Where Have All the Pacis Gone?

Long Time Passing . . .

I found Kaden's secret stash behind the crib today:

 There were six pacis scattered along the top of the pack and play that is stored under there.

 He has made a habit of throwing his pacis during fits of frustration at nap time.  This happens after the giggling, gargling, and talking don't bring Mommy in to pick him up.  I went in to check on him the other day and found three pacifiers in the middle of the floor (I've started putting a few extras in the crib when he goes down, so he won't scream as soon as he throws one out).  Apparently, he realized it was too easy for Mommy to find those, so he started hiding them behind the crib instead.  I burst out laughing when I found them today.

I have composed at least a half dozen blog posts in my head recently, but haven't had time to record them.  Why?  Because we're in the middle of another set of home renovations.  Not on OUR home this time, but on the rental house we just bought.  It has been an adventure, I tell you.  I am so thankful for all the help we've gotten from family--from babysitting, to demo, to painting, it has all been so greatly appreciated.  There's no way we could have completed this project in a month without so much help.  Our renters are moving in the 1st of June, and we still have some work we are finishing up before then.  Anyway, since it is not the 1st of June yet, you will not get any of those half dozen blog posts, but I figure I should at least do a nine month post for Kaden, since he has been nine months old for two weeks now.

Kaden's nine month stats:

Weight -- 19 pounds, 12.5 ounces (39th percentile)

Height -- 29.5 inches (87th percentile)

Head Circumference -- 46.75 centimeters (87th percentile)

The doctor's take on his stats, "He's long and lean, which I prefer over short and fat." 

At nine months old, Kaden . . . 

• Waves hi and bye
• Claps his hands

• Gives high fives    
• Is a wiggle worm
• Turns the pages in his book when we read to him (Would you like to help Mommy turn the page?  Thank you!)

• Still loves to be read to (one of the only times he is still is while you're reading to him)
• Can hold his own bottle or sippy cup (He is still very particular about what kind of sippy cup he will take, if he will take one at all.  He only likes the kind with very soft tops, so they feel more like a bottle.)
• Crawls forwards (he does this sometimes on hands and knees, but a lot of the time still prefers the inch-worm method)

• Can get back into a sitting position from a crawling position
• Eats grown-up food at meal times (He picks up pieces of the food from his high chair tray on his own.  He loves to feed himself and make a mess!), followed by pureed baby food (Everything but Outback mashed potatoes has been a huge hit!  From grilled salmon to Cajun chicken pasta, this kid loves it all!)
• Goes to sleep on his own, without being rocked to sleep (We still follow a bedtime routine.  We read stories, sing a song, rock him until he gets drowsy, and then put him in his crib.  Since starting this he has been AWESOME at sleeping through the night--but I don't want to write that for fear it may stop.  Sometimes it takes awhile for this to work at nap time, however, and he frequently poops right after I put him down.  I have to go pick him up, change him, and start the entire process again.  I know infants supposedly don't have control of this bodily function, but sometimes I think he's doing this on purpose to get another story, song, and rock-rock.)
• Has four teeth (two bottom, two top) with another one on the way
• Loves to throw things
• Loves to be out and about (He has enjoyed many trips to Lowe's lately, but he just loves running errands in general.) 
• Nuzzles his head into whoever may be holding him
• Pats you on the back and snuggles you when he's getting tired and you are holding him
• Can stand while holding onto something and is working on pulling himself up on his own

• Sleeps in a crib with the mattress in the lowest position (We moved the mattress down after I found him semi-standing and shaking the entire side of the crib post nap one day.)
• Is cautious but curious.  (Even though he knows how to plop on his bottom after he's been standing, you can tell he gets very nervous about doing so.  He's also cautious around strangers, even though he'll let almost anyone hold him.  He gives people in the grocery store the stare down when they try to talk to him.)

• Does bicep workouts with Daddy (Chad lifts him up and he pulls down our attic stairs--these are heavy suckers.  After he's done enough reps with his left arm to wear him out, he switches to his right.) 
• Frequently has one paci in his mouth and an extra in his hand (He then switches them from hand to mouth back and forth.  It's quite comical to watch.)
• Is looking less and less like a baby, and more and more like a little boy every day (much to his mother's dismay), which is evidenced perfectly in this photo: