9 Months Old!

Levi, you have now been out in the world for as long as you grew in my tummy!

What a great 9 months it's been! Here's what you've been up to:

- You have 4 teeth (#5 is about to break through)! I love the big, toothy smile you give me often! And sometimes you sleep with your mouth open and it shows your top two teeth, making you look so much older! 

- I went ahead and put away all the 6 month clothes. Some of the 9 month clothes I'm putting you in for the first time are barely able to be snapped! **Updated: At your doctor's appointment today (9/19) you weighed 21 lbs. 7 oz. (75th percentile) and were 29.5 inches tall (90th percentile). Wow! What a big boy you are!

- You are starting to pronounce your "d's" very well; lots of "da-da-das" going on in the past few days.

- Recently you have started letting go for brief amounts of time, standing on your own. And you've made it all the way to the top of the stairs one time. I really have to keep an eye on you! Especially since Zeke likes to encourage this behavior by sitting on the top step saying, "Come on, Levi!"

- When you see me (or a snack) across the room you "sprint crawl" with eyes laser-focused on your "prize" and usually a big smile on your face! 

-Sleeping has been pretty awful the past few weeks, so we won't even discuss the "schedule." But as something new, there have been a couple of times I've set you in the crib while you're still awake and crying and I came back to check on you and you had fallen asleep! Yay! 

First train ride on the Little Train in Loveland

Brotherly Love

- You continue to eat well and often. You reject certain food some days and eat it just fine the next. You've started to really drink well out of your sippy cup. Your new favorite snack is graham crackers. You put nearly everything in your mouth right now. Some things I have removed: a moth, woodchips, leaves, sand, dirt, cat food, the plastic piece off the door stop, string, and crayons. Yikes! That list was longer than I expected.

We spent Labor Day up in Estes Park 

Getting buckled in for your first ride in the bike trailer. We've been on 3 rides now. 

- I try to put pants on you, even on warm days, because you crawl so much. Especially here on the wood chips. I've also started putting shoes on you a little more often. At first you think they're weird and try to grab at them, but then you don't mind after you've had a chance to examine them. I think you'll be walking in them by Thanksgiving.

At the park, just yesterday. You enjoy swinging! 

September 16, 2014 

My dear, sweet boy, the last 9 months have been full of joy (and tiredness and tears, of course). I thank God that you are our son. I love to see your personality develop as well as your ability and desire to play with your brother and interact with all of us. You have a gusto for life, chasing after the things that interest you. You enjoy dancing to the music with Zeke and I and sometimes I think you're actually humming (and sometimes singing) along with me when I do so. I look forward to the days ahead and seeing you continue to grow! Love, Mommy