Levi Andrew: 9 Months Old

Dear Levi,

You are 9 months old and crawling all over the house :)

I have enjoyed watching you learn how to crawl.  Your crawling style morphed over the month from a belly reach-and-pull to a real boy crawl with very purposeful stepping of the hands (slap slap slap the floor with your open hands).  You love being able to get around and to satisfy your curiosity about everything within reach.

You can pull up to your knees to get higher up and reach farther.  Your precious little hands are always reaching, touching, grabbing and holding.  You are such an explorer.  When I'm explaining your behavior to Whitney, I make the comparison that you're kind of like Curious George.  You are so curious about all "her" things, too.  She doesn't like to share with you, but I've been working on building that generosity in her.  You are so innocent.  I have a mental picture of your precious, innocent face when Whitney is scolding you not to touch her things and batting your hand away.  Funny, but not funny!  I hope that soon she will stop being so possessive.  She has her moments, but I know deep down that she is crazy in love with you, too.

You are 18.5 pounds (30th percentile) and 28.5 inches (70th percentile).  You are long and lean!  Still wearing size 12 month clothes.  You have the cutest body.  I know, I'm your mom, and I love everything about you.  Your face is so round right now and you have plump little cheeks.  Your eyes are dark.  They are not really brown, per se.  I guess I would call them slate grey.  They are a hard color to define at this point.  Strangers often comment on your striking eyes.  Your hair is growing a lot and it is blonde just like Whitney's hair.  We think it's so funny to have two blondies!  You just got your top front teeth poking through the surface of your gums, too!

You clap and when you're excited, you wave both of your hands simultaneously and hop a little bit on your bottom when you are sitting on the floor.  Sometimes you raise one hand and wave it around as though you are waving "hi" (but I'm not sure if you mean anything by it, yet).  You are still pretty quiet but this month, you started saying, "Dada" when you see Daddy and a few times we heard you utter "Mama" in reference to Mommy.

Your favorite things right now: splashing water in the bath.  WATER EVERYWHERE!  The cookie monster toy remote control (and the real remote).  Cheerios, puffs, and baby mum mums.  Food served in pouches.  Food containing applesauce (great for getting you to try new foods).  Your ball popper.  Whitney's Minnie rattles from the Dollar Store.  Exploring everything!  Including drawers, cabinets, electrical cords and electrical outlets.

You love to be carried around, either in my arms or in the Ergo.  You're drinking formula (and you love it) when Mommy is away from home.  You love to nurse.  You get up at about 3 am every morning to nurse (other than that, you sleep from about 6 pm till 6 am with the 3 am nursing session).  You adore your sister.  You climb on her and pull her hair and touch her face.  You love her room and try to get her books off of her bookshelf and you play with her dollhouse furniture.  You love Daddy.  You love when he tips you upside down.  You ask for it by tipping your head back when he's holding you.  You want to go upside down over and over!

Another thing I haven't mentioned before is that you wake up with only one thing in mind--nursing.  If I try to take your sleep sack off or change your diaper first, you get so upset.  You like to wake up slow.  I totally get that.  I do, too (I wonder when you'll let Mama wake up slow!).

We love you so much.  You are such an awesome little boy!  Mommy enjoys watching you grow and change each day!

Levi Andrew: 8 Months Old

You are 8 months old now! 

This month, you learned how to clap your hands and crawl. 

Watching you sit on the floor and clap with a huge gooey smile on your face is one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen.  I just love watching you!  You are so precious, Levi!  Your giggle is another thing that I can’t get enough of.  It is the sweetest laugh.  You are much too much, my son!  Oh, how I love you.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much.   

You have a magnetic affinity for things that you aren’t supposed to have, especially paper and paperback books.  This has been hugely motivating for you to learn to crawl--so you can eat paper things that Whitney has left on the floor!  Your current crawling style looks like a wounded warrior.  You can tuck your knees and lift one hand off the ground and move it ahead, but then you get down on your belly and drag yourself forward by grabbing the carpet and pulling yourself along. 

You have become really good at transitioning from crawling to sitting.  You crawl a little bit to get to what you want, then you sit up and play for a while, then get back down and crawl a little further, repeat.

It’s hard to change your diaper these days.  You immediately flip over on your tummy and start to leave the changing table (we change you in between the double sinks in our bathroom, so you like to crawl towards the sink and turn on the faucets full blast!).  You are so fast!  It isn’t easy, but I change your diaper either while you are on your tummy or I stand you up in order to fasten your diaper. 

Everything goes in your mouth.  Everything.  Daddy and I have had to remove all of Whitney’s little toys and other things that you might choke on.  Now that you are moving around, you are curious about all kinds of things you shouldn’t have.

At the end of the month, you began to like food, including food served in pouches.  I bet you will start putting weight on now (you didn’t gain any weight from six to eight months).  You are long and lean!  Yet very, very strong!

You had your first ear infection and first really bad virus this month.  As soon as the antibiotics kicked in, you were feeling so good and that’s when all these big changes happened. 

You still get up to nurse once per night, in general.  Sometimes a few times.  You nap twice during the daytime and sleep about 12 hours at night with one nursing session.

You still love to be carried around.  You are often in the Ergo backpack when we are away from home or on my hip when we are at home.  You have the most irresistible pout face when you want to be picked up.  I’m a total sucker for you!  You don’t really like to be in the jogging stroller for walks or runs.  Whitney, on the other hand, has always loved running with me.  But we got you a nice umbrella stroller and you really like that so far.  You sit straight up and hold onto the tray in front of you and look so happy and important.  It’s pretty cute! 

Favorite toys lately—I’d have to say the ball popper.  You love that thing.  You also like to chew on wood building blocks and wooden spoons from the kitchen.  You have a musical tool bench and musical farm that you enjoy as well.  You are not a huge fan of the activity bouncer seat, which Whitney loved at your age.  You like books but not especially board books.  You just want Whitney’s paperback ones.  You like figurines such as the Little People or any other little figurines because they are easy to hold and fun to chew on.

You and Whitney are becoming such good friends.  She can cheer you up sometimes when nothing I do has worked.  She loves to make you smile and laugh.  You like it when she says, “Bow-chicka-bow-wow, boom-chicka-boom-boom!” and you also like when she tickles your cheeks.  You always get the biggest smile on your face and start to laugh.  I’m so grateful that you guys have each other!

You are growing up so fast.  We love everything about you.  Laid-back, sweet, sensitive, curious, quiet, and smiley little “Levi Boy”!

Levi Andrew: 7 Months Old

You’re 7 months old now! 

This month, you got your two front bottom teeth. 

You are really close to being able to crawl.  You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth, but you only slide backwards.  I can tell that it frustrates you.  You are able to tuck your knees underneath yourself, but you haven’t been able to lift your hands off the ground at the same time.  This coming month, I bet you will be crawling!

You also started saying, “Dadadada!”  It is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.  You say it over and over, fascinated with the sound you’ve learned how to make! 

There are a couple of repetitive movements which you do a lot lately.  One of which is you clasp your hands together and bring them to your mouth, then extend your elbows, and bend them again, bringing your clasped hands back to your open mouth.  Another of your new moves is that, when seated, you repeatedly slap the floor with open hands, or if you’re sitting in the bath tub, you splash the water like that.

What’s more for the big boy?--the swings on the playground.  You love it!

You are still so “grabby”.  You love to slap and grab stuff.  You will gnaw on shoulders, chins, or whatever you can find (toys). 

One of my greatest delights this month has been watching an authentic friendship budding between you and Whitney.  You guys have been playing together.  Precious!  She loves to hug, kiss, and tickle you.  You give her the most adoring glances and smiles in return!

You bring us so much joy, little Levi!  We love you!