Jacob Andrew and William Colin

Hello blog readers,
Today I am 9 months old! I am such a fun boy! I crawl, pull up, cruise, and climb. My mind and body are busy every moment. I love to smile, giggle, and babble. I say "yayaya," "mamma," and "dadada" among other things. My favorite activities include: tearing off the edge cushioning Mommy put up around the fireplace, figuring out how Bella's crate works, rolling objects around the floor and then crawling to chase them, waving hi and bye bye, playing peek a boo, and banging kitchen objects together. My brain is constantly working trying to explore and figure out how things work. I can be really silly but I can also get serious and focus. It's so funny to stand on one side of the glass door and watch Tank and Bella play outside. I tap, tap, tap the glass and wave to them as they run around. For entertainment, I like to watch videos of myself and laugh and smile at the cute baby in the iPhone. I continue to be an excellent sleeper and I love to eat. New favorites include kiwi, cherries, and blueberries - they are just as exciting coming out as they are going in. I am Mr. Personality and I love impressing a crowd with my new skills. Here are some pictures from this past month:

Mommy and Me

Human family self portrait

At the Fort Sill Museum

Big boy

Daddy and me doing Army stuff

Checking out a new book

Enjoying the sunshine

My buddy, Harrison, is sharing his bucket with me

Hanging out with Uncle Seth

Oma and Opa making me giggle

Another favorite hobby - ripping paper

Just playing with a spatula outside

Loving Laurie

Uncle Joel and me before he took me to the bar at the restaurant to flirt with the bartender . She let me pick my own straw to play with. I think she liked me.

GM and GP giving me love

My Aunt Harriet thinks I'm pretty special

Laurie and Joanie - putty in my little baby hands

Uh oh! Was I not supposed to shred the toilet paper?

Strong man

Hilarious! I'm laughing because I have been hitting Bella repeatedly in the head. Maybe that's why she looks so sad here.

Dunking during the Thunder game

Ok, here's the deal. I will in fact hang out by the fireplace whether you approve or not. Any questions, mom?

Mommy - thank you for putting this fun foam stuff around the fireplace. It is a blast to peel off!

I'm a lucky little guy

Playing with my new friend/cousin, Micah

Mommies and babies

Here's to my favorite puppies - thanks for all of the licks, cleaning up the food I drop, and letting me pinch your paws.

Well, Mommy turned 30 this month and that seemed to be a big deal. I really wanted to top her milestone with one of my own, so I started planning something big for my 8 month birthday. I'd been getting on all fours and rocking for a while. This caused Mommy and Daddy to get really excited, so I knew there was something to this. I thought and thought about what this could mean. I would wake up in the middle of the night and experiment. Then, finally, on February 15, it just hit me. If there was a toy that I wanted and it was out of my reach, I could crawl to get it. I like an audience, so I waited until Mommy and Daddy were both home and focused on me. Then, I went for it. It was exhilarating! I can crawl! I haven't stopped since. I crawl across the room to explore such objects as: the dogs' toys, Mommy's and Daddy's shoes, cords, DVDS on shelves, books on shelves, really anything on shelves. (Don't worry, Mommy and Daddy are watching me and keeping me safe.) This is glorious! I am experiencing true freedom. Mommy and Daddy have started this process called "baby proofing." They think that will make my exploring safer, but little do they know that I'm constantly watching how things work and I'm sure I'll find a way around the roadblocks they set up for me. I can also pull up from sitting to standing with the help of furniture. Do you know what's scary? Tile. It's cold, slippery, and unknown. I'm slowly getting over my fear of this flooring and venturing farther and farther out into the kitchen. Oh, the fun is just beginning! Even when I get into a bit of mischief, Mommy and Daddy seem so proud of me and love watching me explore and discover.

Due to my new exercise options, I'm having to expand my diet for more energy. I have added both yogurt and chicken to my menu. They are both pretty gross (which I clearly express with my face), but I eat them anyway. I love to eat puffs, crunchies, and yogurt melts too! I am a master at the sippy cup and gulp my water down.

I currently weigh in at about 19 pounds. I am wearing 9 month clothing, but Mommy has been pulling out the 12 month items. She says she gives me another month before I've outgrown my current wardrobe.

I'm an active sleeper. I roll over and sleep on my side or tummy, often curled up in a ball. I like to practice crawling in my crib before I pass out from exhaustion.

If I do say so myself, I'm kind of hilarious. I get the giggles a lot, especially when Daddy plays with me, Opa bounces me, or GP makes goofy faces at me. My new laughing style sounds like I'm gasping for air because I'm so tickled. I continue to get spoiled by Oma and GM too, not to mention the rest of my family.

Lately, I've been very into my Fisher Price racetrack from GM and GP. I know all the ways to turn it on and off and I really enjoy the cars. Opa really enjoyed it too when he played with me. Maybe I should get him one for his birthday.

To update you on my teething progress: There is none. No teeth.

I keep a busy calendar with weekly coffee dates with my 3 year old friend, Harm. Actually, we just hang out and eat puffs while our mommies drink coffee. I also get to see my friends Tyson and Harrison. They have been a huge inspiration to me and the reason I finally got the courage to crawl.

I am such a happy boy and I am loving life with family and friends. I wonder what I'll be up to in the next month. Stay tuned...

Love,

Jake