9 Months Old

Leo is now 9 months old and he has advanced so much in just the last few weeks. It is becoming abundantly clear that these photo sessions are getting more and more difficult now that Leo is on the move. He just wants to show off his mobility all the time so it is hard to catch him still. Leo is now a "power crawler." He is so quick, but in addition to crawling, he is now climbing. I thought we would have a transitional period between crawling and climbing, but he seems to have taken on these skills simultaneously. He can now get into the standing position by reaching for objects and pulling himself up. It is so dangerous and very scary to watch, but I know he needs freedom in order to learn, even if it means a few bonks on his head.

Leo has also had a few nights of amazing sleep. He slept from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. last night! That is a record, but it also meant that I had to start my day at 5 a.m. I really can't complain though...if this is a new pattern, Joe and I would be thrilled!

Leo is also a tremendous eater. We have started to give him things like Cheerios and crackers to chew on. He eats about 1 in 10, and plays with the rest, but his hand eye coordination is improving and he is learning to chew very well. Speaking of chew, Leo's left incisor came through. This is a tad out of order since he doesn't have his front (top) two teeth.

On a side note, I just had to get a nude photo of Leo. I think it is in good taste and I hope he doesn't hate me someday for posting it. I am just so proud of all the weight he has gained recently. He really is getting quite chubby!

Leo's 1st Christmas

Leo and Butterscotch

Leo and Elmo share similar expressions!

What a cute face!

The stripey trio - Shelly, Kim and Barry

Uncle Martin, Aunt Tiffy and Leo

We had a great 1st Christmas with Leo! As with most days, we had an early start at 6 a.m. Joe had put together his new horse, Butterscotch (compliments of Joe Sr. and Grandma Paula), the night before. We took Leo into the living room and presented him with the horse and he was very pleased. Next, we helped Leo open his presents and he had a great time trying to eat the wrapping paper.

If I could make a theme for this year's Christmas, it would be called "a very Elmo Christmas", because almost every gift was Elmo related. The Sesame Street Corp. is making a killing off our family! Leo didn't disappoint though, and gifted us with huge smiles for every Elmo toy he received. He also received a new outfit and ride-in car from Great Grandma Naomi, a baseball outfit from Grandma Rita, a red hoodie and Elmo drum from Grandma and Grandad Cleveland, a bunch of cute clothes and a toy walker/car from Craig, Lauren and Tegan and a ton of Elmo stuff from us. Leo was definitely the star of this year's Christmas. Joe and I did pretty well too.

We spent most of the day playing and relaxing and then went to my parents house for an early dinner of ham with all the fixings. Yummy! While there, we watched Kim and her boyfriend Barry swing dance and played Taboo. Leo was mezmerized by the dancing and wanted to join in on the fun. Unfortunately, we had to leave just when things were getting really fun with the game on account of Leo's 7 p.m. bedtime. It was a great day!

Leo Crawls!

Leo's Dad Here making a post.

There have been some requests for footage of Leo crawling. I wish I knew how to make this file smaller and could put it into a better format. Maybe once I get more familiar. But for know please enjoy this short clip of Leo crawling!

Winter Wonderland

It is still snowing and the Portland area hasn't experienced weather like this in 40 years. Although it makes for very beautiful scenery, it is difficult when you have an 8 month old. We are all getting cabin fever. Usually, we leave the house a couple times a day, but we haven't left the house in 2 days! Luckily, our neighbors stopped by and Celia, who is 6, gave Leo a Jack in the Box (it's actually a cute bear that pops out) and a new book as an early Christmas gift.

As you can see by the photos, Leo is fascinated by the snowy outside, but when Daddy took him for a quick walk, he came back as cold as an icicle. Leo sure does look cute in his little snow suit!

Danger Baby!

With Leo's new mobility, he has become very dangerous and mischievous. Everything that he should not get his hands on, he gravitates toward. He loves cords and strings (see snow picture above with Daddy), his diaper pail, and sharp metal objects. He is quite the little menace and this means that we have to baby proof the house immediately!

Our poor little guy is still teething and this combined with a week of cabin fever due to snowy weather, and a propensity toward danger has left us a bit exhausted. We are still so proud of Leo for making such great strides.

Crawling!

Wow, what a week it has been. So much has happened, but the big news is that Leo is now officially crawling! It's hard to say exactly when this milestone was achieved because he has been working on this skill for a while, but Joe and I agreed that on Thursday, he was confidently crawling. We are just so proud of him and we can tell that he is proud of himself too. Now we will see what trouble awaits us!

In addition to crawling, Leo is now eating Gerber stage 3 foods, which have chunks. It can set off his gag reflex, but every time he eats, he gets better and better. Leo is a great eater and has been eating 3 times a day for nearly a month.

Leo has started showing us a little more attitude recently. He has temper tantrums and changing his diaper can sometimes be an all out battle. He also has had fits of rage when we take things away from him, get him dressed or clean his face. He sure is a feisty little man.

It has been snowing all week. The weather has been very precarious and my mom stayed with us most of the week because she works much closer to our house than my parent's house. Leo really enjoyed the extra time with grandma and I think she had fun too. Even though the snow was hugely inconvenient, it gave Leo more time to practice his crawling.

Lastly, Leo is teething... again!!! I think he is getting is upper 2 teeth. He has been putting his fingers in his mouth, tugging on his ears and has been fussier than usual. Poor little guy.

Snow Day

Today it has been snowing and we have had so much fun. We bundled up Leo and took him outside, but he wasn't too fond of the wind and cold, so we promptly came back in. I have already baked some oatmeal cookies and we plan to watch the Steeler's game, eat some of Joe's famous homemade chili and stay warm and cozy inside. The snow is the perfect excuse to do nothing and that sounds perfect!