Nine Month News

That's right, Charlie is nine months old, and I can't believe we are only three months away from his first birthday. And yes, I have already started planning for the big day :o) This month, like all the rest, flew by in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Charlie is into everything! He is still army crawling, and to be honest with you, I don't see him ever crawling on his hands and knees. Oh, don't worry though, it doesn't slow him down at all! I can't leave him alone for a minute. Today, while unloading groceries, I found Charlie splashing in Samson's water bowl. He had the biggest grin on his face, and I am convinced he knew he was up to no good! The scary part is how quickly he scooted across the kitchen without me seeing him. In addition to crawling, Charlie can also sit up on his own and is starting to pull up to stand. Crawling has thrown me for enough of a loop. I can only pray that walking is still a few months away.

One of the biggest milestones that I have to share this month is that Charlie has started to wave and clap. The waving is just about the cutest thing. He actually waves with his palm facing himself. I guess that is the view he sees when we wave to him. As for clapping, I don't know who gets more of a thrill, him or me!?! The reason this milestone is so exciting to me, is because we never intentionally taught Charlie these skills. He has just picked them up on his own from paying attention and mimicking us. His baby brain is taking so much in, and it just makes a mommy proud!

Charlie was also introduced to finger foods this month. He LOVES Gerber Puffs and Cheerios for a snack. We have also given him small pieces of meat, fruits, and veggies. It is very messy, but again, it is so rewarding to see his hand-eye coordination improve with each passing day. I am still nursing Charlie, but he is getting less and less interested. He is just so busy and easily distracted, that it is hard to get him to nurse during the day. It makes me sad to think about weaning him. It has been such a wonderful bonding experience, that I hate to let it go. My goal is to make it to his first birthday.

We have a nine month check up next week, so I am eager to see how much the little guy has grown. We went to the doctor right after he turned eight months, and Charlie weighed 18.5 pounds. I will update everyone on Charlie's visit next week. I also promise to update the photo gallery with pictures from November soon.

He was waving when I snapped this shot.

Nine WHOLE months today!!!!