9 months for Liam

Today Liam turns 9 months old.

Let me say that again, today Liam turns nine months old. I know I say this every month but seriously, where is the time going? Sometimes I have to stop and check myself. Am I in the moment enough? Am I soaking in enough? Am I enjoying it enough?

I am.

Looking back over the past 8 months I have to say that this is the best of times. Liam is still a baby but is turning into a little person. He is figuring out what he likes and doesn't like. He is observing everything. Every single day I see something new in him or experience something new with him. It is awesome.

At this point Liam has been alive on the outside as long as he was alive inside of me.

Liam likes to stand. In fact, it is one of his preferred activities. We take walks around the house and he pauses when we get near something he would like to investigate further. The stairs gate. The dog's chewy. The dog's dishes. Soda bottles. Daddy's flip flop. Note to self: Add these items to the babyproofing list.

This month brought Liam's first ear infection. We aren't altogether sure it's gone or not. He pulls his ear but not as often as before and he isn't fussy. Not sure the Amoxycillin did ANYTHING but make him grimace 3x a day. He has also had two bouts of a runny snotty nose. One bout we are combating now. I think it's directly tied to:

He's teething with his top teeth and, from the looks of things, he has decided to get about 4 top teeth at once. Remember, last month I mentioned he got his 3 bottom teeth. The boy wants some steak and chicken before BBQ season is over.

Liam's favorite sound is still "dada." He toys with me by tossing a "mama" around every once in a while. He also likes sounds like "bahahaya" and "yamama."

I've been having nightmares about Cheerios and Gerber Finger Puffs. In my scary dream, we are out with Liam in a fancy restaurant when we suddenly realize we didn't bring any puffs. The calamity that ensues is not for the faint of heart. I stock a container with puffs before any outing. Never be unprepared!

Liam isn't too keen on other puff sized diced foods. We tried banana. Goooood! We tried carrot. He gagged and puked. Baaaaad! We tried pears. Gooooood! We tried peas. He gagged and puked. Baaaaaad! We tried corn. Goooood! I'm afraid to try the next item without a plastic tarp.

I almost knocked the kid over the day he hit his Leapfrog Learning Drum for the first time. I think he's expecting an award ceremony at this point. He loves to make his toys make sounds. He has a squeaky bunny and duck he likes. And anything that rattles. We are also into slapping tables and toys. Squeaky noises ALWAYS make him smile.

Unless he's having a shit fit, then forget everything. But shit fits are few and far between right now. He is a very happy little guy.

Liam, I can't stop loving you. Every day you grip my heart a little tighter than the day before. You have the cutest looks that you practice. There's the coy look when you dip your head down and look up with your eyes. There's the flirty look when you tilt your head to the side and smile. Then there's the you're-my-mama-who-loves-me look when you squeeze my cheeks with your hands and lean in until your head touches mine.

Last night we started playing a game. You were on the floor playing with your toys and I was sitting on the couch. You would look over at me and when I met your eyes you started to giggle. Then you turned away, still giggling. So I started laughing. So you turned back to me and kept giggling and turned away again. We laughed like that for what I wished was eternity. I wanted to cry it felt so good. I could practically see the bond strung between us. Like a strong satin cord from my heart to yours and back again. I know some days may come, perhaps far in the future, when we both may question if that cord is still there. Still strong. Still true.

But, my heart, it will always be. From me to you and you to me.