Sunday, December 10, 2006
To Owen... (9 months old)
Well, the days of very limited mobility are behind us, I'm afraid. You aren't crawling that well yet, but you have found that you can scoot around quite easily. It isn't exactly controlled, but you know you're moving. The other day you went backwards from the coffee table, to the chair in the living room and then to your pack n play. I think you would've slid right under it if I hadn't rescued you. And then soon after that I was in the bedroom and you were playing on the bathroom floor. You slid backwards into the room with the toilet and started crying because you couldn't go any further. It is very funny to watch you try to get around.
And I think the days of being able to get things done while you are in your activity center are also long gone. You are very strong and lately you have been dragging the whole activity center around so you can get where you want to go. It is supposed to be a stationary thing, but you think of it more like a walker. Just recently, you have been dragging it over to the side table that we moved next to the TV so you can try to get things off of it. You have also been trying to knock over the stand for one of Daddy's surround sound speakers.
You finally have a second tooth that is working its way to the surface. The first tooth is still not all the way through your gums yet. Slowly, but surely, right? I could tell this time that there was definately a tooth about to come through a few days before. You seemed extra fussy and you kept chewing on anything that got near your mouth. Many times, you would put your whole mouth around the bottom of my chin and bite down. That doesn't hurt too bad yet, but I'm sure it will once you have more teeth. You also did that with my nose once too.
I guess because of the lack of teeth you still like your foods very smooth. You do eat those fruit and veggie puff things that melt in baby's mouths and you can usually handle cheerios, but you still choke on even those on occasion. And, so far, you like almost all of the baby foods, I've offered. Although you weren't a huge fan of the meats I've tried or the jarred macaroni and cheese. I think you'll prefer those when I cook them for you.
You have really been exploring a lot lately. You grab anything that gets near you - hangers, clothes pins, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, plants, etc, etc. When we took Holly to the vet to be groomed a week or so ago, you reached out and grabbed the top of a fish bowl that they had sitting on the counter. I reacted quickly and pryed it from your hand before you turned the whole thing over. I need to be more careful about how close I let you get to things. I had you in a grocery cart the other day and walked to the other side of the aisle to get something. I had my back turned for one second and you had pulled a plastic snowflake price advertisement off one of the shelves and had shoved it into your mouth.
You certainly have some separation anxiety when I walk away from you, but you are still very cute about socializing with people. We were at Bath and Body Works the day after Thanksgiving and this man started making faces at you. You started laughing and bouncing around in your sling and smiling. People think you are so funny!
And you are finally starting to loosen up a little bit in Gymboree. For a while, it was like your entire silly little personality would just disappear when we walked into that place, but the last couple of times we've been to class, you have really had a ball. You especially love it when I lay on my back and put your front on my legs and we "baby surf." You just look down at my face and laugh and laugh. And you are really enjoying the bubbles. You watch them and reach for them with amazement. Gymbo the clown is the puppet that comes out at the end of each class. You have now started to get really excited whenever he comes out. And the other day in class we did this thing where I bounced you on my legs while we sang. You enjoyed it so much that even after the song was over you kept bouncing. Very cute!
I guess you are getting used to having your picture taken. The photographer at your nine month (more like 8 1/2 month) photos was amazed at how easy it was for her to make you smile. She said she'd never seen a baby hold a smile for the camera like you did. (of course she probably says that to all the babies!)
I think you are starting to develop a few different fears. You have this toy called a wave drum. Your Daddy was shaking it a few weeks ago and all of a sudden, you started screaming in terror. It was this very high pitched scream. You are also afraid of the hair dryer and the vacuum cleaner. Of course it doesn't help that Holly barks and goes crazy with her own fear whenever the vacuum cleaner starts going.
It is so funny when you get tickled to the point that you laugh almost like an adult. The other day at your Granny and Papa's house, you became completely enthralled at some multipacks of breathsavers. You would drop them on the floor or just bang them on the table and start cracking up like it was the funniest thing you've ever seen.
You adore your Daddy. You just stare at him until he looks at you and when he does you just smile and laugh. Y'all are very cute together and it makes me happy to watch the two of you playing and laughing.
I can't believe how much my life has changed since I've had you, and I can't believe how much happier I am now. I am also more nervous, protective, forgetful and tired. But I smile more, I care more, and I fall more and more in love with you every day.
Well, the days of very limited mobility are behind us, I'm afraid. You aren't crawling that well yet, but you have found that you can scoot around quite easily. It isn't exactly controlled, but you know you're moving. The other day you went backwards from the coffee table, to the chair in the living room and then to your pack n play. I think you would've slid right under it if I hadn't rescued you. And then soon after that I was in the bedroom and you were playing on the bathroom floor. You slid backwards into the room with the toilet and started crying because you couldn't go any further. It is very funny to watch you try to get around.
And I think the days of being able to get things done while you are in your activity center are also long gone. You are very strong and lately you have been dragging the whole activity center around so you can get where you want to go. It is supposed to be a stationary thing, but you think of it more like a walker. Just recently, you have been dragging it over to the side table that we moved next to the TV so you can try to get things off of it. You have also been trying to knock over the stand for one of Daddy's surround sound speakers.
You finally have a second tooth that is working its way to the surface. The first tooth is still not all the way through your gums yet. Slowly, but surely, right? I could tell this time that there was definately a tooth about to come through a few days before. You seemed extra fussy and you kept chewing on anything that got near your mouth. Many times, you would put your whole mouth around the bottom of my chin and bite down. That doesn't hurt too bad yet, but I'm sure it will once you have more teeth. You also did that with my nose once too.
I guess because of the lack of teeth you still like your foods very smooth. You do eat those fruit and veggie puff things that melt in baby's mouths and you can usually handle cheerios, but you still choke on even those on occasion. And, so far, you like almost all of the baby foods, I've offered. Although you weren't a huge fan of the meats I've tried or the jarred macaroni and cheese. I think you'll prefer those when I cook them for you.
You have really been exploring a lot lately. You grab anything that gets near you - hangers, clothes pins, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, plants, etc, etc. When we took Holly to the vet to be groomed a week or so ago, you reached out and grabbed the top of a fish bowl that they had sitting on the counter. I reacted quickly and pryed it from your hand before you turned the whole thing over. I need to be more careful about how close I let you get to things. I had you in a grocery cart the other day and walked to the other side of the aisle to get something. I had my back turned for one second and you had pulled a plastic snowflake price advertisement off one of the shelves and had shoved it into your mouth.
You certainly have some separation anxiety when I walk away from you, but you are still very cute about socializing with people. We were at Bath and Body Works the day after Thanksgiving and this man started making faces at you. You started laughing and bouncing around in your sling and smiling. People think you are so funny!
And you are finally starting to loosen up a little bit in Gymboree. For a while, it was like your entire silly little personality would just disappear when we walked into that place, but the last couple of times we've been to class, you have really had a ball. You especially love it when I lay on my back and put your front on my legs and we "baby surf." You just look down at my face and laugh and laugh. And you are really enjoying the bubbles. You watch them and reach for them with amazement. Gymbo the clown is the puppet that comes out at the end of each class. You have now started to get really excited whenever he comes out. And the other day in class we did this thing where I bounced you on my legs while we sang. You enjoyed it so much that even after the song was over you kept bouncing. Very cute!
I guess you are getting used to having your picture taken. The photographer at your nine month (more like 8 1/2 month) photos was amazed at how easy it was for her to make you smile. She said she'd never seen a baby hold a smile for the camera like you did. (of course she probably says that to all the babies!)
I think you are starting to develop a few different fears. You have this toy called a wave drum. Your Daddy was shaking it a few weeks ago and all of a sudden, you started screaming in terror. It was this very high pitched scream. You are also afraid of the hair dryer and the vacuum cleaner. Of course it doesn't help that Holly barks and goes crazy with her own fear whenever the vacuum cleaner starts going.
It is so funny when you get tickled to the point that you laugh almost like an adult. The other day at your Granny and Papa's house, you became completely enthralled at some multipacks of breathsavers. You would drop them on the floor or just bang them on the table and start cracking up like it was the funniest thing you've ever seen.
You adore your Daddy. You just stare at him until he looks at you and when he does you just smile and laugh. Y'all are very cute together and it makes me happy to watch the two of you playing and laughing.
I can't believe how much my life has changed since I've had you, and I can't believe how much happier I am now. I am also more nervous, protective, forgetful and tired. But I smile more, I care more, and I fall more and more in love with you every day.
Labels: monthly letter, owen
