9-month milestone

Happy 9-month-i-versary, Big Boy! Let's see, 9 months ago right this very moment, I was at the hospital, patiently (thanks to the epidural) waiting for you to appear. I remember watching each contraction on the monitor, and being amazed that I didn't feel anything but a strong pressure each time they came. I remember feeling like each contraction was a fast ride in an elevator. "Going up?" What a strange sensation. I snoozed a little, too. And then. . . then!! At 9:46a.m., when you arrived. . . whammo and pow! A new day dawned, the angels sang (oh yes, they did!), and nothing would ever be the same. *Grins at the absurdity of using cliches to describe such a moment.*

AJ at nine months is very busy. He will crawl across the floor in 2 seconds flat, if he sees something he very much wants, like the dog's squeaky toys. If I'm sitting with him, he'll crawl right over my leg -- just another bump in the floor. The best part about crawling is that he'll crawl up into my lap when he wants to be held. Cue the music, and watch Mommy turn into a lovey-dovey hugging machine. As fast as crawling caught on, AJ has also decided he'd like to stand up, if you please, so items that are about 2 feet high catch his attention lately. I could watch him all day, as he wrestles his little feet into position and then uses alllllll his strength to push and pull and wobble and balance and.... stand! (He did it!) He still needs someone to hold him up, but I don't think we're going to wait very long before he starts to cruise around the house using every piece of furniture for stability. Gulp.

Now, for posterity: his favorite toys are (Napoleon's) Squeaker and Wiggly Giggly ball, as well as his own little blue "planes, trains and automobiles" puzzle. Whatever toy he's playing with, the first thing he wants to do is turn it over onto its side or its back. He loves his "Bathtime Touch and Feel" book, especially the page with the squeaky purple turtle, and when he's finished reading all the books on his nightstand, the best part is knocking them all down to the floor, one by one. (Somewhat like our cat, Sasha, used to do with candies on Christmas.) He's eating all kinds of baby foods, and 1 or 2 table foods when I catch him in the right mood (toast, diced pears, macaroni). The last few nights, he has actually wanted to get into his crib before he falls asleep, rather than letting Mommy rock him to sleep with a lullaby. (Ouch! My heart!). He'll curl up with his blanket and chew on the end of it, watching his fishies in the Fisher Price Aquarium that hangs inside the crib.

The Mommy and Daddy, 9 months later, are finding our way in the dark. Just when we get it figured out, something new crops up to test us. Save for a little fatigue, a little later dinner hour, and a much less-vacuumed house, I think we're faring quite well. God's blessed us beyond measure and we love our new life, our little one.