My sweet boy is 3/4 of a year old – how did that happen?  Ethan has changed so much in the past month!  Here are the basics:

Eating – Ethan is down to nursing 4 times a day (wakeup, after both naps, before bed) and eating 3 meals a day.  He has really taken off over the past few weeks!  He usually has fruit and oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, and sweet potatoes and/or rice for dinner.  He is starting to really enjoy feeding himself lately.  Just within the past few days he has been doing great with crackers, mum mums, and his favorite, lil crunchies (which look like cheetos to me).  I try my hardest to feed him the healthiest foods possible, and of course his favorite are the dorito smelling baby cheetos.  Oh well.  He loves those darn things.  I think he would eat an entire container if I would let him.  It is pretty cute to watch him shove them in his mouth, one after the other.  He even kicks his feet with excitement as soon as he sees the can.  I offer him some “real food” (pasta, chunks of sweet potato, etc) once a day but so far he isn’t interested.  He is also not interested in any vegetable besides sweet potatoes.  He refuses to eat carrots, peas, and green beans.  But he likes most fruits, rice and oatmeal, and he LOVES yogurt.  He will eat a whole container of yobaby, and also likes the Trader’s Point Creamery yogurt.  It is very thin so he enjoys drinking it out of his sippy cup.  It’s hard to believe that in a few months he will be getting almost all of his nutrition from solid food.  He still has a long ways to go but it is pretty amazing how far he has come.

Ethan enjoying aspragus – he actually gummed it up pretty good!

Sleeping – Ethan is still sleeping really well.  Most nights he sleeps from 7:30 or 8 until 6 or 7.  He is taking 2 good naps a day as long as we are home and he can be in his bed.  He usually falls asleep on his own with his blankie and paci.  He also falls asleep in some pretty funny positions.  It’s amazing to me that he has turned into such a great sleeper!  He does not nap very well at daycare, there is just too much going on!

He fell asleep with his blankie over his face – don’t worry, I moved it!

Activity – Ethan is quite the active little guy.  He is crawling with ease these days and is able to get to pretty much whatever he wants.  He loves pulling up on whatever will support his weight – baby gates, the warming drawer of the oven, the dishwasher, his toys.  He is also clapping and waving.  His vocabulary is starting to develop a bit more and he is saying mamamama.  I don’t think he understand what it means, but it is still pretty cute to hear him say it!  He will only say it on his own, and usually when he is being whiney.  Usually if I say to him, “Ethan, can you say mamama?” he will smile and say “dadadada!”  He is still a very happy little guy and is constantly smiling.  He really only fusses when he is tired or doesn’t feel well.

How is he big enough to do this?

Ethan loves to read these days.  He sits quitely and listens or sometimes tries to help me turn the page.  We have enjoyed several trips to the library and he has even enrolled in the summer book club.  So far he has received a certificate for an ice cream cone and a free book.  The Zionsville library is amazing – I’m so glad we are able to take advantage of it.

We are still going to Gymboree classes once a week.  Ethan loves the classes and especially loves Gymbo, the stuffed clown that demonstrates all the activities.  He enjoys all of the songs and the bubbles.  I have learned a lot of songs and activities that we can do at home!

Climbing a mountain of mats.

Ethan is still doing great at daycare.  He recently moved up to the “older infant room” which made mama very sad.  But he is loving being in a bigger room with other babies that are crawling too.  And he gets to go outside and swing now.  Like I mentioned earlier he does not nap well at daycare, but he does eat well!  They always comment on how much he eats!

Ethan did great at his 9 month check up.  He weighs 19lbs 2oz (28th %) and is 28 inches long (43%).  He had another ear infection 2 weeks ago and it still hasn’t completely cleared in one ear so we will have to keep our eye on him.  Dr. Wheeler was amazed by his lack of stranger anxiety.  She thinks he is doing great.  He has one shot but got over it pretty quickly.

Ethan is such a sweetheart and we feel so blessed to have such a precious, happy boy!

To see lots more pictures check out: http://mobleyweb.com/photos/8-months/