nine months.

Although he's not crawling forward, he has discovered that he can travel a little by pushing himself backwards.  You'd be surprised by how far he can travel across a floor just by sliding backwards and pivoting in circles.  But mostly, he really likes to stand/lean.  He will hold his arms up to you, as if he wants to be picked up by you, but all he really wants is your hands to support him so he can "stand."  You could try to make him sit, but he just arches his back or goes stiff as a plank, so he can't bend to sit down.  And since he doesn't walk, he just, stands or leans, if you prop him up against something.  But he's as happy as a clam.

We're adding spices to food now...cumin, turmeric, curry, cinnamon.  So fun.  He's loving it, but I think he just loves eating in general.  I've read that if a baby doesn't want to eat anymore he will spit food out or turn his face away or lean back into his chair.  He's never done any of those things.  He just keeps opening his mouth when you put a spoon up to it, even if he's cranky.  He's not so keen on water.  He'll definitely knock away a sippy cup if you try to put it anywhere near his mouth, but he will not say no to a spoon full of food.

And we've completely transitioned to cloth diapers, finally.  I wish we could have done it sooner, but there are soooo many options and I got overwhelmed and was hesitant to spend all that money before I knew for certain what diapers we'd use.  After finally getting out to a cloth diapering workshop, I knew what I wanted to try, bit the bullet and ordered my "system" of diapers and accessories.  It's taken a little time to transition, as most of the system is made up of 'prefolds' that are folded and placed into a cover, but we've gotten the hang of it and it's pretty normal now.  Our trash output has drastically gone down without a bag full of diapers to toss, which makes me happy for the sake of the earth.  We even use cloth wipes and homemade wipes solution.  Call me eco-conscious or granola, but I'm just discovering a world of natural, homemade cleaning products, and I like it.

I don't know if it's a universal baby thing, but this kid is fascinated with technology.  He will lunge for a laptop or cellphone, over playing with a crinkly giraffe or a multi-coloured piano. Maybe it's cause he sees big people playing with these things, but he definitely wants to get in on the action.  Makes me nervous for when he'll be asking for his own cellphone at the age of two.

As of his nine month check-up, he's 21 pounds.  He is a good-sized turkey.  Every once in a while, I'll look at him and notice that something has changed, like how his round baby pot belly isn't so round anymore having stretched out a couple more centimetres in the past few months.  I wonder if it's a universal parent thing to feel both excited and sad for your growing infant. I'm excited to see the milestones of growth and development that each month brings, but I'm a little sad to see those teeny baby moments, like how he used to fit into my forearm when I held him or how he used to gently coo at you, fleeting away and becoming distant memories.  But one thing will always remain the same...that is the bountiful joy and laughter that this little human brings into our lives.