another visit with the cousins

Last week mommy had a few days off before she started a new job and we went over to hang out with cousins Lauren, Jillian, Mason and Gavin for an afternoon. Unfortunately we didn't make it to the pool but we still had a fun time. They have a big basement with LOTS of toys and room to crawl around. Well, if I crawled I'd probably like all the room but I just tend to sit and lunge at things. Including cousin Gavin, pictured with me below.

Do not adjust your screen. I really am a huge mega monster baby, and Gavin (a month older than I am) is a small-but-perfectly-proportioned baby. We balance each other out, I think. :D

(nearly) 9-month checkup

I had my 9-month checkup today. The scale at the doctor's office confirmed what mommy's (and daddy's and grandma's) arms already knew: I am a big boy.

I was 25 pounds 10 ounces and 30 inches long—95th percentile for both. And my ginormous head was way off the charts (as it has been since birth). Mommy says this is because I have a very large brain in there. I hope she's right.

The doctor was very nice and told mommy and daddy I can basically eat everything now but shellfish and peanuts and honey. Bring on the salmon! And cheese! I already tried yogurt and really liked it.

Mommy told the doctor how I am not yet crawling but that I love to stand, and that I am very chatty but my vowel repetition is generally limited to "dadada" at the moment. And that I am not clapping or pointing or mimicking yet. He said not to worry. I pay very good attention and make very good eye contact and am very sociable. And as he noticed during the appointment, I do in fact clap—with my feet! My proficient foot clapping was very impressive to the doctor.

I really liked the paper on the exam table. And the doctor gave me a tongue depressor to eat, I mean, play with and I enjoyed that, too.

Mommy's favorite thing about the doctor's office is the amazing retro (aka old) wallpaper. We started off in the Paddington Bear exam room but were soon whisked into the Noah's Ark room. Mommy secretly wishes that one day she'll comment on the wallpaper and the nurse or doctor will say "Oh! We have extra rolls hiding in a secret back closet, why don't you help yourself!" and then redecorate my nursery. But I like my green elephants so I secretly wish that she never says anything about the wallpaper, just in case.

Welcome to my Crib.

So last night I managed to pull myself up on the side of my crib for the first time. I also managed to pull some amazingly hilarious faces.

My aim, it is not so good.

But each day I get closer and closer to actually feeding myself.

Baby's First Burger

Saturday was quite the day for me! It started with breakfast where mommy shared her pancakes with me. They were delicious and I gobbled up nearly an entire pancake in very tiny little pieces.

Then in the afternoon, we went to New York City to meet a friend of mommy's. This friend is also named Amanda and she has a son just a couple of months older than me. His name is Sam and he makes the silliest faces! We had a late lunch at a place called Shake Shack and mommy ordered me my very own burger, once again eaten in very tiny little pieces (although mommy helped a lot with it). I wore my special hamburger bib for the occasion. I also tried to drink some of daddy's shake, but he'd finished it all before I figured out how to work the straw. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Mommy says she has memories of the Shake Shack, of many a lunch hour (or two) spent waiting on the seemingly never-ending line when she was pregnant with me because She Just Had to Have a Burger, Impatient Bladder Be Damned. So it was a very special day all around.

And of course, here are the pictures.