9 Months Old

Okay, so I promised I was not going to say it anymore...so I'm not.  But, this month was seriously my favorite with all of the Christmas festivities and fun.  Whoops - I just said it, didn't I?  Oh well!  In the midst of all of the holiday excitement and his never-ending stomach virus, Hayes managed to make some major leaps in his milestones this month.  It is one of the most amazing feelings to virtually see that lightbulb go off in their tiny, little head.  One day, you are wondering when they are going to begin doing something...and the next day they are.  Such a cool part of parenting!  So, let's get right down to it and rattle off all of those new found skills...

• One of Hayes's most favorite things to do right now is pull himself to a standing position...and he only requires very minimal assistance for such a big feat.  And what does he pull himself up on, you ask?  Anything - toys, people, furniture, you name it!
• And once he gets to a standing position, he never wants to get down.  This boy LOVES to stand!  I literally have to force him to sit down and give himself a break...or me a break...whichever comes first.
• Another fun skill that Hayes recently learned is how to clap his hands.  He likes to clap when we sing songs, get out fun toys, and of course - for himself and his achievements.  No self-esteem issues here!
• Hayes's fine motor continues to get better by the day.  He is really learning how to isolate his fingers, and he enjoys partaking in tasks that require this skill.  In fact, several of his new toys require some pretty advanced fine motor skills...which is just fine by him!
• These fine motor skills continue to come in handy when it comes to eating too.  When Hayes began finger feeding, only about half of the food would end up in his mouth.  The other half would end up on the floor, in his highchair, stuck to his legs.  Not anymore!  He uses that pincer grasp to make sure and get every last crumb in his chubby little mouth now.  That's my  boy!!
• Speaking of eating, Hayes is quickly making the transition from runny baby food purees to grown-up table food.  He and I are known to share everything from cheesy baked potatoes to sweet potato pancakes...and lots of things in between.
• So, now you know that Hayes and I share table food...but, you might be wondering what Hayes and his daddy share.  Well, that answer is easy - selective hearing.  His receptive skills continue to be top notch, but now he is learning to only hear what he wants to hear.  Prime example - the word "no"!
• As you can guess from my post a few weeks ago, the new skill that I cherish the most is that he can now say "mama".  Typically, he says it indiscriminately when he is playing or calling out for me...but there are times that he uses it very clearly and purposefully too.  Either way, it melts my heart every, single time!  (Oh, and he also has a bunch of other consonant-vowel combinations now - baba, gaga, etc.  Those are just not nearly as important though!)

Hayes Robert Davis

9 Months

Weight - 16 pounds 9 ounces (2%)

Height - 28 inches (40%)

Head Circumference - 17 inches (5%)

Once again, I have to add an extra picture.  Hayes is getting more and more difficult to take still shots of, and after only a few quick pictures in his chair - this is the view I got!  Gotta love my little mover!