because you are able to move around a little more.

On Monday, you waved back at me for the first time. I was pumping gas in McDonough for the trip to Warner Robins to see Grandma and Papaw. I peered in the window to see you and Quint (the dog) and you saw me and gave me a big smile. I began slowly and deliberately waving, and you waved back. You have only done it a few times since, but just that one little communication will tie me over for a good long while. You know me. I know you. We wave. Payoff.

Now I want you to say my name. Mama.

I know there are so many more little moments I am forgetting. Even if I forget them, know that i cherished them while I could remember.

I love you, baby Tiller. You have made our lives better, albeit a little more hectic.

Your nine months stats:
Length - 28 inches (50-75%)
Weight - 19 lbs 12.8oz (50-75%)
Head circumference: 43 1/2 cm (25-50%)

Here are some of my favorite pics from the last three months:

Bathing beauty at the lake

On the boat

Playing on the floor

With paci on the floor of your room

Getting kisses from Dada

And getting sleepy on his shoulder

Asleep at the zoo. I love to watch you sleep and see the veins on your eyelids.

In your party dress at Scarlett's birthday party

Smiling for the camera

You think your brother is the funniest thing ever

Let me apologize now for the stars and stripes outfit. It was a gift, and hideous, but when else in your life can you ever get away with wearing stars on your bloomers? It had to be done.

Displaying your split-crawl this morning.

Smiling at me this morning

Happy Nine Months!
Love,
mama