Keeping Up With Kallen--9 Months!!

Mr. Kallen!
You turned 9 months Oct. 3rd, 2011. I LOVE 9 months! Well I loved 8 months too :) A lot. But I was holding you last night thinking about how you'll be 1 in just 3 months and really can't believe that your baby months are flying by. You even look a little more "kidish." When you're standing up I can tell you're a little leaner and you're growing into your body. And I hold you now like a big boy. I can't cuddle you up like a little bundle of baby. Now your legs hang down and you hold me just as much as I hold you.

You have become VERY mobile the last few weeks. You've mastered standing. You can stand, squat down to pick up a toy and stand back up. The day you turned 9 months you mastered walking behind your walker. Raya did the exact same thing the day she turned 9 months. So you're pretty much right on track with her physical milestones. Actually, you're a little ahead of her because she didn't stand unassisted until about 9.5 months and you've been doing it since 8.5 months. You've also taken STEPS!!! You took one step 2 nights ago and I thought you were going down but you caught yourself and stood back up. Yesterday you took another one. Oh baby boy, you're killin me! I'm not ready for this! You are a VERY fast crawler, especially when I open the door to the patio. If its possible to sprint while crawling, you do it! You love to be outside, so as soon as I open the door you make a beeline. You're also cruising all over the house. You'll go through the whole living room from chair to couch to chair to baby gate, whatever you can hold onto and walk next to.

The very sweet thing about you is that no matter how much you grow you continue to be the cuddliest baby! You love to snuggle and hug on me. You'd be totally fine if I decided to carry you around all day. If you get the littlest bit tired or hungry you crawl around behind me whimper for me to pick you up. Sometimes you'll say "Mama" too :) And then when I do pick you up you hug me just like I imagine a koala hugs. Uh, you're so stinkin sweet!!! Its just about impossible to stay in a bad mood after picking you up. Sometimes I get a little annoyed because I'll be in the kitchen trying to wash dishes and you'll pull yourself up on my legs and just hold on and whimper, so when I finally give up on the dishes and pick you up you instantly hug me and I'm wrapped around your little fat finger. Is this cuddly sweetness a boy thing? Raya was never like this. I knew she loved me and she was a mama's girl, but she was never lovey-dovey like this. Who knew boys were SO. MUCH. FUN!!

You have 5 teeth now- 2 front teeth, and 3 on the bottom. You sleep through the night...usually go to bed about 8 or 9 and wakeup about 5:30, but just to eat :) I'll give you a bottle and you'll go back to sleep until about 7:30. You're a great sleeper! You take about 3 naps a day, sometimes 4. You're morning nap is usually in my arms while I Facebook, or vote for myself for the RAW Makeup Awards. lol.

You're in size 12 month clothes. Those fit you great. You're also wearing some 18months. I'm not sure what your Stats are for the month, but we go to your 9month doctor appointment tomorrow. You weigh 22.5 pounds and are about 29in long- that's the 75percentile for both height and weight. You're wearing your size 4 shoes. But I can rarely get your feet in them. You have the chunkiest feet! They're like blocks. Its so hard to get shoes on them. You're in a size 4 diaper.

You're a very happy kid. You laugh a lot. And a lot of those times its at yourself. You crack yourself up. Haha! I wonder where you get that ;) And this very second you just stood up, looked at me, busted up laughing and took another step! HAHAHA. You're also still a very loud baby. You make all kinds of nosies and when you're playing you bang everything! Its so funny how different you and Raya play. I don't remember Raya really banging her toys, but you will sit with a smaller toy in you're hand and bang the hell outta whatever bigger toy is in front of you.

And I forgot to post this last month, but you said your first word!!! And it was "Mama!!!" I have a video of it. You said it a few days after you turned 8 months :) Here's the video:

Kallen bug, thank you for being the sweetest mama's boy! I am so lucky to have a baby love me like you do. You are the sweetest part of my life. When I was pregnant I joked about not being able to love you like I loved Raya because she was my second half. And I don't love you like I love Raya. Its such a different kind of love. You're my favorite son :) You make life better.
I love you!!!
Xoxo. Mom