Dear Nikos,Wow-- nine months! NINE! You have been in the outside world almost as long as you were in my belly, which is a very strange thought to ponder. When I think back to those early days, they seem like a lifetime ago. It has been truly incredible to see you grow and change so quickly!
As is par for the course, you continue to amaze us on a daily basis. Just yesterday, you were sitting in the glider in your bedroom when you decided to pull yourself up to standing. Out of the blue! Now you do it every time we place you there-- within seconds of being put down. You're still not crawling, but we're beginning to wonder if you might be one of those babies who skips crawling completely and goes straight to standing/walking. Nothing would surprise us at this point-- you've made it clear time and time again that you will do things when you're ready and on your own terms! We're just spectators here! :)
The truth is that even though you're not crawling or walking yet, you ARE quite mobile. You use a combination of rolling, throwing your body weight around, and pushing with your toes to get pretty much anywhere you want. You love getting yourself to where the carpet meets the tile so that you can rest on the carpet while slapping the tile (which delights you endlessly). You also love rolling to wherever Charlie (the cat) is resting, and then proceeding to yank on his fur. Charlie must love you, because he never fights back. Most of the time, he doesn't even run away! He likes his little brother. :)
Nikos, you are becoming such an independent little guy these days! When it comes to food, you will eat just about anything we put in front of you (with the notable exception of peach yogurt, which you despise). You've fed yourself tofu, chunks of mango, steamed carrots, home-grown peaches, avocado, pasta, and lots of other interesting things! You prefer finger foods that you can pick up yourself, though you still allow us to feed you from the spoon most of the time. However, I think that if you had the choice, you would eat nothing but Cheerios twenty-four hours a day. We never leave home anymore without a bag of Cheerios, because they apparently possess magical baby-calming powers!
Along with your new independence comes a bittersweet development, however... You are starting to wean yourself from breastfeeding. The plan was for you to breastfeed until you turned 1, but it doesn't look like we're going to make it that long. You are so wiggly and curious that you never stay latched on for more than a minute or two. We end up having to give you a bottle while I go and pump, but my body is starting to get the message that you're not drinking-- and my milk production is slowing waaaay down. I've still been able to successfully nurse you in the mornings when you wake up, but it looks like we might be going to bottles/cups for the rest of your liquid meals. It saddens me that our special time together is dwindling, but it's still thrilling to see you so excited about the world all around you. Like I said, it's bittersweet.
In short, you are starting to make the transition from being a baby to becoming a toddler... Your gummy smile has been replaced with an equally adorable two-toothed one. You wave hi and bye, and smile with recognition at people you haven't seen in a while but still remember. You know who your pets are, and you shriek with happiness when they are near. You love pushing buttons on any and all electronic devices. You have conversations with us, even though you don't speak any actual words. You are a real little person, and we love you even more today than we did yesterday! Nine-month-olds are the greatest!All Our Love,
Mommy and Daddy
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