Busy Week, Busy Month!

I have to start back at work on Monday, and I had two big goals for John Dickson before he would have to go back to daycare...

1. Eating finger foods
2. Drinking from a cup

It's not that I was in a hurry for him to reach those milestones, but it will be another 3 months before Im off again, and it's so hard to work with him on new things when he is in daycare 5 days out of the week. I told you John Dickson started eating finger foods on Monday, but then on Thursday he started drinking from his cup! For the first couple he had trouble figuring out how to get the last 2 ounces or so out, but he's figured it out and is a little champ!



He also spent some time this week studying the dryer (one of my all time favorite pictures...look at that cherub face!)...



...and reorganizing the pots and pans cabinet. Actually there are no pans, but it felt weird to say "the pot cabinet." Adam calls this his "Farmer John" outfit.



He also had an interview at Blanchard... taking after his mommy :-)




It's funny... every month Adam and I find ourselves talking about how we don't want John Dickson to get any bigger or any older, that he's just perfect that month. And yet every month is better than the last. Probably my favorite thing this month was John Dickson starting to crawl over to me when I'm on the floor, and pulling up to be hugged and loved on for a minute or two. He has started to play an adorable game of chase where he squeals when you start to catch up with him. While he doesn't have a "lovey" or other security object, he has started trying to carry his toys with him all over the house. He'll crawl room to room with a pair of pajames, or will pull his van around by the string. He also crawls around with the "cookies" from his cookie jar and it sounds like he has iron knuckles. He's started saying "dada" and the occasional "mama", and we've watched his sense of humor develop as well. Anticipation just kills him! If you turn around really slowly or go to tickle him really slowly, or when he hears you getting close during his chase games, he just cracks up with that big belly laugh. He got his first tooth and he started showing real interest in one of his Baby Einstein DVDs (for better or for worse). All in month 9. Crazy.

9 months old!

John Dickson turned 9 months yesterday and commemorated the event with a visit to the pediatrician... a well visit! We had forgotten what those were like! He had lost weight right before Christmas - at least a pound - so the numbers may be a little skewed, but he weighed in at 19 lbs 12 oz (almost 40th percentile) and measured 29 inches (75th percentile). His head was also in the 75th. He got shots again and wasn't quite the big boy he was last time. There was a little screaming, but he got over it as soon as I picked him up.

I talked to the doctor about his eating woes... the boy hates anything remotely solid (not strained, but actual solid foods). I told her we had been trying for 6 weeks now to get him to eat stage 3 food or tiny bits of banana or his puffs. However, John Dickson will gag himself or throw up trying to get it out of his mouth. He also has learned to use his fingers to get it out, or to hang his head over and salivate until it falls out. Meal time is exhausting! So the doctor said it isn't anything to worry about until he is 1 yr. I took him home and fixed the two of us some lunch. He ate, and then while I was eating I poured some puffs in front of him to play with while I finished eating. I looked over and he was feeding himself puffs! Actually chewing and swallowing. He did keep one finger in his mouth I guess to make sure those puffs didn't try to sneak off or something, but he was doing it! He's not very good at it, so I helped him with a few more, but he ate them! Since then he's had a tiny bit of banana and a smidgen of cheese. We've started introducing dairy, and he LOVES yogurt!! Still gets infuriated by any attempts to make him drink juice, but baby steps, right?

Another funny puff related story... (puffs are like flavored puffed rice, in case you're wondering) While John Dickson was eating some puffs yesterday he held one out over the side of his high chair and Bear came over and sniffed it. Then John Dickson yanked it back and squealed with laughter! He did it three times!! We may have a little bully on our hands...

And lastly, yesterday Dr. Greene said "John Dickson, I think you may be a little bit spoiled!" Hmm... sounds about right!!! Spoiled, but every bit as sweet!!

John Dickson's 1st Second Christmas

John Dickson's 1st 2nd Christmas was spent in Winston Salem with Granna, Papa, Aunt Erin & Uncle Jason. There was more of taking bows off of presents, playing with ribbon and grabbing ornaments off of the tree. John Dickson also really liked trying to eat Frosty's nose and playing with dog toys. Also in Winston, John Dickson started mimicking this sound he makes that sounds like radio station static... he's been doing it for a while, but now if you do it to him, he will look at you, make the sound back, and grin. And that grin is thiiiis close to having a 2nd tooth!