9 months

22.5 lbs

29 in.

0 teeth

dear parks,
today you turned 9 months old! wow your first year is almost over! i am not ready for you to be a toddler. i still browse the newborn aisles of every retail stores just to look at all of the infant items even though you are too big for them. guess we'll just have to have another baby sometime soon :) (no we are not trying...very much still have an iud).

this month you hit a big milestone! you can now easily pull yourself to standing! you flirted with this trick late last month, but now you are a pro! we find you pulling up on ottomans, dining room table chairs, the mantle and bookshelves every day. it is absolutely precious when you scoot over to me and grab my hands, tuck your knees under and step up on your feet. dad and i help you practice walking and i know you will be on your own before we know it! you are still sleeping 8pm-6am-ish. i wish you would sleep in later in the mornings, but i can't complain. you also take 2 naps from 9-11am and 1-3pm. sometimes you wake up early from your naps and we get to meet grumpy parker:

but 98% of the time we love this little happy smile we see:

you still stick everything in your mouth. we didn't venture out and give you many new foods this month, so you sampled christmas ornaments instead. j/k. actually i tried to give you yogurt melts and you started gagging so dad swiftly swooped you up out of the high chair, gave you a couple of back thumps to get the melt out and you threw up all over the floor. i am so sorry, parker! no more food until you are at least 5 years old!!!

we traveled to kansas for a short christmas this year and i have a gazillion holiday pictures of you. we also went to the family christmas eve service at fellowship and had a great time singing christmas carols. you did awesome! the only minor glitch was that you ate the glowstick the ushers gave you and dad found glowing liquid on your lip--eek! other than that, we had a wonderful first christmas.

little guy, you are loved by so, so many people! i can't wait to see you continue to develop and turn into a "real person." you make me smile every single day.

love,
momma