Nine Months

Dear Noah,

Today marks the day that you have officially been OUT of my belly as long as you were IN.  And I much prefer you out.  Know why?  Because you are just so cool.  You're my little rockstar, my dancing, maraca shaking, be-bopping little man.  It's been all about music with you lately...on the radio, on the tv, or from any number of your noise-making toys, every time you hear music your whole body starts grooving.  It's so enjoyable to watch you shake and wobble and flap your arms in the air.  Sometimes you and I dance together all around the kitchen and den, me holding you and bouncing you to the beat of the music.  You love our "tangos" and our "waltzes" and especially when I dip you.  That is sure to bring on the giggles!

You're also talking up a storm.  You love to sit in your carseat and yell MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA at me in the rearview mirror and then when I turn around to acknowledge you, you grin from ear to ear so very proud of yourself for getting my attention.  Most of your meals are accompanied by a side of chatter...as soon as the food goes in, the motor mouth starts jibber jabbering away.  We usually end up covered in your food but it's so much fun to chat with you and hear your voice.  So far you say: Ma, Na, Ba, Noo, Gah, Em-o (Elmo, I'm convinced.  YOU ARE SO SMART.).  Daddy is so disappointed that Da has not yet made the list.  I secretly think he likes to do bathtime alone so he can coach you without my knowledge.  Too bad I'm on to him.  

We just bought you an activity table because all of the sudden you want to stand all the time.  Forget sitting, forget crawling, it's standing or flat on your back screaming because you're not standing.  So to combat the headaches you were giving me, we caved and bought you the table.  And man if you don't LOVE it.  You will stand there for hours if I let you just playing with the toys and grooving to the music.  You're not completely stable on your feet yet so I stay with you to make sure you don't fall and crack your head on the wall (not like that has happened or anything...).  And you're pretty fantastic at "walking" when holding onto our hands.  You really do understand how to put one foot in front of the other to move forward but you have NO balance whatsoever.  We practice "walking, Noah-style" up and down the kitchen and you can't get enough of it.  My guess is you may skip crawling and get right to walking.  I don't know if that is terrifying or exhilarating.  I'm going to say terrifying for now.

We've started your swim class and you're kind "eh" about the whole thing.  The instructors want you to learn to kick your legs and you prefer to lounge on my chest and leisurely float through the water.  No amount of enticing with floating toys makes you kick or splash.  You're just content to watch the other babies and take it all in.  As your daddy says, you're a cool cat and not out to impress the ladies.  My take?  You're kind of lazy sometimes.  I've been trying to encourage you to crawl by putting favorite toys out of reach, and rather than figuring it out, you'll pivot yourself in a circle until you find the closest toy...doesn't matter what it is.  I take that back, you're not lazy, you're efficient.  Why move and strain yourself when there is something just as acceptable closer to you?  Okay then.  You adore pictures of yourself and other babies...which explains this next photo.

You'll kiss anything I tell you to:  me, Daddy, pictures of dogs, cats, ELMO (that reminds me, we were at Toys R Us buying your activity table when we walked by a big boy sized Elmo doll and you started grunting, leaning towards it, trying to grab at it and then started yelling Em! Em! Em-oooooo!  You're a genius.  Harvard?  MIT?  Might as well send the acceptance letters now.).  

Everyday that passes by, you become cooler and infinitely more entertaining.  I think this past month has been one of my favorites by far.  I wish I could stop time, just for a little bit, so I could have more of these exact moments with you.  You keep growing and learning new things and I can see that day in the future when you'll be off without holding on to me.  I don't want that day to come any faster than  it already is.  Stay my baby forever, can you promise me that?

I love you little man, to the moon and back.

Love,

Mama