9 months.

Nathaniel is nine months today! And, to celebrate, he popped another tooth through, then said his very first word!! My boy is growing up so quickly...! Our nine month check-up is next week, so I'll update with his length and weight then.

Like any 9-month-old, Nathaniel loves to play! He loves his toys, and is finally big enough to play with some of the heavier ones that he couldn't hold when he was tiny. He will pick up anything and turn it over and over in his hands to investigate. He'll pound things together and off of the floor to hear the sound, and he'll give anything a good bite! He loves his vibrating teethers, and he knows which end to bite. He's very good at working the pop-up toy, and he knows how to make his little driving set work. He likes anything that makes noises, and he loves to knock over block towers! One of his favorite activities is ripping up the ad inserts from the newspaper--inexpensive, and loads of fun! He also loves to play with Mommy's cell phone, the remote control, and even the real phone. His favorite game is peek-a-boo, and he'll cover his face with anything that he can grab, just to wait for someone to say, "Where's Nathaniel...?!"

Nate loves to "talk" and squeal and laugh! He's been saying "mama" forever when he's babbling or crying, but he actually repeated it back to me today! Three times! Granted, he was eating a barley teething biscuit, and probably thinks that "mama" means "yummy" or something, but it still counts!

We've been trying to give Nate lots of tummy time lately, so that he has an opportunity to learn to crawl. As always, he hates tummy time! Nevertheless, he's doing very well! He pops his bottom up in the air, and he pushes his chest up off of the floor.....but he just needs to get both going at the same time! For a few days, I thought that he was going to scoot around on his belly, but he seems to have decided that that isn't the way to go--and, for the sake of his laundry, I'm glad! We're working on crawling, but, I have to admit, I'm appreciating my little guy being non-mobile! That being said, Eric and I really need to get on the ball with this whole baby-proofing business; the cabinet locks in a package on the counter aren't doing much good!

As of today, Nathaniel has eight teeth--four on top, and four on bottom. Now that these eight are through, I've got my fingers crossed that we'll get a break from teething for a while! Even though he's not super fussy when they're coming in, I know that they do bother him, especially when he's (we're) trying to sleep.

Nate's newest favorite activity/toys are his toes! I think that our recent warm weather and bare feet have given his a renewed interest in his feet! He loves to grab them, stick them in his mouth, and, best of all, get tickled!

Nathaniel is the most loving baby, even though he's a wiggle worm! He loves his mommy, daddy, and doggy--and often wants to cuddle for a minute or two between play sessions! He give great big, open-mouthed kisses--very wet, but oh so sweet! He is always smiley, especially when he wakes up in the mornings. He has recently started to have some stranger anxiety, but nothing too troublesome. He's fussed when I've dropped him off in the nursery for the past few Sundays, but he's calmed down before I've even walked out each time. We've had no major meltdowns to break my own heart...yet!

I am still nursing Nathaniel several times a day, and he usually eats three meals of solids. He has a fruit and/or yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast, some sort of finger food (which he feeds himself) for lunch, and a vegetable for supper. He's tasted small bits of meat a few times, but doesn't seem to care for the texture. I'm planning to start incorporating more meats into his diet soon. Other than the meats, he hasn't encountered any foods that he doesn't like! He's eaten a huge variety of fruits and vegetables, and I hope that he continues to enjoy them as he grows up! Some of his favorites right now are blueberries, pears, green beans, and peas.