el nine-yo

Waylon is nine months old yesterday and I feel like I just posted the eight-month round-up. My life... I am realizing more and more that we are quickly moving out of the baby phase toward the toddler phase. Last night, as I was attempting to snuggle Waylon before bed and he was attempting to throw himself anywhere but in my arms, I said to Joey, 'What am I going to do with this boy when he actually can move around on his own?' Silence. So, Waylon's nine months old now, and he...

SAID MAMA!!! That's right! He did! Yesterday afternoon, as we were having a Cheerio pic-nic, he said MAMAMAMA... I cried. (I think it might have just been perforated mmm's.)
has a total of six teeth
claps
waves...sometimes
actually converses with us, or responds to us, instead of constant babble
fed Joey a bite of food (I can't remember what it was, but Waylon didn't really want to do it. I think he just wanted Joey to get away from his plate.)
laughs at things now, instead of laughing because of things (does this make sense?) What's funny is that it sounds like a courtesy laugh.
loves things with buttons - remotes, phones, toys
loves balls and can actually throw a ball (really hard) back and forth
is very observant - picks up on the tiniest things, like a little mouse on a big page of a book filled with lots of other things
stays in the church nursery with his 'friends'
seriously hates to have his diaper changed on his beautiful changing table. He hates that thing.
finds his 'privacy' whenever it's available. So early for a lifetime of obsession.
is almost crawling and pulling up. He wants to so bad it hurts.
loves meal time. Favorite foods right now are tomato, olives, mushrooms, fruit, cottage cheese
loves bath time, play time, run time. does not love nap time. still.
loves life

Waylon enjoys a good tv show from time to time. His favorites are Wonder Pets, Backyardigans, Elmo, Baby Einstein (video). I think his favorites are the computer animated ones with lots of singing. He does not like cartoons (thank goodness) or Yo Gabba-Gabba. We only watch tv for about an hour a day, and even then, it's only in the background as we are playing with toys. The rest of our days are largely spent outside (swimming, swinging, walking the dogs, running, checking the mail, looking at things like birds and flowers). The kid is a nature lover. I'm so glad.

I am trying to mentally prepare myself for what it's going to be like when he's crawling. Life is going to be drastically different, I think. There is so much to baby proof, so much to clean. Oh, so much to clean. That will be the demise of my sanity, I'm afraid, and possibly the dogs. I'm sure there is a good book out there on raising a baby with OCD (the mother, not the baby. Lord, please don't let me raise Waylon to have OCD.) I heard once that your house should be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. But, is there a happy dirty? That's an oxy-moron if I've ever heard one. Like jumbo shrimp.

Someone asked me the other day if I had learned a lot from being a mother. I thought for a moment and decided that I discover something at least every waking hour of my days. Sometimes more often, I'm sure. I've never had a greater teacher than this baby. I think soon I'll make a list of all that I've learned or discovered during Waylon's life. I'll share it.

I forgot to mention, I think, that Joey and I started training to run the Mercedes Marathon next February. So far, the furthest I've run at one time is five miles. I think I'm quitting already. I hate hate to run. It's miserable. Who are these people that love to run? And what's wrong with them? Thing is, the whole thing was my idea. Right?

I proposed to Joey, to help us get in shape, that we run the half marathon. This would be a monumental accomplishment for me. At first he thought I was nuts. Understandable. I have always hated running. Well, after a moment of contemplation, Joey grabs this marathon thing by the horns and away he goes. The boy has become obsessed. He hasn't talked so much since...I don't know what. He has done hours of research on everything from when and how to train, to what to eat and drink, to how to tie your running shoes. It's out of control. Well, needless to say, it didn't take him long to decide that a half-marathon is only half a marathon, which is quitting half-way through. He decides to run the whole thing. No pressure. Then, the biggest losers run a whole dang marathon! They used to be 400 pounds, completely out of shape, never worked out, barely walked a mile, and they ran a whole dad-gum marathon. I decide to run the whole thing that episode.

I am crazy competitive and have made Joey's and my weekly running totals somewhat of a competition. I am struggling to keep up with him and it's driving me nuts. Joey could care less. I just don't know how in the world I will run 26 miles. I don't know how. I'll keep you posted.

Which reminds me. Quick grocery update. I just discovered SouthernSavers.com. I am hoping this website will revolutionize my grocery shopping. We'll see.