sweetgrass

I just can't believe how quickly this year is going by. The next time I write one of these posts, Sam will be one! Our little Sam - he isn't little anymore. He's over 20 pounds, 29 and 1/4 inches, in size four diapers and 12 month clothes. He has four teeth and his chubby thighs have started to thin out (a little bit). His eyes are deep brown and his hair is very blond. He has a dimple in his right cheek and he smiles easily. When he's especially happy, he gives us "the Muppet smile", a huge open-mouthed grin (see eight month photo above).

It's so fun to compare Sam's personality now to his personality as a newborn. In some ways he hasn't changed, like how he is happiest when he is interacting with the people he loves. And the way he still loves music - bobbing his head and sometimes "singing" along. But he surprises me in other ways. I had him pegged as passive and calm, a classic "laid back" second child, but in the last few months he has shown us that is not the case. He's assertive and he does whatever he has to do to be heard/get what he wants/keep up with Michael. He's strong and determined, which makes him a handful these days, but most of the time leaves us smiling proudly. He's no longer happy to go tearing around the kitchen in his walker. He wants to be on the floor crawling and getting into cabinets, so we've fenced in the playroom and kitchen to keep him contained while I cook.

He's talkative - babbling, yelling and trying out new noises all the time. He says "Buh-buh" (Bubba (Michael)),  "Dada", "Mama", "Nigh-nigh" (when he's tired or wants to nurse), "Bah" (ball), "Bababa" (bottle of water), and he will roar like a lion and baa like a sheep. He claps and waves and the other day he told me "bye bye Mama" and waved. He also hums when he's really enjoying his food. Michael used to do that when he ate (and still does sometimes!) and we get such a kick out of seeing Sam do the same thing! He loves food. He eats everything we give him, and now that he has four teeth he's chewing a little bit which is really cute. He still nurses in the morning, and to go to sleep, but he seems to be losing interest in nursing during the day. He's just too busy. All he wants to do is explore. He's crawling, pulling up, and cruising a little bit. He has even let go when he's standing a few times, and then plopped right onto his bottom. We've caught him climbing the stairs too.

He loves: Michael, Daddy, Michael's toys, balls, music, having his cheeks nibbled, playing in the bathtub and the pool, exploring new places, riding in the stroller, chasing and being chased by Michael, strawberry yogurt, riding on his bus, getting tossed around by Daddy, being tickled, having his back and arms scratched, and nursing to sleep.

He does not like: being still for diaper changes, being strapped in to his carseat, having his nose wiped, napping at the same time as Michael, and being held by unfamiliar people.

Happy nine months, Samuel! We love you, so! xoxo

(And just for fun, Michael at nine months. Oh, the heartache.)