9 Months

Playing in the car seat. It keeps him busy, which means I love it.

Clapping

Up on his knees

Putting Liam to work early

Splish Splash in Duncan's water dish.....the big splash came later when he dumped the whole bowl

Sick, Sleepy Baby

Going for a ride in the new wagon

Liam was 9 months old on Monday. We went to the doctor for his check up and he is 19 pounds, 12 ounces (38th percentile), 28 and 3/4 inches (68th percentile). The doctor said this is usually a time where things level out a bit. All of his percentile's dropped but she did not seemed worried. Along with crawling, I figured his weight would be lower since he was sick the entire week before his appointment. He had a fever that began Sunday night and did not end until the following Wednesday. He was very fussy, wouldn't eat well, had a runny nose and a little bit of a cough. The doctor said it was "just a virus." Luckily, the following Sunday, he was back to himself and smiling. It was a long week. Unfortunately, as soon as he got better, Blake has been sick. He still isn't feeling well and has not been to work all week. We think he has the virus Liam had. We also got a referral to an eye doctor for Liam's tear ducts. They are still blocked. The doctor said the specialists like to wait to do the procedure to open them up until the baby is a year old but sometimes will do it early. I am going to call them tomorrow and get the appointment set up. We will do whatever the doctor thinks is best.

Liam is giving us kisses like crazy and continues to have a particular fondness for blonds. He loves bouncing and jumping and will bounce if you ask him to. This was really the first word he has understood and responded to. He has started clapping, thanks to some extra practice with his Grandma. He also will clap or hold his hands in the air and say YEAH!!. His Papa taught him that. Then, of course Oma had to teach him something too. She taught him how to give "Oma hugs." These include rubbing foreheads and noses before a big hug. It has been fun watching the grandparents teach him these things. We are trying to teach Liam sign language and he will sign "more" if you say it but he has no idea what it means because when you try to give him more food, he locks his lips.

Liam has become quite a mover. He is all over the place and I am exhausted some days from chasing him all around. The hardest thing to do is change his diaper or get him dressed. I feel like I am wrestling a monkey. I still smile every time Duncan plays "chase" with Liam. He will run and then come back for Liam to chase him more. Too bad Duncan can't babysit :). Liam pulls up to his knees right now all the time but still doesn't pull up to a standing position. No rush on that. Liam continues to be super talkative and loud. His main sound is dadadada but he will throw in other sounds too every once in a while.

We have started finger foods with Liam along with his normal purees. He has tried vegetables and pears along with some cheese. So far he likes it all. I even gave him a taste of banana bread I made this morning. He really liked it. We are transitioning overall right now with Liam's schedule. He is going from three naps to two and adding in a lunch meal. I continue to appreciate naps and sleeping through the night tremendously.

Blake and I have a big couple of months ahead. Blake's 30th birthday is next week and Laura and I's 30th birthday is next month. We are having a small dinner for Blake this weekend and then Laura and I decided we needed a big party, which we will have the weekend before our birthday. It should be very fun. Liam's baby dedication at our church is also this month, on the 21st. Another busy month ahead but we are thankful for great friends and family to spend it with.