Surviving in the Wilde: Beckett

"Mom, I'll be ten months old two days and your just now finally putting up these nine month photos? For shame."

Dear Beckett,

With 3/4 of your first year under your tiny belt you have grown so much! Your big brown eyes and toothless smile still melt my heart every morning (actually, they melt my heart whenever I see them) and you are becoming more adventurous by the day. Especially now that you can crawl on all fours! (Though when you're going for speed you revert back to an inchworm/crawl combo.)

Lately you have been going through a serious stranger anxiety phase which has been difficult when going to the YMCA child center. You had a few rough days, but I think you're finally warming up to the ladies there. I've been told they all fight over who gets to hold you because you are such a snuggle-bug. :) I can't blame them! Whenever I hold you you nuzzle right into my neck or chest and plop your two fingers into your mouth. I love to hold you close and feel your perfectly round and baby-soft head.

At around 9.5 months I took you to the pool for the very first time (remember you were born close to the end of the pool season last summer so you didn't have a chance to try it out) and you LOVED the water! As soon as I put you in your floatie ring you start flapping your arms to splash the water and kicking your feet as though you're ready to take off swimming! You love watching Jack, Eddie and Norah swim around you - even though I have to remind them constantly to not pull on your flotation device. Really, Little B, you put up with so much! :)

Your 9 month appointment revealed the following changes:

Weight: 15 lbs. 2 oz. (still not on the chart, but up two pounds from last appt.! Dr. Riley was impressed! :)

Height: 27 inches (10%)

Headwidth: 18 inches (50%)

While you are officially the smallest 9 month old we've ever had (by 2 oz., lol.. Norah was 15 lbs. 4 oz.) - I still really feel like you are going to be our biggest boy, yet! You have the most deliciously chubby little hands and feet and your handprint is already almost as big as Norah's! I compare it to how you can kind of tell how big a dog will get when you look at their paws as a puppy, lol. Maybe I'm wrong, but for some reason I think you're going to be huge. (Relatively.) For now, while you're still a peanut, I will just enjoy all of the snuggle time I can with you.

Some more notes at 9 months:

* Still no teeth! But your poor little bottom gums are swollen so I know they're working their way up.

* You are eating mostly the same food that we eat now - just cut up really small and/or food processed. :) You love spaghetti, yogurt, and whole grain bread. :)

* While you haven't yet pulled up in your crib you do like to climb things when you're downstairs. (Like boxes, the toy crates, my lap, etc.) I'm sure I'll find you standing in your crib any day!

* You are still sleeping from about 7:30 pm - 7:30/8:00 am and I can count on one hand (make that one or two fingers) how many times you've awakened during the night and needed me to come hold you for a minute and/or give you some tylenol for your poor little mouth. Norah wakes us up much more often even now!