9 Months

My Dear Charlie Boy,

You are nine months old, and cuter than ever.  You are an active little guy!  You crawl, pull up to stand, cruise along furniture, and (much to my dismay) climb up the stairs.  You love to climb all over anyone who is sitting on the ground...including your sister and the dog.  You are finally at the point where you happily entertain yourself with toys and exploration, and no longer need to be within my eye sight at all times.  But whenever I do catch your eye while you are playing, you reward me with a big old grin and giggle.

You babble, bang toys together, smack your highchair tray really hard, pull hair, eat grass and dirt, and get into EVERYTHING.  You are never not moving.  I have even joked to your daddy that sometimes nursing feels like wrestling an alligator.

Today I gave you your first haircut.  Remind me to actually learn how to do that before you get much older:)

You are not much for snuggling...you're much too busy for that!  But you do LOVE to nurse...and do it often.  That's how we get our snuggles.  I don't know how I'm ever going to get you to stop.  We have started giving you finger foods, and boy do you love it.  Now you only want to feed yourself.  We are trying to fatten you up a little bit, so your new favorites are bread and butter, noodles with butter, cheese, and pretty much anything we are eating that isn't a choking hazard:-)

Dude, you still don't sleep through the night.  Which isn't great.  Every time we get close, you get a cold, or start cutting a tooth...and then I don't have the heart to let you cry.  Speaking of teeth, you have 3 with another close behind.

Now that Sis is in Kindergarten, you and I have been having a lot of one on one time.  We go to the library, grocery shopping, on walks, and to really exciting places like Home Depot!  And Ikea!  I'm having a really fun time watching you learn about the world around you.

You should know, Buddy, that your Daddy is MADLY in love with you.  When he walks in the door after work, you squeal with excitement, and he gives big hugs and kisses.  Every day he says "I just can't get enough of this little guy!"

Charlie, you are a gift.  We love you more than you can imagine!