leo is 9 months

I know I sound like a broken record, but there just isn't a better to describe you other than happy, happy, happy. You're happy when you wake up, happy when you're eating, happy when you're playing, and happy in the bathtub. You're happy to be crawling, happy to be pulling up, and happy to be exploring. You are not so happy when you are sick, and not so happy about bedtime these days.

You weigh 22 lbs (84%) and you are 30.5" long (99%). You are wearing 12-18 months clothes and some 18-24 month things too. There were a lot of firsts this past month. Two holidays, one time change, lots of big tub baths, one beach vacation, your first time in church nursery and also your first fever and first stomach bug. Whew.

On Halloween, you wore the carrot costume that Charlie wore on his first halloween. It was just too cute to not use again (also, the lion costume I ordered for you didn't fit because you're giant). Charlie went as peas so you could match. It was a beautiful evening, and you loved riding around in the wagon and chewing on a glow-stick while Charlie went trick or treating. The peas and carrot were a big hit!

We used the dreaded time change to move your bedtime by 30 minutes. It actually really worked in our favor. You now go to bed at 7:30, which is the same time as Charlie. You also graduated to the big boy bathtub. So now after dinner, you and Charlie take a bath together much to the delight of both of you. Charlie has taught you how to splash, and he loves to help wash your hair with what he calls "shampoop." You love the octopus bath toy, and you get mad when it floats away. Luckily Charlie helps make sure you always have it. After bath, I get you in your PJs and nurse you while Dada reads to Charlie. Then it's lights out for both of you at 7:30. It's been really helpful to have you on the same bedtime schedule.

This also means your wake times and naps overlap even more. You usually wake up between 7-8, nap from 10-11 and then from 1:45/2-4. Naps aren't a problem, and bedtime really isn't either, but you have definitely figured out the routine and you fuss as soon as you get out the bath because you know what's coming. You do like reading books - the peek-a-boo and lift-the-flap books are your current favorites. Once we put you down, you usually protest for 5-10 minutes and then sleep all night (you did have a few nights lately where you wanted to nurse in the early morning, but I think that was just a growth spurt. You were back to your solid 11-12 hours last night).

The time change has also allowed us to put you in church nursery a couple of times when we can squeeze in an early nap at home before church. The first time I dropped you off, you did great and made it the whole time without them having to call me. The second time was also smooth sailing. The third time was a bit of bust, but it wasn't really your fault. You hadn't taken a morning nap so you were just too exhausted and got a little cranky after the first hour.

Perhaps most exciting this month was our vacation to Turks & Caicos. We met Shi Shi and Papa there for a week of sun and sand. You were a dream travel baby. You did great on all the flights and during two long travel days. You slept in a crib in our room and didn't skip a beat. You went down for naps and bed like a complete champ. I don't think you ever even cried or woke up in the middle of the night. I would wake up in the morning and you'd be sitting in your crib next to me with the biggest smile. You did, however, have your first ever fever while we were there. You were just a bit out of sorts one day and sure enough, by that evening, you had a little temp. But it was gone by the next morning and you were back to your happy self. You loved being in the pool in your floatie. We took you for your first dip in the ocean as well. Like most babies, you were a little puzzled by sand and mostly just tried to eat it.

You have more than mastered crawling. You are so fast! On the last day of vacation, you finally conquered pulling up. You'd been so close all month, and I honestly think the airport in Turks & Caicos was your first time to really pull up on something taller than the little step in our house. You pulled up on one of those leather airport chairs and never looked back.

Of course all the mobility means you can get yourself into more trouble now. You love pulling on the knobs of our dresser and opening the drawers. Fingers have been caught. Getting up a step also means you sometimes go back down the step. Head bumps are numerous. You also love pushing doors back and forth and pulling on the pocket doors in our room. Again, fingers have been caught. Your other great love is electronic devices and power cords, which I'm constantly trying to keep out of your reach.

You still love swinging, and you also still love hanging out in your jumperoo. Charlie likes this too because it keeps you away from his toys. Now that you are mobile, you can get to whatever you want...including whatever Charlie is playing with. This has caused a few kerfuffles, which have occasionally resulted in tears for you and time outs for Charlie. We've been working with him on making sure you always have a toy to play with and this has really helped. He's usually happy to share a toy of his choosing if it keeps you away from his other things. 

Despite his hesitation to sometimes share with you, you and Charlie both still really love each other. Charlie loves to make you laugh and he always keeps a watch over you. He makes sure you always have enough puffs to eat and that you have a toy to play with and that you aren't about to fall down the step. He loves when I put you in his crib post-nap so you can both jump up and down and roll around laughing. Lately, he's been playing hide and seek with you by covering you up with his cloth hamper. Both of you just laugh and laugh when he does this.

Right before you officially hit 9 months was your first Thanksgiving. It was a bit of a doozy. Nana, Grandpa, Uncle Tad, Aunt Monica and your cousins Zachary and Isaac all came. Unfortunately, Charlie passed the stomach bug to you and mama (Dada, Nana and Isaac eventually went down too). We both spent Wednesday night throwing up, but we didn't discovered you had been sick until Thanksgiving morning. Dada went to get you up, and you were covered in vomit. Poor lil bubby. You bounced back pretty quickly, though - definitely faster than I did. By mealtime, you were happy to eat a plate full of turkey, mashed potatoes and rolls.

Speaking of eating, it's still a favorite activity. You eat everything and so far, no allergic reactions to anything. You really loved the turkey. Otherwise, it's hard to tell if you have any favorites because you seem to like whatever we put in front of you....or whatever you can find on the floor! You nurse 5x a day (first thing in the morning, before afternoon nap, after both naps and before bed). You are so good about eating solids that I hope you won't be too difficult to wean. But right now, I hate to think about giving up all the snuggles I get while you nurse. My favorite time of day is when I wake you up from your naps because you are so sleepy and sweet while you nurse. You do still bite sometimes when you aren't hungry so I've learned my lesson on trying to nurse when you aren't interested!!

You have a huge, toothy smile, the brightest blue eyes, and the best chuckle. You're hair is getting long in the back and a few curls have started to form. Your cheeks are still glorious and your neck lost in your rolls. You are extremely ticklish. You make all kinds of fun sounds these days. Lots of happy grunting and guttural noises. You also trill your tongue all the time. We're working on clapping - you love banging toys together so we'll see if you can catch on soon. No more signs of "mama" or "dada" - the serious campaigning starts now to see who can get the first word out of you.

While you are still smiley with other people, we are starting to see some shyness come out. Sometimes when people approach while I'm holding you, you'll shyly nuzzle into my chest and give just a little smile like you're playing hard to get. It's the cutest and very endearing.

I took you to your well visit today in a sweater that said "Never grow up." I know I'm losing this battle so I'm just trying to enjoy every little moment of this sweet baby stage. You make it so easy to enjoy. It's such a joy to watch you grow. Love you, mean it.