9 Months Old

Today Eli turned 9 months old, which means we have only 3 months left before he turns O-N-E. Josh and I are beginning to accept the fact that our baby is now turning into a toddler who is so curious about the world around him and wants to explore everything. So far, each month with Eli has just gotten better and better. I remember loving the new baby stage, where I could sit and hold him or place him on my legs and watch his eyes gaze all around trying to take it all in. I remember thinking, "It doesn't get any better than this." But it did! Eli found mobility and started rolling all over the place. I remember finding him in the most peculiar places, under coffee tables, in corners, under chairs. He could roll anywhere he wanted to go! I remember thinking, "It doesn't get any better than this." But it did! Eli started scooting and crawling everywhere and now he really could get anywhere he wanted. We started baby-proofing our house and closing doors. We marveled over how fast he could go and thought, "It doesn't get any better than this." But, once again, it did! Now Eli crawls as a means to get to a piece of furniture to pull up. He babbles like crazy and makes the funniest noises. He enjoys nothing more than walking around holding on to your fingers and most of the time is the happiest baby on the planet. Right now, we're thinking "It doesn't get any better than this!" But once again I'm sure it will. Josh and I are having so much fun being Daddy and Mommy to this precious little boy. He is the greatest gift God ever could have given us!

Eli has a doctor's appointment next week, so we'll get his official weight and height then, but I do know that he has definitely gotten bigger since the last appointment. He actually feels heavy to me now where before he never did. I love that he's starting to fill out everywhere, especially his little thighs and booty; they're quite dimply now!

Feeding: For the most part, the bottle wars are behind us now, thank goodness. Eli drinks anywhere from 5-7 ounces 4 or 5 times a day. Most of the time, he's averaging around 24 ounces of formula a day. He takes his bottle so easily now, but refuses to hold the bottle. He wants to play with his pacifier, your hand, his foot, anything he can to not hold his bottle. He is still eating baby food like a champ. He loves it all. We've also introduced a few finger foods that he loves-Puffs, Wagon Wheels, Veggie and cheese crunchies, small bites of banana, and small bites of whole wheat bread. We've also used the mesh feeder and given him banana, watermelon, and peaches. He loves food, so I don't think we'll have the troubles with food like we did with the bottle. Here's hoping at least!

Sleeping: Eli's doing okay with sleeping these days. He's been waking up quite a bit lately, but I think it might be due to the fact that he's cutting yet another tooth. We're doing our best to let him figure out how to go to sleep on his own, which is hard, but we know in the end it's what is best for him. Tonight he cried for less than 5 minutes and then was out. Most nights are good, some nights are bad, but I hear that's about the norm. Eli's naps are still about the same. He takes about 3 naps a day, two of those are usually long (about an hour) and one is a catnap (30 minutes or less).

Likes:
-Mommy and Daddy (he's starting to have some separation anxiety, especially with me, but I hope it gets better soon)
-Maggie
-Praise Baby
-Walking while holding onto your fingers
-Being outside
-Snuggling with Mommy and Daddy
-Lights and fans
-Falling onto pillows
-Balloons
-Playing with cords, vents, remotes, cell phones, calculators, and DVD players (all of which earn him a stern "NO!" from Mommy and Daddy, along with some redirection)
-Baths
-Reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear

Dislikes:
-Diaper changes
-Getting dressed/undressed
-Going to sleep

New Accomplishments:
-Eating larger finger foods (his pincer grasp is coming right along!)
-Cruising around furniture
-Babbling (I'm so happy about this one! He can say "ma-ma", "ga-ga"," ba-ba", and "da-da" all indiscriminately along with some other funny noises.)
-Standing in place for a few seconds on his own

We're having so much fun with this precious little boy. He is the joy of our hearts! We can't wait to see what he's going to do next :)