Finally....an update!

I can't believe Alex will be 9 months old next week! Time is starting to fly by as Alex grows and changes and learns every day. On the home scale, Alex weighs 19 lbs, 8 oz and the last time I could get him to lay still long enough, I measured him at 29 inches long.

I guess the question is not so much, "what is Alex doing these days?" as much as it is, "what ISN'T Alex doing these days?". Oh my goodness! About 4 weeks ago, he starting "cruising", standing and going from one thing to the next - his favorites are the kitchen cabinets because he can go all the way around the kitchen with very little crawling - he holds on to the top of one cabinet (kept almost closed because it is attached the next one by a rubber band around the handles), and then he steps sideways until he reaches the next cabinet and just keeps going.
Within the last couple of weeks, he has begun to let go of things and stand for up to 30 seconds on his own, but he has not taken the first step just yet.

Alex LOVES to be tickled and play wrestle with Daddy. He is saying Dada constantly, Mama sometimes and Nana every now and again. Mostly, he babbles and then looks at you for a response. It is so cute and hard not to just bust out laughing. He is really beginning to problem solve and likes to find "hidden" things, especially remote controls that do not belong to him!
Whoever invented the hard, thick paged books for babies was a genius. Alex loves to look at the pictures and will listen for a little while, but most of all, he loves to eat the corners of the books as we try to tell him stories.

He went through a major growth spurt over the last month - he has started taking at least one, if not two, 1 - 2 hour naps every day and he sleeps from 8:00 PM - 6:30 AM. In the middle of April I moved him into his 9 month clothes. This week, I had to move him up again into 12 month clothes and he is already wearing size 3 shoes! He is really growing - and his hair is growing too! It is so soft and he loves having it brushed. He did not like having his teeth brushed at all (still just the bottom two) until he saw me using the electric toothbrush on my own teeth. He starting clapping and laughing, so I turned it to gentle and reached into his mouth - he loves it! So, now he gets a good brushing morning and evening!

Well, this is my first "official" Mother's Day and I must say I am really looking forward to it!
We are headed to my family's lake house for some rest and relaxation - and WATER SKIING! I have not done that since 2007 because I was pregnant last summer! We are not sure how warm the water will be, but we are taking Alex's swim suit, flotation device (I still don't know all the kid vocabulary), and baby sun screen!

Okay...I hope that brings every up to date and we look forward to seeing you all sooner than later.

Love and hugs,

Christina, Jonathan & Alex