First Words?

Joe and I think that Leo has 4 words under his tiny belt. Fairly consistently, he seems to use the words mama, dada, ball and cat. At this stage, it is difficult to tell if this is coincidental or on purpose, but he definitely makes a "ccccctttt" noise when Miette, our cat walks by. Also, last night at bedtime, he was quite upset and he was sobbing, "mama, mama!" Since I am the one that gives him his milk and rocks him to bed, it makes sense that he would call for me when he was so tired. He also loves to play with balls and since ball is an easy word to say, it seems logical that this would be one of his first words. Anyhow, it is so rewarding to witness these first attempts at verbal communication.

Leo also got an Elmo outfit this weekend. It was on super clearance and I really wanted him to have an outfit featuring his beloved Elmo. We were also on a lookout for a transitional carseat. I know we aren't suppose to buy one used, but they are so expensive. Today we checked out a baby consignment shop and although we didn't find a carseat, Leo got to try out a bicycle. He's really on the move now!

Inauguration Day

What a day! President Obama was inaugurated today a Leo slept through the night...two days in a row. I am filled with so much hope for the future now that Obama is in office and am thrilled that his leadership will make a positive influence on our family's lives!

Yesterday, before I fed Leo his lunch, I snapped these photos. I always think that the midday light from the dining room makes him look so pretty and since he is strapped in the high chair, he was held captive! These photos do beg the question: Are his eyes blue or green? What is your verdict?

Big Elmo

Grandad Cleveland picked up an Elmo for Leo and he loves it! It is actually bigger than he is. In the pursuit of getting the perfect photos of Leo with his new friend, it is becoming evident that photo taking is not what it use to be. When I tried to take photos of Leo, he tried to eat dead leaves or crawled away. That is now the story of our lives...Leo is always just crawling/climbing away from us.

In addition to his mobility, Leo also has acquired quite the vocabulary. We are convinced that he now says "ball", "mama" and "dada" with some understanding of what he is saying...so cute. We think he also might be using some of his sign language, but it is so hard to tell.

Leo enjoys eating solids so much and breast and bottle feeding is a much bigger challenge now. As a first time mom, I am always worried that he is not getting adequate nutirition, but Joe reassures me that a boy with Leo's boundless energy could be nothing but healthy.

I also wanted to list some of my favorite moments with Leo:

1. Morning naps. Leo and I cuddle up together in my bed..it's the best!
2. When he wakes up from naps and is still limp. He loves to hug.
3. The uncontrollable glee that overcomes him when he sees our cat or Elmo.
4. When he spots a stranger and waves enthusiastically.
5. When we retrieve him from his crib and he is standing and waiting for us.

There are many more and I will list them in the future.

New Waver

We now have a waver on our hands. Now, when Leo wants attention, he can just flag people down himself. We took him to Target tonight so he could practice his new skill and he is now a pro. At first, he focused his efforts on his "go to" demographic...middle aged women. Once he gained confidence in his waving abilities, he branched out to all the other women in the store. He got very positive feedback, so I am certain there will be much more waving in his future. Maybe tomorrow, he will start waving at men too, but for now, Joe and I are proud that he has made this big leap in his social development.

New Friend

Today Leo had another play date and he is proving to be quite a popular guy. We met up with Graham and his mom Joi. Joi is the wife of a former co-worker from Otak, Brad. Brad and Joi recently adopted Graham from Ethiopia, and he couldn't be cuter! The two boys are only 2 weeks a apart in age, so they should grow to be perfect playmates.

Graham is such a a mellow baby. His mom fed him a bottle and just set him in his crib to fall asleep for his nap. Leo would never just fall asleep like that, so I was very impressed. Once again, Leo got very fussy, so we had to leave. It seems as though his 4 top teeth are making there way through at the same time, which might explain why he was up every 2 hours last night and had his final wake-up at 4 a.m. I am also assuming that's why he was such a grumpy pants at his new friend's house. Oh, what's a mommy to do.

Friends, 9 Month Check-up and another Tooth!

Today Leo and I had a play date with our friends Forest and his mom Nichole. We had so much fun and Leo had a great time grabbing Forest's face, playing with his toys and eating his food...what poor manners! The babies are so cute together, but they still play side-by-side rather than together. It is such fun to spend time with another mom and compare notes, plus, Nichole made some awesome soup and homemade rolls. Forest is much more easy going than Leo, and unfortunately, Leo ended the our time with them on a cranky note. All that play made him tired! As you can see, the babies are both adorable and hopefully they can remain friends for years to come.

Leo also had his 9 month check-up yesterday and he passed with flying colors. He is on track for everything. He is still at the 10% for weight (17.7 lbs.), the 40% for height (28 inches) and is the 60% for head circumference. Leo is a bit ahead of schedule with his gross motor skills (using his arms and legs to climb and cruise) and the doctor said he will probably walk well before a year...yeah Leo! He also received another shot, which we were not expecting. It was one that they had a shortage of previously, so we just decided to get it out of the way.

Leo also had another tooth break through. His top right tooth emerged, which makes this his fifth tooth. His top teeth are still pushing down and even though three of the top teeth have broken through, you have to look pretty hard to see them.

Standing and Flirting

Here's the evidence. Leo can now pull himself and stand! Everyday his confidence builds and I feel that if he keeps moving at this pace, he will be walking in no time. He is so proud of himself and all the energy he expends crawling and climbing is helping all of us get a better night sleep too.

Leo has come down with a nasty cough today and although he has a hearty appetite and is playful, we can tell he is in discomfort. Poor little guy.

Leo got his first hair trim. On New Year's Day, Joe trimmed his hair in the back and around the ears. It didn't really bother me too much, but Leo was getting a bit of a mullet and it was driving Joe crazy! Joe likes him to look like a "respectable young man."

Leo's flirting continues stop strangers dead in their tracks. When we are out and about, he will seek out the attention of strangers by smiling. Joe often has to inform the targeted person that Leo is "desperately trying to get their attention." When they finally take notice of him, he is such a happy, giggly young lad and he always manages to get a positive reaction. Leo doesn't discriminate with his flirting, he will target young dudes with piercings, grandma types, other mommies...anyone. He just LOVES people and he loves the attention.