+ December +
Oh my goodness. Well. We made it through a nasty nasty bug which you felt it was necessary to bring home. Everyone got it, and your ear infection was matched by my own. Daddy and I both missed a ton of work, and you missed almost the whole week of daycare. Fortunately, everyone was feeling better in time for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day you had an upset stomach, though, so you weren't really very cheerful. Oh well. Not much we can do about that I suppose.

You are 9.5 months old now. That boggles my mind.

It's astounding what you can do and what you know now. I am amazed by your cleverness, like waiting patiently and sneaking a peek to see if we're watching after we've told you "No" to grabbing things you're not supposed to grab. You are drawn to the videos/DVD's like a freakish magnet. And doggie toys. You crawl like a speed demon, and pull up constantly. You easily cruise around furniture and reach from one thing to another with alarming ease. I understand better every day all the descriptions I've heard about babies and their stages. You're more of a handful all the time, but watching you grow is so rewarding all at once. It makes me choke up with emotion when you reach for me, or watch me while someone else is holding you. I know you don't have a choice about your attachment to me, but it blows me away that this incredible human being thinks I am truly the bee's knees.

At your Dr's appointment at the beginning of your last illness, you weighed 17 lbs. 4 oz. Four days later, you were down to 16 lbs. 10 oz. (yikes!), but the doctor said it was okay. At any rate, you should be weighing somewhere in the 17+ lb. range. My arms can feel it too, I tell ya!

You babble constantly, and you still have just the four teeth. The two middle ones have been threatening to break through for days, but nothing yet. I don't envy you your teething fun.