Month 1

Since birth I have gained a considerable amount of weight -- we think more than mom has lost (!!) -- according to those who pick me up every time I want attention. Also, I was missing both eyelashes and eyebrows when I was born, but have since grown long dark eyelashes and am developing some light eyebrows. My eyes are lightening from their initial dark grey to more of a blue now, but that will probably continue to change. I still have my full head of dark hair.

I continue to become more expressive with an array of facial contortions that seem to amuse my parents. I get bored pretty easily, but just love sitting in that battery operated bouncy seat or being thrown over someone's shoulder and walked around the house. I like a change of scenery every so often. Also, I am fascinated by the shadows on the wall -- especially those right next to me where I get changed and dressed. My favorite sleeping position is fully extended -- my legs straight out and my arms raised up over my head.

My parents' new motto: let sleeping babies lie -- or else you will have this following by this.

Near the end of my first month I have begun to lose some hair up front -- maybe I'll be a blonde after all! Also, I am developing an interest in my hands. They are quite good for sucking on, and for grasping my pacifier or a bottle. I am sure I will think of some other mischievous uses for these awkward things as time goes on.

My next visit to the pediatrician is on 14 April. The last time we were there (four days after I was born), she was impressed by my alertness, strength, and weight gain. I'm sure I will really zowie her this time!

Family portrait at 1 month of age

Month 2

I checked in for my 1-month doctor's visit at 9 pounds 10 ounces and 21-3/4 inches, for a gain of over 2 pounds and almost 2 inches. At this rate I'll be outgrowing all my newborn clothes pretty quickly! I also got my first shot (mom had lied to me and told me there wouldn't be any shots until next month) but I took it like a brave girl.

On April 15'th I experienced my first earthquake -- a 3.2 just a few miles away. There was some noise, but not much shaking which is too bad since I like to bounce around. This was also Tax Day for mom and dad; unfortunately they don't get to claim me as an exemption until next year.

My cries are developing more character, including an angry tone. When I get myself really worked up there are even tears. Mostly though I only cry when I want to eat. I do have a full-blown "sad face" with a turned-down mouth and pursed lip. That one usually gets me the attention I am after.

I am sleeping through the night pretty consistently now. Mom and Dad put me down sometime between 11pm and 1am and I usually sleep all the way until 7:30 or 8:00 am. I am generally a restless sleeper though, with lots of head turning and arm thrashing.

When awake I am becoming more physically and verbally expressive. I get pretty excited when somebody winds up the mobile and I can watch those bears go round and round in circles. Smiling and coo-ing are pretty regular occurences with me now. In general I am just a happy kid. Now if only those big people could understand what I am trying to tell them....

One reaction which delights my parents happens when I am outside and the wind blows -- I tend to turn my face into the breeze and inhale deeply and raise my arms with inspiration. It must be the scent of all of those blooming roses here in Pasadena -- here are some of dad's.

This month we did lots of travelling. We went to the mountains (i was asleep in the car and missed the view), the beach, and the desert where the ocotillo and cholla were blooming -- here's me enjoying the view.

We also went to San Francisco so that I could meet Great Grandma Graham. She was on a big fancy cruise ship that stopped in port for a few hours. Here's a shot of us up on deck and another of her holding me at the delicious lunch we had. I was a big hit with all of the old folks. Although we flew up to SFO -- my first plane ride -- we drove back home through the central valley with its green hills. I always seem to save my messiest diapers for when we are in the car, but Dad is a pro at changing me on the leather seats (notice my cool tie-dye onesie from Bzerkly). I liked going fast on the freeway. I made my sad face and scowled when we had to sit in traffic -- or when the music was bad.

Although I haven't found just my thumb yet, I do enjoy sucking on my entire fist. I can make lots of noise this way. My still-immature motor skills don't always allow me to hit the mouth on first try. So sometimes i wind up with a fist in the eye or a finger up the nose. But I'm working on it with some help from my friends. So far I seem to prefer the right hand to the left. I have become a very prolific drooler -- shoulders bearing dry-clean-only clothes are my favorites.

I have been coming in to work with mom for a few weeks now. I have a little play yard in her office and a whole shelf of my own, with diaper supplies and some toys. Some days I am quite good and mom gets lots of work done. Other days I am fussy and we have to go for lots of walks around the CalTech campus or even back home.

For Mother's Day I was thoughtful enough to make mom breakfast in bed -- scrambled eggs and salsa and tortillas -- oh yeah, and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. I was sure to make it extra special good since I had it for my lunch later on.

One other fact you should know about me is that I snore. I have a very active dream life too. My parents have seen me laugh in my sleep and also cry and groan.

Month 3

At my two-month checkup I was measured in the 90'th percentile in height (23") and the 75'th percentile in weight (11 lbs, 4 oz). Mmmmmm....mom's milk sure is good stuff. Based on this information I am developing some career plans -- maybe the WNBA has an early-start program? I had to get some more needles. There were two of them this time -- one for each leg. And they made me very cranky and whimper-y all day long. I needed lots of love and hugs from my parents. They took good care of me, including a few doses of infant tylenol for the pain.

My night sleeps have extended now from about 11-11:30 pm to 8:30 am. Often I don't even cry when I wake up in the morning. I am happy to hang out in my crib until somebody comes to retrieve me.

I have been exercising my voice quite a lot recently. I can go on 1-2 minute soliloquies on just about anything. Mom claims she understands it all, but I have my doubts.

And don't try to sneak away from me. I am capable of following you as you get up and walk across the room. I don't worry yet though -- I know you'll come back and play with me since I'm so cute.

Recently I have been working on my gymnastic talents. While lying flat on my back I can crunch my knees towards my chest, rolling my backside up off of the floor. While sitting in a reclining position I can lean forward just a bit -- not enough to sit up yet, but definitely enough to tip me over if someone is holding me.

I am a voracious hand (and now thumb, too) sucker. I close my eyes and really get in to it. Contrary to when I was younger I seem to be preferring the left hand these days.

Speaking of hands, my two hands seem to have found one another. I can hold them together in front of my face. Maybe this is the first step towards grabbing for things?

Recently I have taken some interest in trying to sit up. If someone else holds my hands in front of me while I am in a lying position I will flex my arms and help pull up into a sitting position. Once there I like to rock back and forth and from side to side -- holding on of course. This is lots of fun and makes me laugh. If you ease me back down into a lying position, I fuss a little until you help me back up to sitting. This mobility thing looks like fun! A later development to this game is that I can push my legs out straight too, and go all the way from lying to standing up in one motion (with help). Don't worry, nobody lets me try these tricks on my own yet.

Nearing my third month of age, I am starting to explore my motor skills. Dad taught me how to playing punching bag with a stuffed toy hanging down in front of me. It's a fun game, but poor Paddington! I am getting pretty squirmy too -- it's hard to keep me still on the changing table or when someone is carrying me around the house and I get excited. While lying on my stomach I can get my legs going back and forth -- I need some traction and some more strength, yet, to become mobile though. Finally, my newest habit is to open my mouth every time my head gets near something (anything) -- a person's arm or face, a toy, a blanket, etc. Just wait until I can reach out and grab whatever I want and bring it *to* my mouth, instead of bringing my mouth to it! I sort of do this already if I happen to grab your shirt or my shirt, but the grabbing part isn't really intentional just yet.

Month 4

YAYH, I'M THREE MONTHS OLD (11 June, 1998)!

It's hard to believe everything that has happened to me so far, and how quickly. Pretty soon I'll be walking around here and wrecking up the place. We seem to have settled into a routine at home. Basically, I run the show. Mom and Dad try to do things like work at their computters, go for runs, and even cook/eat dinner. But when I want attention or food, I make sure I let them know who's boss. Despite that I need frequent care during the day, I do give them nights off. They're so lucky, and they know it. I've been sleeping later and later in the mornings, sometimes even until 10am. This means that I go almost twelve hours between feedings (and diaper changes).

It is probably safe to say at this point that my hair is going to be dark (a light brown, really). It was very dark when I was born, and although much of that baby stuff has fallen out, it is being replaced with more darkies. My originally light eyebrows now have touches of dark in them too. Eyes, also, seem to be turning. (Since I'm an L.A. kid, I spend lots of time looking at myself; that's how I know all of these details.)

My latest trick is to turn around in circles when left on my back on the play mat. I can get around 180 degrees from where I was left in the time it takes mom to type about two sentences on her computter. If she looks away again, before she knows it I've done a full 360 degrees just by squirming. And if left there, I'll do it again! So far these episodes have all been rotations to my left. I still haven't turned over from being on my back to on my front yet, but I'm working on it. I really don't like tummy time, and usually cry until somebody helps me back over.

New behavior includes making cute faces and noises as I suck on my lower lip. I think this is a great improvement in my overall life enjoyment and efficiency, since my hands are left free for grabbing things. I am such a good sitter that I can be left alone on the couch (although propped up by a few pillows). I am much happier sitting than lying down, which is for babies. Also, I can twist from a seated position on the desk facing mom, all the way around so I can see her computer screen. I seem to be reacting to sound a little more, too. When dad comes into the room and says "hi emma", I will look around at him and smile.

I reach out and touch for things now. This includes my toys, of course, but also papers mom or dad are working on, the computer keyboard, or somebody's lunch. Once I get a good hold I can bring whatever it is directly to my mouth. Some things taste better than others.

I am getting more and more difficult for mom to have at work. I need to be entertained quite a bit, which means lots of walks around to visit her colleagues or down to the printer and back. My favorites though are the trips outside -- there is lots to look at, and to smell with all the pretty flowers. Alas, it might be almost time for day care for me. This will be good since I'll get to meet lots of other kids! Mom and Dad say they will start me out at 2-3 days in the afternoons only.

Mom and Granny Helene and I recently spent a week in Santa Barbara at some nerdy science conference of Mom's. I did get to meet all of the astronomers but spent most of the time hanging with Granny. She took me for lots of walks and played with me and read to me all day long. I even pretended to turn the pages. We had fun!

In Santa Barbara I had a couple of developments -- I began rotating in my sleep so that mom always found me at a 90 degree angle from where she had put me to sleep. Also, I had a habit of flipping over from my back to my stomach almost immediately when put down on the play mat. This would be okay, but since I don't like being on my tummy much, I would usually cry until someone put me back on my back. Then I would flip over again....and...well....Granny was very busy tending to me. I also began to show an interest in scratching things -- the mattress in my crib, the couch, somone's shoulder, even the hand that feeds me. And of course I love to grab whatever I see near to me.

Month 5

Inbetween the Santa Barbara and Teton/Yellowstone trips I went to visit the pediatrician again. More of those shots too -- boy this doctor stuff is a pain in my backside! It looks like I have settled in to the 75'th percentile in both height and weight. The numbers from my 4-month checkup are 24-3/4 inches tall and 13lbs-13ozs. Who needs those solid foods, anyway.

Our vacation was loads of fun. We had two airplane trips to get there, and two more on the way home. I am getting to be a pro at this flying stuff. My parents were worried about how I would do, but I was a real good traveller. Turbulence is especially fun with the big dips and rises! We flew in and out of Jackson Hole, WY, and drove as far north as Bozeman, MT. We spent lots of time outdoors where I got to look at trees and grass blowing in the breeze. And lots of time in the car too. Although I love car rides, a few times it got be too much and I had to fuss a little to make them stop and show me the outside again. They bought me one of those fancy backpack carriers so I can ride around in the frame pack and see the sights. It came with a sun shade to keep me protected from the rays at 6000-10,000 feet but I managed just a bit of a farmer's tan anyway. And it doesn't seem to be big enough though for both me and my cheeks! We managed a few decent hikes, the longest being about 4 miles.

When we got home after all of this excitement I could not believe that they expected me to sit in the boring indoors and behave myself. Boy, what nerve. I've been dealing with it okay though. I have learned to use my feet as tools for moving things around and kicking toys. I can kick pretty vigorously. I also can manage to scoot around on the play mat. It isn't really crawling -- more like I stretch my hands out in front of me, then tuck my knees underneath and push out. I can go forward a few feet this way, but only occasionally does everything work out right. I get less upset on my stomach than I used to. I can prop myself up and play with a toy in front of me. I can also spin around a bit and do some pushups. But mostly I force my stomach down and put my arms and legs up in the air and wiggle around. No matter how hard i flap, I can't seem to get anywhere this way. My grip is getting much stronger; I am gearing up for banging the pots and pans together. Already there is one toy in particular that I bang around, hitting my head then my leg, then my head, etc. It has a squeaky part on it, and if I bang it around enough it will squeak. I am going to be an aggressive one!

Once, just once now, mom found me with my foot in my mouth. It tasted okay, but probably not as good as the plants or those dustballs in the corner that I have my eye on.

We have another big week coming up, as I am starting day care. It will be three days per week in the afternoons, when I am at my most active. Those nice folks don't know what they're in for!

Well, I survived my first day at day care. Only I came home and find that mom and dad had decided this would also be a good time to give my a taste of "solid" foods. So I tried some mushed up bananas. They were okay. I was mostly indifferent about it, but soon decided that what i really wanted was breast milk. They obliged. Same experiment and results the following night. I've had bananas several times now -- boy what a fun mess!

I can get put to sleep on my back and then be found hours later asleep on my stomach. The one chubby cheek on the down side gets flattened out and spread around the edges of my face; quite funny looking! I seem to prefer sleeping on my side.

I am starting to "remember" things when they disappear. I used to have an out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude. But now when I drop a toy I look over the edge of my seat to see where it went. Usual somebody is kind enough to pick it up for me so I don't have to hurt myself bending over and falling out of the seat.

Thus far day care has been lots of fun. I get to observe all of the other kids who can crawl and walk. And I've got eyes for some of the older boys already; they're silly! The big people there pay lots and lots of attention to me -- more than mom does on the days we stay home! I am very popular, even to the extent of being a "teacher's pet" (even though I don't know what that means really). My teachers just love to take me around and show me to all the other kids' teachers because I am such a happy smiling kid.

Touching is one of my favorite quiet activities. I seem to treat different toys differently, banging around the hard plastic ones that make noise, and stroking the soft furry ones. But things of every texture can go into my mouth. Sometimes I look more like a young dog than a young human. I still haven't figured out that while I do have an opposable thumb, I do not have an opposable big toe. So I am often found with all fours grasping a toy and helping it into my mouth.

Today we tried the experiment of drinking out of a cup. And not one of those baby cups either; it was a real glass from the kitchen. I had a few sips of apple juice, which was yummy sweet. And I liked sucking on the glass too.

Month 6

We celebrated my five-month birthday with the introduction of some infant cereal (one of those free samples "they" keep sending). I have a definite interest in this, opening my mouth when the spoon comes near, eagerly taking the food and swallowing, and then smacking my lips afterwards. What a fun mess! For fun, mom and dad have been giving me tastes of some of the things they eat too -- yogurt, ice cream, applesauce. It might be time to visit that baby food aisle in the supermarket.

The other thing I forgot to mention previously is my razz. I have a pretty good one (see my sounds page for an example). I can razz and spit and spray for about 20 minutes straight. You think it's funny at first, but after a while it gets annoying according to my parents.

I can be quite active in my sleep these days. I see now why they put the "bumpers" on my crib; my head usually winds up firmly planted in the corner and I'm glad it's soft there. I am getting bigger and stronger every day. I had a bit of cold recently, with runny nose, runny eyes, and a sneeze. But I am over it now, and passed it back to dad who gave it to me in the first place.

Day care is still a blast! But this funny woman keeps coming in every evening and taking me home where it's just me and her and dad. How boring.

I can almost, just-about, not-quite-but-close, sit up by myself. I am strong enough to balance myself in a stable sitting position, but as soon as I get going backwards or to the side I topple over.

Ok, now there's trouble coming. All of a sudden I seem able to scrunch my knees underneath my tummy and then prop myself up on hands and knees. I do not seem too fascinated with this posture just yet, but I have figured out that it is an improvement over sticking my belly out and flapping my arms and legs (although I still do that, too). Also, I can "scoot" backwards and change directions more propped up this way. And every way I turn there are more toys! I like backing myself into a pillow and then rocking back and forth on my hands and knees. Watch out, full mobility is next!

I have become a pretty good sitter within the past few days (at 5.5 months old). I can balance myself for at least 20 minutes at a time before toppling over while reaching for a toy. And just a few times now I have pushed myself backwards up from my belly to this sitting thing. Wow I'm strong! I am also strong enough to fully sit up from a reclining position, so "the bouncy seat" is on its way out. We now have "the super saucer" to replace it, though. This is an upright seat for me in which I can bounce up and down and also spin around to enjoy 360 degrees of attached toys. All of this is good, of course, as it means I can be left alone to entertain myself while mom works at her silly computter.

With all of these developments it is getting harder to hold me on your lap. I do a lot of squirming, and am strong enough to wriggle out of your arms if you don't hold me tight. I am getting more aggressive with my reach-grasp-and-pull-to-mouth action. This sometimes causes pain when I manage to get a fist full of somebody's hair.

My awareness of other people is increasing. In particular, suddenly I don't like to be left alone in a room and will shriek and wave my arms until somebody comes back to pick me up. I am definitely a lap baby. I still have a very hard time going to sleep, and it often takes 30-45 minutes of constant walking, rocking, bouncing, a pacifier, and some water to get me out. This is both at night and during daytime naps. There's so much to explore, why should I waste my time sleeping?

Those of you who have been enjoying my fabulous toothless smile should be sure to take a few last looks -- I have a lower front tooth about to break through! Mom thinks it is causing me some pain as I have been waking in the middle of the night to moan a bit these past few nights. A few sips of water gets me back out again though. Yes, just before my six-month birthday the first tooth has come through. And a second isn't too far behind.

Month 7

We have celebrated my six-month birthday with some teething pain. The two lower ones in the front are all the way through, and growing in so quickly! But I am getting some more teef further in the back which are just killing me. Lots of cuddles are nice, and something cold in my mouth sometimes helps, but we usually have to work up to a dose of the baby tylenol before things really get any better. We also lowered my crib down to its lowest setting. I can now see out over the bumper pads at all the cool stuff in my room. And I have shown signs of being interested in pulling myself up the sides of the crib. Won't be long before a jailbreak.

The stats from my six-month checkup are 16 lbs 7 ozs and 27-1/4 inches. I have slowed down just a bit in the weight department; the doctor says this is probably caused by my increased mobility.

I am now a full-fledged crawler. It took only a few weeks to go from propping myself up on hands and knees to making real forward motions. I usually take the slow lane, exploring everything as I go, but if I see something I like on the other side I can dart across a room in a hurry. Some things attracting my attention include the telephone cord ( good for chewing on), and the big plants in our house (dirt looks better on the floor I think than in the pot). I also like taking all the books off of the bottom shelf. I chew on a few of them as they go by, but usually I pull one right after the other off the shelf and make a big disorganized pile on the floor. Mom is trying to teach me more respect for books.

The teeth are still giving me troubles. I've had mom and dad up a few times during the night to be rocked. But the teeth are some fun too -- I can roll my tongue in and out over the two bottom front ones which are in. I seem to enjoy this exploration. The manufacture of drool seems to have slowed considerably since the teeth broke through.

Back to the getting around thing....You can hear me coming 'cause I raise my hands up high and slap them down on the floor when I crawl. When I am "after" something I see across the room the forward motion is often accompanied by grunts and ooooh's of anticipation of getting my hands on it. I can now pull myself part way up on the furniture. Mostly I just get to my knees and chew on the wood/leather (I think I'll be a woodchuck for Halloween). But sometimes I even pull myself all the way up to standing. I am somewhat wobbly when I do this, and my parents fear that one of these times I am going to crash and hurt myself. Even barriers won't stop me, as I can get up above -- and even fall completely into -- my toy container.

I very much like exploring different feels and textures. I especially like playing with buttons on people's shirts.

Today I made my first phone call -- long distance too. It was easy. All I had to do was pull up on dad's computer (which sits on the floor) to a standing position then punch the "speaker" and "redial" buttons on the phone on top of the computer. Voila -- it dials and then rings!

They used a new word to describe my behavior at daycare -- independent! Mom and Dad aren't sure they like the implications of this at such a young age.

I have been tearing around our house and pulling myself up to a standing position on every piece of furniture I can find. I am even brazen enough now to balance myself with only one hand while the other picks up a toy from the floor. I have shown some inclination towards walking myself along the furniture, a low table for example. Often I can get a couple of toys and bang them on the table without holding on at all -- just leaning. More dangerous than this even, is the motion I sometimes make with one leg or the other as if I am trying to lift my knee up onto the table and climb.

My parents are so proud of me 'cause I show more than a passing interest in kiddie books. I have some of the ones with chubby pages I can turn myself. 20-30 minutes can go by and I am still looking through the same book! When someone reads a book to me, I have a tendancy to peer around to the right to try to see what is on the next page; I'm so cute.

I am getting stronger every day, and able to crawl further, stand taller, and reach further. My dexterity is improving as well, as I don't fall over and hit my head on the floor as much -- I have learned to put an arm out and stop myself before that happens. My vocalizations are changing too. I now make sounds like "va-va-va-va-ba-ba-ba-va-va-ver" and " dyah-dyah-dyah".

Got into my first fight at day care -- a wrestling match, they told mom. Just exploratory fun and games really. I came home with a scratch running from my mouth across my chubby cheek. We'll go in tomorrow to see what I did to the other kid! There are only two of us girls and six boys in my age group at day care -- so we girls have to learn to stick up for ourselves!

Month 8

So we now own one of those gates people put across the doorways of their houses. I can have the run of the place in the bedroom/study areas where it is carpetted. But I'm not allowed out in the living/dining/kitchen area without supervision. It's too bad because I was starting to like the dirt from the big plants I kept eating. And I was sure I could climb up onto that glass table in the living room pretty soon. Plus there's the CD tower to knock over yet, and the television and stereo which sit precariously on wheels, and the kitchen cabinets, and ..... At least there are still the drawars to open in the back parts of the house. As long as we were out spending money, we also bought me a fancy new car seat for the 20-40 pound range. I am just about ready for it -- it's forward-facing too, so no more making faces at the people driving behind us.

We took a trip east this month, to the great joy of many of my relatives. There were many highlights. One was the party Granny Helene threw for me and the relatives (and Bunny, a special friend). Of course, I was the guest of honor and everyone oohed and aahed over me and made me the center of adulation. I seem to have perfected my picture-posing skills. I have learned that I must stop whatever I'm going to smile broadly, so the multitudes of photographers can catch me at my best. I love taking pictures. I hope all my relatives are saving them for me. I enjoyed everything about the trip - staying with Grandma Doris and Grandpa George, making Grandpa George and Granny Helene entertain me for a whole day, going to the office with Grandma Doris and dazzling all her co-workers, walking on the Princeton campus, where I just might be in the class of 2020. I was on my best behavior at PJ's Pancake House because I might be a regular customer there in 18 years and I don't want to be banned from the place. I got lots of nice gifts - loads of clothes, books, and toys. There were so many things that Mom and Dad left some of them at various grandparents' houses so I'll have stuff to wear and play with when I return at Christmas time. I've heard a lot about this holiday; I expect to get lots of loot. All in all, I had a great time travelling, although I was a nightmare for mom on the plane ride home.

More details about other recent events soon (mom is having a hard time keeping up with this web page!!) but I just have to tell you my latest trick -- I can stand up ALL BY MYSELF. Mom watched me playing with toy in the middle of the floor and then proceeding to uncurl my legs and just stand up. Not holding on to anything, not pushing my legs out while my hands were still on the floor and then "climbing" upwards, not doing anything but exercising pure leg strength. Up I went! I stood (with the toy I had been holding) for about 10 seconds and then plopped back down on my behind. This really got me a funny look from mom. Her eyes got real big, and she even looked scared. I'll have to try doing this again later.

There have been lots of heretofore undocumented developments in my life. Let's review.

First, as you all saw when I visited east, I can clap my hands in response to your doing it, and also raise my hands above my head in response to you. I am very strong, able to pull myself up to standing with ease (while crawling up a table or chair or wall or person, that is). I don't show much interest in walking just yet. But frequently I do push back from whatever I am holding on to, and stand there all by myself for 5-15 seconds before plopping down on my backside. My strength also shows in the aggressiveness with which I play with my toys and with the books, cds, tabletop accessories, rugs, and other stuff lying around the house. I also like to wrestle with the Pooh bear. He used to be the same size as me, but I've outgrown him and can toss him around like he was a stuffed toy.

Other fun things: I can take the marble coasters on the glass table and bang them as hard as I can on the glass. This is fun. Dad stops watching football and comes running over to grab me whenever I do this. I can also pull the high chair over onto myself. It does not hurt, but sometimes I scare myself and cry. That high chair is pretty high up and weighs a lot. More than me anyway, that's a lot. Also, I can rip the glass door off of the VCR cart all by myself. I just go right up to it, push it in so the magnet releases, then open it till it does not open anymore. I then push a bit harder and the hinges rip right off. I then watch Dad take a long time to fix it, then I do it again. What fun!

I don't seem to be hitting my head as much.....ooops, scratch that. See, there is this low table in our study that I like to play around. I stand up and walk up and down it. I take my toys up on it and bang them together or on the table. And I have even managed to crawl upon it. Mom and dad bought some of those plastic corners so I wouldn't hurt myself when I fell near the table. But boy, were those things fun to peel off the table and suck on. One corner always came off pretty easily, but I had to work real hard to get the other one off -- I leaned back with all my weight on it, wriggling around, pulling hard then letting up then pulling hard again. Finally it came off. Mom decided that was enough and took them both off for good. Not 5 minutes later I fell and hit my head on the corner. So much for "safety first."

I still do not know about a thing called gravity. I will crawl right to the end of the bed or couch and, magically, I just glide down to the floor (with a little assist from Mom or Dad.) Recently, I was climbing on Dad while he was on his side. I got to the top and was about to go over -- this is the part that Dad usually grabs me and glides me down to earth gently -- when BOOM. All of a sudden, I did a faceplant right into the hardwood floor. It made a loud noise and the whole house shook. Ouch. I cried for a long time and I had a welt on my forehead for a while. Mom kissed it and made it better.

My favorite playing position seems to be one in which I have one knee on the floor and the other leg outstretched in some direction. Mom thinks this is the position I was in when I did my free form standup, described above. I like to zip around the house these days. My favorite place to go is down the hall and into the bathroom, where my hands slapping on the bare floor make lots of noise. I like to stand up and look in the bathtub and make sure rubby ducky is doing fine. One of these days I am going to fall in. Those parents of mine had better pay more attention to me.

I am developing more range with my vocalizations. I let you know if I don't like something. I learned how to complain from my mom. And quite often too, I let you know that I do like something by sharing my hearty laugh.

Finally, I like to dance with the girls who come and babysit. We dance and dance. It is fun and I expend a lot of energy doing it. Those two high school girls are -- like you know -- so much cuueler than my parents.

Mom and dad are happy to report that my bedtime is easing towards earlier hours. I now go down in the 9-9:30 range (as opposed to the 12-1am timeframe that characterized my youth). I usually get up around 7:30am, which gives mom enough time to wash yesterday's bottles and maybe sneak a peak at her email before my needs overcome all other focus.

One final note: I have a funny habit of tilting my head to the left and looking at you sideways. Often with a smile. I'm coy.

Month 9

Boy, eight months old! We commemorated by going to buy me some long-sleeved clothes. The temperatures have been dipping into the low 60's here. Brrrrr. Winter.

The beginning of this month has brought lots of teething troubles. People keep sticking their fingers in my mouth, poking around, and then shaking their heads saying "no, i don't feel anything." But gosh it hurts in there! I was in so much pain on Saturday night, even after some baby tylenol and some ambesol, that mom and dad gave me almost half a bowl of ice cream. Yum yum; that cured me right up, at least for 15 minutes.

I continue to explore the limits of my physical strength, pulling and shaking everything I can. Some things topple right over, but others require more work to get them to fall. Another development is that I am starting to understand the concept of "under" (I got "over" a while back). I now understand that when I crawl under a chair or under a low table, that I can not sit up else I will bang my head. Also, when I crawl underneath the "super saucer" I know I have to duck my head down to crawl back out.

I have learned about the word "no." It comes in various tones of voice and loudnesses. But it always means that I should stop what I am doing, turn around in the direction of the voice, smile and laugh a few times, and then continue what I was doing. I get to hear this word a lot.

I am starting to show an interest in walking, though not yet all by myself. If someone stands behind me and holds my arms up, I will proudly walk across the room on my own initiative. But if I am standing up holding on to a chair or something, and someone just a few feet away calls me with outstretched arms, the quickest way to get there is to drop to my knees and crawl on over for a hug.

I discovered the cabinet in the kitchen with all the pots and pans lids. Took out the biggest one and banged it around the floor for a while. Thwaaang! I also found the tupperware cabinet. Now there are some of these in the living room, and back in the big bedroom. I don't know why they were cooped up in that cabinet all this time.

Did I mention that I can hold my bottles all by myself? Well, I can, but only when I want to. Sometimes it is nice to be waited upon. And did I tell you that I can sit in high chairs in restaurants, and in the shopping carts in food stores? These are old developments, but never got recorded before.

A new development is a somewhat violent streak I have. I can really bang those toys loudly against each other and against the furniture. Sometimes I will have a toy on the floor, raise both my arms above my head, and then SLAM, bring them both down on the poor toy. Lots of the toys make cute little noises, but they all make some noise if you hit them hard enough.

We had our first Thanksgiving here. I made mom and dad a nice card at daycare. It had my footprint and my handprint and a nice message in it. I spent a good portion of the day in "the cage" (my playpen) as it was very important that I stay out of the way while all the kitchen activity was taking place. There were lots of yummy smells, and I even got some tastes of pumpkin pie out of the deal. Other than that, it was baby food and bottles for me, as per usual.

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went to the mall to have my picture taken with Santa. I had lots of fun there, and smiled and laughed at every single person at the mall -- except for Santa, that is. I cried for him, but the picture still came out okay.

TWO MORE TEETH! yikes, they hurt lots. They also generate lots and lots of drool.

I really am just about to walk. While standing up in the middle of a room I have taken one or two little steps foreward before falling down. It's a start, anyway. I just love tearing around the house while someone holds on to my hands. I'm fast! It's more like I am looking to run than to walk.

Month 10

Well, I'm not walking as of my ninth birthday like some daddies I know, but it won't be long. Perhaps by Christmas-time when I see you all. I have taken a few solo steps across "safe" distances -- holding on to the tv stand and walking two or three steps to the couch for example. But nothing more than that just yet.

The teeth -- here's a new fun thing I discovered while mom was trying to put me to sleep one night: I can grind the top ones and the bottom ones together to make a very strange noise. Mom kept trying to stick her finger in there to make me stop, but I wouldn't let her.

Went to the doctor for my nine-month checkup. I am 19lbs, 2 ozs and 28-1/2 inches tall. I'm a bit on the tall side still, and exactly average weight. You wouldn't think it by looking at me -- I'm all chub! One bad thing about my visit though is that the doctor discovered that I have a bit of an ear infection. I'm on some antibiotics to help clear it up. Next week's plane ride should be fun....

My walking skills are improving. When put down in the middle of the floor I can take up to 6 or 7 steps in one direction. Don't distract me though, or make me try to turn around, 'cause I'll fall right away.

My mastery of the concept of "under" continues to develop. I like to climb under various pieces of furniture -- chairs, cribs, and even beds -- and try to sit up and play. I do keep hitting my head though.

Mom and Dad claim that I have left the "baby stage" and am now a full-fledged small child. This may be true, but I am going to take advantage of the baby treatment as long as I can -- my life is pretty good!

Learned a new game today. It is called "catch my tongue". The way I play it is to try to grab my tongue inbetween my thumb and forefinger. When I catch it I pull hard and make strange faces. I was playing today and mom was just laughing and laughing at me.

Let's talk about words. I can say a few, but only sort of indiscriminantly. "Da-da" comes out when I am looking at the refrigerator or the doorstop, and sometimes even when my daddy says it and I repeat him. "Ma-ma" comes out only when I am crying. Dad has been trying to get me to say this one for a while now, without much success. A brand new one for me is "uh-oh", which I will repeat after you and then continue to utter off and on for a few minutes.

Did I mention that I am a very good "bye-bye" waver? This has been going on for some time now. Between this and the clapping hands and the walking and the developing personality, I am just a load of fun!