The Stories of our Lives

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

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at 6:34 and is filed under Xavier. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.