Nine Month Baby Boy

How, oh how, is my sweet Baker already nine months?

 

Some days, I feel like the past nine months, 268 days, 6,432 hours, 385,920 seconds have gone by in the blink of an eye,

other days, it feels like I've been a mommy my whole life.

This role is so natural.

So much a part of my being,

that I cannot imagine life without Baker.

Blazing fast, or slow and steady, being a mommy is the most incredible gift.

I am loving every day, every hour, every minute, every second.

 

I had planned on some cutesy nine month pictures, but since my handsome little fell asleep tonight at 6:06,

look at these from Sunday, or these last Monday (disregard the terribly inappropriate potty humor), or even these from the previous Friday.
 

What he's doing now...

 

Baker is a social bug!

I wonder where he gets that?!?

He "talks" all the time.

The two words he uses consistently with meaning are "Mama" (or "Mum") and "Dada."

He also says "baba" - but I think this just feels good rolling off his lips.
He is making all kinds of sounds at various pitches and holding them until he literally runs out of the breath. It is the cutest thing!

He also blows raspberries at everything.

If he sees me smile or giggle at something, he makes this sound over and over and over. He loves making people smile and I love that he loves to make others happy!

I tell him everything I am doing, everywhere we are going, and he just listens like he understands every single word. If I dare pause, or ask a question, he is quick to answer and let me know his full thoughts on the subject.

 

Baker is also signing more frequently.

He consistently uses "hungry,"

and is beginning to sign "drink," "Mama," "Dada," and "more."

We are working on signing more. The ones we have introduced and are reinforcing more consistently are "ball," "bath," "sleep," "cold," "hot," "dog," "please," "thank you," "yes," "no," and "good."

 

Baker does not discriminate on food!

He loves food and would probably eat as often as I would feed him.

He is currently taking five bottles per day.

Each bottle is between six and seven ounces.

He is also eating like an elephant.

They eat a lot, right?

And anything in sight? If so, then yup, an elephant!

He started showing signs of a wheat allergy a few weeks ago

- nothing serious -

just a runny nose, dry, rosy cheeks, and watery eyes -

 but nevertheless, we discontinued all food items with grain.

We substituted the typical oatmeal for a container of Yo Baby pear or banana yogurt and when I say Baker is goo goo over yogurt,

I am not even doing his love of breakfast justice.

It's my favorite meal of the day to feed him!

For lunch, he has two vegetables, and for dinner,

 two vegetables and one fruit.

Boy hasn't tried one thing he hasn't LOVED!

So far, he's eaten cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash, green beans, Lima beans, English peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, avocados, pears.

 

Honk shoos.

You know, sleeps, snoring.

My boy snores and I love it to pieces.

Him sleeping on my chest, breathing slow, rhythmic breaths,

is one of the most peaceful, heartwarming sounds my ears have ever heard.

Baker sleeps well.

He naps throughout the day and sleeps from about 6:30 in the evening until 6:30 in the morning.

I am so thankful for this!

We still rock him to sleep.

He's my baby, my first baby, my only baby, and at the end of the day,

there is nothing I love more than rocking him to sleep.

 

He still goes to Physical and Occupational Therapy twice a week for one hour visits, and Speech Therapy once a month (but we are due for a reeval, and I think we'll increase to twice per month).

 

I get told all the time he looks like me.
Don't tell Brian, but this thrills me to no end!
I mean, have you seen him?
He's the most precious thing EVER!

This is probably going to sound bizarre, but I'm his mommy and I can be bizarre.
All of a sudden, Baker's breath smells like breath.
Like it has a smell, not just baby, but a real smell.
And it's perfect.
So good, I could bottle it.
I told you, bizarre.
But, to me, delicious.
Absolute perfection.

 

My Baker Boy loves life.

Bath time, playing on the floor, sitting in his high chair, talking, laughing, being tickled, bouncing, rocking, reading.

He is a gift.
His presence in our lives is the greatest present - you see what I did there?
Clever, huh?

 

The past nine months.

I have a feeling they are just a mere glimpse of the joy and love we will experience through sweet Baker's life.