9 months old

They say it takes nine months to put on the weight, so it should take nine months to lose it.

This time, "they" were right. You may commence with the hate mail.

My baby has been out here in the world longer than it took to grow him. He becomes more and more determined and frustrated every day, eager to be walking and getting into things.

He weighs a little more than 18 pounds, which puts him in only the 13th percentile. In an effort to get him to bulk up, we'll be trying to feed him more real food. He loves bread, so much so that he ate it with wild abandon this morning and then threw it up all over himself, me, his chair, the floor...

official nine month photo

 Here are the runner-up photos:

monkey baby

it's the climb

While this adventure was heavily supervised, he did it entirely on his own.

The ability to climb as many stairs as he wants + no concept of what happens when he leans backward = scaring years off his mother's life.

progress

In the eighth month of Fletcher's life, he has rocketed forward. When he sees what he wants, he will crawl and climb to get it. He pulls himself up to standing using the couch, coffee tables, bathtub, and even my pants legs.

 

He amazes me. This is the face of a person becoming.

 

He sits and hops up and down when he's excited. Or when he's on his back, he bangs his happy heels on the floor.  

 

He's endlessly curious, and often easy to distract.

 

Today, he managed to climb up to kneel on the first step.

His favorite thing to do is climb the step to the dining room and start causing trouble.

 

 

 

He can feed himself a bottle, and he makes good use of his feet.

 

He's always delighted to see Walker.

 

Sometimes, if we aren't close enough to catch, he tumbles off the step. And lands with his face.

 

He may be practicing his Michael Jackson pose here. Or Al Bundy, sans pants. Or doing the robot.

I see you!

 

 

He gives hugs and kisses freely. I cannot exaggerate how it makes my heart swell.

What? I'm not doing anything.

Baby-zilla

nom nom nom

Every moment that he grows, changes, discovers, learns, hurts, heals, and loves, so do I.