Well, it's finally happened. 9 months in, 9 months out. Well, sort of. More like, 10ish months in, plus an entire 9 EXTRA DAYS, and we all know even one day to a pregnant woman is an eternity.
That's 9 eternities, right there.
Anyway. 9 months. I can't believe it. Those 9 months of pregnancy went by soooooo slowly, and these last 9 have flown. Literally flown. A few of my friends have had babies in the last few days and it's been amazing to see their pictures and think back to when Wyatt was that tiny. I can't believe he was, and how big he is now. He crawls! He babbles! He eats anything and everything in reach! Whether it's food or not! He went from just laying there and squawking to banging on the sliding glass door.
picture via Caleb
I thought Wy was active last month. Now he's all over the place! He's completely given up scooting and crawls everywhere, or at least until he can find something to pull himself up on. I talked to my parents this last month and was told that my dad walked at 9 months. I cannot IMAGINE him walking this young, but I think he'll be there soon. (My, that's a scary thought.) He has stuff to do. Things to get into. Work.
These are his new favorite play things, the large bin I purchased on sale recently, perfect for holding ice and drinks during a barbecue, and the little box that holds, currently, my label machine and the extra plug covers. Pretty much all he could ever want.
Want to know his other favorites? The wire(ish) tube that connects the toilet to the wall, and the cap that covers the screws on the bottom of the toilet that is, of course, loose. He also really enjoys trying to open the cabinet doors, but we've put those latches on them, so he stands there forever banging the door open and closed. It never gets old. He loves trying to eat the stainless steel garbage can, pulling everything out of my diaper bag, and opening the dvd player.
picture via Caleb
We have a long road ahead.
He's also started babbling with consonants and it's "ba ba ba" and "ah-ba" all day long. It's pretty adorable, I won't lie. Especially the shrieky, high pitched ones. I'm sure it will get old, the shrieking I mean, but for now we're enjoying it. Speaking of "talking", I just bought the Baby Signing Time DVD and we've watched it a couple of times and have started using some of the signs. It's only been a couple of days but he's already starting to understand what some of them mean. Mostly the sign for food. The boy loves his yogurt melts, that's for sure. I think it's going to be a great tool, and will hopefully help cut down on some of the meltdowns.
In other mouth related news, the kid has a total of 8 teeth now. He went from 4 to 8 in just a couple of days. We found them on Friday and though I had thought he might be starting to teethe again, I had no idea he'd already cut 3 and had one more to go. I was shocked, actually, 4 new teeth! And they're sharp little guys! And sort of adorable, too. A little elusive, you either have to get him to laugh really hard, or hold him upside down. He's not a fan of showing off his pearly whites by hand. We try, we do, but he doesn't like it.

Also? Wyatt is sleeping THROUGH THE NIGHT. 7 or 7:30 pm until 7 or 7:30 am. I am absolutely loving it, and trying not to be distracted by the fact that many people's brand new babies are already almost doing that. (You know who you are, you lucky ducks!) He'll occasionally wake up, but I've only had to go in there once in the past month. It's amazing. A full night's sleep!The first night he did it I panicked. The second and third and fourth night I was ecstatic. Sleep! Uninterrupted sleep! Hours and hours and hours of it! All at once!
Now if only I could just stop waking up. Apparently it's become a habit.
Did I say that 6 months was my favorite so far? I lied. 9 months is my favorite. In fact, it's just getting better and better. Harder in some ways, sure. He doesn't stay in the same spot I left him. He doesn't lay there calmly while I change his diaper. I am constantly pulling him away from the fireplace, the toilet, and outlets, but he's also so funny to watch. He is fascinated by the smallest things like receipts and whisks. He is determined to get what he wants, and will crawl up and over anything in his path. He has a funny little goofy sense of humor, right up his Dad's alley. He makes soft whistle noises through the gaps in his teeth, and I just love the sound. He is happiest when he's exploring, and is learning so much about the world around him. He gets excited about string cheese, blueberries, and the sound of the keys in the lock when Caleb gets home. He's my little buddy, and I absolutely love him.
Classic, banana chunk in the hair, I have no idea how it got there...
We love you, big guy.