9 Months

I am always surprised by how much difference a day can truly make. One day trying to scoot, the next day crawling, one day fussing to sleep, the next day laying down awake & going to sleep on his own. Children are really impressive to watch. How quickly they get the hang of things, and how much they find to investigate in their environment. It seems like there is no need for toys most of the time... just give him an old cardboard diaper box & he'll stay entertained for half an hour! We're stepping up our childproofing around the house, but sometimes we just have to try the good old "NO" word. Of course, this sometimes is just received with a smile and laugh, but hey, I try to keep a straight face & a say it more firmly... The result of which is often a pouty cry - yeah, he's trying his best to push the limits! But this is the way life is... and we are loving it beyond belief. Luke and I were just saying how we remember our only difficulty at first was figuring out how to handle the dirty diapers at the hospital - if only!
Really though, we have no complaints. Patrick is a great baby. He's getting taller and leaner now - how did I know this would be the growth pattern? Hmmm. Yes, he's 30" tall & 21 1/2 lbs. He's doing really well still with eating from the spoon - but we are doing our best to introduce some various textures and finger snacks when possible. He's started cruising... which is a little ahead of schedule (according to the pediatrician), and I imagine the first steps won't be too far in the future. Yesterday we watched him stand on his own, balanced, for almost a full minute. Luke had just come home from work & it was quite rewarding for him to get to be here for it. The weekends these days are mostly spent with the 3 (excuse me, yes Remus makes 4) of us just spending time doing everyday things together. We're looking forward to a few visits from family coming up over the next few weeks...
The other day I was running an errand & saw a lady who was obviously in her last couple of months of pregnancy... all I could do was look down at my stomach and think - wow, that was me this time last year. What a difference a day (or two) makes....