Riley at nine months

At his nine month check-up, Riley's doctor confirmed what we expected: his growth has slowed way down. He is now 21 pounds, 10 ounces (70th percentile) and 29 1/4 inches long (75th percentile). That's a steep drop from his 99th percentile rankings earlier, and I'm relieved. I was not excited about starting the boy down the path toward obesity, so I'm pleased to see him slimming down a bit. 

How could he not be slimming down, considering how much he likes to crawl? He is constantly on the move. Sometimes he roots around on investigatory adventures, touching and tasting everything he sees, and other times he embarks on long distance hikes around the house.  He likes to hunt for wires he can tug on; he knows where they are hiding and very intentionally seeks them out. 

He moves so much he usually appears as a blur on camera. Here is the clearest picture I’ve been able to snap in the last week:

Here are a few more of Riley performing his newest trick, standing up:

His favorite toys are a set of stackable bowls and a ball with a monkey perched on top (the monkey makes "whoa-oa-whoa" balancing noises when Riley moves the ball, and he finds it hilarious). Perhaps it is more accurate to say that his favorite toys are his pacifiers. He will ignore everything else in sight to snag a second or even third pacifier.

His favorite activities are banging on heater grates (strange but true) and reading lyrical books (Sandra Boynton and Dr. Suess have captured his heart). He focuses intently on the books he likes (and, as this photo suggests, I concentrate on dramatic delivery).

He loves food; this boy can eat! In addition to 40-50 ounces of breastmilk a day, he eats probably 1.5-2 cups of solid food. It is a sight to behold. His current favorite is beets which means all of his diapers are now pink. It's like he's designing diaper Valentines for me all day long. ;) He also likes to eat leaves:

Don't worry, while it may look like Riley is enjoying his first doobie, this one is also a leaf!

For me, the most remarkable thing about Riley at nine months is how utterly bonded I suddenly feel to him. Something recently clicked. I find myself falling deeply in love with him, a sensation that sometimes reminds me of the urgent flutterings of a teenage crush. When we share sweet moments, like when he curls up in my arms to read a book, I recognize how fortunate I am and swear to remember these special moments forever. Most surprising is that I don't mind setting aside my ever-present to-do list in order to just watch him play. Entirely out of character for me, being present in the moment with him is really the only task I want to accomplish each day.

Here we are living “in the moment,” enjoying a little patty cake:

At nine months, Riley is a sweet, soft-spoken, mellow, happy boy. And I am starting to fully appreciate the joy of being his mom.