9 months

H, at 9 months old you weigh 21 pounds and you are 29 1/8 inches long. That puts you in the 75th percentile for weight and 80th percentile for height. It seems you grow more every day. In fact, the days of your infant car seat are numbered. It is clear that your long legs are close to requesting an upgrade.

You are still on the move. Your crawl has gotten faster, and you can even stand for a few seconds on your own. Recently, you began walking sideways while holding on to things. People tell us you will be walking soon. We are in no rush, but you are in a rush everywhere - especially when you see something you want. There is no stopping you.

You still have never met a stranger and you delight in getting others attention. When we are out and about, you will spot a stranger and smile and stare at them until they return the smile or talk to you. This month, you now not only charm people with your big smile, but also with a big, energetic wave.

Mama and Dada are your main words. Your Daddy and I debate if you use them discriminantly,  but regardless you say them both. Your favorite new thing is any ceiling light. When we ask you where the light is, you will look up to the ceiling and point to it with a big smile. You can even do the sign for light.

You are eating almost all table foods now. I think you like being in control and feeding yourself.

The baby Tooth Fairy still has not visited this house. We can see little buds where your bottom teeth will be, but as of now you still have a sweet, toothless smile. We may start taking bets on whether you will walk or get a tooth first.

And of course, at 9 months, you still do not always sleep through the night. You have good nights and bad ones, but somehow you always seem to wake up pretty happy at 6 am, so there is rarely need for an alarm clock.

You are a sweet, happy, and social baby. We can't wait to see what the next month brings.