Dear Fraser,
I'm trying to write this before you wake up, but just as I expected, I hear you crying in your crib.
I thought we were turning a corner, as you've "slept in" till around 6:30 a couple days recently. I've been wishing and hoping this is the new normal. But here we are at 5:50. You don't want to miss today's Tour de France stage, huh?
You couldn't possibly experience more changes right now. You're cutting teeth and crawling. You're chatting up a storm. You're so fun and funny.
The day we returned from our annual National Park Road Trip (to be discussed in full in another post!), your top two teeth popped through, and your army crawl really took off. You can't be plopped on the floor with toys surrounding you because now you're forcing yourself over the toys and straight to the electrical outlets or the freezer. Or the bookshelves. You're curious, and you're fast. And you're probably doing what just about every other 9-month-old is doing.
You're on the svelte side, weighing 18 pounds, and your head size and length are in the higher percentages. You seem just about right to us. Your appetite and your desire to feed yourself took off this last month, too.
There's a new baby in town, now, as baby Claire joined Audrey and fam, and it's just so weird to see that you're not "the baby" anymore.
Your dad thinks you're the most social baby because you love waving at strangers, clapping at parades--and pretty much on-demand always, and you don't seem to have "stranger danger." I love this because I see how you make people young and old smile. You're pretty happy in general, unless you're getting your diaper changed or getting dressed after bath time.
Favorite pasttimes continue to be trips to the grocery store, watching and playing with dogs (not that your dog will let you pull on his hair because he certainly will not), eating, clapping, playing with other people's toys, anything around water, hiking, falling asleep in the hiking backpack, stroller rides, Baby Bjorn ("Carlos") rides, library music time, books, opening and shutting doors, watering the garden with Dad, and of course just being outside in general.
I finished up work, and now I'm home with you full-time, which is an adjustment. It's not really an adjustment in terms of schedule or how I feel or anything like that...it's just that the minute I stopped working, your stage changed, and it's off to the races with you. I need to be on my toes at all times. I know I was a bit of a daredevil as a child, and it seems you are, too.
We're delighting in the little things with you, and I wish I could freeze time because I just love you the way you are right now. But every month has brought new and exciting changes, and I know every month to come will be just the same.
Love,
Mom
