Nine Months Old!

Noah,

You are nine and a half months old!  You are turning into such a BIG boy.  I recently took you to the doctor, and you were in the 85% for height and weight.  Thatta boy!

My family is a little bit obsessed with your chubbiness.  Is there anything cuter than a fat baby?  You have the most delicious rolls on your thighs and your cute little pot belly is to die for.  We love to kiss your chubby cheeks and squeeze your portly girth.  You love to eat and will still eat anything I give you.  In the last few weeks, you've developed the hand-eye coordination to put tiny foods like cheerios in your mouth, and I suddenly have to watch you like a hawk to make sure that you don't eat things that you shouldn't.  Despite my vigilance, you tried to eat a handful of wood chips at the park the other day. I turned my back for two seconds, and when I looked back, you were munching away happily.   Gross!  I made you spit it out, but you would've gladly dined on dirt that day.

I often call you "Fat Boy" (which I mean as an absolute term of endearment).  Uncle Sam calls you the "Half Ton Baby" and once he told me that you are "worth [your] weight in gold." So true!  Bapa has the funniest things to say about it.  He calls you "The Hulk" because you are so big and strong.  He was babysitting you recently, and I texted him and asked, "How is my boy?"  His response: "Fat."  It made me laugh aloud right in the restaurant.  And one time, as he and I watched you wreaking havoc in the living room, pulling yourself up on the furniture and scattering Callum's toys, then crawling like a speed demon over to the swing where Jade was resting and trying to maul her, then throwing yourself into the couch cushions, Bapa commented, "Him extremely mobile for one so fat."  Hahahaha!  (As a side note, I don't know why Bapa uses poor grammar when he's talking about babies, but it is quite humorous.)

Sadly, I think the baby fat is going to disappear any day because you really are extremely mobile now.  You are into everything lately, and you never stop moving.  Whenever I open the refrigerator or dishwasher, you jet toward it as quickly as you can, hoping that you can reach it before it closes again.  It makes me laugh.  Yesterday, I saw you balance on your own for the first time--you were standing up without holding on to anything for just a second. You might be walking within the next six weeks!

You are active, curious, and friendly.  You laugh easily, especially when we play "Here Comes the Wormy" (a tickle game that Dad made up) or when we do airplane noises as we feed you.  Last night, you were laughing so hysterically while I fed you sweet potatoes that you couldn't swallow.  So cute.

You love water.  Bath time is your favorite.  You try to dive in as soon as you see the faucet running.  Sometimes when I am taking a shower, I have Dad hand you in to me, and you love the powerful spray.  You try to crawl over my shoulder and reach desperately for the water.  You put your entire face in the spray and try to drink it.  You are fearless!  I can't wait to take you swimming this summer.

You don't like to miss out on any action, which means that you aren't a great napper.  We are working on it, but as of right now, your naps are brief and always end with you screaming your head off in protest the minute you wake up.  It's like you are saying, "Wait a second...WHY AM I IN MY CRIB WHEN I COULD BE PARTYING?"  I hear that some babies wake up from naps happy and cooing--not my baby!  You also wake up extremely early in the morning--usually between 5:00 and 5:30--no matter what time we put you to bed at night.  Even when we get home late from being out with friends and put you to bed late, you are still up bright and early the next morning, ready for the day!  The pediatrician said that this is pretty typical for babies with your active temperament.  She said that it's a phase that you will likely grow out of, but in the meantime, we need to try to make sure that you are getting as close to 12 hours of sleep a night as possible, so she recommends that we put you to bed at 6:00 p.m. for the next couple of months.  We've been doing that the past few weeks, and it amazes me that you are actually ready to sleep at that time (probably because you're exhausted from a long, active day).   You usually go down without a whimper and sleep until early the next morning.

I am really loving being home with you now.  You are at such a fun age--you are independent enough to explore the apartment for a few minutes on your own, but then you come crawling right back to wherever I am so you can get a little reassuring snuggle.  You like to be in the same room as I am, and you play at my feet while I cook dinner or clean the kitchen.  You are my little pal.

Dad and I just love you.  We love everything about you.  Last night, we were out playing on the grass after Dad got home from work, and he was helping you walk by holding your fingers.  You were cruising and grinning, and you looked so darling in your footie jammies with your belly sticking out in front of you, and Dad and I both agreed that you are not allowed to grow up.  We want you to stay our chubby happy little baby forever.  Can you do that for us?

We love you, Noah Bug.  Thank you for being our son!
Mom and Dad