Nine Months of James (on the outside of the womb)

Today my squishy boy is nine months old.

Some of James' most favorite things in no particular order:

Nursing. Eating rice cereal, most baby foods, especially green veggies, and O shaped cereal and the latest addition of yogurt. Munching on morsels of food. (The floor is his snack bar, thanks to Hannah and all her crumbs.) Playing silly games like peek a boo, night-night/goodmorning, and now "come and get me!"Hannah. (He follows her around every where she goes. Even the bathroom.) What Ever Hannah Has. Mom's big earings. Mom's sunglasses. Mom. Daddy's beard.

Daddy's nose. Daddy's beer. Daddy. Crawling around at church, and getting into other people's bags. BATHS! Especially splashing in the BATH! Being outside. Eating sand and dirt. Hair pulling. Grass picking. Shiny objects. Standing against furniture and anything else sturdy enough to hold him up. Scaling these things. Opening up the trash can and diaper pail. His toothbrush. Napping in his carseat. Tummy sleeping. Soft blankets. Snuggling. Singing. Dancing. Playing drums with tinker toys. Blocks - mostly knocking them down. Going for walks in the stroller kicking his feet to a beat. Smiling - smiling is his favorite.

Some of James' least favorite things:

Having his nose cleaned, picked or suctioned. Having his face wiped. Diaper changes. Getting dressed. Getting buckled into his carseat. Applesauce. Not getting What Ever Hannah Has that he wants really bad. Having dangerous things taken away. Waking up alone in his crib. Being put down into his crib when he isn't completely asleep yet. Being kicked out of the bathroom. Not getting to tag along with Hannah.

These days of carrying him around and kissing and sniffing his little neck, and smelling that apricot baby breath, and pinching those soft rolls of fat are so fleeting. How could I ever complain about any of it? After a rough night with him waking too often or some other baby type of nuissance, I always say, "How could I ever be mad at you?"