9 months!

Dear Smiley Guy,

You clapped your way through this fun month with a big smiley usually revealing your solitary dimple.  You'd get excited to see something and your arms would open wide.  I think your arms barely stopped moving.  You like to do this funny arm lift that looks like you are working out.  You get in your arm reps with a big smile, sometimes a tongue raspberry, and a squeal.

We took a long drive to Ohio for the holiday so that we could surround ourselves with fun people and holiday excitement. You mastered the art of good baby car behavior on the two seven hour drives from Ohio and back.  We were seriously impressed that you were better on those rides than you are on a typical cruise to the grocery store.  I think it was a combination of cheerios, new sippy cups, and mom's crazy smiley face peekabooing at you from the seat next to you. Do infants eat Cheerios? Let's hope so, because I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to my infant KC.

Also, I discovered that if you did squeal that contraband will quiet you.  Baby contraband, like my sunglasses, are things you aren't normally supposed to hold.  I was sitting right next to you making sure you didn't actually have trouble but would pretend like I was going to take them away just so you would want them more.   Unfortunately, this plan was flawed as you continued to lunge and grab the glasses of anyone smiling at you.  You even tried to nab your smiling Gigi's glasses.  We were so lucky to see everyone and they enjoyed seeing you (as long as you let them keep their glasses ;)

You looked so chill in leaning back in your car seat chair. It is looking like you are going to grow out of it soon and we carry you into most stores and restaurants anyway.  The days of backward facing car seats will be for a while longer, which means you will still be able to play by smashing your toy bar against the seat.  Most of the time you like to play with the toys with your feet.  That usually means that your socks must get yanked off first.

You preferred to be up on your feet this month.  A pouty lip usually changes to a big smile if we simply set you on your feet.  You will usually stand with your tum smashed against something soft.  You figured out how to look over your shoulder and swing your arm around to get everyone's attention.  Your feet just barely shimmy around in something resembling a walk.  Your favorite method of movement is the bum shimmy usually backwards.

The holiday delivered one front tooth on the bottom to be precise, but the others are still out for delivery.  All signs point to more teeth soon, but you sure can mash just about anything with those strong gummies.  Your comfort seems to be putting everything in your mouth.  You particularly like backpack straps or dirty high chair strap, which is not my favorite.  I need to find some clean strap and create a new safe baby teether.  J thinks I should call it the tether teether - Here's to your college fund kid!

You were at a fun age for Christmas presents. You'd get extra excited or even overstimulated by half opened presents.  You would see what was inside and want to get at it quickly.  Lucky for you your brother was willing to help. Although I'm pretty sure you'd be happy to just to use wrapped gifts as  drums.

You had a serious case of the daddy clingy this month.  You would see him and make a very distinct pout to get him to come over to snuggle you.  You wanted him to bounce you and swing you over backwards. You will give a full open mouth giggle fit when he swings you up in the air.  We were lucky to have so much daddy family time this month.

We broke out a snuggle suit for you this month. Every time you smiled at me in that suit I couldn't help but say how snug as a bug in a rug you looked... then your silly brother would make up new rhymes. "Cute as a boot in the toot..." I kept saying I wish I had a big velour jump suit just like it to cuddle up in the car.  We thought that maybe the snuggly hood was helping you fall asleep in the car because you started cooperating with that idea more and more often. Sleeping in the car is fun - Hey, let's try it during car pool!

You spent most of the month smelling like spinach mango. Despite wiping over and over you'd usually have a tinge of some sort of food smeared across your cheek or under your nose.  You became a full fledge eater, not just tolerating our feeding game but seriously wanting food.  This, of course, coincided with our trip to visit folks so I broke down and bought some food to be shipped to my folks house.  You seemed to prefer the new flavors and I like the portable astronaut food looking capsules... but I will keep trying to refine my baby food making at least for your at home meals.  I like knowing exactly what you're eating and that it does not include gunk you don't need.

The Ohio cuddle crew was in full effect unfortunately just in time for a tiny bit of separation anxiety where you didn't like it if you couldn't see mom or dad or at a very minimum Aiden.  You would get this tiny whine that would build into a scream crescendo if you weren't sure we heard you.  You were ready to leave our friend's new years party by about 10:45, and you made sure we heard you. The screamy guy routine is not a good way to keep fans, but I know it's just a phase.  Everything is a phase, including all these cute baby cuddles...unfortunately...  I will soak in all the clings and cuddles, whimpers and giggles... I look forward to sharing more firsts with you this year.

Love, Mom