My Little Boy is 9 Months Old!

January has been a very exciting month for Bonesteele. He now sleeps unswaddled! (See below pictures for proof.) The unswaddling process was stressful for me with both children. I guess midway through the process I freak out and envision myself still having to swaddle my child when he or she is five years old. Ha ha Miss E really loved being swaddled and getting her out of that blanket took a month. Bonesteele was much easier to unswaddle. It really only took a week and a half. He was moving around so much at night that he became unswaddled anyway, and then cried. So for a week I swaddled him with both arms out, which he liked pretty well. Then I just started putting him to bed. It took about three days for him to really get used to it. There was quite a bit of crying those days, quite a bit of not napping. My friend Margaret sent a little Australian stuffed koala and kangaroo for the kids - both are now in Bonesteele's bed, and he loves cuddling up with the kangaroo. (Miss E seems to have peacefully relinquished all rights to the kangaroo, which was hers.) He also likes to cuddle with the big snowman you see in the pictures below.


Before you tell me, yes, I know about bumper pads. I have some. They survived mostly intact through Miss E, but just a couple of weeks with Bonesteele and he managed to flatten them into strange cushions that did not do a bumper pad's job, so I took them out. He doesn't often get stuck in the slats. And as you see above, even when he is a bit stuck, he doesn't seem to mind too much. :)




Bonesteele's other big news is on Saturday he figured out how to crawl forwards! (He's been crawling backwards for a couple of weeks.) It's Tuesday and he's already scarily fast at getting where he wants to go. (Usually to where a coveted toy is laying.) I don't think he's quite realized that he can crawl anywhere. He just goes for short spurts, and then once he's reached Miss E's Mrs. Potato Head/My Little Pony/blocks/books/etc., he immediately lays down. Now that he has that mobility he is more assertive in trying to get Miss E's toys. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he also realizes he can grab toys back from her. He is also selective about his ability to crawl. For instance, if he wants me to pick him up, he is suddenly and completely unable to crawl. He will not crawl to me, only to toys!

"I don't know, Miss E, I don't think I'm going to like whatever you're about to do!"

He also sprouted his third tooth on Saturday. That makes three on the bottom.

He is suddenly really into food. He loves Kix and graham crackers. His favorite baby food is butternut squash that I make myself. He also enjoys little pieces of dinner rolls. Gnawing on an apple slice keeps him quite entertained.


Speaking of entertainment, Miss E and Bonesteele get along very well right now. (I say right now, I hope it lasts forever!) She loves to show him things, tell him that when he's older he can do something, grab his toys and then at my insistance give him other toys (usually the lame ones ha ha). She tries to get him psyched up: "Do you want to go to the Smiths', Bonesteele? Yeah! Let's go to the Smiths'! He is fascinated by her, and she finds him quite amusing. He loves to grab her and give her kisses while she laughs hysterically.



Bonesteele loves to play rough and tumble, he loves to be tickled, and have raspberries blown on his tummy. These were things Miss E didn't care for as a baby, so Mr N is having a great time tickling and playing with little Bonesteele! He continues to be our little lover - giving kisses, cuddling. He loves to be close to us, and loves to be held. So far he has shown no signs of stranger anxiety, and will go to anyone! (This is very handy at church.) His attitude seems to be, "Oh, you are going to give me love? Sure, you can hold me!" He is already a flirt and flashes irresistable grins at the ladies while ignoring most men. His daddy and mommy and big sister are definitely his favorite people.