9 months old!

this past month has been insane!

gabe is finally crawling now...it started off slow a few weeks ago, but yesterday he managed to crawl from the carpet all the way to the kitchen (all in an effort to meet beau...more on him later)! he's also working on lifting his body up, doing a "downward dog" and seeing what can develop from that, which is usually nothing :-) gabe's also showing interest in walking...if i hold his hands he'll push his legs up to standing and he'll take a few steps forward.

crawling out of his room after mama!

2 more teeth have popped out, for a grand total of 6 teeth! and with the growth of his first 4 teeth, he's started to grind them together...very unpleasant. i'm not sure if he's becoming a fussy eater or what, but he's refused food on a few occasions. i'll have to jazz up his meals and make them more interesting! i've tried to encourage self-feeding, but the nutrios are too small for him to make the hand-mouth coordination; the bananas just get all mushed up before they get to his mouth. and honestly, i hate the mess babies make when they self-feed, so i just have to get over that and let it be.

we've had to lower the crib to the bottom setting since i caught gabe on his knees with his hands on the top railing trying to push himself up. now i have peace of mind knowing that gabe's safely confined in his crib.

we've successfully completed his swim lessons at ED Pool. unfortunately they didn't end on a happy note...during his back starfish, the instructor said to lean them back so their ears were in the water and gabe hated it! then to top it off at the end of class the instructor turned on the fountains but my little man was mad when we went through them.

my mom instincts have gotten sharper. gabe's been a busy boy this past month, and i've caught him in the acts of all his "naughty" behaviours. he definitely does make a different noise, whether it's crying or general chatter, when he's attempting something new and exciting. gabe's been testing out his vocal chords and hasn't let us forget that he's around - the "dadada's", "wawawa's", and "bababa's" are so cute...it just melts my heart to hear him.


now that gabe has a more predictable schedule, we've jumped back into puppysitting PADS dogs. i knew beau was the perfect dog for our return to puppysitting...he's an older dog, full knowledge of the basic commands, and so docile. and sure enough, the two of them were nose to nose and gabe got a big lick on the face :P even when gabe started poking at beau's paws, there was nothing more than a head-lift and a look of boredom from beau. while walking the dog with a stroller presents its challenges (the stroller's gotten away from me a couple times!), and having an un-neutered dog is a first for us (i think he's marked every tree in our 'hood), there's nothing i love more than spending time with my boys.