Gabe- Nine Months

My precious boy,

Today, you are nine months old.  That's three-quarters of the way of the way to your first birthday!  What a sweet nine months these have been for us.  Your daddy and I have loved watching you grow and change day by day.

Lately, it seems like you are turning into such a big boy!  You are no longer content to be down on the floor.  You prefer to look at the world from your feet.  You pull up on everything, and have even started experimenting with letting go.  You can only stand on your own for a few seconds before plopping down on your diaper, but that doesn't deter you from trying again and again.  It's only a matter of time before you find your balance, and then I believe you'll be a walker!

Your mouth is filling up with teeth!  You have four on the bottom now, and four more breaking through on the top.  Your poor gums look so painful right now, but you are a trooper.  You chew, chew, chew on anything you can find, but you don't complain too much.  

When those top teeth find their way in, you'll be so much better at chewing food!  I'm excited for you to start trying more of what we are eating!  I sometimes call you my baby bird, because you'll watch what I am eating with your mouth open expectantly, waiting for me to drop in some morsel of yumminess.

And speaking of that mouth- you have learned how to give kisses.  Giant, sloppy, open-mouthed kisses.  If I lean over to kiss your face, you open your mouth wide and lean toward me.  I love this.  One day these kisses won't be so wet, but until then, I don't really mind your slobber on my face. 

You are starting to learn how to wave!  Right now, you only wave at yourself.  You open and close your little fist, right in front of your face, and you laugh a little.  This is adorable.

And that laugh- it is quite simply the most amazing sound I have ever heard.  You are ticklish, and you laugh when daddy slides his fingers up your back or gives raspberries on your belly.  You laugh when I suddenly look at you and gasp as if in shock from your cuteness.  You laugh when we throw you up in the air and catch you (carefully!).  You laugh when you get to splash water in the bathtub.  You are such a happy baby.

My sweet Gabriel Clark, the nine months that it took for you to grow in my belly were magical.  But they've got nothin' on these past nine months that we've had you with us.

I'll love you forever,

Mama