Transl. “9 months: Soon an autonomous entity”

I’m turning 9 months old today, I realised I’m almost not a baby anymore so it’s time I took control of things. Here’s my plan.

Vertical Positioning
I’ve had enough of the floor. My one fixation is standing upright. I never played much sitting up, but I started playing on my knees (sitting on my ankles). I don’t really crawl on my hands and knees: I could do it – I can manage it when I’m fully clothed and I need to move over a rug or something – but I can tummy-crawl (pushing with the right leg only, still) pretty fast in my own home, so the other way just isn’t useful. I’ll climb on (or using) everything I can; that includes the patio-door glass, my baby-swing, or just plain doors). I’m smart enough not to have tried the walking thing yet – I’ll still need a touch of stability before I try that – but I can move sideways and sometimes from a piece of furniture to another (I sometimes make bad decisions on that last, but overall I’m doing ok).

Food Intake
I won’t let them feed me anymore. My own two hands are all the tools I need. Great variety of food these days, too. Lately I started getting toast, macaroni, brocoli, tomato, steak…! Favourites include mandarines snack cups (and sips of their juice from the cup, YUMMY!), multigrain crackers, avocado and others. Bananas have become a classic. Mama let me try 3.25% milk yesterday at dinner: sweet pickles, bring it on!! whyever didn’t I get to drink that before?!? It’s delicious! I was a little cranky and it cheered me right up!
The only thing I’ll still let them feed me is bottles. In fact, I take care to show absolutely no interest in holding my own bottle, even when mommy tries to teach me. It’s part of my plan, so mommy won’t know that I’ve become absolutely autonomous yet. I think she’s not ready to know.

Communication
I’ve good use of words “Miam, miam!” and “Mmmm!”, appropriately applying them to food I like. I’m a bit more sketchy on “Menoum, menoum”, but I have a go at it sometimes. I can manage “Mamam” and “neeeeun” (my version of “No”), though I’ve no practical application for those – mom seems to hope I would. I’ll sometimes try a soft “papa”, but never when dad’s around. I’ve picked up the consonants “T”, “D”, “B”. What else is there?

Energy Refill
I’m starting to try to sleep all night. It’s not easy, I’ll tell you. There’s always something going on (tough digestion, passing dreams, toothache, etc.). Sometimes mom gets it, other times she doesn’t and she figures I’m just being a little difficult in this matter. Still, she has faith in me, and that helps. Some nights I succeed, and we are hoping this will settle soon.

Potty training
… what, you thought that was serious? lol!

Personality
Things to recognize me by:

• When I’m happy, I raise my arms and flip my little fists in the air.
• When I’m really happy, I add a sound like a joyful cry, but breathing in, not out (not entirely unlike a drowning person who would get a lungful of air at last).
• I play cowboy attempting to climb high and over wobbly stuff, and indian by doing “wawawa” with the back of my hand over my mouth, and “babblebabble” with my fingers over my lips.
• I love the cats and the fish, it makes me happy to see them.
• Peek-a-boo is hilarious, and words like “miaow, miaow” and “tout doux” make me laugh.

Height: 30.5″ – Weight: 20.5 lbs

Bye now,
- Xavier

Thus inquired an add over a linked page from one of Frank’s social bookmarks site. I goggled at the flash banner and clicked. “Even if YOU don’t know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic™ knows.” As a self-acknowledged agnostic, I just had to try this.

I was totally expecting a silly quizz – “settle the pesky question of your spirituality in 20 quick questions!!”… I mean the site has “Which ‘Lost’ character are you?” in the Soul Surveys category, for heaven’s sake (that’s a bad pun, I know) – but the test is not that bad, with many options for each answer and the possibility to indicate which questions/issues have more importance to you. It also gave me a chance to explore theology just a little, and find out the beliefs of a couple of religions through the links provided.

For those who want to try it out, the site is beliefnet.com and the quizz is Belief-O-Matic.

Apparently, I should be a Unitarian Universalist. From what they say about this faith, it can encompass pretty much everything, so I don’t mind so much. I’m bummed I didn’t score higher as a Taoist, they sound kinda cool. Although the most dismaying part is that I only scored 10% in common with Roman Catholics (it barely made the list), which is what I’m supposed to be. Alright, since you’re dying to know my score, I’ve added it below.

Have fun!

Your Results:

The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.

Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

How did the Belief-O-Matic do? Discuss your results on our message boards.

Click here to find out more!

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Secular Humanism (92%)
3. Neo-Pagan (92%)
4. Liberal Quakers (91%)
5. New Age (87%)
6. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (78%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (75%)
8. Scientology (72%)
9. Theravada Buddhism (70%)
10. New Thought (68%)
11. Taoism (68%)
12. Nontheist (64%)
13. Reform Judaism (61%)
14. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (54%)
15. Jainism (48%)
16. Orthodox Quaker (46%)
17. Sikhism (44%)
18. Hinduism (37%)
19. Bahá’í Faith (33%)
20. Orthodox Judaism (31%)
21. Islam (25%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (24%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (18%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (17%)
25. Jehovah’s Witness (12%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (10%)
27. Roman Catholic (10%)

Here’s why mommy doesn’t film me – or even take pictures of me – as much these days.

- Xavier