Happy 9 Months Declan!

Dear Declan,

You are such a bright, snuggly, mischievous little boy. You have what can only be described as dogged determination. You literally get a little bulldog look on your face when you're going after something you want. Like grandma's cat or brother's toys or the cable cords. You, your daddy, and your brother all share that trait, and I know it will take you far in life, but for now it makes you what we lovingly call "a handful". For such a little boy you have a big sense of fairness, and you are not afraid to speak up if you're not getting your fair share. Mostly this means you want to be fed if anyone in front of you is eating. But it also means you want whatever toys Ez is playing with. You want your snuggles if you see Ez getting some, or even daddy, for that matter. It's only fair, after all.

I think we have firmly entered toddler territory. I've seen you take a few tentative half steps, but you're so sly and quick that I almost feel like I was imagining it. Or maybe I just wish I was because the thought of another toddler in the house makes my head spin. You've really stepped up your communication game this past month. At first I thought "baba" was just mindless babbling, but when you started waving your empty bottle at me while screaming baba until I refilled it I changed my mind. You also say mamama, which I'm just going to assume means mama. You give the sloppiest little kisses and wave hello on command and clap for yourself, usually when you're doing something you're not supposed to. When you get sleepy you like to crawl into my lap, get right in my face, and yell all kinds of jibberish at me like you're mad that I let you get tired. Then you wear yourself out and face plant into my chest. For a nine month old you're pretty independent. You've branched off from following your brother around all day (though you still love that too) and you'll go off on your own, completely content to chew on and smash your toys.

Update: You officially took your first steps! Right after we got home from the store you were trying to make a break for the garage door and took a good four or five steps before falling. Way to go! One day before you turned nine months. 

You're a little water baby and nothing excites you more than hearing the bathwater running. You sprint crawl to the tub, stand up, and try to dive in headfirst. Once you're in the water nothing is safe within a ten foot radius. Ez taught you how to splash and you think it's the coolest thing ever. If Ez is in the tub without you then you're right there next to him, egging him on, pounding on the sides of the tub, grabbing his toys out of the water then throwing them back in. You come away just as soaked as he is when it's all done.

You can hear the fridge or dishwasher open from a mile away, and before we blink you're right there at our side trying to crawl inside the fridge, going straight for whatever's breakable, or pulling dishes and silverware out of the dishwasher. I can only imagine how magical and enchanting these things must seem to you.

As far as toys go, you love playing catch, chewing on books, and getting your hands on big bro's cars and trucks. Anything that makes noise is automatically a win in your book, and one day when you have kids of your own you'll understand the restraint it took for your daddy not to break every single one of those toys.

A few of your other favorite things include stroller rides and trips to the park, where you crawl all over the playground, slide down the slides, and attempt climbing back up them. Mickey Mouse never fails to grab your attention, and you've even started bouncing along to the hotdog dance. You think your daddy is the funniest person in the whole world.

When it comes to eating, you will put anything and everything in your mouth, but you spit everything back out, including food. We've tried baby led weaning (which basically means you get to eat our scraps), and we've tried purees, and while you'll happily try it all, you rarely swallow any of it. Your favorite thing seems to be spoonfuls of fruit & veggie smoothies. As of last month you're completely weaned. While Ez didn't wean himself till he was almost two, you got teeth and started biting, and that was that.

Your list of dislikes is pretty short. So far you hate sleeping through the night and empty bottles. And you hate when we do the finger sweep to get whatever you're not supposed to be chewing out of your mouth. To that I say: Stop eating non-food stuff! Nobody likes that.

You've officially been outside mommy as long as you were in and in three short months we'll be celebrating your first birthday! We love you more than you'll ever know baby boy.