Joel is 9 Months Old!

Our sweet littlest lovey, Joely roly poly has some how managed to stay alive and happy for 9 whole months!  He continues to cruise all over all of the furniture, walls and anything else he can get his hands on. He has gotten better at walking behind his push toy and while holding our fingers. The speed he walks is either snails pace or this crazy super fast tiny steps almost run. It cracks us up. He seems to have no interest in letting go and walking on his own. Whenever he does let go and stand without holding on he always just sits down softly (well...not always, sometimes he crashes down) and then does his speedy little monkey/crab crawl to get where he wants to go.

He also remains a great eater and loves to feed himself any food that he is able to chew. Spoons are still usually an enemy. Rice and beans of any kind is probably his most favorite food at the moment. It is the only thing he will eat off a spoon...and he still tries to wrestle the spoon from our hands. Joel also loves any and all fruit and I think he would get pounds of it if I just kept putting it in front of him. He never leaves any on his plate. He has gotten 4 teeth in the past 2 weeks!!! This has helped him be able to munch even more foods. Let me tell you, getting 4 teeth at once was rough. Poor little guy was way fussier than ever and clingy too! I need to try harder to get some pics of those little toofers! It makes him look a lot older.

Joel also continues to be very vocal and I think he is saying More (Mo) and Hi (Ha) in addition to his Mama and Dada. Philip agrees, but I'm not sure any one else would. I think I give credit for words far before most people ever would. Most days he spends a lot of time saying bababababa and nananana and long series of aaaaaaaaeeeiiiiiiioooo etc. I love that I can hear him gabbering all the time and know where he is and that he is ok when I happen to be chasing his big brother in another room :) He also laughs a lot more often now and his favorite thing to laugh at by far is Levi. Levi can do the most simple thing and Joel will just giggle and giggle. He also LOVES Penny and will crawl around after her all around the house and try to get her to play with him. He will squawk at her really loudly while on his knees and flapping his arms in the air. Unfortunately, she either totally ignores him or gets up and goes to another room. However, this doesn't seem to squelch his love for her one bit. She can get him to smile so big just by walking through the room. His other favorite activities at this time are swinging and bath time (even though it's like a hurricane taking baths with his crazy brother!).

 

I think he is getting pretty chunky based on his roly poly thighs :) They have grown quiet squeezable lately :) But based on his stats he should be more long and lean... Here are his 9 month check up stats:
weight- 20 pounds (49%)
height - 30 inches (93%)
head-47.5cm (95%)
The doctor said he is doing great developmentally. He did have a double ear infection :( He hasn't been sleeping well the last 2 nights, so I am hoping the antibiotics will help him sleep more soundly.