Nine Months

While I have been doing a lot of this lately:

My son, who is approaching his first birthday much more rapidly than I prefer to admit, has been doing a lot of this lately:

Oh, also lots of getting himself into situations he can't get out of yet...like last week when he was afraid to crawl on hardwood floors ...

 Or when he opens drawers

And gets stuck under them

He's finally started babbling, and I must admit I think he has an adorable little voice. In the space of two days' time, he's started saying "ba-ba", "ma-ma", "da-da", and "ta-ta" (are you noticing a variation on a theme here?). Oh, and my parents swear he also said "Opa". Believe what you will.

His top teeth are starting to come in, so he's doing a lot of this...

which is perfectly fine on his plastic-coated crib rail, but slightly more awkward on my friend's daughter's nose.

I will admit I still get a kick out of walking into his bedroom to see this

and this

(Yup, still catching flies with that mouth)

As we've reached this nine-month stage, finger foods have made a much-loved appearance

as has that little-boy-plotting-mischief grin. Ah yes, it is starting to become apparent that this boy is his father's son. This was confirmed to me the other day when I asked my mother what she thinks his little developing personality is like in comparison to other babies. I wish I could say I was surprised when she said, "I see a little bit of a devil in him." Alas...I was not.

However, as devilish as this little boy is going to be, I know there will continue to be moments that make my heart melt, moments when I have to just give pause and thank God for this incredible gift...like when I see him sleeping on his video monitor, surrounded by his furry friends, with his little cloth-diapered bum in the air

And then moments when I just have to laugh at this silly boy...like the other day when I made the mistake of putting him to sleep in nothing but a cloth diaper...with worn-out velcro tabs

Anyways, though this boy is gonna be trouble, and though he's already getting into things and having mini tantrums...at the end of the day, he's still my sweet, happy little William Levi.

And I love him so much.