9 months and growing!

Wow! - Will has changed so much in the last 3 months. The biggest change, by far, has been his huge leaps in mobility. He went from finding out that he could roll over and sit up on his to now where he is able to stand on his own. His standing ability lasts for about 5 seconds or so, but I must say it is pretty impressive to see a little guy like him do it when he does.

I find that doing a list is the best way to "update" on where Will is nowadays so....without further ado ....

1) Playtime. Playing with Will has become lots more fun. He can interact with toys more. He has even started to dance to music - he'll sort of bop back and forth with his body and smile. Its too cute.

Daddy is working hard to teach him to "play ball," and he is getting the hand of it.

The boy loves to dress-up too. (Grandpa brought this little hat back from China. Will thinks its hilarious to wear it.)

2) Trouble! Will can definitely get into things more and more with his increased mobility. You better not leave anything on the edge of a low table, or he will grab it and put it in his mouth (especially the remote control!).

3) Bathtime. Will still just loves water. He gets so excited about bathtime, which we do almost every night before he goes to sleep. As soon as I run the water in his tub, he'll come crawling from the nursery into the bathroom, pull himself up, and stare into the tub. That is where I strip off his clothes to see this cute little butt ...

(This is Will's "formula" gut - after he has had a big meal!)

"Splashy, splashy" is still Will's favorite thing to do in the tub.

Well, that and eating his foam letters and numbers.

4) Sleeping. Although Will is still not a big nap taker - and I don't think he ever will be, he is great about sleeping at night. He usually is asleep by 7:30 (with bedtime routine starting at 7) and sleeps until about 6:30 or 7.

Will likes to have his teeth brushed right before bedtime and when he wakes up! (Wonder how long that will last...)

5) Finger food. Will is slowly getting introduced to finger food. He loves his little Gerber puffs and eats those pretty regularly. He has eaten some peas and carrots from a can and did pretty well with him. He's had pea-size servings of Daddy's strawberry ice-cream - he made the funniest face when the cold hit his tongue, but then he smacked his lips and smiled. He's had a taste of Mommy's yogurt, which he loved and once we get the okay from the pediatrician on trying dairy again, I'll definitely be giving him more of that.

6) Salt. Yes, my child loves salt. He doesn't want sweets - he wants salty things. The other day I was eating a pickle and let him lick it to see what he thought. I have never seen him so excited about food! He just grinned and made these excited noises. I let him suck on the pickle for a little bit - I could tell he just wanted to eat the whole thing. He has had "tastes" of an olive and a salty chip too - and loved them too!

7) Favorite Song. If you sing "When You're Happy and You Know It," it makes him stop crying and smile just about any time!

8) Big kids. Will loves to watch the bigger kids play, especially in the gym at his day care. I can tell that he is just dying to run around and bounce the balls too!

9) Strangers. Will used to not care who I passed him to or if I put him down on the floor to play in a strange place - but not anymore. He gets very intimdated when we go somewhere new - but just give him about 10 minutes and he will play everywhere and let you pick him up as much as you want! He now will crawl after me sometimes and cling to my legs until I pick him up (very sweet, unless I'm exhausted from lifting the little 20 pounder!)

10) Rolling things on the floor. Will loves to move things along the floor, particularly his bottle or a book. I think he is fascinated that he can "take things with him" on his own. I can already picture him zooming little toy cars around the room one day.

11) Do not wipe my face or I will scream. That is Will's mantra. Try to wipe his nose or get food off his face and he will scream bloody murder. You'd think you were wiping his face with sandpaper, the way he reacts. :-)