My baby boy is 9 months old!

I can't believe it's been 9 months! I can't believe it's December already and the year is coming to a close! So much has been happening lately, we've been so busy with Ali being on the job market and trying to get all his stuff done. It's amazing how quickly days and weeks and months slip past you when you are busy with life.

In the spirit of celebrating his 3/4 year, here is a letter to the boy.

Dear Elyas,

You are nine months old now. Nine months! I know that doesn't seem old, and really, it isn't. You are still brand new in the grand scheme of things. And you probably won't *really* understand this until you have children of your own, but it is just that time is moving so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was snuggling my newborn, nameless son my arms. And bam! here you are nine months old. This has been an incredible month for you. You are crawling now, despite having us all tricked into thinking you wouldn't ever crawl, you did it, and you are FAST! You also like to pull up on things and cruise around the room, from couch, to wall, to table to chair. It probably won't be long before you are walking, my boy.

Your former nickname, Mr. Wigglesworth, has been replaced with Mr. Bonk. As if bonking your head on the pavement in October wasn't enough, you manage to bonk your head on things several times a day. The floor, the wall, random objects strewn about the house (oh, did I mention you and your sister and quite messy? It's a full time job just cleaning up after you two!). You must have a hard head or a masochistic streak, because in addition to all this unintentional head-bonking you have become quite the little head-butter. If I am holding you on my hip, with your back to me, you take a heap of joy in ramming your head back into my shoulder. You know the word "bonk", and if you hear it, you take opportunity to bonk whomever is holding you.

More of your personality is coming out now, Mr. Elyas. You like to dance and you like music. And you actually have great rhythm! Anything is a drum to your little hands. You have also discovered your love for people besides mama. When your baba comes home from work, you see him and crawl straight for him! Your grandma has become a hot commodity, and you LOVE going to see her. And you pull up on your sister and give her loves, and you like to play wrestle with her sometimes now.

You have gained a few quasi words - num (which means food), mama (meaning me), and mam-mam (meaning more food). You really, really love food. We had to stop feeding you grains after starting you on some because you broke out in eczema, but after a month of not having the grains, and the reintroducing oats, your eczema is starting to clear with a little diaper ointment and time; I think it is mostly the latter at work. You really like blueberries, which is a new food this month. Though you don't turn your nose up to much. You do, however, still gag on pretty much everything you eat. You have such a sensitive gag reflex!

While you love to eat food, you love nursing even more. You are my sweet little snuggle bug. I have a hard time even thinking about how much I love you, because when I do I feel like I'm going to explode with happiness. You are just my sweet little guy. I can't imagine what life was before you (though I do think there was more sleep involved). A part of me wishes these days would last forever; the time when I am your favorite person in the world and we have a special relationship that no one can break into. I look forward to seeing who you will become, but I love you so much right now, it is hard to think of you as anything but my sweet little boy. Has this gotten too mushy for you? Probably. Well, looking back, know that your mother loves you more than you could ever know.



And some pictures of my little guy: