Busy Boy

The last month as been a full one! Sammy is learning so much and he's fast. He crawls, he pulls up, and he is beginning to take some cruising steps along the couch or pushing a laundry basket with papa. It's hard to believe that Sam just turned nine months old and is already 3/4 of a year old.  He is beginning to look more like a toddler and less like a baby. Sigh.
  Yet how can one regret this? Each new thing Sam learns is so much fun and I am amazed again and again at the simple joys in life. "Look, Al, he's stood with no hands!" Celebration! We stand with no hands all the time and take it for granted, right? But our son does this and it's cause for celebration.
  Sam is using his own special jargon and rambles on when he things no one is listening (introvert in the making?). He tells us jokes and laughs a funny little laugh. He's learned to say "Ha" when talking to our dog Hagrid. He's learned how to say "no-no" and thinks the pieces of grass Hagrid brings in on his fur coat and drops on the floor for Sammy to eat are called "no-nos." He loves to growl - it's his pirate and tiger sound and he does it for many different reasons: to entertain us (yes, he likes to make us laugh now!), as a victory cry, in frustration of being offered asparagus instead of pears for dinner, just for the fun of making the sound, and of course in response to our pirate and tiger promptings.

  He often mimics us too and I've heard copycat forms of "diaper, bathroom, all done, hello" but no mama or papa yet. When I ask him if he can say mama or papa, he grins or laughs at me like I've just told the best joke - so I think he knows how to say them and can't be bothered with it while he's busy learning so many new things.
  Hide and seek (aka "where's mama (et. al.)") is one of Sam's favorite games.  We hide under a blanket and ask "where's mama/papa?" and Sam pulls the blanket off.  We put the blanket on Sam and ask, "where's Sammy?" and he pull the blanket off of himself.  This is done with much praise and celebration of such brilliance. He now will crawl to find us behind furniture and we love it. Most recently, Sam has learned to love "I'm gonna getcha!" We crawl after him saying this and he crawls as fast as he can laughing so hard he stumbles has he crawls.  This is my favorite new game with Sam.  I laugh just as hard as I chase him - watching him look excitedly around trying to find the best escape route, watching him stop and sit up and look back to see if I'm still after him and then squealing with delight when he sees I'm still coming to get him and taking off as fast as he can again. Oh, how much fun we have!
  This fun makes up for the fussy eater. We are introducing new foods and you guessed it, not popular, especially if it isn't fruit. He has realized he can protest to eating veggies or beans or whatever it is he isn't satisfied with and that sometimes this will get him fruit or something he likes better (don't worry, something he likes is always included in each meal).  But this mama has caught on I am not giving up on veggies - sorry Sam - you were born into a veggie eating/loving family. Don't worry, he usually decides to like them somewhere between the fifth and tenth try - which is apparently normal. So it is good that we have so much fun together to remind us that it isn't all a struggle over veggies.

  Sam is also learning a lot about how to take toys out of boxes and drawers and off of shelves.  He's dumping things - "out" is a lot of fun these days, "in" is sorta boring.  So I put thing back in the box, on the shelf, in the drawer while he watches waiting to take it all out again.  We talk about "in" verses "out" when we play - okay, I talk about it and Sammy just plays.
  Sammy loves his papa time! Papa wrestles him, chases him, tickles him - they have a blast together.  He really loves the weekends when we're all home together. They laugh a lot together and tell each other secret jokes. Yep, I'm pretty sure Sam has discovered that papa is the truly funny one in the family.  I mean, I'm funny, but Chris is great at telling jokes that cross over into baby language. Don't get me wrong, Chris is busy changing diapers, feeding Sam, putting him to bed too, it's just that I do it more, since I'm home with Sam.
  Chris is the BEST papa and husband - he sees a need and he meets it. If Sammy has decided to be stubborn about something during the week, by the end of the weekend it is usually not an issue anymore. Why? Because papa steps in and lovingly corrects him. Seriously! I may be at my wits end and Chris steps up to the plate and figures out how to lovingly communicate to Sammy that this behavior isn't an option (i.e. The week Sammy decided to start screaming over every diaper change - papa changed every diaper that weekend. He just laughed and told Sam he had to get his diaper changed. Then they played together and that was that. By the end of the weekend - no more screaming for diaper changes.) I love my husband!
  Chris is also awesome at teaching Sammy new games and encouraging him to learn how to use his body. He is currently the one really working on walking with Sammy. Umm, yeah! This mama is okay with waiting another month or so before this active boy walks... I already chase him and the dog around "all the time." Ha! I'm sure it will come before I'm ready, but I'll love it when it does.
  Oh, and did I mention Sam now has seven teeth? Here's a blurry picture of this active boy with his three bottom teeth. He has four on the top. He sprouted the top for and one of the bottom teeth all at once about two weeks ago.  Poor baby!  That could also be part of the protest with eating... but he's still a smiling boy despite all those new teeth!

  So you see, we've been busy playing, learning new games, learning new concepts, learning to like new foods and be patient with each other.  We love this boy!