9 Month Update

My blog seems to be coming more of a baby journal but at least I am documenting his milestones! At 9 months my "baby" is getting much more independent. This past month has been full of accomplishments and I am ready for him to slow down any time now! I would like to enjoy babyhood as long as possible!

My 9 month photo shoot did not work out. I forgot that I only got a few shots in before my little man started to scream or crawl away.

He wanted nothing to do with laying on a blanket. And then I forgot to try again. So this is Mr. Smiles. :) But I don't really think he looks any different here than at 8 months.

Zippy cut two more top teeth for a total of 6 tiny white teeth. In addition to being nursed he now eats solids three times a day. He has had slightly cooked egg yolks, mashed avocados, and many fruits and veggies. I typically will grind up something in my baby food mill from our meal for him. Now on occasion if I give him plain baby food he has a look as if to say "What kind of flavorless food are you giving me?"

He also is drinking water from a sippy cup.

Here's my happy baby!

Zippy is becoming more vocal always making some kind of sounds. Of course "da da" is often heard but there is no association with Daddy quite yet. He also enjoys nodding his head back and forth very fast trying to get us to laugh. His siblings think he is saying "no" but Zippy is just starting to learn the word as he is getting into things more and more each day.

And he gets into more these days because he is officially crawling on all fours!

He decided that wasn't enough so is also standing up and has worked his way onto our coffee table and onto a chair of course with a little help from a cushion that happened to be on the floor. He also started climbing stairs while at a friends house. And here I had hoped Zippy would be more like his sister Missy who sat on a blanket without moving at this age. Wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, this little guy is still not a great napper and seems to enjoy screaming. By this age all of my other babies had been trained to take two naps that typically lasted two hours. Oh bliss! I am trying to let him cry a bit more to get himself to sleep. I don't know if it is the older I get but probably the more I truly understand how fast the years fly by but I am not too good at that anymore.

For the most part, I enjoy rocking him to sleep from time to time. But, of course the problem with that is when he wakes much too early (after 30 minutes) he doesn't soothe himself back to sleep very easily. And 30 minutes does not a happy baby make so obviously he has not slept enough. My motto used to be that nap-time didn't end until Mama says so. Well, my seventh child is certainly testing me there!

Oh, but we all take great delight in this little baby. And his siblings are so often quick to entertain even a fussy baby. Here Re-Pete is playing in the grass with Zippy.

What a month of changes which seem to make the time fly by even faster. Slow down little guy!